Mikkeller Passion Pool 4Pk

Mikkeller Passion Pool 4Pk is a gose-style ale brewed with passion fruit and sea salt, available in a four-pack at 5.0% ABV. Scoring 91 on BeerAdvocate with a 4.09 average rating, this expression has earned recognition as one of the more accomplished fruit gose beers on the American craft market, distinguished by its single-minded commitment to passion fruit as the dominant flavor.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.0%  |  Origin: San Diego, California  |  Style: Gose-Style Ale  |  Brewery: Mikkeller San Diego

Production & Heritage

Mikkeller was founded in 2006 by Mikkel Borg Bjergsø in Copenhagen, Denmark, initially operating as a nomadic brewing operation before expanding globally. Passion Pool is produced at Mikkeller San Diego, a collaboration taproom and production facility that leverages the brewing expertise of AleSmith Brewing Company — a five-time World Beer Cup Gold Medal–winning brewery. The beer is brewed as a gose, a centuries-old German wheat beer style defined by its use of coriander and salt, but Mikkeller pushes the template by adding what they describe as an enormous quantity of passion fruit alongside sea salt, forgoing subtlety in favor of full tropical intensity.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Rich, immediate passion fruit juice dominates the nose, joined by ripe guava and bright citrus. Underlying lactic notes add a yogurt-like tartness that signals the gose's sour character before the first sip.

Taste: The entry is decidedly tart, with passion fruit surging across the palate in a wave of tropical acidity. Mid-palate, a soft sweetness emerges to balance the sourness, and the sea salt character integrates seamlessly — amplifying the fruit rather than competing with it. Faint biscuity malt provides a whisper of structure beneath the fruit-forward profile.

Finish: Tart and dry, the finish cleans the palate quickly while the sea salt lingers as a savory anchor. The passion fruit aroma dissipates gradually, leaving a thirst-quenching impression that invites the next sip.

How to Drink Passion Pool

Passion Pool is best served cold, straight from the can or poured into a tulip glass to concentrate its tropical aromatics. Its low 5.0% ABV and dry finish make it a natural session beer. For cocktail-curious drinkers, try a Gose Shandy by blending it with lemonade for doubled citrus tartness; a Passion Pool Michelada, where the existing salt and acidity slot perfectly into the classic tomato-lime framework; or a Tropical Radler, mixing it with mango or guava juice to amplify the fruit character while keeping the alcohol gentle.

Best For

• Warm-weather afternoon drinking when a light, tart beer outperforms heavier styles
• Introducing someone to sour and gose-style beers through an approachable, fruit-driven entry point
• Pairing alongside a seafood spread — ceviche, oysters, or fish tacos
• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who gravitates toward fruit-forward and sour styles

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Passion Pool taste like? Passion Pool delivers a bold, tart burst of tropical passion fruit balanced by a soft sweetness and anchored by a noticeable but well-integrated sea salt character. The overall impression is bright, dry, and refreshing with a clean sour finish.

How does Passion Pool compare to a traditional German gose? A classic German gose emphasizes coriander and salt with restrained wheat tartness, while Passion Pool foregrounds massive passion fruit flavor and uses sea salt as a supporting accent rather than a co-lead. Passion Pool reads far more tropical and fruit-forward than its Old World ancestors.

Is Passion Pool good for sour beer beginners? Yes — the abundant passion fruit sweetness tempers the lactic tartness, making it one of the more accessible gose-style ales for drinkers new to sour beers. The 5.0% ABV also keeps the drinking experience light and approachable.

Where is Passion Pool made? Passion Pool is brewed at Mikkeller San Diego in San Diego, California, a facility operated in partnership with AleSmith Brewing Company. The Mikkeller brand originated in Copenhagen, Denmark, where it was founded in 2006.

What foods pair well with Passion Pool? Fresh ceviche works beautifully, as the beer's acidity mirrors the citrus marinade. Grilled shrimp tacos with a mango salsa echo the tropical fruit notes. Goat cheese or a creamy burrata contrasts the tartness with rich fat. Thai green papaya salad matches the beer's sour-salty balance, and coconut-based desserts complement the tropical aromatics without overwhelming them.

What sizes does Passion Pool come in? Passion Pool is commonly available as a four-pack of cans, which is the standard retail format for this expression.

Is Passion Pool worth the price? Passion Pool positions within the premium craft beer tier, reflecting Mikkeller's global reputation and the generous quantity of passion fruit used in production. Its 91-point BeerAdvocate score and strong Untappd ratings (3.8–3.9 out of 5 across thousands of reviews) suggest solid value within the fruit gose category.

Why Passion Pool?

Where many fruit-infused sour ales spread themselves thin across a medley of tropical additions, Passion Pool stakes everything on a single fruit and executes it with conviction. The result is a gose that earned a 91 on BeerAdvocate precisely because the passion fruit is vivid, uncompromised, and perfectly counterbalanced by sea salt. Brewed at a facility backed by AleSmith's World Beer Cup pedigree, the technical execution matches the ambition — clean lactic acidity, no off-flavors, and a dry finish that rewards repeated drinking. For anyone seeking a fruit gose that actually tastes like its namesake fruit, Passion Pool sets a high standard.