Brewery – Streetside
Beer – Return of the Mac
Style – Coffee Blonde Ale
ABV – 5.5%

Return of the Mac borrows the delicate flavors and aromas of our Managing Brewer’s Wife’s favorite cup of caramel creme coffee. Honey Malt provides a slight sweetness, while fresh vanilla and creamy coconut balance the mild roasted coffee notes. It’s a silky smooth brew you’ll enjoy any time of the day.

This beer got the attention of a lot of folks in 2017, and in turn, it won a medal during RateBeer.com’s annual ‘RateBeer Best’ that year. It shouldn’t have been much of a surprise then that the next year it hit the canning line (it was first released in October of 2018). In fact, it quickly became one of the first year-round packaged beers from Streetside because of its popularity.

In another sign of the beer’s popularity and pure love that the brewery gives to it, they even started celebrating the beer (and some of its variants) via a taproom celebration, dubbed ‘Return of the Mac Day’.

My Thoughts On Streetside Return of the Mac

Seriously… this is delicious. I’ve had a few coffee blondes, or coffee kolshes, or other light coffee beers before, and I’ve had some really tasty ones, but the addition of caramel and a coconutty deliciousness here really sets it apart from most of what else is out there.

In the glass, it pours a slightly hazy, honey orange color with a thin, light tan head on top. The beer could be confused for any one of several beer styles, except for that aroma.

As soon as you crack open the can, the sweet honey, vanilla, and coffee literally fill the room with their intoxicating aroma.

The taste is smooth, not really “creamy” but definitely soft with a coconut and actual cream flavor. The coffee is the star, popping bright and vibrant in the front and center of the brew.