Most mid-strength beers taste like someone forgot to finish the recipe. This one didn’t.

There’s a reason some people avoid mid-strength as often they are a little thin,and not very interesting. Sunstruck XPA is built on a different idea entirely: that a lower ABV beer should earn its place in the glass, not apologise for it.

At 3.8%, it’s light enough to drink all afternoon. But the Citra hop stand and Mosaic dry-hop don’t know that — they show up just as bright and tropical as they do in a full-strength IPA. Citrus and passionfruit from the Citra in the flavour. Big stone fruit and berry aroma from the Mosaic when you crack the bottle. A pale golden colour and a clean, crisp finish from the Black Rock XPA pilsner malt base. This is the beer you brew for the people who think they don’t like homebrew.

What’s in the box

Everything you need to brew 23 litres of Sunstruck XPA comes pre-measured and ready for brew day , plus full instructions

Beer stats

 

Tasting notes

Appearance: Pale golden and bright with a clean white head.

Aroma: Big stone fruit and berry from the Mosaic dry-hop — the kind of aroma that stops people mid-sentence when you crack the bottle.

Mouthfeel: Light, crisp, and clean with a refreshing finish that makes it dangerously easy to have another.

Perfect for

• Long afternoons when you want something genuinely flavourful without the full-strength alcohol catching up with you
• The people in your life who claim they don’t like homebrew — this is the one that changes their mind
• Home brewers who want the simplest possible brew day without sacrificing any of the hop character

Frequently asked questions

Why does this mid-strength actually taste like a real beer?

Because the hop character is built using a Citra hop stand and a Mosaic dry-hop rather than relying on extra malt or bitterness to compensate for the lower ABV. The hop stand after the boil preserves Citra’s delicate citrus and passionfruit oils in full, and the Mosaic dry-hop adds a layer of stone fruit and berry aroma that has nothing to do with alcohol level. Great hop aroma doesn’t require high ABV — it requires the right technique.

What’s the difference between this and the Sunset Eclipse Session Ale?

Both are mid-strength hop-forward session beers, but they’re built around different hop combinations and brewing approaches. Sunstruck XPA uses Citra and Mosaic — one of craft brewing’s most celebrated pairings — on a Black Rock XPA pilsner malt base for a crisp, clean Extra Pale Ale character. The Sunset Eclipse uses Eclipse hops (steeped and dry-hopped) on a Beermakers Lager base for a slightly different tropical citrus profile. Sunstruck is the more straightforward brew day of the two.

What does the hop stand involve?

A hop stand means adding the Citra hops after the boil has finished and leaving them to steep for around 20 minutes as the wort cools. At the lower temperature, more of the delicate aromatic oils are preserved rather than being driven off by the rolling boil. It’s what gives this beer its clean, vivid citrus and passionfruit flavour without harsh bitterness. The instructions walk you through the exact timing step by step.

What are Citra and Mosaic hops and what makes them such a good combination?

Citra is one of the most sought-after modern hop varieties — US-grown and known for its intensely clean citrus, grapefruit, and passionfruit character. Mosaic is equally celebrated, producing a broader, more complex profile of stone fruit, berries, and tropical notes. Together they’re one of craft brewing’s favourite pairings: Citra adds the punchy citrus brightness in the flavour while Mosaic builds the big, complex aroma when it goes in as a dry-hop. It’s a combination that works brilliantly at any ABV.

How much beer does this kit make?

This kit produces 23 litres enough for approximately 30 × 750ml longnecks or 60 × 375ml stubbies. A generous batch for a session beer.

Is this kit suitable for someone new to home brewing?

It’s probably the most beginner-friendly kit in the hop-forward range. There’s no grain steep, no complicated additions — just a clean malt extract brew day with a hop stand and a dry-hop. Both steps are fully explained in the instructions and genuinely straightforward. The result is impressive enough that you’ll want to brew it again immediately.

How long does it take from brew day to drinking?

Around 4 weeks in total. Fermentation takes approximately 7–10 days at 18–23°C including the dry-hop period, followed by around 2–3 weeks of bottle conditioning. Like all hop-forward beers, Sunstruck is at its best fresh — the Mosaic aroma is loudest in the first few weeks after carbonation develops.