Summer Brews
Summer is thirsty season. But as you unwind at the end of a long, hot day, not just any beer will do. A quality summer brew should be crisp, refreshing and not too heavy.
And while we may take a few months off from porters, stouts and other heavy, strong and rich winter beers, it doesn’t mean you can’t find something with enough flavor to hold your attention. We visited 12 South Taproom owner Alex Torres and bartender Nancy Golombisky, for five beer recommendations that strike the right summertime balance between healthy flavor and what Alex calls “poundability.”
Brooklyn Summer Ale (Brooklyn, NY 5% abv)
Brooklyn Brewery’s summer seasonal is an English-style pale ale that combines a fresh bready flavor with a citrus/floral aroma. Whereas American pale ales emphasize hops and a cleaner taste, English pale ales aim to strike a balance between hops and malt. “This is a good beer that I would recommend both to casual drinkers and the biggest hop heads. If you’re going to sit down with a six pack, this is a good place to start,” Alex said. “Your beer friends will be impressed,” Nancy added, “and your girlfriend won’t mind having one.”
SweetWater Road Trip (Atlanta, GA 5.2% abv)
Road Trip is a simple, enjoyable and crisp pilsner with a bitter/spicy hop finish. Its effervescent flavor dissipates quickly, but it’s there. “When it comes to summer beers, that clean finish is what I’m looking for. I don’t want something lingering on my tongue,” said Alex. “This is the style that all the major American makers are based on,” Nancy said of pilsners. “Road Trip is a good craft alternative. It’s very approachable.”
Rogue Dead Guy Ale (Newport, OR 6.5% abv)
Dead Guy is available year-round, but is brewed in the style of a German Maibock: a strong, golden lager traditionally enjoyed seasonally in Bavaria between winter and summer. As the German Beer Institute puts it, “like the lusty month of May, (Maibock) is a transitional brew.” Dead Guy has the alcohol content of a winter beer, but with the color and hop presence of a summertime quencher. “Dead Guy is one of the finest beers brewed domestically,” Nancy said. “As far as summer beers go, I wouldn’t go much higher than this (alcohol content) out in the sun. It’s going to hit you a lot quicker than the other ones, and higher alcohol content has a warming effect that you don’t want when you’re already sweating.”
“This is the beer for a summer barbecue,” Alex added. “It’s strong enough to compete with a bacon cheeseburger.”
Heinnieweisse Farmhouse Ale (Garrattsville, NY 4.9% abv)
Be sure to rock the can gently before popping the top and then give it a good swirl. This beer has a complex yet expertly balanced taste of malt, spice and thirst-quenching fruit. The flavor is more restrained than some other hefeweizens. “I think it focuses on being a great ale first,” Nancy said, “and then the wheat flavor comes in secondary and emphasizes the quality.” Alex recommends this beer after a salty meal at a pub: “It’s a refreshing drink. Crush one of these, and it fills up that part of your palate that’s lacking.”
Schlafly Helles Style Summer Lager (St. Louis, MO 4.5% abv)
This beer is in the same vein as SweetWater Road Trip but with a more complex, rounded and crisp flavor. “Helles beers are a little bit more complex than pilsners,” Nancy said. “This is where you start to taste how the beer changes.”
