Some beers introduce themselves politely… and then there are beers like Clarky Cat, a creation that feels less like a drink and more like a character wandering in from some surreal, hop-scented dream.
Brewed by the ever-imaginative Pomona Island Brew Co., Clarky Cat is exactly what you’d expect from a brewery that thrives on the strange, the playful, and the slightly unhinged. The name alone suggests mischief. The beer delivers on it.
First Impressions: A Beer with Personality
Guaranteed not to make you feel like a fortnight in a bad balloon or like a piano dentist, and you certainly won’t end up in a quack candle. It’s not a dog, it’s a drink. Cat? No drink. Citra, Strata, and Mosaic double dry-hopped pale.
Clarky Cat arrives in the glass with a soft haze, glowing somewhere between pale gold and sunlit orange. It’s the kind of beer that looks alive, gently clouded, with a pillowy head that seems to hover rather than settle.
There’s an immediate sense that this isn’t going to be a straightforward pint. It feels playful before you’ve even taken a sip.
Tasting Notes
Clarky Cat from Pomona Island Brew Co. typically sits around 5.5% ABV, placing it comfortably in that sweet spot between sessionable and full-flavoured, strong enough to carry character, but still highly drinkable.
On the nose, it opens with a lively burst of tropical fruit, think ripe mango and soft peach, backed by a flicker of citrus zest that keeps things bright and inviting. There’s a slightly hazy softness to the aroma, hinting at the texture to come.
The palate follows through with a juicy, fruit-forward profile, where tropical notes dominate before giving way to a gentle citrus bitterness. There’s a subtle sweetness at the core, balanced by a clean, refreshing finish that stops it from becoming too heavy. The hops bring a soft, rounded bitterness rather than anything sharp or aggressive, allowing the fruit character to remain front and centre.
Mouthfeel is smooth and lightly pillowy, with a soft carbonation that enhances drinkability. It’s the kind of beer that feels modern in style, approachable, expressive, and just a little bit playful, much like its name suggests.
Aroma: A Mischief of Fruit
Bring the glass closer, and the nose begins to unfold like a story told slightly out of order.
There’s a burst of tropical fruit, bright, juicy, and inviting, but it doesn’t stop there. Citrus notes dart in and out, a little sharp, a little teasing, while something softer lingers underneath, rounding the edges.
It’s not a static aroma. It shifts. It plays. It keeps you guessing.
Flavour Profile: Bright, Juicy, and Slightly Unpredictable
Clarky Cat doesn’t sit still on the palate.
The first sip brings a wave of juicy tropical character, the kind that suggests ripe fruit and warm afternoons. Then comes a gentle citrus bitterness, just enough to keep things from becoming too soft or sweet.
But what makes this beer interesting is the way it moves. One moment it feels light and refreshing, the next it leans into something fuller, slightly creamier, before finishing clean and ready for another sip.
There’s a balance here, but it’s not rigid. It’s fluid, almost playful, like the beer itself is deciding what it wants to be as you drink it.
Mouthfeel: Soft Edges and Easy Drinking
Despite its expressive flavour, Clarky Cat remains effortlessly drinkable.
The body is soft, with a smooth, almost velvety texture that carries the fruit notes without weighing them down. Carbonation is gentle, allowing the flavours to linger just long enough before fading.
It’s the kind of beer that disappears quickly, not because it’s simple, but because it’s so easy to keep returning to.
The Name: Who (or What) is Clarky Cat?
With Pomona Island, names are never accidental.
Clarky Cat feels like a figure from a half-remembered story, a pub myth, perhaps, or a character you swear you once met after one too many pints. There’s humour in it, a touch of absurdity, and just enough intrigue to make it stick.
The strange, looping nonsense of Clarky Cat’s fictional 'drug' mythology leans fully into absurdist British humour, reading like a lost fragment of surreal sketch comedy. Lines like 'I don't want my arms to feel like a couple of fortnights in a bad balloon' and the chaotic repetition of 'jessop jessop jessop…' echo the disjointed, exaggerated slang of shows like The Mighty Boosh or Brass Eye, where language itself becomes the joke. By inventing a completely unreal substance, alongside equally nonsensical rules about mandrills and street-corner transactions, Pomona Island blur the line between parody and world-building, creating a kind of mock-urban folklore grounded in internet IYKYK (if you know, you know) culture. It’s deliberately meaningless, yet oddly evocative, capturing the rhythm of pub storytelling gone off the rails, where exaggeration, repetition, and surreal imagery combine to create something that feels both familiar and completely unhinged.
This is part of the brewery’s charm. Their beers don’t just exist; they arrive with personality, with narrative, with a sense that something slightly odd is going on behind the scenes.
About Pomona Island Brew Co.
Pomona Island Brew Co. was founded in 2017 and takes its name from Pomona Island, a small, largely hidden patch of land nestled between the canals of Manchester. Historically, the island sat at the heart of Manchester’s industrial network, surrounded by waterways that once powered trade, transport, and manufacturing. Over time, like much of the city, it has shifted from industry to a quieter, almost forgotten space, an oddly fitting namesake for a brewery that thrives on the unconventional.
From these roots, Pomona Island Brew Co. has grown into one of the UK’s most distinctive modern craft breweries, known for its bold, experimental approach and unmistakable sense of humour. While many breweries lean heavily on tradition, Pomona Island balances technical precision with creative freedom, producing everything from hop-saturated pale ales to rich stouts and surreal, concept-driven releases like Clarky Cat. Their Manchester base places them firmly within one of the UK’s most dynamic beer scenes, a city where industrial heritage meets cultural reinvention, and where independent brewing continues to push boundaries.
Known for their:
- Experimental styles
- Bold, often surreal branding
- Consistently high-quality output
Pomona Island occupies a space where creativity and craftsmanship meet. Their beers range from hop-forward pales and IPAs to rich stouts and unusual hybrids, all tied together by a sense of playful irreverence.
Location: Brewing in the Heart of Manchester
Manchester itself is the perfect home for a brewery like Pomona Island.
A city defined by industrial heritage and creative reinvention, it has become a hub for independent breweries pushing the boundaries of what beer can be. From converted warehouses to canal-side taprooms, the brewing scene here reflects the city’s broader cultural energy.
Pomona Island sits comfortably within that landscape, innovative, independent, and just a little bit unconventional.
Final Thoughts: A Beer That Refuses to Be Boring
Clarky Cat is not a beer that fades into the background.
It’s:
- Playful without being gimmicky
- Flavourful without being overwhelming
- Whimsical without losing its craft
It invites curiosity, rewards attention, and never quite settles into predictability.
In a world full of safe, familiar pints, Clarky Cat reminds you that beer can still surprise you, that it can still tell a story, raise an eyebrow, and make you smile.
And really, that’s exactly what you want from something with a name like that.
Comments