The Best Summer Microbrew Beers To Try Now
Soak up summer vibes with these microbrew favorites.
Heed the call of summer the next time you open your fridge and stock your cooler for a day at the beach or a backyard BBQ. There’s rarely a bad time of year to have a beer, of course, but the best summer microbrews elevate the experience to another level entirely.
Whether amping up the flavor of a traditional lager or brewing beers insanely packed with tropical notes, some of the best craft breweries in the country are taking aim at revamped, new-and-improved styles of beer. There’s a time and a place for old-school “macro” lagers, but when flavor and refreshment beckon, summer’s top microbrews are a distinct change of pace from the ordinary. These are the ones begging for a spot in your beer fridge.
New Belgium Mountain Time Lager
If you appreciate the cold, crisp notes and easygoing refreshment of a major domestic lager, yet want something with a bit more flavor, it’s hard to go wrong with New Belgium’s excellent Mountain Time Lager. The only thing better is cooling down with one after a hike in the brewery’s picturesque home state of Colorado. $12.99/6-pack
Deschutes Anytime Lemonade Shandy
Rethink what you thought you knew about shandy beers, which sometimes lean overly sweet (an understatement). Deschutes’ new Anytime Lemonade Shady is as freshly squeezed as it is robust, with a nice balance between the two lanes. It’s easy-drinking, it’s exceptionally refreshing and it’s yours for the taking. $9.50/6-pack
SweetWater Extra Chill Cold Pale Ale
The cold pale ale style is a curious yet accessible one, with an enticing name that lifts the curtain behind the process: Cold pale ales reflect brewing temperature in the very name. SweetWater’s latest carries on the lineage of its famed 420 Pale Ale, yet proves lighter on the palate and just as delicious. Better still is the fact that it comes in a variety pack celebrating the rest of the “420 Pale Ale” family. $17.99/per variety 12-pack
Shiner Light Blonde
Shiner is best known for its full-bodied yet scarily drinkable Shiner Bock, an all-time classic beer first brewed (and served to) Texas farmers in the high heat. Shiner’s Light Blonde, however, is a smoother, lighter option with lightly sweet notes and distinctive character for a blonde ale. $14.99/6-pack
Firestone Walker Mind Haze Brain Melter
Put to rest the idea that every summer beer needs to be ultra-light. For cooler summer evenings and for occasions where you feel like savoring a hazy IPA (and sticking to quality, rather than quantity), this juicy, hop-packed packs a ton of tropical and citrus notes. $11.99/6-pack
Wicked Weed Strawberry Burst Kiwi Session Sour
There’s a tricky balance to nail when it comes to giving a beer character (and in this case, tons of citrus flavor) without overdoing it. Add in the difficulty inherent in getting a sour beer that’s not too, well, sour, and you’ve got another set of challenges. Helpfully, Wicked Weed delivers a fresh beer that hits all the right notes. $11.99/6-pack
Allagash Surf House Lager
Allagash Brewing’s vaunted White Ale is as enjoyable a beer as it gets, but might not be for everyone, especially if a pleasantly hoppy yet crushable lager is more your speed. For all those times, Surf House should take up some space in your cooler. $14.99/6-pack
Bell’s Oberon Sunshine Tropical Shandy
What do you get when Bell’s ever-popular Oberon gets a unique kick via plenty of tropical fruit, and just in time for invigorating summer sipping? You get a truly delightful take on the shandy, a much-aligned style that just might be making a comeback. $24.99/12-pack
Boulevard Brewing Ah Sure, Look Dark Lager
There’s an entire world out there of summer beers that are simply primed to go beyond the more typical lagers, like this deceptively smooth, rich dark lager, made to pair expertly with smoked meats around a bonfire on a brisk summer night. $10.99/6-pack
Sam Adams Summer Ale
The best summer beers need to toe the line between approachable and interesting, and Sam Adams uses grains of paradise to give its summer ale a pleasing finish. This is an accessible all-timer to keep in the cooler for many a backyard BBQ. $10.99/6-pack
Two Roads Lil’ Heaven Crushable IPA
It doesn’t make the most sense on paper to call an IPA “crushable,” but Two Roads has perfected that formula with a delightfully easy-to-drink beer that clocks in at just 4.8% ABV. $14.99/6-pack
Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale
Dogfish Head practically threw everything but the kitchen sink into its aptly named SeaQuench, which fuses slightly salty, sweet and tangy notes into an absurdly drinkable beer practically brewed for the beach. $9.99/6-pack
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