Liquid Love Grandma Hugs 4Pk

Liquid Love Grandma Hugs 4Pk is a fruited Berliner Weisse brewed by Liquid Love Brewing Co. in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, at 5.6% ABV. Built around heaps of lemon purée, real graham cracker, and milk sugar, this kettle sour draws a devoted following — earning a 4.1 out of 5 rating across more than 1,200 reviews on Untappd.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.6%  |  Origin: Buffalo Grove, Illinois  |  Style: Fruited Berliner Weisse  |  Brewery: Liquid Love Brewing Co.

Production & Heritage

Liquid Love Brewing operates out of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, producing a focused lineup of heavily fruited sours and smoothie-style beers. Grandma Hugs is kettle-soured, a controlled acidification process that builds a clean tartness before fermentation. What sets this beer apart is the sheer volume of graham cracker added directly to the brew — the brewery openly describes the recipe as using "cases on cases" of real graham cracker alongside lactose (milk sugar) and generous amounts of lemon purée and vanilla. The result leans closer to a drinkable lemon meringue pie than a conventional Berliner Weisse.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Bright lemon zest leads immediately, followed by warm graham cracker sweetness and a soft vanilla undertone. A faint lactic tang sits beneath the fruit, signaling the sour base without overpowering it.

Taste: The first sip is thick, creamy, and smooth — almost juice-like in body. Tangy lemon floods the palate, while crumbly graham cracker and silky vanilla temper the tartness at mid-palate. Lactose rounds out the mouthfeel, blurring the boundary between tangy and sweet with each gulp.

Finish: Medium in length, with lingering citrus zest and a fading sweetness reminiscent of pie crust. The sour edge recedes cleanly, leaving a whipped-topping softness on the tongue.

How to Drink Grandma Hugs

Pour cold into a tulip glass or wide-mouth pint to let the aroma open up; the thick, sunshine-hued body looks best when you can appreciate its opacity. Grandma Hugs is a standalone sipper rather than a cocktail ingredient — its layered sweetness and tartness are engineered to be enjoyed as-is. For those who like beer-based mixes, try it as a float over a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a lemon-pie dessert drink, blend it into a beer-mosa with fresh-squeezed orange juice for brunch, or use it as the sour component in a beer-tail shandy alongside lemonade and a sprig of mint.

Best For

• Sour beer enthusiasts exploring dessert-style Berliner Weisse releases
• Summer cookouts and backyard gatherings where a refreshing, low-ABV option is welcome
• Gifting to craft beer fans who gravitate toward fruited and pastry-style sours
• Pairing with brunch spreads or dessert courses

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Grandma Hugs taste like? Grandma Hugs tastes like a drinkable lemon meringue pie — tangy lemon purée up front, followed by creamy vanilla and warm graham cracker, all balanced by a clean kettle-sour tartness. The lactose gives it a thick, smooth body that softens the sour edge.

How does Grandma Hugs compare to Abnormal Beer Co. Lemon Meringue Pie? Both chase the lemon meringue pie flavor profile, but they take different paths: Abnormal uses Madagascar vanilla beans and cinnamon to emulate pie crust, while Grandma Hugs relies on actual graham crackers and milk sugar for its pastry character. Grandma Hugs is also a standard-strength Berliner Weisse at 5.6% ABV, whereas Abnormal's version is an Imperial Berliner Weisse with a higher alcohol content.

Is Grandma Hugs good for sipping on its own? Yes — its 5.6% ABV makes it sessionable, and the dessert-forward flavor profile is designed to be enjoyed straight from the can or poured into a glass without any additions.

Where is Grandma Hugs made? Grandma Hugs is brewed by Liquid Love Brewing Co. in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago known for a growing craft beer scene.

What foods pair well with Grandma Hugs? Lemon bars and citrus tarts echo the beer's dominant flavor; vanilla cheesecake mirrors its creamy lactose body; fresh berry salads contrast the tartness with natural sweetness; grilled shrimp with a squeeze of lemon bridges savory and sour; and buttery shortbread cookies complement the graham cracker backbone.

What sizes does Grandma Hugs come in? Grandma Hugs is available as a 4-pack of cans, the standard release format from Liquid Love Brewing.

Is Grandma Hugs worth the price? Grandma Hugs positions in the premium craft sour tier, consistent with heavily fruited, adjunct-laden Berliner Weisse releases from small-batch breweries. Its 4.1 Untappd rating across more than 1,200 reviews suggests strong consumer satisfaction relative to its price point.

Why Grandma Hugs?

What separates Grandma Hugs from the growing field of pastry-style sours is the commitment to real ingredients over shortcuts — cases of actual graham cracker rather than extract, fat pours of lemon purée rather than flavoring, and enough lactose to create genuine body rather than a thin imitation. The 4.1 Untappd rating across 1,200-plus reviews confirms that the recipe connects with a broad audience of sour beer drinkers. At 5.6% ABV, it stays approachable enough for a multi-can session while delivering the kind of layered, dessert-adjacent complexity that keeps enthusiasts hunting for the next Liquid Love release. For anyone chasing a lemon meringue pie in beer form, this is one of the more faithful interpretations available.