OMNIPOLLO BIANCA BLUEBERRY MAPLE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PANCAKE LASSI GOSE

(STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN)

When describing beer, aroma and flavor are the two most considered elements. Between them, normally, it’s possible to capture about 90 percent of what makes a beer special, interesting, or noteworthy. Mouthfeel plays a role, but texture is not always properly considered.

Omnipollo’s experiential approach to serving their heavily fruited quick-sour beers turns that assumption on its head, with time, texture, and temperature all key considerations. We’ve seen plenty of beer shoved in slushy machines over the past few years in order to garner a few Instagram likes, but the aesthetic alone does not make for a unique experience. Omnipollo’s approach radically departs from the college-bar frozen-drink vibe that seems pervasive, opting instead for a feeling more José Andrés than TGI Fridays.

We came across this particular concoction at the Side Project Invitational back in February. It would be a slight overstatement to say we wanted to hate it, but we may have read all those words and rolled our eyes.

But we also saw the product, a dark thing lit by a glowing-purple torch of soft-serve on top. We went for it. Then we went for another … We promise: If it weren’t really tasty, it wouldn’t be here. The frozen beer’s tart-fresh-fruit quality brings something that nothing in the supermarket freezer section can really touch, while the nutty-maple richness of the beer beneath offers its own sort of balance. It’s a delicious piece of theater that dares you to hate fun (but you can’t).