Culture: 10 All-American Craft Beers to Drink This Summer

Naturally, we think beer should be enjoyed all year. However, when the temperatures go up, vacation brain switches on. Cookouts are planned and all-around fun is being had. It’s beer’s time to shine.  

But with more than 9,500 craft breweries across the United States, finding and selecting that perfect summer beer might seem like an impossible feat. However, with a little thought and planning, finding the best beer for your summer escapades is not hard. (Don’t forget, hard ciders and seltzers also have a place in the cooler, too!) 

But what exactly is the perfect summer beer? Summer beers should be refreshing, pair well with food and be crowd pleasers. You can find these qualities in a range of styles from bright fruity ales and light lagers to refreshing wheat beers and even porters or stouts.  

To help you get started, we pulled together some of our favorite summer beers. So, pull that cooler out of storage, fire up the grill and crack open your new favorite brew.  

The Best American Craft Beers for Summer Fun 

FAQs

What Is the Best Beer for a Cookout?

Ultimately it comes down to whatever you want to drink. There are no wrong answers when it comes to taste. But, thinking about a cookout menu in advance can steer the beer choice in the right direction.

To start, light American lagers are ideal for just about any menu. Their easy-drinking nature, low hop profile and soft and sweet malt with a bit of crispness on the finish makes for easy pairing, plus they’re ubiquitous, so finding a good one isn’t hard.

If seafood is on the docket, a wheat beer is a natural choice thanks to the fluffy, full-bodied nature of the beer and a slight citrus twang. For salads and other lighter fare, pick up some fruited beer with watermelon, strawberry, blueberry or other seasonal flavors. (For an added kick and visual boost, try adding a handful of blueberries or strawberries to a glass of fruit beer, or using a small watermelon wedge as a garnish.)

For burgers and hotdogs, go for a porter or a stout. Dark beers might seem a bit heavy for hot summer weather, but both these styles have flavors and aromas of coffee, roasted malts, chocolate and a slight sweetness, making them—especially when properly iced down in a cooler—the perfect complement to the fat, char and earthiness of the meats. Also of note, a low-to-moderate alcohol-by volume (abv) helps make these great for lingering at long parties.

What Are Summer Seasonal Beers?

As the name suggests, summer seasonals are beers released during the summer months. (Although there are several, especially from larger breweries that begin popping up on shelves in early spring.) These beers are often tied into seasonal flavors or produce. For smaller breweries, this can mean getting fresh fruit from local farms and adding them to a base beer, like a blonde ale, gose or lager, during fermentation.

Why Is Beer In Cans?

Cans have a lot of benefits over glass. To start, it’s easier to transport them for camping, fishing and hiking trips (and especially easy to carry out) because of their lighter weight. Secondly, cans also keep unwanted flaws from creeping into your brew ,as the airtight seal prevents oxidation, which can give beer the flavor of wet cardboard. Lastly, light can’t penetrate cans, so beer won’t become light struck, which gives it aromas of skunk.

Cans are also a great excuse to break out a favorite koozie to help keep hands dry and beer cooler a little longer.

What Is a Radler?

A radler is a beer, often a lager, that is mixed with lemonade or a lemon-lime soda. This lowers the abv of the beer and creates a refreshing citrus experience. Some breweries offer this pre-mixed in cans, but often the best results are ones made fresh.