BEER REVIEW: Mikkeller Brewing’s We’re Going to Need A Bigger Mango at CARDIFF GIANT

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

While trying to decide which beer to order at Cardiff Giant, I was on the phone with an old friend who is not as plugged into the craft beer world. I read the ingredients on the Mikkeller offering and he did a double take, “Lactose?? Lactose in beer?”

For the uninitiated, I can understand how that sounds strange. But for modern American craft beer drinkers, it’s become almost as common as hops.

Cardiff Giant is a neighborhood bar that’s one step up from a dive with a pretty good Happy Hour and a quaint little garden in the back.

The focus is on local producers which I always appreciate. The beer menu was comprised of mostly breweries within the city and a few from upstate.

I took advantage of the $1 off all drafts special during Happy Hour (weekdays 4-7) and chose an interesting Mikkeller brew that I had not yet encountered. Turns out the We’re Going to Need a Bigger Mango was released in July and I’m guessing has not been brewed again. Which is a shame because it was pretty darn tasty.

This sour ale poured like a hazy IPA, which makes sense since it was double dry-hopped. Huge juicy aromas emanated from the glass but it drank super smooth. It was beautifully balanced and easy drinking. I found the mango evident but subtle. I think the lactose helped cut the sour and hops. I could have drank these all day long. Or at least until Happy Hour ended. And my friend on the phone was very jealous.

Is Mikkeller Brewing NYC’s We’re Going To Need a Bigger Mango the best beer in NY? 8 out of 10 for a very appealing smooth texture and flavor with subtle hints of mango and light hops.