Richmond Hill Brewing Company (RHBC) won a Gold Medal at the 2023 African Beer Cup for their Lemon Yellow Sun Hoppy Lager and it’s no surprise as it is delicious.
RHBC and in particular their brewmaster, Niall Cook, have a tradition of being experimental with their brews. They do make ‘normal’ beers too but Niall has a knack of knowing just what ingredients to mix to create something that is not just unusual but also very tasty. So tasty that it wins medals.
In the case of the Lemon Yellow Sun Niall has created a mix between an easy drinking lager and fruity session IPA.
What’s in Lemon Yellow Sun?
Niall says, “What is interesting about this beer is that we used a lager yeast, a little wheat malt with the normal pilsner malt and a lot of Yakima Chief Cryo POP hops.”
This is not a normal recipe for a lager but the flavours have combined excellently.
Niall adds, “The Cryo POP Hops is a blend of a variety of Yakima Hops and has strong citrus flavours particularly lemon notes as well as a little papaya and litchi.”
I am guessing that the lemon palate and the rich yellow colour of the beer together with a typical bright African sunny day for sluking back a pint or two contributed to this very appropriate name.
“The lager strain of yeast is not normally combined with a hoppy beer but in this case it has worked very well. The result is a beer that is very dry and has a whole lot of fruitiness up front,” Niall adds.
Where to find this award winning brew
Unfortunately Lemon Yellow Sun is not one of RHBC’s regular brews and so it is best to grab some while they are in stock. These can be acquired online by clicking here or by visiting the fridge in their taproom in Albaster Street, Gqeberha.
