McMenamins Ruby Ale

n 1985, McMenamins became the first brewery in the U.S.A. to legally use fruit in the creation of ales. While many other breweries have followed suit, we still make this Ruby exactly as we first did: Light, crisp and refreshingly fruity. Over 55 pounds of hand-macerated, fresh, whole raspberries are used in every batch. Taste the original!

Malts: Pale Malt

Hops: Chinook

Fruit: Whole Raspberries

Specifications: Original Gravity: 1.038; Terminal Gravity: 1.005; Alcohol by Weight: 3.3%

Calories/pint: 170

159 reviews

Portland, United States

Community reviews

2.9 On tap at Kennedy School Hazy red/pink with a small pinkish head, light lacing. Mild aroma of raspberry. Flavors of raspberry, mild tartness and some sweetness Ok, but I wouldn’t want another

3.0 Draft - Pale malts and some biscuit. Cloudy yellow gold with a decent white head. Raspberry and not to sweet but jammy. Typical for what it is.

3.0 Pours very light almost clear gold. Minimal head. Nose is of rotted berries. Taste is generally sweet, not fruit out side of when I burp, then I get some raspberry on the back flow. Light body.

3.6 Pours hazy orange with a small white head. Aroma is fruity and slight citric aroma. Smooth fruity, peachy and mild citric. Smooth and fruity flavoured finish.

3.4 "an interesting light fruity beer with some earthy hops and just a touch of tartness. raspberry is the main fruit component, and they do it justice here. pretty standard beers for the most part, but this one was cool."

2.8 Cranberry red with a small off-white head and modest lace. Tart raspberry flavors offset anything else going on. Light body, lively carbonation and a fruity finish.

2.3 Draught in a flight at the Mill Creek brewpub. Pours a very cloudy copper color. Nose is light, with a little bit of berry coming through. Taste is slightly sweet, with a lot of grains and malt in there, but effectively no fruit taste. Which is odd for a fruit beer...

2.9 Bottle 750ml. @ cgarvieuk [ Lets do a chrisO Tasting ], Edinburgh, Scotland. [ As McMenamins Ruby ]. Clear medium amber yellow color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, white to off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, vegetables, light caramel, floral fruit - berry. Flavour is moderate sweet with a long duration, vegetables, sweet fruit - malt - sugar (asume that is the raspberries). Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20140315]

3.5 Bottle at Craig’s. Sweet raspberry on nose, light toffee, tart, fruity, not bad!

3.5 One of my favorites from the lineup, smooth, light and drinkable. Nice full body, similar to German Hefe , slick and smooth. Sweet juice essence makes it refreshing.

2.8 Draught at McMenamins Mill Creek, WA, 4.39% ABV Muddy pinkish color with generous compact head. Light aroma of raspberries. Smooth mouthfeel, a bit weak; watery flavor, with hints of raspberries; very low bitterness. Too simple.

3.0 Bottle @ The Lets do a Chris O tasting. Pours pink, big cherry fruit nose, other than just some general fruit the taste is simple.

3.2 Bottle at Craig’s. Pale amber, pinkish hue. Aromas of fruit and caramel. Taste does have a hint of raspberry to it, but not a lot. Mostly caramel. OK.

2.9 Bottle. Amber with white head. Non descript fruity caramel aroma. Taste is fruity and musty. A little dry. Ok

3.3 bottle at home ... at the Lets do a Chris O tasting... pinky amber ... thin off white head ... soft sweet floral fruits nose ... light sherbert fruits... light dry fruit ... dull floral fruit ... creamy hop ... wierd

3.1 On tap at the Hillsboro location..wait do they have more than one in Hillsboro? Anyway, pours a clear copper color with a medium white head. A light fruity nose, some earthy malt. The flavor is basically similar: light and clear berries, earthy dry malt, some light crispness. OK.

3.2 Poured on draft at six arms brewery in Seattle. Tastes like a pile of flowers and a raspberry basket. Average at Best

3.7 This is my favorite McMenamins beer. Its fruity and refreshing. Its great for summer drinking, watching live music, soaking in a McMenamins tub or otherwise running around one of their adult playgrounds.

3.1 A fruit beer, but you would never know. I tasted a lot of Wheat (which is probably not correct).

3.2 Hazy peach colored, white head. Aroma of sweet raspberries. Flavor of grainy malt, earthy raspberry, grainy finish.

3.2 Draught at the Markey Street pub. Nice fruity, raspberry nose. Salmon pink with lace. Fruity, wheaty flavor, a bit creamy. Crisp, not too sweet, refreshing though not so tasty. Dry, crackery malt finish. Decent.

3.7 very good...clean ruby slight red ale with a fruity clean finish. no hops easy malt and overall grat balance its pretty good

2.6 Fruity-berry taste, very fruity. (one taster said it was like bad applejuice). There is a soury flavor. Very nice ruby grapefruit color

4.3 Excellent summer beer. Just the right amount of fruitiness with the wheat earthiness. Very drinkable.

1.6 Looks just like grapefruit. Smells like ocean spray. Tastes like candy. No hops. I don’t like raspberry and this has a lot of raspberry.

3.0 From tap at the Seattle brewpub. Pours hazy orange with a small white head. Aroma is fruity and slight citric aroma. Smooth fruity, peachy and mild citric. Smooth and fruity flavoured finish.

2.6 i am not sure how to explain ruby...she tastes good but sometimes she tastes flat...i have recently started having Rubinators (Ruby & Terminator Stout blend) because it gives Ruby just what she needs to be perfect...I have to say that i never go anywhere near a McMenamins without stopping in & grabbing a Ruby

3.5 I have to admit that there is nothing better on a hot, sunny day than drinking a tart, refreshing Ruby. It’s never sweet, perfect balance of wheat and raspberry create a thirst quenching tart little beer worthy of drinking. Living in Los Angeles means I rarely get to enjoy this beer anymore, but whenever I go back to Portland, I always have to have it.

2.8 Draught@McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, Portland Hazy rasberry red color, small pinky head. Rasberry jam and stones aroma. Light bodied. Semidry flavor of rasberries. Nice refreshing rasberry beer.

3.0 On tap at McMenamins on the waterfront. Appearance is hazy, pale ruby red color with a thin white head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is mostly raspberry. Flavor is raspberry, grapefruit, and bread. Has a nice fruity sweetness on the forefront with some bitterness in the finish. Pretty light bodied, crisp, with a noticeable but subtle acidity to it. Overall, one of my favorites from McMenamins. Definitely nice to drink one of these and watch the sailboats go by on a sunny day though :-)