A Guide to Ordering the Beers of Summer
Decoding your cool-off strategy at the bar
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With craft brewers exploring European styles, there are more varieties available than ever. Here's our guide to what's on tap.
German Beers
A wide range of styles, from pilsners to more niche types.
Pilsners
Crisp, low-ABV brews that are perfect for hot summer days.
Pivo Hoppy Pils: Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Czech Style Pilsner: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Radlers
German for “cyclist,” the style blends beer with citrusy soft drinks; sometimes called shandies.
Tricycle Grapefruit Radler: Parallel 49 Brewing Company
Curious Traveler Shandy: The Traveler Beer Co.
Wheats
Cloudy and sometimes fruity; occasionally accompanied by an orange wedge.
Gumballhead: Three Floyds Brewing Company
Pier: Trillium Brewing Company
Goses
Made with salt and coriander. Sour, refreshing, and low ABV.
Gose: Westbrook Brewing Company
The Kimmie, the Yink, and the Holy Gose: Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Berliner Weisses
The style typically has low ABV and tart notes.
Hottenroth: The Bruery
Athena: Creature Comforts Brewing Co.
Belgian and French Ales
Ales characterized by flavors of yeast and fruit instead of hops or malt.
Farmhouse Ales
A wide range of dry and intensely flavored beers; also called saisons.
Peche 'n Brett: Logsdon Farmhouse Ales
Guava Grove Saison: Cigar City Brewing
Wild Ales
Sometimes called sours or Bretts.these are tart and earthy.
Supplication: Russian River Brewing Company
Sours
Tart and acidic beers made by adding special yeasts or bacteria during the brewing process.
Le Terroir: New Belgium Brewing