Good People Pale Ale — The Core Product That Carries the Whole Show

The Review

Michael Sellers has said it himself: his favorite Good People beer is the Pale Ale. “It’s not the sexiest thing,” he admits. “But I think the quality of a brewery rests on the quality of its core products. I’m a core product kind of guy.”

The Pale Ale pours a clear amber-gold with a white head. The nose balances subtle caramel malt with a restrained hop character — nothing aggressive, nothing jumping out. On the palate: 2-row and five specialty malts build a clean, slightly sweet foundation, and the hops deliver just enough bitterness to keep things interesting through a dry, crisp finish.

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It was the first Good People beer to become generally available — pouring at the Five Points Grill and the J. Clyde before anyone outside Birmingham knew what Good People was. It’s since been overshadowed by Snake Handler in the press and the IPA in sales volume, but the Pale Ale is the quiet workhorse that tells you who this brewery really is.

Drink it cold on a weeknight when you don’t want to think too hard. It rewards that. And if Sellers is right — if the quality of a brewery really does rest on its core products — then Good People has nothing to worry about.

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