The strangest summer of our lives is winding down. You almost certainly didn’t take a big vacation this year. Maybe you snuck in a road trip. A day spent at a swimming hole, hiking local trails, or on a quick overnight camping trip is even more likely. Whatever the case, Summer 2020 was jarringly different.
Still, even in these dark and strange times, we have refreshing beers to see us through. Seasonal sippers that are perfect for hot August nights. While we always encourage you to support your local breweries during COVID, we know you want to give nearby bottle shops some love, too. That’s why we asked some of our favorite bartenders to tell us the refreshing beers they’ll be drinking to close out summer 2020.
Creature Comforts Bibo
Bill Myers, bartender at Kimpton Brice Hotel in Savannah, Georgia
Creature Comforts out of Athens, Georgia makes some great lagers like the Classic City Lager and Bibo. I was first drawn towards this brand because of their Tropicalia IPA, but soon realized that their lighter styles are just as good as their nationally acclaimed IPA.
Bad Dad I’ll Turn This Car Around
Payden Jones, bartender at Grains & Grill in Fairmount, Indiana
One of our favorite hazy, summer beers is Bad Dad Brewing Co.’s New England IPA, I’ll Turn This Car Around. It’s smooth, with no bitterness. Unlike the family road trip.
Monopolio Lager Clara
Sondre Kasin, principal bartender at Cote in New York City
Monopolio Lager Clara is an excellent lager for the summer. This Mexican beer is light, fresh, crisp, and still has a lot of flavor.
Perfect for barbecue, Mexican food, and while sitting outside in the sun.
Kona Longboard Island Lager
Eva Al-Gharaballi, bartender at Datz Restaurant Group in Tampa, Florida
Summer is perfect for light lagers. Kona Longboard Island Lager is my favorite lager from one of my all-time favorite breweries. Hydrating with a smooth aged flavor.
Schofferhofer
Melissa Reigle, beverage manager and head bartender at Byblos in Miami
Summer is citrus. Schofferhofer has a fantastic grapefruit hefeweizen that’s perfect for summer drinking or try your local brewery. If you’re looking for something else, Miami’s MIA Brewery offers Miami Weiss, a lightly yeasted, flavorful summer Weiss. Or just add a little sprite to your Lowenbrau and enjoy a radler.
Brooklyn Summer Ale
Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami
Brooklyn Summer Ale. Round, slightly malty, and extremely drinkable. This beer is refreshing and light enough for those hot sunny days — aptly deemed a ‘sunny pale ale’.
Three Weavers Cloud City
Steve Livigni, food and beverage partner at Hotel June in Los Angeles
I’m really loving Cloud City Hazy IPA from Three Weavers. It’s just light, easy, and delicious with tons of great citrus notes. It’s great with food, too.
Sixpoint Jammer
Nazar Hrab, beverage director at The Pineapple Club in w York City
There are so many different opinions and so many craft beers, it’s hard to pick just one. As long as you know which style you’re in the mood for and as long as it’s crisp and cold, you really can’t go wrong. For this, I’ll go with Sixpoint Jammer. It’s refreshing, tangy, and highly crushable.
Writer’s Picks:
Rogue Newport Daze
Potentially the best beer to drink near a body of water on a hot day, Rogue Newport Daze is a refreshing hazy pale ale with hints of juicy tropical fruits that’s well suited for sitting in a gravity chair and not worrying about what time it is.
Springdale Pearly White Ale
Summer was made for hazy wheat beers like Springdale Pearly Wit. This 4.5 percent ABV country-style wheat is full of flavors like coriander and orange zest. It’s refreshing, subtly tart, and pairs well with tank tops and flip flops.