Carl Pei's startup, Nothing, is making a bit of a splash in the tech world right now: I reviewed the company's Nothing Phone (2) and was really impressed. But, beyond that, Nothing clearly has a zany and fun side too – because what arrived in the mail from Nothing most recently was not what I'd expected.
A package addressed to me had the tell-tale Nothing dot-matrix-like print on its exterior, so I carefully opened it to reveal... no, not one of the best Android phones, but four cans of beer! But not any ol' beer – this was Nothing Beer (5.1%). Who'd have thought it, eh?
The cans had been a bit beaten up (thanks DHL!) and the included beer mat was looking a bit worse for wear, but I set the cans in the fridge for a few days to let them settle. I didn't want this stuff erupting all over the place when opened on the weekend!
Now, I know, a tech company making a beer? It's not the most obvious go-to. But, you know what, Nothing Beer (5.1%) might, er, be my favourite Nothing release yet. Yes, I'm easily swayed by a nice pour of the alcoholic nectar, but this one is a tasty treat.
Nothing doesn't actually make the brew itself, of course, it's under licence from Freetime Beer Co., based out of Swansea in Wales, and is a rice lager. There's other ingredients in there too, of course, such as malted barley and hops for depth and bitterness. "Warning: This doesn't taste like nothing," reads the text adjacent to the ingredients list.
Nothing describes Beer (5.1%) on its website as "a crisp, unfiltered rice lager". I'd agree with that. It's got that sweet touch typical of rice lager, but with enough rounded flavour and bitterness from the hops. It's no boring pilsner, either, given its slightly cloudy finish (courtesy of it being unfiltered).
No flashing Glyph lights here, nor any Mercury Prize-winning artists trying to sell it to you. But, in theory, you can buy Nothing Beer (5.1%) in cans of four from the nothing.tech site right now – it's sold out after its unveiling back in April, and I've already signed up to be alerted for the next batch going on sale, as it's a tasty drop!
