BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU: BAD DECISION JUICE

Getting to know Backlash Beer Company

Welcome to the Boston Better Beer Bureau, our latest incarnation of the trusty suds reporting we’ve done at DigBoston ever since people referred to beer as suds. Really, we remember the days when we’d spend half our checks on fancy German bottles just so that we could review them, whereas these days breweries from all around New England kindly send us samplers and stay in touch. The BBBB is a new attempt to return that love, all while sharing more news about the innumerable microbreweries and pubs among us. SIGN UP FOR THE BBBB NEWSLETTER FOR FREE HERE!

This review’s supposed to start with us saying that it was a phenomenal decision to drink Bad Decision Juice. That’s the corny way to write about how seriously delicious this new local potion truly is, and you can count on others using the approach. God bless ’em, but we have different plans for introducing readers to the Backlash Beer Company on Hampden Street outside of Dudley Square.

Now that it’s had about a month to get its draft lines calibrated and develop friendships with the kind of food trucks that we’d like to engage while drinking their beers, we’ll be certain to stop into the minimalist taproom later this month and report back to readers. First, though, we’re here to gush over Bad Decision Juice, which has increasingly been showing up on shelves across the region.

Technically, Backlash calls this flagship a “big-drinking, lower ABV IPA with Citra, El Dorado, and Idaho 7 hops.” Sure, that sounds sublime, but what’s more important is that Bad Decision, despite clocking in at a mere 4.7 percent ABV, does a dangerous enough dance on your tastebuds to remain sexy. There are hints of grapefruit that your average loyal Founders All Day IPA consumer will appreciate, but more burly guzzlers who typically avoid selections with less than 5 percent alcohol should nonetheless consider picking up a four-pack.

Backlash is a new kid on the block by many measures; the label on our cans was even crooked, how rustic! With that said, it should be noted that co-founders Maggie Foley and Helder Pimentel have been toiling for more than five years, during which time they have worked out of some places owned by others while doing the brewing equivalent to couch-surfing. They arrived on Hamden Street in 2016 and began mixing flavors that can now be found on tap there—not only Bad Decision Juice, but also promising potential prizewinners like Roxbury, their “New England-style IPA made with Citra and Galaxy hops.”

As promised, we’ll be back soon for a report from the front line.

How about this afternoon?

Sounds good, we’ll see you there.