Grind City Brewing Co. is adding another beer to its year-round lineup of canned offerings — and it’s one of the brewery’s popular fruited sours.
Gator Patrol, 5% ABV, is a Tangerine Cream Sour made with loads of tangerine puree.
“It’s almost like a sour candy kind of vibe,” Grind City founder Hopper Seely told Memphis Beer Blog, just before pouring a 16-oz. can of the hazy orange liquid into a glass.
He added: “It smells like a bouquet of fresh tangerines.”
Gator Patrol is not the kind of sour that gives you Sour Beer Face. It’s a light-bodied, accessible beer with a tart, tangerine bite.
Grind City is throwing a launch party to celebrate the release on Saturday, Sept. 7, complete with backyard games and a guy running around in an alligator costume.
The beer is being released in four packs of 16-oz. cans and, to start, should be available in Shelby County at most liquor stores that sell craft beer, as well as select grocery stores.
Seely said fruited sours have always been the top sellers at Grind City beer festivals, and he’s often asked: “Why aren’t your sours available anywhere besides the taproom?”
In the summer of 2023, a version of Gator Patrol was released on draft under the name “Florida Man,” and it was well received. But Cigar City Brewing already had an IPA with the same name.
In March of this year, the beer returned to Grind City’s taproom with its new moniker.
In recent months, Grind City has been tinkering with the recipe and process for brewing Gator Patrol, and working to ensure that it is shelf stable.
Now, the Memphis brewery is ready to give Gator Patrol a wide release and has high hopes for its success.
“Oh, man, it smells really good. It tastes really good,” said Anna House, Grind City’s marketing director.
“This is basically a fun sour that is not too sour. It’s very palatable to the masses.”
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