Old Irving Cushy 4Pk

Old Irving Cushy 4Pk is a kettle-soured fruited ale brewed with strawberry and raspberry at 6.0% ABV, sold in a 4-pack of cans. Part of Old Irving Brewing's rotating Cushy series, this expression stands out for its use of real fruit juice concentrates rather than whole fruit or purees, delivering vivid color and clean fruit character uncommon among session sours.

Quick Facts: ABV: 6.0%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Fruited Kettle Sour  |  Brewery: Old Irving Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Old Irving Brewing Company operates out of Chicago's Irving Park neighborhood and has collected medals at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, and Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB) across its broader lineup. Cushy is built on a grain bill of high-quality pilsner and wheat malts with a touch of milk sugar for body, then kettle-soured before fermentation. Every Cushy variant is hopped exclusively with Hallertau Blanc — a German hop that contributes subtle white wine and gooseberry aromatics — an unusual choice for a fruited sour that adds complexity beyond the fruit itself.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Bright strawberry and raspberry lead immediately, followed by a light floral quality from the Hallertau Blanc. A faint lactic tang rounds out the nose without any harsh acidity.

Taste: The entry is juicy and fruit-forward, landing squarely between sweet and tart — frequently compared to a liquid sweet tart. Mid-palate, the wheat malt and milk sugar provide a soft, rounded mouthfeel that keeps the acidity in check. The raspberry sharpens slightly toward the finish, balancing the residual sweetness from the lactose.

Finish: Short and clean, with lingering berry tartness and a dry, refreshing close. There is virtually no bitterness, making it immediately sessionable.

How to Drink Cushy

Cushy drinks best cold — poured straight from the can or into a tulip glass to concentrate the fruit aromatics. Its built-in balance of sweet and tart means it needs no garnish or modification. For cocktail-adjacent serves, try a Berliner Shandy topped with lemonade for an amplified citrus-berry refresher, a Sour Radler blended with grapefruit juice for brunch, or a Berry Michelada using Cushy in place of a lager for a fruited twist on the classic savory-sour combination.

Best For

• Backyard cookouts and warm-weather day drinking
• Introducing sour-curious friends to the style without overwhelming acidity
• Pairing alongside brunch spreads with fresh fruit and pastries
• Stocking a craft beer fridge with approachable, low-ABV options

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cushy taste like? Cushy tastes like a balanced blend of strawberry and raspberry with a tart, sweet-tart candy quality, supported by soft wheat malt and a touch of milk sugar that smooths the acidity.

How does Cushy compare to Revolution Freedom of Press? Both are session-weight fruited sours from Chicago breweries, but Cushy leans into berry sweetness rounded by lactose, while Freedom of Press uses blackcurrant for a drier, more pronounced tartness. Cushy's Hallertau Blanc hopping also introduces a floral dimension that Freedom of Press does not share.

Is Cushy good for sour beer beginners? Yes — its milk sugar softens the lactic acidity significantly, and the fruit juice concentrates push the flavor profile closer to a fruit drink than a pucker-inducing sour, making it an ideal entry point.

Where is Cushy made? Cushy is brewed at Old Irving Brewing Company in the Irving Park neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois.

What foods pair well with Cushy? Fresh goat cheese or burrata benefits from the beer's acidity cutting through richness. Grilled shrimp tacos with a fruit salsa echo the berry notes. Lemon bars or strawberry shortcake mirror the sweet-tart profile. A charcuterie board with mild salami and fresh berries creates an easy contrast of savory and fruity.

What sizes does Cushy come in? Cushy is primarily available as a 4-pack of cans, which is the standard retail format from Old Irving Brewing.

Is Cushy worth the price? Cushy positions as a mid-range craft sour — priced in line with other Chicago-brewed specialty 4-packs. The use of real fruit juice concentrates and Hallertau Blanc hops gives it a production quality that justifies its place among premium session sours.

Why Cushy?

What separates Cushy from the crowded fruited sour market is its deliberate production choices. Blending with real fruit juice concentrates instead of whole fruit or purees yields a cleaner, more consistent berry character with vivid color that does not fade. The Hallertau Blanc hopping — rarely seen in this style — adds a subtle aromatic layer that lifts the beer beyond one-dimensional fruit punch territory. Old Irving Brewing's track record at GABF and the World Beer Cup confirms a brewery operating at a high technical level, and Cushy channels that precision into an accessible, everyday-drinking sour that rewards attention without demanding it.