Midwest Coast The Gummy Bandit 6Pk

Midwest Coast The Gummy Bandit 6Pk is a blueberry-and-lemon-zest fruited Berliner Weisse from Illinois, packaged as a 6-pack at 3.9% ABV. This low-alcohol sour from Chicago's Midwest Coast Brewing Company carries one of the more entertaining origin stories in the local craft scene, and its sessionable profile makes it an easy warm-weather pick for fans of light, tart ales.

Quick Facts: ABV: 3.9%  |  Origin: Illinois, United States  |  Style: Fruited Berliner Weisse  |  Brewery: Midwest Coast Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Midwest Coast Brewing Company operates out of Chicago, Illinois, contributing to the city's robust and competitive craft beer landscape. The Gummy Bandit is brewed as a Berliner Weisse — a traditionally tart, low-gravity German wheat beer style — then fruited with blueberries and lemon zest to layer sweetness and citrus over the sour wheat base. The beer's name has a real story behind it: during the entire production process from inception to kegging, the brewery was broken into three separate times by the same pair of perpetrators. Chicago PD eventually identified the suspects thanks to a large bag of gummy bears stolen during the first break-in — and a beer name was born.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with candied blueberry and bright lemon zest, followed by a muted wheat malt backbone. It reads more like a fruit candy than a traditional Berliner Weisse, which is clearly the intent given its playful name.

Taste: Lemon zest leads on the entry, meeting blueberry that leans toward a jelly or gummy candy character rather than fresh fruit. Mid-palate, a light wheat presence emerges, though it stays subdued. The sourness is notably tame — this is not an aggressive pucker-inducing sour but a gentle, approachable tartness that keeps the fruit flavors front and center.

Finish: The finish is brief and clean with a thin body that trails off quickly. Lingering notes of lemon and faint wheat close things out without much residual sweetness or acidity.

How to Drink The Gummy Bandit

Pour cold into a tulip glass or Weizen glass to showcase the murky pinkish-orange hue and pinkish-white head. At 3.9% ABV, this is built for drinking straight from the can on a hot day just as readily as from glassware.

• Berliner Weisse Radler: Mix with lemonade for a low-ABV summer shandy riff that amplifies the existing lemon zest character.
• Sour Beer Michelada: Use in place of a lager for a lighter, fruitier take on the classic tomato-and-lime beer cocktail.
• Fruited Sour Spritz: Combine with a splash of elderflower liqueur and sparkling water over ice for a beer-based spritz that plays well with the blueberry notes.

Best For

• Backyard barbecues and outdoor gatherings where low ABV and easy drinking are priorities
• Introducing sour-curious friends to the Berliner Weisse style without overwhelming tartness
• Hot-weather sessions where you want fruit-forward flavor without high alcohol
• Sharing a conversation-starting beer with a genuinely unusual backstory

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Gummy Bandit taste like? The Gummy Bandit delivers gentle blueberry and lemon zest flavors over a light wheat base, with mild tartness and a candy-like fruit character rather than intense sourness.

How does The Gummy Bandit compare to Founders Rübaeus? Founders Rübaeus is a raspberry ale at 5.7% ABV with a sweeter, heavier fruit profile and no deliberate sourness, while The Gummy Bandit is a lighter, tarter Berliner Weisse at 3.9% ABV with blueberry and lemon zest — making it significantly more sessionable and sour-leaning.

Is The Gummy Bandit good for sour beer beginners? Yes — its very tame sourness and fruit-candy sweetness make it one of the gentler entry points into the fruited sour category, unlikely to overwhelm anyone new to the style.

Where is The Gummy Bandit made? The Gummy Bandit is brewed by Midwest Coast Brewing Company in Chicago, Illinois, a brewery operating within the city's thriving craft beer scene.

What foods pair well with The Gummy Bandit? Fresh fruit salads echo its blueberry and citrus notes. Grilled chicken or fish tacos with a lime crema complement the tartness. Mild goat cheese plays well against the sour wheat base. Light pastries like lemon bars or blueberry scones mirror the beer's fruit character. Spicy Thai dishes benefit from the low bitterness and refreshing acidity.

What sizes does The Gummy Bandit come in? The Gummy Bandit is available as a 6-pack, the standard retail format for this release from Midwest Coast Brewing.

Is The Gummy Bandit worth the price? The Gummy Bandit positions as an accessible craft sour in a competitive Chicago market, and its low ABV, distinctive fruit combination, and entertaining origin story give it personality that justifies its place among similarly priced local fruited sours.

Why The Gummy Bandit?

In a saturated field of fruited sours, The Gummy Bandit distinguishes itself less through aggressive flavor and more through sheer drinkability — 3.9% ABV makes this one of the lighter Berliner Weisses on the market. The blueberry-and-lemon-zest combination is specific enough to stand apart from the wave of generic "fruited sour" releases. Its origin story — named after real break-in suspects identified by a stolen bag of gummy bears — gives it a narrative most craft beers simply cannot match. For drinkers who find many fruited sours too intense or cloying, this restrained, sessionable take on the style fills a real gap.