BEER in New York: Salt Pepper Ketchup from FIVE BOROUGHS BREWING

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

At first this Five Boroughs beer caught my eye because of the design and then the name (which sort of hinted at a very strange combination), and then finally the low ABV.

I love big IPA’s, but in my older age, I can’t drink too many of them. A session IPA, for me, lives up to the name. Heck, I might even be able to drink two.

I found out later that this beer had been sitting on the shelves at Euro Market in Astoria for a long time. It was brewed two years ago, so it may not be as fresh and aromatic as when it was first made.

That being said, it was a totally drinkable light beer. I kept trying to find notes of salt, pepper, or ketchup, but could maybe only find traces of the first two. Definitely no tomato sauce involved in this one.

Salt Pepper Ketchup poured very hazy with a tall white head. The nose was very limited with subtle hints of tropical fruits and pine.

It was very easy drinking with a watered down hop quality and a very strong effervescence. I found some background peppery notes along with some grapefruit, but really nothing major going on here.

No doubt the very mellow flavor had to do with both the age of the beer and the 3.2% ABV. I would drink this again for sure, but I can’t imagine I will be thinking of it much again. While I may not spend time on this anymore, I’ll still dream of a beer that has all the flavors of a classic diner.

Is Five Borough’s Salt Pepper Ketchup the best beer in NY? for those that like a very very light IPA flavor and a strong bubbliness, this is the beer for you. Totally drinkable at 7.5 out of 10, but also rather forgettable.