Cliffdrop Ale

Cliffdrop Ale gets its name—and reputation—from its brewer, a mad bastard who plummeted off the jagged cliffs of Shattered Keel and lived to tell the tale. The drink captures that same sense of survival: rough, unexpected, and strangely invigorating. It’s thick and dark, with a near-black pour and a head that clings like sea foam to a reef. Brewed in small batches along the cliff walls using rain-caught water and local cave herbs, it carries a distinctive briny sweetness and a slight mineral sharpness that makes it unlike any other ale.   Cliffdrop Ale is as wild and stubborn as the brewer who made it. The first mouthful is heavy—smoked barley and roasted kelp come forward immediately, creating a deep umami base. Just beneath that lies a sweetness pulled from charred date syrup, sticky and bitter, grounding the flavor in something almost caramelized. The miner’s moss adds a sharp, peppery brightness at the end, like fresh stone cracked in your teeth, finishing the drink with an oddly clean aftertaste. It’s a hard drink to love, but once it grabs hold of you, it never lets go.   Poured into squat, wide stone mugs to avoid tipping over in the wind—usually accompanied by a muttered prayer and a dare to finish two.