Review: Bend the Knee Golden Ale, Brewery Ommegang’s new Game of Thrones-themed beer

A new Game of Thrones-themed beer will soon be available: the Bend the Knee Golden Ale, produced by the ever-reliable Brewery Ommegang. Fans can enjoy it on May 22, when it hit store shelves in one of three collectible 750 ml corked bottles — one for House Stark, one for House Lannister, and one for House Targaryen. Ommegang was kind enough to provide WiC with a bottle a little early, and we’re here with our review!

Brewery Ommegang has produced a number of Game of Thrones beers, including the Take the Black Stout, the Three-Eyed Raven Dark Saison and the Fire and Blood Red Ale. At 9% ABV, the Bend the Knee Golden Ale packs a nice punch, and is light and fruity besides. This isn’t a dark or heavy beer — you can taste the citrus in it, and it goes down easy. Or, to use Brewery Ommegang’s words, “The subtle noble and floral hop contribution adds to its delicateness, and the beer finishes smooth and dry.”

Brewery Ommegang recommends pairing the Bend the Knee ale with “seafood and shellfish, roasted or grilled chicken, grilled steaks [and] aged Swiss-style cheeses.” We can’t speak to that, but it goes pretty well with itself.

Overall, this is a great addition to Ommegang’s stable of GoT beers — plus, the bottles are cool enough that you might want to keep them after you’re done. You can make a beer bottle monster or something. We give the Bend the Knee Golden Ale five out of five Drunk Lannisters.

Each bottle of Bend the Knee Golden Ale clocks in at a suggested retail price of $9.99. It’ll be out well in advance of the season 7 premiere on July 16, which gives fans plenty of times to stock up.