It’s my favorite time of the year; the months when we can debate the best summer beers. With so many choices and so much brand loyalty, its fun to see the beer community go up in flames to see who captures the summer.
Heck, any beer could be considered a summer beer. But the truly great ones are refreshing, unique, and bring you to simpler times without even trying. And with temperatures rising across the country, check out some of these to refresh yourself.
Best Summer Beers: Kona Brewing Co.
Kona Brewing has several beers in its lineup. But I’m a lager guy, so their lager “Longboard Island Lager” is all I can speak on. I stumbled upon this beer by accident. I went into a liquor store on my way to the beach and when it caught my eye, I had to get it.
Maybe because it’s from Hawaii, but to me, this beer screams summer.
If you go to their website you are greeted by a video of two Hawaiian brothers wondering why you’re looking at beer online instead of drinking it. A simple, easy-going video to try and get you to buy the beer. You don’t have to tell me twice.
Best Summer Beers: Dos Equis Ambar
This one might not have that summer vibe most people think of, but hear me out… it has an extremely crisp taste. That’s all I got.
Everyone I know who’s had it has enjoyed it. Dos Equis Ambar may be a little “darker” than most summer beers, but it still has a warm amber color. Per the company’s website, “With its signature amber color and subtle hints of roasted malts it pairs great with every kind of Mexican food, whether it’s 2pm tacos or 2am tacos.”
Their website provides you the extra benefit of recipes for chili, tacos, and other meals. You don’t need summer marketing when you have that.
Best Summer Beers: Landshark
Landshark had to be on the list. When I first bought Landshark Lager with a friend, I described it as “very similar to Corona.” After he drank one I asked him how it was, his response “yeah it’s similar to Corona.” The difference to me, this beer is a little less known, has a cleaner look, and you can occasionally find me drinking it in non-summer months.
They also have summer marketing on their site, with the catchphrase “Let’s Beach.” One great aspect is that when you go to their “Our Beer” page, you expect to see a variety of flavors. Nope. Just the one lager in different sizes, bottles, and quantity. They have a good product and they’re sticking to it.
Bonus summer aspect: they have instructions for spikeball on their website — Landshark’s favorite pastime.
Best Summer Beers: Corona
Speaking of Corona, no summer list is complete without it. This is the juggernaut of summer beers — their old marketing campaign says it all — “find your beach.” It’s great on its own, or give it a lime if you can.
Best Summer Beers: Summer Select
There are other beer companies out there that have a big product line, and make some beers specifically for summer flavor. Samuel Adams is known for having a wide variety and a beer for each season. Their Summer Ale, while a little heavy on the calories, is always a summer classic.
Leinenkugel. Because they have so many beers I couldn’t put them in the earlier category. But their best-known drink is their Summer Shandy. Most liquor stores will have it in the summer but be prepared for a little lemon flavor.
Sierra Nevada is another company with many seasonal beers. Not wanting to confused drinkers, they named their summer beer “Summerfest”. It’s a lager with a little higher alcohol content than most other beers on this list.
Best Summer Beers: Local
There’s also plenty of great local brewing companies near you that have summer specials. By plenty, I mean almost all of them. The summer is historically a good time for beer companies so they’re usually trying out new flavors. Since I’m a Jersey guy, I encourage you to try some of our local breweries and their summer specials. Plus our state is by the beach, so you know we make something worth drinking in the heat.
There are some great summer beers out there. So next time you’re at the liquor store, don’t be afraid to try something new. Instead of buying the same name brand beer, try these seasonal brews.
You’ll probably like it. And if you don’t, (responsibly) just keep drinking it until you do.