Summer is finally here. Whether you are at a picnic in a park, grilling in the backyard or beating the heat on the beach, we recommend quenching your thirst with a perfectly selected summer beer.

Here are our recommendations for styles and beers that will pair perfectly with every summer activity:

Sessionable Ales

What makes a beer sessionable? It has to be low in ABV, high in drinkability and above all else, refreshing. The idea is that you can drink multiple of these beers in one session – which is just what you need on a hot day.

Suggested Brews
Founders All Day West Coast: Brewed with a stunning array of hops balanced by a laid-back malt bill, this Session West Coast IPA shows off its beach bod with a bold hop aroma and moderate bitterness that positively beams with piney citrus notes and flavors.

Bell’s Light Hearted Ale: Aromatic, balanced, and incredibly easy-drinking. Centennial and Galaxy hops result in citrus and pine aromas, while a variety of specialty malts help give this Lo-Cal IPA its body and flavor.

Fruited Beer

Few things are better on a hot day, than a cold, fruit-forward beer. Whether it’s turning lemons into lemon shandy, or using watermelon to remind you of a picnic staple, fruit beers blend styles we love with real fruit additions.

Suggested Brews

Revolution Freedom Lemonade: The bright sweetness of real lemons converges with pure cane sugar for a refreshingly tart finish.

Goose Island 312 Lemonade Shandy: This brew combines two of the best things; 312 and Italian lemon ice. Expect a lemony, crisp and refreshing sip that’s sure to hit the spot, no matter if the stand is open or not.

21^st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon: This American wheat beer is brewed with real watermelon, for a flavor that’s surprisingly crisp, dry and refreshing—it’s summer in a can!

 

Hazy IPA

Hazy IPAs feature intense fruit flavors and aromas with a smooth mouthfeel and are often opaque in appearance. They are easier to drink than a typical American IPA and much more approachable for casual beer drinkers.

Suggested Brews

New Belgium Voodoo Ranger 1985: Like totally loaded with juicy mango flavor, 1985 takes you back to the future of Hazy IPAs. Buckle up!

Levante Cloudy & Cumbersome NEIPA: This haze is pillowy-soft from oats and wheat in the grain bill, while sun-showers of hoppiness shine down through the clouds. Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops burst bright with the citrusy pith flavors reminiscent of tropical passion fruit and freshly peeled grapefruit. Keep your head in the clouds!

 

Wheats

Wheat beers are perfect for the summer – light-bodied, high in carbonation and featuring a bready/doughy malt profile that sets them apart from your typical light summer beer.

Suggested Brews

Samuel Adams Summer Ale: An American Wheat Ale with a citrus blend of orange, lemon and lime peel. The zest is balanced with a touch of spice from Grains of Paradise, a rare pepper from West-Africa.

Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat: Brewed with the perfect balance of wheat and crystal malts, the Tangerine Wheat delivers a perfectly crisp finish for those hot summer days. It’s got that classic Lost Coast wheat flavor, with a kick of citrus to help jump-start the party.