Laughing Skull Amber Ale - Red Brick Brewing

"Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone"

-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The Vortex Bar and Grill is an institution in my beloved Atlanta. Some people mistakenly believe the quintessential Georgian burger is served at the Varsity, but those poor saps have never stepped through the skull-face into the Vortex to wolf down their famous Coronary Bypass burger. Unapologetic to the core, The Vortex caters to smokers, red meat lovers, motorcycle riders, scooter-pushers, rebels, rockers, punks, pretty-boys, cool kids, and your various PBR swilling hipsters. It’s one of the last bastions of true adult joy left in this world and I love every second of it.

With that being said, I am loathe to admit that I never tried The Vortex’s own line of beer, Laughing Skull. But finding myself with a little bit of free time and some Florida sunshine, I sought to rectify this immediately. Laughing Skull is brewed by Red Brick Brewing, formerly Atlanta Brewing Company, which is the oldest Craft Brewery operating in Atlanta (edging out competitor Sweetwater Brewing by three years). But will two plus decades of experience and a team of excellent driven brewers make a winning combination?

Laughing Skull pours a beautiful, rich ruby color that is murky bordering on opaque. It looks warm, but most importantly, utterly refreshing. A very light head to be had, totaling maybe half a finger worth of creamy white stuff, but there was some pretty good lacing to it. A good sign all around.

The aroma is very nice, very sweet, with hints of a little bit of hoppy goodness and freshly cut grass. The Aroma often tells half the story of a beer, and this one involves a lot of tasty things eaten on a hot summer day. I couldn’t help but think about how much I yearned for a Black and Bleu burger, medium well, and some french fries doused in ketchup. 

Finally, I could hold back no more and dove right in. The first sip of this sanguine beauty and I knew it was truly summer. Crisp hoppiness with light sweetness, a bit of citrus peel, and just the right amount of smoothness at the end to bring it all back home. But where did those floral, grassy notes go? I smacked my lips a few times and took a few dozen more sips, savoring that light and smooth mouthfeel around, but it took half the glass before I could finally taste them, so very delicate, so very light.

And that, my friends, is the sign of an excellent product. Something that is unique, while staying true to its intentions. Something that is bold where it needs to be, but not brass. While not as coarse as a trip to the Vortex, Laughing Skull Amber Ale is a worthy standard bearer for the Vortex name. You’d be hard pressed to find a more refreshing summer beer to chase those summertime blues away.

• Brewer: Red Brick Brewing
• Style: Amber Ale
• 5.7 APV
• Price: $8.99\6
• Rating: 7.5 out of 10