Whether you’re celebrating the Fourth of July, relaxing at the beach, grilling, or tailgating before a baseball game, there’s nothing as good as an ice cold beer on a hot summer day.
While almost any of the typical beers will do, there are a countless number of seasonal options for the hot summer days and nights. With so many options out there, it’s easy to get lost or not even bother with choosing a specific seasonal beer. So, we’re going to lend you a hand to at least get started.
Here are 21 summer beers that you need to try this summer, in no particular order. And, you better get on that because by August, most of these will be gone until next summer.
21. Hop Sun
From Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, NY, Hop Sun keeps things simple with the classic summer wheat beer by removing excess yeast. The result is a pale that is light, crisp, and rather easy to drink.
20. Summit Summer Ale
This ale from Summit Brewing Co. in Minnesota is a kolsch-style beer. It’s been described as clear, clean, slightly floral, and gently hoppy.
19. Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy
Despite Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing being owned by Miller, this take on a traditional German radler has wonderful natural lemonade flavor. However, being owned by one of the big beer companies has its advantages, such as price and availability.
18. Victory Summer Love Ale
Victory Brewing Co. in Downingtown, PA is known for their hoppy creations. Yet somehow, their Summer Love is a hoppy blonde ale with just a hint of bitterness that is surprisingly refreshing.
17. Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Adams Summer Ale perfects the citrus flavors that are common in summer beers. Also, this is affordable for being a craft beer, even though it has three breweries.
16. A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’
Even though the California’s Lagunitas Brewing Companie’s A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ may be on the hoppy-er side of summer beers, it’s still refreshing. Brewed with three different types of wheat, it’s also packed with the hops Centennial, Cascade, and Citra and nicely blends citrus fruits, bubble gum, and apricot flavors.
15. Anchor Summer Beer
San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Co. has become known for their Steam Beer, but this has become a classic in its own right. The nice malt profile is what gives the Summer Beer a fluffy head of foam with a light and dry beer underneath.
14. Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat
We’re not too happy that Blue Moon is a MolsonCoors product, but we’ll just pretend that we don’t know and convince ourselves that it’s a craft beer. This relatively inexpensive and readily available summer ale is crafted with Colorado clover honey and orange peel.
13. Ipswitch Summer Ale
From Ipswitch, Massachusetts, this ale was designed to be a real thirst quencher during the warmer months of the year. It’s a light, unfiltered blonde ale with an earthy, citrusy zing.
12. Saranac 12 Beers of Summer
Why pick one style of beer when you can have six varieties? This Utica, NY brewery changes their 12 Beers of Summer every season. While some of the favorites remain annually, the different beers are always interesting. For 2012 the pack includes: Saranac Blueberry Blonde Ale, Saranac Session IPA, Saranac Rye IPA, Saranac Summer Ale, Saranac Hefeweizen, and Saranac Kolsch
11. Baxter Celsius Summer Ale
This was Baxter Brewing Company’s first seasonal release. The Lewiston, ME company added lime peel and lemongrass to give it a more tropical quality.
10. Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew
Compared to most IPAs, this blonde ale is far less hoppy and has 4.3 percent alcohol by volume.
9. Goose Island Summertime
Goose Island is Chicago’s craft beer, and if you’ve been to the Windy City, then you’ve seen it everywhere. While we enjoy their 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Summertime is a Kölsch beer with a light fruity aroma and a hint of fruity acidity.
8. Blonde Ale
California’s Mendocino Brewing Company may have skipped on their labeling and packaging, but the beer itself is what matters. In addition to being bold and hoppy, Blonde Ale has a “spicy, floral, grassy, citrusy thing going on in the flavor and aroma.”
7. American Darling
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project in Somerville, Massachusetts actually use other breweries’ equipment, but they still managed to craft an incredible beer. American Darling is smooth, potent, and has a crisp, continental malty flavor.
6. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
While Sierra Nevada makes a summer seasonal lager, their flagship pale ale is refreshing, hoppy, and spicy, making it a solid choice for the summer.
5. Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils
Who would have thought that a brewery in Colorado would have created the perfect beach beer? That’s exactly what Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, CO did with this pilsner. It’s a crisp and flavorful beer with a low ABV. What’s more, it comes solely in a can.
4. Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale
Hailing from Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale contains five varieties of hops and has a grassy and citrus flavor. Best of all, it has the perfect balance of hops and malt.
3. Newcastle Summer Ale
Heineken-owned Newcastle Brown Ale’s experiment with seasonal ales seems to have paid off. Their Summer Ale is a mild mix of hops and malt, with just a hint of lemon. It goes down smooth and has a low 4.4 percent ABV.
2. Redhook Wit
This Washington state wit is sweeter than other wits and has a lot of spices and flavors going on, including ginger, lemon, and orange.
1. Dogfish Head Festina Peche
The Milton, Delaware brewery is known for their potent and flavorful IPAs. While they have several seasonal ales for summer, Festina Peche is one of the most unique ones out there. It’s a refreshing neo-Berliner Weisse fermented in peaches with a 4.5 percent ABV.
Image Source: The Rundown
Albert Costill
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