Beer Me: 4 Hands Brewing Contact High Wheat Ale

Words & photo by Burt Hoovis

Being the good wife she is, Mrs. Hoovis recently came home with several new and interesting varieties from her trip to the local beer monger. Among them was Contact High from 4 Hands Brewing in St. Louis, Missouri. Right off the bat, there were several reasons that I didn’t want to like this beer: the juvenile dope reference, pinball-table artwork busy enough to give headaches and a standing prejudice against anything that comes from the U.S. capital of fermented sub-mediocrity. Truth be told, it was the last of the group that I tried. Mrs. Hoovis was the first to put lips to can. When she did, she declared, “Hey, this is good. You need to try it.” As usual, I’m glad I listened to my better half.

The details: Contact High is a moderate-to-strongly hopped wheat ale brewed with orange zest. It’s not as heady as many wheat beers: The smell is definitely citrus. Mouth feel is reasonable, and after the initial citrus start, the Northwest hop character takes over in a way that stands up nicely to the wheat profile. I found Contact High to be pleasant and flavorful but not overpowering. Consistent with the brew’s intended role as a spring and summer seasonal, the 5 percent ABV makes it a good choice as a daytime beer for upcoming bike adventures. Confirming the dangers of prejudice, I was able to grab the last case from the local shop after finishing the sixer that the Mrs. brought home.

IBU: 28 ABV: 5.0 percent

This Beer Me column was originally published in Dirt Rag #192.