Phase Three Little Nectar: Passion Fruit//Orange//

Phase Three Little Nectar: Passion Fruit//Orange//Guava is a 4.5% ABV fruited kettle sour from Phase Three Brewing Company in Lake Zurich, Illinois. This expression holds a 4.1 out of 5 rating on Untappd across more than 660 reviews, reflecting strong enthusiasm for its POG (passion fruit, orange, guava) tropical profile in a lighter, more sessionable format than the brewery's flagship Nectar series.

Quick Facts: ABV: 4.5%  |  Origin: Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA  |  Style: Fruited Kettle Sour  |  Brewery: Phase Three Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Phase Three Brewing Company has built a devoted following through its rotating lineup of heavily fruited sours, hazy IPAs, and barrel-aged stouts. The Little Nectar line takes the same aggressive fruit character found in the standard Nectar series but dials back both the body and alcohol content, resulting in a 4.5% ABV beer with a slightly lighter mouthfeel that still delivers dense fruit intensity. For this iteration, the brewers selected the classic POG combination — passion fruit, orange, and guava — a trio long associated with Hawaiian-style juice blends, processed through their kettle sour method to achieve a tart backbone beneath the fruit.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose reads like a tropical fruit smoothie, with ripe passion fruit leading into bright orange citrus and a subtle earthiness from the guava. There is minimal hop or malt presence on the nose — fruit dominates completely.

Taste: Passion fruit tartness hits first, vibrant and sharp, then gives way to a juicy orange sweetness at mid-palate. Guava rounds out the profile with a gentle, slightly earthy tropical quality that prevents the beer from reading as one-note citrus. The kettle sour base provides a clean lactic tang that supports rather than overwhelms the fruit.

Finish: The finish is dry and relatively quick, with light to medium body and virtually no perceptible alcohol warmth at 4.5%. Lingering tropical fruit fades cleanly, leaving a tart, slightly dry impression that invites another sip.

How to Drink Little Nectar POG

Serve cold, ideally around 38–42°F, straight from the can or poured into a tulip glass to concentrate the fruit aromatics. This beer drinks beautifully on its own as a standalone refresher and does not require any additions. Its low ABV and tart fruit character also make it a natural candidate for beer cocktails: try it in a Berliner Shandy with a splash of lemonade for extra citrus punch; blend it into a Beer-mosa as a tropical alternative to champagne at brunch; or use it in a Radler style pour with sparkling water and a lime wheel for an ultra-light warm-weather drink.

Best For

• Poolside or patio drinking on hot summer afternoons
• Introducing a friend who typically dislikes beer to the fruited sour style
• Pairing with brunch spreads alongside lighter fare
• Adding variety to a craft beer tasting lineup with a low-ABV session option

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Little Nectar POG taste like? It tastes like a tart tropical fruit smoothie, with bright passion fruit and orange citrus upfront, guava earthiness in the background, and a clean lactic sourness throughout. The body is light to medium with a dry finish and almost no detectable alcohol.

How does Little Nectar compare to the standard Phase Three Nectar series? Little Nectar uses the same bold fruit-forward approach as the regular Nectar line but with a lighter mouthfeel and a lower ABV of 4.5%, making it more sessionable. The standard Nectar beers tend to be thicker and richer, while Little Nectar prioritizes drinkability without sacrificing fruit intensity.

Is Little Nectar POG good for beginners? Yes — its 4.5% ABV, approachable tropical juice character, and minimal bitterness make it an excellent entry point for anyone curious about fruited sours or craft beer in general.

Where is Little Nectar POG made? It is brewed by Phase Three Brewing Company in Lake Zurich, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago. Phase Three has earned a strong regional and national reputation for its fruit-forward sour ales and hazy IPAs.

What foods pair well with Little Nectar POG? Fresh ceviche works well, as the beer's acidity mirrors the citrus in the dish. Grilled shrimp tacos with mango salsa complement the tropical fruit notes. Light, creamy cheeses like burrata or fresh mozzarella provide a textural contrast to the tartness. Poke bowls with tropical fruit components echo the POG flavor profile. Coconut-based Thai curries match the beer's tropical register while the sourness cuts through the richness.

What sizes does Little Nectar POG come in? Phase Three typically releases its fruited sour cans in the standard 16 oz format, consistent with most of their limited and rotating offerings.

Is Little Nectar POG worth the price? Little Nectar positions within the premium craft sour segment, where heavy fruit additions and limited batch sizes command higher per-can pricing than mainstream beer. For drinkers who value dense tropical fruit character in a sessionable, low-ABV package, it represents strong value within that tier.

Why Little Nectar POG?

What separates this beer from the crowded fruited sour market is the deliberate balance Phase Three achieves between full-throttle fruit intensity and a restrained, easy-drinking body at just 4.5% ABV. The POG combination — a classic tropical juice trio — is executed with enough tartness and complexity to avoid tasting like sweetened juice, which is a common pitfall in the style. Its 4.1 Untappd rating across hundreds of reviews signals consistent quality, not hype-driven novelty. For anyone seeking a tropical sour that delivers real fruit character without the heaviness or higher alcohol of full-strength counterparts, this is a focused, well-executed release from one of Illinois' most acclaimed craft breweries.