Did you know that the Laughing Buddha—or Hotei as, apparently, his real name was—is considered the deity of contentment and abundance? I kid you not. This is why his image often can be seen in restaurants, as he is somewhat of a “patron saint” of food and drinks. And that’s kinda cool.
The Seattle based brewery Laughing Buddha, meanwhile, lives up to its namesake while producing some strange but often wonderful brews. The Mango Weizen is a great example of that. I always approach fruit-based beers with a bit of uncertainty; nobody wants to feel like they’re drinking Wine Coolers when they’re expecting a beer. And this Weizen certainly smells like mango, which is why it comes as a surprise when the flavor is very mild. Think of it as a very subtle sweetener to the weizen.
I like this beer quite a bit. It feels very refreshing, and has a nice deep flavor to it. It’s definitely a sipping beer, and I can imagine it winning some fans as the season gets warmer.
This is definitely my favorite Laughing Buddha so far. I mean other than the one in the picture.