Infinite Session Pale

Infinite Session are a London-based NA beer producer, founded in November 2017 by the Hannaway brothers Chris and Tom. They started the company because of their hatred for hangovers, but also the love of the cause of their hangovers. The statement on their website reads ‘We believe that beer is bigger than booze.’ and I for one would heartily agree with this sentiment. Infinite Session currently have a core range of 3 AF beers available; a Pilsner, a Pale Ale, and an IPA. In this review we’re tasting the Pale Ale, which was an award winner in the 2018 World Beer Awards, scooping up the Low Alcohol Pale award for the UK.

Infinite Session’s Pale Ale is what is known as an American Pale Ale (APA). This style of ale is sets itself apart from the standard European pale by it’s more abundant use of hops, especially American favourites such as Cascade. With the amount of hopping going on in an APA they can easily be confused with an IPA, although most brewers manage to rein themselves in before crossing that line. The colour of an APA also tends to be more on the amber side, due to the combinations of malts used. Infinite Session’s Pale uses 6 different grains in it’s production, but does not use Cascade for hopping, and instead relies on Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe for it’s flavours. With the grains providing a backbone for the hops to do their job, do we get a full-flavoured pale ale for us to enjoy?

Pouring from the can we get a clear amber liquid, and a small head that froths up and hangs around for a fair while. On the nose the hops are let loose, with the predominant aromas being citrus, mainly grapefruit and mandarin orange, with some pine in the background. A good variety, and certainly wakes up the senses.

Flavour-wise the hops dominate, as expected, and offer some orange rind bitterness and pine notes. But little else. The mouthfeel is ok but bordering on watery. By the finish the bitterness has toned down, but it is refreshing and certainly drinkable.

I feel that this is Infinite Session’s aim with their beers – for each of their offerings to be a sessionable drink. While this does mean they may not be as full-flavoured as other alcohol-free beers, they’ll keep you happy. It’s very drinkable, and being an AF beer, it’s suitable for any time in the day!

Nutritional Information (per 100ml)

0.5% alcohol by volume
11 calories energy
0g fat
3.3g carbohydrates
2.8g sugar
0.2g protein

(taken from the side of the can)

Ingredients

Water, Barley, Wheat, Oats, Hops, Yeast