Someone has invented beer based on your DNA, to ensure you like it

Do you like beer? If so, did you force yourself to like it? I certainly did. I went to university, saw that it was cool to like beer, was too scared to admit I didn’t like it, so I drank it until I liked it and it did nothing to change my fragile and often debilitating need for acceptance. But I do like beer now.

Woah, anyway, yeah, you might not have to do that in the future, as Ciaran Giblin, brewmaster at Meantime Brewery, has discovered a way to directly brew a beer to specifically match someone’s tastes.

To test it out, he first had his DNA analysed – a process which involves looking for things called TAS2R receptors. These snappily-named (only joking they’ve got a shit name) receptors determine someone’s predilection for bitter or sweet flavours. Ciaran found out that he’s genetically programmed to enjoy bitter flavours the most. Interestingly, that means he won’t have had to force himself to like coffee either, like I did.

So in response to that, he came up with a recipe that would produce a bitter, hoppy beer, with a bit of a pineapple twinge for good measure, and he called it Double Helix. He had this to say about the process:

"There are lots of people talking about the potential that genetic testing has on what we consume but I thought the best way to test some of the theories was to get on and brew something. Double Helix was brewed to fit the specific taste preferences of one person – me.

"However thanks to the investment in our Pilot Brewery and what it allows us to do in the name of innovation, it’s become a ‘successful experiment’ that others can enjoy as well.”

So there’s maybe the chance you’ll be able to do the same thing in the future, too. Although, really, you’ll probably have to be a fan of beer in the first place, at least in the loosest sense of the word. If you hate it, you’re not going to like a beer that’s a bit sweet just because you like Haribo, for example. Still, for beer fans it’s an exciting prospect. I want one that tastes of pizza, ideally.

If you want to taste Ciaran’s personal beer (aka one that is specifically designed to someone else’s taste), then Double Helix will be available at certain venues across London for a limited period.

Anyway, I need to get back home asap – I’ve got a huge delivery of Tofu to force-eat until I like it. Need to impress the vegan girls on Tinder somehow.