Say what you will about her and her music, but that woman knows how to put on a show! Some months back I stumbled upon Streetside's Friendship Bracelet at a bottleshop. Knowing we had the concert coming up, I grabbed it and figured I'd write about it before I head back to work tomorrow. So, let's do just that.

Streetside is, as mentioned last month, a brewery that's a labor of love in Cincinnati, OH. Located in the Columbia-Tusculum neighborhood, it was started by Garrett Hickey and his brother, Brian. They've won awards and have amassed a sizeable following of beer geeks who love them. Check out their "Our Story" page for more.

Friendship Bracelet unfortunately isn't on Streetside's website. That's no biggie, though. We'll just head over to Untappd for its rundown. We're looking at an 8% ABV West Coast IPA that's a collaboration with two Columbus, OH breweries (Derive and Forbidden Root). They all got together and did the Swiftie trend to bring us our ale today.

The bouquet on the ale is fantastic. It's bursting with fruit notes (mango, pineapple, guava), pine, and big floral aromatics. Missing from the nose is any sort of funk that would take me out of the experience. It's fresh, bold, and juicy. Charlotte (looking super crusty tonight) gave my can twenty quick whiffs (and a lick or two for good measure).

All those fruits I mentioned above are here on the palate. There's also some hay and some bubblegum. These flavors, whether you choose to believe me or not, all work pretty damn well together. Unfortunately, the hops become a tad too bitter in the finish for me, which detracts from an otherwise stellar beer.

Friendship Bracelet's mouthfeel is bright. It's creamy and frothy with a bit of bite.

Let me talk about last night's concert for a bit. It was a spectacle. Everyone in attendance was dressed to the nines. Swift and her whole crew (dancers, musicians, stage hands, and techs) were on point. The visuals on the stage were jaw-dropping. That was a once-in-a-lifetime show for me to see, and I'm stoked I got to go. As a dude who typically goes to rock concerts, the level of professionalism and sheer joy on display was something to experience.

I'm giving Streetside's Friendship Bracelet a 9.0/10. It's a fine beer on its own, sure. Coupling it with the weekend I've had? It's a hell of a nightcap.