“Yeast sample for lab analysis”. That’s what was written on the label that was taped to the box that contained the beer that you see in the photo above these words. In addition to this beer, there were two other beers in the box from Monday Night Brewing: their Eye Patch Ale, which I have already reviewed, and their Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale.

To be completely honest, prior to their email asking if we’d like to sample their beers, I had never heard of Monday Night Brewing. As is usually the case when I get an email from someone that I don’t know, I did a bit of interwebz research to see if the sender is legit. Thankfully, a simple “Monday Night Brewing” Google search led me to their website which then led me to their Twitter feed, Instagram account, and Facebook page. And if all that weren’t enough, I also found their brewery profile pages on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer. 

Here is what Monday Night Brewing is all about (courtesy of the “About” section on their website):

Monday Night Brewing is an Atlanta-based craft brewery. We brew beers for the weeknights – balanced, flavorful ales that pair well with food.

Believe it or not, the idea for Monday Night Brewing grew out of a small Atlanta Bible study. We started brewing beer together on Monday nights as a way to get to know each other better. As we got more engrained in the industry and more people started showing up to brew with us, beer quickly became more than just a weeknight hobby.

We spent almost 5 years perfecting our Eye Patch Ale and Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale before bringing them to market. Years of minor tweaks, arguments over hop profiles, and experiments with different brands of base malts are poured into every glass that we brew. In the summer of 2012 we launched our 3rd offering, Fu Manbrew, which won Bronze in the US Beer Open in its first month.

And here is what they have to say about their Fu Manbrew Belgian-Style Wit beer:

A bright, spicy Belgian-style wit. An effervescent, easy-drinking wheat beer, brewed with Belgian yeast, German hops, and a whisper of ginger from the Far East. This mustachio’d Belgian-style wit believes that good beer defies borders. The name Fu Manbrew was crowdsourced with some help from our friends at Scoutmob. They call the mustache a “Flavor Savor” for a reason.

Let’s get on with the review…

• Appearance: Pale orange color. Dare I say dusty copper? A very effervescent pour, though not much in the way of foam or lacing.
• Aroma: Subtle fruitiness with a hint of yeast. A bit of orange marmalade and some mild gingeriness (is that even a word?) showing up too.
• Taste: Light mouthfeel with medium, fizzy carbonation. Wheat and a bit of yeasty goodness at the onset. The ginger spice shows up at mid-palate and carries you through to the finish. A definite ginger beer-like tingle in the aftertaste.
• ABV: 5.2%

I really enjoyed my bottle of Monday Night Brewing’s Fu Manbrew. It’s crisp, refreshing, and even a little bit spicy thanks to the ginger that was added during the brewing process. I had this beer on a 90+ degree day (the 4th of July to be exact. Hence the red, white, and blue hat in the photo up above) and found it to be a perfect antidote for the hot and humid weather. Well done Monday Night Brewing!

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Many thanks to the good people at Monday Night Brewing for sending us this sample bottle!