I go through phases with fruit beers. Most weeks I want a straight-up West Coast IPA, but come patio season I always end up circling back to something pink and easy, and Bosque Brewing’s Elephants on Parade is the one I keep a six-pack of in the fridge for exactly that mood. It is a raspberry wheat ale out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, built on a soft wheat base with real raspberry character running through it, and it pours the kind of magenta-red that makes people at the table ask what you are drinking before you even say a word.
This is not a sour, and it is not a shandy either, even though it gets compared to both. It sits in that fruited wheat ale lane alongside beers like Shock Top Belgian White and a classic wit, just with a raspberry-forward twist instead of orange peel and coriander. If you have had a blueberry ale or a briar-style fruited ale before, you already have a decent idea of where this one lands, just swap the fruit and dial the sweetness down a notch.
Elephants on Parade at a glance
| Style | Raspberry wheat ale / fruited wheat ale |
| ABV | 5.5% |
| IBU | Not published by the brewery |
| Calories | No official figure published |
| Brewery | Bosque Brewing Company, Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Key ingredient | Real raspberry flavoring blended into a wheat ale base |
| Availability | New Mexico taprooms and regional distribution, 12oz cans |
| Community rating | 3.7 out of 5 |
Who makes Elephants on Parade
Bosque Brewing Company started in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with co-founders Gabe Jensen, Jotham Michnovicz, and Kevin Jameson working out recipes in 2010 before opening their first taproom on San Mateo Boulevard in October 2012. John Bullard joined as brewmaster in 2014 and pushed the lineup further, and Bosque expanded into Las Cruces near New Mexico State University and a second Albuquerque location near the University of New Mexico not long after. The brewery has picked up Great American Beer Festival medals along the way, including a gold for its Acequia Wet Hop IPA, and built a reputation in the Southwest for a lineup that ranges from a straightforward lager (Salt Money) to a Scotch ale (Scotia) to this raspberry wheat ale.
Worth knowing if you are hunting for this beer: Bosque filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2025 due to mounting debt, which has made distribution outside New Mexico spottier than it used to be. If your local shop does not carry it, that is the most likely reason, not a discontinued recipe. I would call ahead to a New Mexico taproom or a shop that regularly stocks the brand before making a special trip.
ABV, IBU, and what is actually in the can
Elephants on Parade comes in at 5.5% ABV, which puts it right in normal wheat beer territory, a little stronger than a session shandy but nowhere near a double IPA. Bosque has not published an IBU figure for this beer, and I am not going to guess one, but as a fruited wheat ale it is built to be low on bitterness by design. The hop bill takes a back seat to the wheat malt base and the raspberry addition, which is the entire point of the style: you are not supposed to notice hops here.
The brewery describes it simply as a “vibrant pink wheat ale bursting with raspberry flavor,” and that tracks with what is in the glass. It reads as a wheat ale base dosed with real raspberry character rather than a sour mash or a kettle-soured base, which is why it drinks smooth instead of puckering. Bosque has not published a specific malt bill or an official calorie count for this one, so if you are counting calories strictly, treat the mid-100s to around 180 per 12oz range typical of 5.5% fruited wheat ales as a ballpark, not a confirmed number, and check the can or the brewery directly if that matters to you.
Tasting notes
Pour this one and you get a deep red-pink color with a clean white head that holds for a minute or two before settling into a thin cap, the same look you can see in Bosque’s own can-and-glass shot. The nose is straight raspberry, more fresh fruit than jam, with a light wheat graininess underneath that keeps it from smelling like a soda. That lines up with the brewery’s own description of the beer as sweet and tart at once.
On the palate it opens sweet, raspberry syrup and a touch of red fruit candy, then wheat malt softness fills in the middle before a tart, slightly puckering raspberry finish pulls it back from being cloying. It is light-bodied with soft carbonation, easy to drink fast on a warm day, and the tartness on the back end is what keeps me reaching for another can instead of feeling like I am drinking a fruit soda. If you have tried Firestone Walker’s Cali Squeeze Blood Orange, the structure is similar: wheat beer base, real fruit character, low bitterness, built for drinkability over complexity.
This is not a beer for someone chasing hop bitterness or a big malt backbone. It is built for people who want something fruity and refreshing that still reads as beer, not a hard seltzer or a radler. Compared to other fruited beers I have gone through, Elephants on Parade sits closer to the tart end of the spectrum than the straight-sweet end, which is what makes it work as a full can rather than a half-can novelty.
Food pairing
Fruited wheat ales are built for food that would otherwise clash with a hoppier beer. I would reach for Elephants on Parade with a soft goat cheese and crackers, a citrus-dressed salad, or brunch food like a berry-stuffed french toast where the beer can play in the same lane as the meal instead of fighting it. It also holds up well against New Mexico green chile dishes since the sweetness and light tartness give your palate a break between bites. For dessert, pair it with something lightly sweet like a lemon bar or vanilla ice cream rather than dark chocolate, which will overpower the delicate raspberry character.
- Real raspberry character that reads as fruit, not syrup
- Light body and easy drinkability, good for warm weather or brunch
- Sweet-to-tart balance keeps it from tasting like soda
- Distinctive can design that stands out in a mixed fridge
- IBU and exact calorie count are not published by the brewery
- Limited distribution outside New Mexico, especially since the 2025 bankruptcy filing
- Not for anyone who wants a hop-forward or malt-heavy beer
- Sweetness up front may be a bit much for strict sour-beer fans
How it compares to other beers I have reviewed
If Elephants on Parade is not on the shelf near you, the closest match in style and drinking experience among beers I have already covered is Shock Top Belgian White for the wheat ale base, or the Blueberry Ale if you specifically want the same fruit-forward, low-bitterness approach with a different berry. For something a shade more tart, Crimson Briar scratches a similar itch. And if you want to stay in wheat beer territory but skip the fruit entirely, my review of a classic wit covers the base style this beer builds on. I also put Blue Moon’s lineup in the same conversation since it is the most widely available wheat beer brand most people already know.
For more on the style basics, my breakdown of what witbier actually is and my roundup of shandy flavors both cover adjacent ground if fruited wheat beers are becoming a summer staple for you. And if you are building a cooler for a beach trip, Elephants on Parade would fit right into my best beach and summer beers list alongside the other easy-drinking picks there.
Where to buy Elephants on Parade
Bosque Brewing distributes Elephants on Parade mainly within New Mexico, through its own taprooms in Albuquerque and Las Cruces plus grocery and liquor stores across the state. It is not currently listed on Saucey for national delivery, which is common for a brewery this size, especially with the 2025 bankruptcy filing tightening distribution further. If you cannot get your hands on the real thing, here are five raspberry and fruited wheat ales that scratch the same itch and are available through Saucey right now.
If Shock Top Raspberry Wheat is not around either, these four cover nearby ground: a different fruit on a wheat base, a shandy-style alternative, a Belgian witbier classic, and a tart session sour for anyone who wants to lean further into the tartness.
FAQs
What is the ABV of Elephants on Parade?
Bosque Brewing’s Elephants on Parade is 5.5% ABV, a standard strength for a fruited wheat ale, stronger than a shandy but well short of an imperial-strength beer.
What is the IBU of Elephants on Parade?
Bosque Brewing has not published an official IBU number for this beer. As a fruited wheat ale it is built to be low in bitterness, with the raspberry flavor and wheat malt doing the work rather than hops.
What does Elephants on Parade taste like?
It pours a deep pink-red with a sweet raspberry aroma and a flavor that opens sweet and finishes tart, riding on a soft wheat ale base. It is light-bodied and easy to drink, closer to real fruit than to a sugary fruit soda.
Where can I buy Elephants on Parade?
It is distributed mainly within New Mexico through Bosque Brewing’s own taprooms in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, plus regional grocery and liquor stores. It is not currently available through national delivery services like Saucey, so if you are outside New Mexico, a similar raspberry or fruited wheat ale from the alternatives above is the easier route.
Is Bosque Brewing still in business?
Yes, but the brewery filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2025 due to mounting debt. Taprooms have continued operating through the process, but distribution outside New Mexico has become less consistent as a result.
What style of beer is Elephants on Parade?
It is a fruited wheat ale, specifically a raspberry wheat ale, a style that starts with a soft American or German-style wheat beer base and adds real fruit character rather than relying on hop bitterness or malt sweetness.
