We Need to Talk About Steam Brew’s The Spark’s

There’s something slightly suspicious about a 7.8% ABV Imperial IPA sitting on a Lidl shelf for £1.49. Big can. Big strength. Big promise. When I first picked up Steam Brew’s The Spark’s, brewed in Germany by Privatbrauerei Eichbaum, I fully expected one of two outcomes. Either a hidden bargain… or a hot, boozy mess that tastes exactly like it costs.

It turns out, initially it was a bit of both.

When I first reviewed this beer in May 2025, I genuinely didn’t like it. I scored it a pretty flat 6 out of 10. Not terrible, not offensive, but there was a harsh alcohol edge that I just couldn’t ignore. It drank like it wanted you to know it was 7.8% ABV, and at the time, that put me off.

And yet… I kept buying it.

Tasting Notes (Let’s Get These Out Early)

Before getting into how my opinion flipped, here’s what The Spark’s actually brings to the glass.

It pours a bright amber colour, catching the light nicely with a modest off-white head. It looks better than it has any right to at this price point.

On the nose, it’s fairly restrained. There’s a mild citrus aroma, nothing loud or tropical, more orange peel than fruit salad. You also get a touch of sweetness and a faint herbal note if you’re looking for it.

The flavour is where things start to make more sense. There’s citrus and stone fruit up front, backed by an underlying sweet malt that gives it a bit of weight. A gentle herbal bitterness rolls through towards the finish, and while the ABV is well hidden, you still know you’re drinking something stronger than a standard IPA.

It’s not juicy. It’s not hazy. It’s not trying to be trendy. It’s a fairly old-school, solid Imperial IPA with European edges.

The First Time Around, I Wasn’t Convinced

Here’s the honest bit. That first can didn’t win me over. The alcohol felt a little sharp, especially as it warmed. It distracted from the hops and made the whole thing feel slightly unbalanced.

If this had been a £4 craft IPA from a trendy brewery, I probably wouldn’t have gone back to it ... but it wasn’t ... it was £1.49. From Lidl. In a 500ml can. At 7.8% ABV.

That price does something to your expectations. You stop looking for perfection and start asking a different question. Is this good enough for the money?

So I picked it up again. And again.

Then Something Changed… And I Can’t Quite Explain Why

This is the strange part. There wasn’t a slow journey or a gradual warming to it ... my view on it just changed, and it was fairly quick!

One weekend, I bought another (how could I not for the price!) cracked open a can expecting the same rough edges, and they weren’t really there anymore, or I was used to it, or for the price I just ignored it - not sure which!. 

The citrus tasted brighter. The sweetness felt more intentional. The alcohol warmth was still present, but it felt part of the beer rather than fighting against it.

Now I could have put it down to a bad batch, but lots of other drinkers got the same harshnes that i did, so not a batch issue!

Whether my palate adjusted or my expectations dropped, I honestly couldn’t tell you. Probably a bit of both.

What I do know is that The Spark’s went from a beer I tolerated, to one I actually looked forward to opening on a Friday night.

Why It Works as a Budget Weekend Beer

This is where The Spark’s really earns its place.

It’s not a thinking beer. It’s not something you sit and analyse (although I did and have!). It’s a beer you pour, drink cold, and enjoy for what it is.

At this price point, you forgive a lot. But in this case, there’s actually enough flavour to keep things interesting. The malt gives it body. The hops keep it from being cloying. And the strength means one can genuinely feels like a treat rather than just another drink.

Compared to other supermarket IPAs around the same money, it holds its own surprisingly well. Plenty of cheaper IPAs feel thin, watery, or pointless. This doesn’t, it has presence.

It also helps that Lidl stock it consistently. You know what you’re getting. You know where to find it. And you know it won’t empty your wallet.

Would I Recommend It?

Let me start off my saying that when I first reviewed it, I did score it 6/10, but I think latterly on Untappd, I rated it as 7.5/10!

So, would I recommend it?  If you’re chasing soft, juicy, New England-style IPAs, probably not.

If you hate any hint of alcohol warmth, maybe steer clear.

But if you like strong beers, enjoy a bit of sweetness, and appreciate a proper bargain, then yes, absolutely.

What surprised me most is how quickly it went from “I don’t really like this” to “I’ll grab one of those for the weekend.” Not many beers manage that.

Steam Brew’s The Spark’s isn’t perfect. It doesn’t pretend to be. But for £1.49, it’s honest, filling, and oddly reliable.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what you want.