When you stroll into your favorite bar and take a look at the beer list, do you ever stare, slack-jawed, unable to make a decision when the bartender asks what you want? While we all have our own personal tastes, sometimes (especially if you haven’t tried a particular beer) it’s difficult to pick one. What if you knew which beers were most popular during a given season? Would that help you make a decisive decision?
Summer is almost over and while that’s a massive bummer, it simply means you need to kick your summery beer consumption into high gear. Try as many IPAs, pilsners, wheat beers, and pale ales as you can because dark, maltier beer season is right around the corner. If you can’t make up your mind about where to start your end of summer beer journey, one way to start is “the populist method” — just ask your favorite bartender to tell you which beers are currently the most popular.
To help you out, we did some of the work for you. We asked a few of our favorite bartenders to tell us the most often ordered summer beers at their bar. Keep scrolling to see all of their picks. Maybe now you’ll spend less time scratching your head and more time drinking beer.
Transmitter W4
Dana Lachenmayer, head bartender at The Wesley in New York City
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Transmitter Brewing Co.’s W4 Dry hopped Gose is what the people are calling for. It’s a salty, citrus-driven refresher that’s perfect for the remaining summer days ahead.
Tasting Notes:
Brewed locally in Queens, the synergy of minerality, citrus and aromatics from the coriander make this Gose quite crushable.
Modelo Especial
Alex Dominguez, head bartender at Bar Calico in New York City
ABV: 4.4%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Modelo Especial is the king of the summer beers at our bar. It’s crisp, it’s light, and herbaceous. Once you hear the pop of the can opening and a nice little lime slice is placed on it, my mind thinks sweet summer relief.
Tasting Notes:
Flavors of corny sweetness and herbal, floral hops lead into a crisp, refreshing finish that will leave you craving more.
Pipeworks Premium Pilsner
Alex Barbatsis, bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Premium Pilsner from Pipeworks in Chicago crushes at our bar. We have to keep this one in an ice bath so we can restock quickly since we blow through it often.
Tasting Notes:
It’s a Czech-style pilsner that’s crisp and refreshing and balanced out with Saaz hops for a fresh aroma.
Allagash White
Mario Flores, beverage director at Maple & Ash in Chicago
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $14 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Allagash White is one of our most popular beers this season, and I think it’s because people enjoy the flavors of orange and coriander during the summer months.
Tasting Notes:
This unfiltered wheat beer has a complex flavor profile of wheat, coriander, and orange peel. It’s perfect for the end of summer.
Almanac Love Hazy IPA
Shiva Thapa, head bartender at Miller & Lux in San Francisco
ABV: 6.1%
Average Price: $18 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Love Hazy IPA from Almanac from Alameda, California is bursting with hoppy tropical flavors. Built on a simple base of Pilsner malt and IPA, it has a pillowy mouthfeel and is double dry-hopped with Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe hops.
Tasting Notes:
Flavors of mango, cantaloupe, and citrus will keep you coming back for another refreshing sip. It is one of the best IPAs for summer and our most ordered beer.
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Jared Bailey, bar manager at Soho Cigar Bar in New York City
ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Samuel Adams Summer Ale is hard to beat for good reason. With its light and crisp profile aided by the citrus and wheat notes, it’s as sip-worthy as it is crushable.
Tasting Notes:
This is a very citrus-forward wheat beer with hints of orange, lemon, and lime, and a gentle kick of spice from grains of paradise.
Funky Buddha Hop Gun
Stephanie Torres, assistant director of food and beverage at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami
ABV: 7%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Funky Buddha Hop Gun is a great summertime beer. It’s an American IPA-style beer from Oakland Park, Florida and one that our guests frequently order.
Tasting Notes:
Brewed with centennial hops, this beer has flavors of pineapple and grapefruit, and caramel malts providing a balanced finish on the palate.
Big Storm Surplus Beer
Mitchell Patmagrian, lobby lounge bartender at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in Orlando
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
The summery beer that we sell the most is Surplus Beer, a signature Floridian honey citrus ale brewed at Big Storm Brewery. It is made with local honey from the Grande Lakes apiary. Surplus Beer is produced weekly using the freshest ingredients.
Tasting Notes:
This honey citrus ale is known for its crisp flavor profile and nice mix of citrus peel and sweet honey. Perfect for the summer months.
Talea Pick Me Up
Cristhian Rodriguez, bar director at elNico’s in Brooklyn, New York
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
Talea Pick Me Up, Hazy IPA, coming from our Williamsburg neighbors at Talea Brewery. Hazies are in these days. Not surprisingly, this one has been really popular this summer.
Tasting Notes:
Pick Me Up’s tropical pineapple notes, and candied citrus notes takes this style out of the roof. It’s a great choice for summer sipping.
Wynwood La Rubia
Javier Pastrana, food and beverage director at YOTEL in Miami
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
At Vela and Vela Sky, YOTEL Miami’s two lounges/restaurants, the most ordered beer during the summer is the La Rubia, brewed locally at Wynwood Brewery. It’s no surprise as this popular blonde ale is well-suited for late summer weather.
Tasting Notes:
This Blonde Ale is moderate in sweetness, has a subtle fruity aroma and floral notes from yeast used in the brewing process.
Lagunitas IPA
Mercedes Cowper, certified sommelier and bar manager at Round Robin Bar in Washington, DC
ABV: 6.2%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Lagunitas IPA. This IPA is the top choice for guests who want a beer packed with flavor but not overpowering or heavy on the palate. One of the most well-known IPAs, it’s been a big hit this summer.
Tasting Notes:
It’s great for summer because it has a variety of hops and nuanced flavors of caramel, malt, and citrus. Everything is balanced well with a lightly bitter finish.
City Barrel Day Drinker
Liz Ramirez, restaurant manager at XR in Kansas City
ABV: 6.6%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
City Barrel Day Drinker Mimosa IPA (from a local KC Brewery) is a summer beer that builds on the great IPA we already know from City Barrel with a punch of orange and citrus. These added flavors make it a perfect patio pounder.
Tasting Notes:
Brewed with mangoes and oranges, this New England-style IPA is hazy, juicy, and loaded with tropical fruit and citrus flavors.