The Ultimate Summer Brew List!
Whether you are just beginning to explore the world of beer or you are a seasoned beer snob, these are brews that you should know.
For many, Pilsner is the only acceptable summer brew. Bitburger is an excellent example of a German Pils for others, the Czech Pilsner Urquell is the quintessential Pils. The style is loaded with Saaz hops & has a wonderful lager snap to it that makes it a great beer for hot summer days. Other features include Okocim, Pinkus Organic, Schlafly & New Belgium Blue Paddle!
If Pilsners are generally too thin for you & you want something for your mouth to do while you're drinking a beer, try a Lager! Most are sweeter than Pils with a light hops presence. It has a mouthfeel a bit like an Oatmeal Stout & a lingering sweetness. Samuel Smith's Pure Brewed Organic Lager but a short list of those with instant mass appeal must include Red Stripe or Peroni as the perfect sip on the deck at the end of a long hot day.
Pale Ales are also a seasonal favorite for many due to the thirst-quenching hop. Take it to another level & appreciate the IPA! An excellent example is the Goose Island India Pale Ale, an absolutely great beer. Fans of the IPA will enjoy the loads of fresh hops apparent in the nose & flavor of this beer. For a beer lover, this is bottled sunshine. Other great IPAs include No. Coast Acme, Mendocino White Hawk, Great Divide Titan & Shipyard. Fans of the style will also appreciate Anchor Steam! New to us is Avery Brewing's IPA & white Rascal Wheat!
For a large majority of brew lovers, summer means Hefeweizen! Paulaner makes the prototypical unfiltered wheat...a classic Bavarian style beer that is also a perennial summer favorite. Drop a slice of lemon into your glass for a perfect accompaniment to a picnic or barbecue.
Like to stay with American styles? Samuel Adams Summer Ale is another choice in wheat beer. Wheat beers are popular for summer brews because it is in many ways a blank pallet. Wheat contributes very little flavor & a soft mouthfeel making it a great medium for the fruit & spice flavors popular with summertime beers.
In this case, SA uses lemon zest & something called "grains of paradise" described as a peppery African spice. Despite all of this the beer retains a nice malty character & is perfectly enjoyable. We're loaded with these including perennial favorites O'Dell Easy Street, Schlafly, Boulevard, Michelob Wheat & many more!
Fruited wheat beers that must also make the list of Summer Brews include Abita Purple Haze Raspberry, Wild Blue Blueberry Lager, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, Floris Apple Witbier & Pyramid Apricot Weizen. These styles combines subtle fruit flavors of favorite summer fruits with the lightness of the Hefe style that pair perfectly with spicy barbecue, substantial salads & cheeses.
One final addition to the list is the Witbier style with a very good American version from Boulevard. ZÖN is the Kansas City interpretation of the classic Belgian style. Prefer the original? Hoegaarden is the quintessential Witbier however we have several to chose from! It is a flavorful beer with coriander & orange peel contributing some interesting elements. It contains unmalted wheat giving it a cloudy white appearance & smooth mouthfeel.
