Summertime is not summertime unless there ’s acold beer in your bridge player . Or a insensate beer in both hands , if you have your precedence straight . And with brewing a boomin ' , we ’ve reached a point where every state is pumping out enceinte beers that essentially fix the summer , beer that somehow taste considerably when the Sunday ’s beating down , the BBQ is fired up , or you ’re just kind of idly floating on a river . Or all of those things , if you have a huge batch .
These are the best beers for summertime in each state . Not all of them are summer seasonals . And not all of them are the very adept craft beer in the res publica . Nope . These are the beers that just take a summer daytime from effective to keen in the hearts and stomachs of their birthplaces .
Alabama
Back Forty Paw Paw ’s Peach WheatFruit beer , 4.5%GadsdenBack Forty ’s Paw Paw ’s Peach Wheat – brew with soft , mild Golden Naked Oats and fermented on fresh Alabama - grown lulu – smack like spring and tastes like summertime . yield beer are n’t always a tell apart beer drinker ’s favorite style : if poorly balanced , they can overwhelm the roof of the mouth with a syrupy sweetness . But Back Forty avoids slipping into Candyland by showcasing the local peach ’s unique sharp - and - tangy complexness and coin a keen balance between crisp and creamy . This is porch - imbibition beer at its finest , an approachable 4.5 % ABV backyard sipper that ’s never met a ardent summer night it did n’t like .
Alaska
Alaskan Brewing Summer AleKolsch - style ale , 5.3%JuneauThere are heaps of fantastic breweries in Alaska doing splendid things in the summertime , which is actually a real thing , despite myth . Midnight Sun has its sour straw . Denali has its Raspberry Wheat and Agave Gold . But no Alaskan brewery has a beer as ubiquitous as Alaskan ’s Summer Ale , and when the summer comes – whether it ’s for several unbowed month of sunshine or , like , 11 hour totality – it ’s Alaska ’s go - to seasonal . Honestly , when beer stores are as far apart as the ones in the dandy whitened north , the omnipresent kolsch is the great uniter . certainly , it ’s the obvious choice . But it ’s obvious for a intellect .
Arizona
Papago Orange BlossomWheat ale , 5%ScottsdaleIt can get up to 125 arcdegree in the AZ desert , but with a can of refreshing Orange Blossom , it would make it palpate like … 124 . But still , there ’s something lovely about brilliant citrus tree and vanilla extract flavors when it gets hot than Hades outside . Bonus points if you have a dry pint of it in its brewery , which isone of the best in Phoenix . Some beer dweeb might frown upon a beer that mime an orange Creamsicle , but that ’s because their taste bud are unaired . Let them choke down a triple IPA on a hot day – it leave more Orange Blossom for the rest of us .
Arkansas
Core Easy Livin ' IPAIPA , 4.8%SpringdaleWith a backsheesh of the hat to Diamond Bear ’s Southern Blonde , which is as summery a Pils as it gets , Core ’s Easy Livin ' is the seance IPA Arkansans should pledge while roasting a whole hogget and talking about the Hogs , a squad that ’s responsible for for 95 % of all conversation from June through December . Somehow this beer packs in 50 IBUs , which is plentitude for a beer that ’s under 5 % ABV .
California
21st Amendment Hell or High WatermelonWheat beer , 4.9%San Francisco , CAWe could indicate all day about which of the hundred of desirable beers from the C of worthy brewery in the big - bottom Bear Republic is the arrant symbolisation of summertime . But what other beer shows up at 99 % of BBQs , and every single clip creates a soldering moment when some dude , all out of marvelous boy , pick up the mysterious can , quip it open up , and goes , " Holy shit " ? That ’s the stunner of 21A. It brings BBQs together .
Colorado
Upslope Thai Style White IPAIPA , 6.5%BoulderYou could indite an entire book about Colorado ’s beer of summer and it ’d beUlysses - length : Ska ’s Mexican Logger , New Belgium ’s Summer Helles , and the limited - passing Epic Sour Brainless on Peaches are standouts . But ever since I got handed a can of this White IPA at one of Upslope ’s anniversary parties a few summertime back , I ’ve been unbalanced thirsty for any beer with flavors like Thai basil , lemon grass , and ginger . It ’s one of the more strangely refreshing beers I ’ve ever had , and it absolutely does not postulate that you pair it with Thai food . This beer admit up on its own .
Connecticut
Two roadstead No LimitsHefeweizen , 5%StratfordSunny yellow grandiloquent boys of Two Roads ' 5 % ABV lemony German straw have become a Connecticut shoreline staple since its summer 2013 release , crowding cooler and dribble onto beach towels from May to September . Pouring a brumous yellow , its fluffy white head emitting all the fruity banana , Syzygium aromaticum , and citrus notes hefe buff crave , No Limits is a smooth - drinking , shining instance of the classical warm - conditions panache . And the finish ? Dry enough to combat a humid August afternoon and bubbly enough to warrant another sip ( or another can ) ( or two ) .
Delaware
Dogfish Head NamasteWitbier , 4.8%MiltonLet ’s face it : you came here look for a Dogfish beer , and we delivered . But if you ’ve ever had a Namaste , you know there was never even a question as to what the pick for the First State would be . It ’s a year - one shot beer , but my first sip of this was in the dead of a Colorado winter , where the weather condition outside was something like a scene fromHateful Eight . It was a great beer then , but there ’s nothing like a bottle of this in the summer . The lemongrass and coriander within lend it some delicious Thai - eccentric flavors , and the dry out constitutional orange slices it was brewed with brighten up the proceeding quite nicely .
Florida
Cigar City Florida CrackerBelgian - expressive style white , 5.5%TampaDoes a summer beer really matter when it ’s just … always kind of summertime ? Yes , when that beer is Cigar City ’s Florida Cracker , a statewide causal agent for jubilation and a complete hot - conditions Belgian white perfective for subvert the sweltering heating as you wait for storms to roll in . And perfect by the puddle . And with dinner party . Hell , this matter ’s just kind of perfect for anything . And luckily , since it ’s always summer , it ’s always available .
Georgia
Creature Comforts TropicáliaIPA , 6.5%AthensA favorite IPA of one of the most perfectly named GA - based beer writers ( Ale Sharpton ) , its citrus - impenetrable bank note make it a summertime essential . A secretive ball carrier - up was the brewery ’s newish take on its Athena called Athena Paradiso , an extraordinarily pinkish , fruited Berliner Weisse full of tart cherry , boo , and cranberry flavors . Either way , if you spend prison term this time of year with a can of animate being Comforts in your hand , you ’re doing summer powerful .
Hawaii
Kona Brewing Lemongrass LuauHerb / spiced beer , 5%Kailua - KonaLost Abbey collaborated with Maui on a lemon grass saison that prick the dust a yoke year ago ( though some golden dogs still have their hands on some , if beer subject matter boards are to be believe ) , and perhaps seeing a tropic - sized hole in the market place , the adept folks at Kona have begun bottling this lemongrass- and pep - weighed down brew that was until lately only uncommitted on rap . But if lemongrass and gingerroot are just too much for your finespun taste buds to care , Maui ’s stalwart Bikini Blonde helles should surge you over for the summer .
Idaho
Payette Blood Orange RustlerIPA , 6.2%BoisePayette ’s the self-aggrandising anathemise brewery in Idaho , a home that postulate both craft growler and crunchable cans very severely . line Orange Rustler is a fruity IPA that bridges the gap for a beer that sample as great at a BBQ , in the back of a tone arm , or in a canoe as it does at a fancy beer Granville Stanley Hall . And since size of brewery does matter when it comes to statewide handiness , for juicer of craft , the ubiquitous nature of these cans make it a ignition lock for the beer of Idaho ’s summertime .
Illinois
Half Acre VallejoIPA , 6.7%ChicagoWhile it ’s no lightweight session , Half Acre ’s bright , floral 6.7 % hop bomb manages to both compact a West Coast - level lick and imbibe as unruffled and well-fixed as a beer half its size of it . It ’s not as assertively carbonated as other summertime seasonals can be , allowing each juicy , tropical level to hit the palate in full force while a luminousness , crackery malted milk carries it through to a amazingly dry finish . Chicago beaches might not have much in terms of breaker , but crack loose one of these sky - blue tall boys and you ’ll be riding the hop wave in no time .
Indiana
Sun King Grapefruit Jungle ( GFJ)American IPA , 7.5%IndianapolisSure , summer ’s generally considered a bully fourth dimension for keeping your promontory directly steady and responsibly with 5%-ish ABV seance beer , but you sleep with what ? It ’s also a time for rule - breaking , dammit . It ’s also time for citrous fruit ! And grandiloquent boy ! So grab yourself 16 oz of this pulls - no - biff hoppy grapefruit bomb , and whatever happens , hap .
Iowa
Toppling Goliath pseudoSueAmerican sick ale , 5.8%DecorahSometimes it ’s best to just not mess around , because Midwest summers are short , so why would you waste time drink anything but as many pseudoSues as you may get your hands on ? It ’s a gorgeous case of Citra hops . It ’s sneakily visible radiation given its fantastically forward-moving hop visibility . It ’s named after a damned T. rex . So yeah , get your favorite Jeff Goldblum quote quick and enjoy one of Isle of Man ’s finest achievements .
Kansas
tall-grass Half PipeTart wan ale , 5%ManhattanThe can itself recalls a magical time whenSkate or Diewas packed in your NES , but it ’s what ’s at bottom that reckoning , a lemonlike beer of intense complexity that bridge the gap between a sour and a pale in a path that might just makegose hatersturn their noses slightly down and enter the promised land . It ’s also just really , really easy to tope , even if you have no cue what the fuck a McTwist is .
Kentucky
Against the Grain Give WayIPA , 4.2%LouisvilleThis ai n’t your modal session IPA : it’sone of the well uncommitted in can , and it ’s a collaboration beer with Baltimore , MD ’s Stillwater Artisanal Ales , a brewery that have some darned o.k. beer on its own . Things of note about this beer : it ’s hop - collapse , comes in a 16 oz can , and features an image of two guys drinking beers with textbook above their heads about yachts . It looks like ATG and Stillwater ’s design teams take off for summer holiday , and they give the line of work to an interne . Which is hilarious .
Louisiana
Abita Strawberry HarvestLager , 4.2%CovingtonAbita ’s Strawberry Harvest is like the beer edition of summertime passion : it ’s strong and bountiful in the start , then dwindles throughout the season – damn you , supply and demand – only to resurface in the most unexpected places / streak . It ’s a lager flecked with hemangioma simplex savor that dances in unison with the malt … man , we need to block drinking this beer and reading YA Latinian language novels . Point is , this is delicious , so get it while you may , because as the summer progresses , it becomes scarcer and scarcer . Until , like that cute boy in the cabin next door , it ’s gone . But hey , it ’s interchange by Blueberry Wheat , which is also very moony .
Maine
Allagash WhiteWitbier , 5.1%PortlandLike a grandiloquent glass of lemonade on a awkward twenty-four hours , Allagash White is both incredibly refreshing and profoundly build up . Allagash is one of Maine ’s most fecund and longest - running craft breweries and its citrusy , effervescent Belgian white conduce the pack as one of their most pop substance offering . Whether it ’s dry pint and oysters at a breezy beach bar or grill - side bottle in the backyard , Allagash White is to summer what clambake are to New England – and they ’re even better together .
Maryland
Flying Dog Dead Rise Old Bay summertime aleHerb / spiced beer , 5.6%FrederickIf there is a beer more Maryland than this , we have n’t heard of it . OK , maybe Natty Boh . But this seasonal is made for the summertime , a fourth dimension when you corrupt a billion crab , pour them out on newspaper laid indiscriminately on a picnic tabular array , and drop hours drinking and hammering meat out of blue crabs with your friends until the Lord’s Day sets . At a sure point , all you may taste is Old Bay , so you might as well salute a beer that leave " the slightest burn on your lips . " After a few bottles , the burning gets more than slight , but you ’re happy and full and cover in mosquito bites , and is n’t that what summer ’s all about ?
Massachusetts
A GD 12 oz beer for $ 7.75 at Fenway ParkIPA , 6 % , probablyBostonWe could ’ve gone with Clown Shoes ' Clementine , or Trillium ’s Free Rise saison , or Jack ’s Abby ’s Leisure Time , all of which are delicious and worth seek out , and by all odds do n’t cost $ 7.75 for 12 oz in the liquor store , but there can be no more summery beer in MA than enjoyingthe most expensive beer at Fenwaywhile determine a front - running Sox team demolish the Yankees , a team which , if the T - shirts are to be believed , sucks .
Michigan
Bell ’s Oberon AleWheat ale , 5.8%ComstockWhile we could be tempted to put Founders ' fantastic Rubaeus … no . We were n’t . Because Bell ’s Oberon is as all important to a Michigan summertime as illegal pyrotechnic , Superman ice cream , thunderstorm , coney frank , pontoons , and black flies . possibly even more , because Oberon help make all of those things better . Yes , even black - fly bites .
Minnesota
Surly HellMunich helles lager , 4.5%Brooklyn CenterMinnesota summers are by and large quite heavenly , so it ’s only natural that you involve a little Hell to keep everything in balance . All right , the devilish pun could go on for a while here , but that ’d be doing a disservice to this clean , malty , perfect encapsulation of a German - style helles that has enough hops bite to placate even the typically lager - averse . You ’re gon na have a Scheol of a undecomposed time . OK , that was it ! hope .
Mississippi
southerly Prohibition 2016 IPAIPA , 5.4%HattiesburgSince 2014 , SoPro has sack an IPA each year as part of its Cicada Series , beers which are more pleasant-tasting than deplete said insects , though if a solid food crisis come to , we ’ll probably all be eating cicadas for breakfast , lunch , and dinner whether we like it or not . In past age , the IPAs have been West Coast record hop bombs at more than 7 % , but this year it ’s scaled back to 5.4 % and 60 IBUs , making the dry - hop brewage mostly sessionable and definitely deserving drinking on those humid , blistering Mississippi days .
Missouri
Schlafly PilsnerCzech Pilsener , 5%St . LouisYou might be entice to extend to for the Grapefruit IPA from this Missouri anchor , but do yourself a favor and apprize the crisp simplicity of its Pilsner . Take a sip . experience that shiny , almost peppery crispness ? Great . Now throw on the Cardinals plot . How ’re they doing ? Not so well , huh ? Does n’t count , you have more of that lovely Pilsner to drink . Can you still say " Schlafly " without mess it up ? Yes ? Then you need another .
Montana
Montucky Cold SnackLager , 4%BozemanHey , look . Montana is a fantastic beer nation . Probably the most underrated in the union . Many of the great brewery make a tremendous summer beer . Hades , Big Sky’sSummer Honeyis a hunky-dory example of a seasonal summer beer worthy of championing . But holy shit … Montucky come out of nowhere to offer up a Montana - based take on fizzy jaundiced beer . It ’s cheap . It ’s delightfully medium . It ’s just right for camping stumble , tubing , BBQs … for the most part because you do n’t mind if you spill it , but also because sometimes you need something light and fizzy and perfectly average . And if Montucky ’s gon na go in advance and donate 8 % of its sales to charity , well , we say drop a mates more sixers into the cart . perhaps along with a 22 oz of one of those better beer . They ’ll be about the same price .
Nebraska
Nebraska Cardinal Pale AleAmerican pallid ale , 6%PapillionIt ’s summertime in Nebraska , and the Cardinal ( ! ) formula is you ’re depart to be crushing can after can of this sneakily smooth pallid ale that hits a everlasting middle ground on the hoppy bitterness and an ABV that ’s gloomy enough for you to criticize back a few but juuuust high enough that your summer grin start up to creep a small wider .
Nevada
Joseph James Citra RyePale ale , 5.4%HendersonJoseph James ' Henderson - based neighbors over at CraftHaus have a okay canned saison call in Evocation , but the GABF medal - winning Citra Rye is our pickaxe for the beer of summertime in the state where it ’s always summer . Its tropic yield aromas should temporarily trick you into thinking you ’re not drinking this in the middle of a vast , mostly uninhabitable desert wasteland . The brewery indicate that you pair its 12 oz can with chili cheese Christopher Fry , which is n’t the most summery of looker , but after a few cans , you probably wo n’t care whether your food is seasonally appropriate .
New Hampshire
White Birch Blueberry Berliner WeisseBerliner Weisse , 5.5%HooksettWhite Birch has made a serious name for itself with its ultra - xanthous cans of Berliner Weisse , but since summertime is when blueberries genuinely come out to play , NH ’s beer of summer incorporate that tiny , antioxidant - pack yield into a pleasantly blue can . Where does these guys get their ideas for color scheme ? ! The beer ’s ferment with blueberry bush puree , which would explain why it smells and tastes so much like blueberry , though not too much blueberry feeling that it turns you off to the idea of crush a few throne .
New Jersey
Carton Boat BeerSession ale , 4.2%Atlantic HighlandsWhen pressed for a pickaxe from Jersey , our resident ciceroneZach Mackwas pretty matter of fact : " Carton gravy holder beer , all the bally direction . " And yeah , he ’s credibly right … in fact , the last time we saw him was on a boat . On the piddle between NY and NJ . And there was Carton regard , a great session pale ale ( not asession IPA , mind you ) with a little citrus fruitiness and a nice little bite on the back of the palate . We recommend match it with Hall & Oates .
New Mexico
La Cumbre Fievre D’AbricotSaison , 7.5%AlbuquerqueLa Cumbre rightfully get a lot of care paid for beers like Elevated . And it should ! Elevated is one of the good IPAs in the whole gosh dang country . But 100 IBUs sound like a chore when the temp proceed up into the 90 , so do n’t neglect a jewel like D’Abricot – especially in the summertime , when apricots are in season . We do n’t know if lend 2,000lbs of apricots to a beer is a pot , but it certain as hell sound like it . It pays off when it comes to the beer ’s strong scent and note .
New York
Peekskill Simple SourSour , 4.5%PeekskillThis is what you necessitate to know about Peekskill Brewery ’s Simple Sour : it ’s an instant Meyer lemon blowup in your mouth , with a burst of tangy citrus layered with nuanced funk up front ; its physical structure is silky - yet - substantial thanks to ample VD of corn and straw ; the conclusion is not bad and clean-living , with a buss of lallygag dried Citrus paradisi – in with a bang and out with a whisper ; and finally , theNew York Timesnamed it the " perfect summer brew " back in 2014 . It was right .
North Carolina
Fullsteam Summer BasilSaison , 5.5%DurhamThere ’s no material obvious selection here , considering the likes of Ponysaurus and Triangle are in the ring . But when faced with the lack of obvious selection , you opt a beer that would never be sort as obvious … such is Fullsteam ’s Summer Basil , the brewery ’s spicy , pepper - infused take on the farmhouse that somehow savor like somebody canned a Belgian coupling dinner . One of those unity you see pictures of on the Flemish countryside in the summertime . This tastes like that kind of summer .
North Dakota
Fargo Wood ChipperIPA , 6.7%FargoWe hate to make an easy plectrum . But North Dakota ’s good brewery also make a mighty fine IPA that , at 6.7 % and with non-finite drinkability , might just be the ok beer in the country . The can helps . It tastes real right in the winter , with takeaway from pancake ’s house . But once the summer hits , it ’s a thing of crisp , hoppy – but not too hoppy … it ’s summertime – beauty .
Ohio
Great Lakes Lawn SeatKolsch , 4.8%ClevelandMark our words : Ohio is the next big guile beer state . And Cleveland ’s ground zero . We were invite to go with the new potable stuff and nonsense from the fantastic Market Garden , but come on … Great Lakes is Ohio ’s beer . And Lawn Seat is Ohio summertime in a bottle , a sturdy kolsch that pairs as well with a Polish Boy or a plate of Cinci chilly as it does with swallowed pride at an Indians game .
Oklahoma
Prairie BirraFarmhouse ale , 4.5%TulsaThere was only one choice for which brewery would make the summertime beer okay know and cherish most . Obviously that was always gon na be Prairie , as a skillful part of its card includes saisons that shout summertime . The unmanageable choice was pick out which Prairie beer : you ’ve got ( deep breather ) Standard , Prairie Ale , Prairie Somewhere , and the Brett beer Americana , which it just brought back in June . Birra ’s the pick because it ’s the most sessionable of those brews , with a 4.5 % ABV and a feel that tap you to pair it with a backyard burger .
Oregon
Full Sail SessionLager , 5.1%Hood River"But internet writer , there are a million summertime beer in Oregon , and you should credibly bury glass for forget ( put in any of Oregon ’s 4,901 brewery here ) , " you say . front , we get it . And in a perfect public , Burnside ’s Lime Kolsch would be as prevalent as PBR . It ’s not . But Full Sail ’s session is , and while it ’s a class - round beer , it ’s Oregon ’s summertime beer of alternative . The handheld grenade bottles make up for being an snow leopard scant of 12 by being excessively well-heeled to hide in a lawn chair ’s cupful holder . The rock - newspaper publisher - scissors bottle caps come in very handy for mid - float doldrums . And , shit , if you do n’t wish the lager beer , there are IPA , stout , and cream ale versions . Not that you need them . The lager ’s just fine . And if you witness yourself at a BBQ without it , well , go next doorway to a better BBQ .
Pennsylvania
Victory Summer Love AleGolden ale , 5.2%DowningtownLike we even had a option for PA ! It ’s calledSummer Love . Fun fact : other than this brewage , exactly zero of the other beers of summertime were commission by tourism boards ! The Philly tourism instrument panel ask Victory to make a beer for it , and the brewery responded by create a sessionable seasonal that features a baseball on the can / bottle , which reminds sure sorry Phillies fans like myself that the team is gon na suck for a while before it starts dominating the NL like it ’s 2008 all over again . I mean , Velasquez looks like he could be a stud , and Tommy Joseph will be a top first baseman in a few year too , correct ? What was I saying about beer again ?
Rhode Island
Narragansett Del ’s ShandyRadler , 4.7%ProvidenceI just had dejeuner with a friend of mine who grew up in Rhode Island , and since he ’s had a beer or two in his solar day , I asked him for recommendations for the state ’s beer of the summer . We were having dejeuner , so I was more focussed on my Gallus gallus sandwich than anything he differentiate me , but from what I can call back , he said the Shandy tasted like a perfect blend of your standard ' Gansett lager and Del ’s lemonade , which he assured me is " a thing " for Rhode Islanders . More importantly , the chicken sandwich had these firm - roasted peppers on it that were fantastic . The Shandy ’s legit too , I by and by identify .
South Carolina
Westbrook GoseGose , 4%Mount PleasantSour . Salty . Delicious . So sayeth the can , and the can sayeth the truth . This is , but put , a bloody fine gose of the classic variety , and that alone would make it a grotesque summertime beer . But you ’re in South Carolina , so the real motion is : does it pair well with BBQ ? Yes . And it helps amp up that vinegar sauce as a occult constituent , too . believe us on this .
South Dakota
Crow Peak Canyon Cream AleCream ale , 5%SpearfishSouth Dakota ’s estimable breweries make a damn fine IPA that ’s also fire , but for some reason , this year - round ointment ale gets better in the summertime . Maybe it ’s because it gives us a flashback to that time we incidentally dripped a fiddling bit of vanilla mild service in our beer . Or possibly it ’s because the last time we got our hands on a can was on a spicy summertime day after a hike in its namesake canyon right before a hail storm . South Dakota ’s workmanship beer scene is rise , but thin . Crow Peak is everywhere . Never enter the Wood in the summer without it .
Tennessee
Yazoo SummerWheat ale , 5%NashvilleAs anyone who ’s spent a time of year sudate it out under the brutal southerly Sunday can attest , Tennessee summers are hot . I ’m talking the kind of red-hot that melts the blacktop under your sneakers and broadcast hound detent scurrying under front porches . I ’d be severely - pressed to determine a Department of State more suitable of the thirst - extinction , soul - reviving powers of a unfeignedly great summertime pale yellow beer – which is exactly why Nashville ’s Yazoo Brewing Company brew what it calls " the respectable summer beer possible . " A idle - bodied wheat gumption creates flaccid citrus flavors while ground coriander brings an herbal , floral bouquet to the mesa , subtle spice countered by the unparalleled drying effects of quality sea salinity . find fault up a sixer , seize an inner tube , and spend a lazy afternoon floating down the Little River for maximum enjoyment .
Texas
Hops & Grain The One They Call ZoePale lager , 5.2%AustinYou do n’t have to take our Scripture that this juiceless - hop German - style lager is stark on a hot , sunny Austin summer ’s daylight after swimming at Barton Springs . Two local anaesthetic with tons of beer expertness are immense fans : a beer maker from the Austin beer God Almighty atDraught House Puband one of the founders of@BitchBeerBloghave previouslysung its praisesto us . On a live TX day , you need to drink something crushable , but this does n’t sacrifice any of the hoppy goodness that you crave twelvemonth - orotund . Oh , and do n’t worry . It work well alongside Lone Star and Shiner if you ’re search to geminate beer with beer . Which you should .
Utah
Uinta Skipping StoneSummer laager , 4%Salt Lake CityIs it a little uncanny that we constantly tease Utah about its 3.2 % beer , then pick a 4 - percenter from a brewery that ’s always been shattering that percept with awful high - hooch potions ? perhaps . But come on . It ’s summer . The lake ’s vocation . And you ca n’t do any well when it come to an easy - imbibing lager done right , especially when on a lake or amid the arches .
Vermont
Lawson ’s Sip of SunshineIPA , 8%WarrenSometimes , beer names are overly originative and twee . Sometimes they ’re suddenly honest , as is the case with this IPA from Lawson . It tastes like summer in a can , especially if you tend to think that summertime taste like tropical fruit soaked in booze and seasoned with bitter hop notes . At 8 % , it ’s a bit of a doozy , which makes it a little life-threatening due to the fact that , once the sun beat down , it can melt into your abdomen pretty tight . But hey , when you ’re dealing with the best summertime beer from a state whose beer cred is promptly surpassing its syrup , well , risk ’s not really an issue .
Virginia
Lickinghole Creek Magic BeaverBelgian pale ale , 5.5%GoochlandNo , we did not take this beer entirely because it has a hilarious name . I intend , yes , obviously the amazing name was part of our conclusion to name the sessionable , put up , Belgian - trend beer with outside flavor ( as in , hops from NZ and the US ) VA ’s beer of the summertime . But it was n’t the intact reason ! If you ’re too embarrassed to carry around a Lickinghole Creek Magic Beaver in world , perhaps you ’ll revel the refreshingly tart Devils BackboneCran - Gose , a name which will plausibly get you a lot less side - center poolside .
Washington
Everybody ’s Local Logger LagerLager , 4.8%White SalmonWe were very , very tempt to go with Olympia or Rainier because , well , of course we were … despite the awful breweries growing like moss around Washington , those are nevernotconsumed in the summer . Then we understand that Everybody ’s made a lawnmower beer just as potable , but exponentially better . Sure , it wo n’t get you any hippy cred , but let ’s be honest : cheer and hipsters do n’t go well together . Sunshine and this perfect lager beer , however …
Washington, DC
3 Stars Citra & Lemon Peel SaisonSaison , 5.2%Takoma ParkIf we were going to permit summertime beer brewed in the metro DC area , this would have been a lot tougher . As it is , there are only a few breweries in DC itself that actually bottle / can on the regular ( we still fuck you , Bluejacket ) , and we could n’t resist the allure of the citrusy , lemony … sy ( ? ? ) pint that the brewery claims pairs with " everything … that makes summertime great ! " We think you ’re better off using the saison to make you finger better about the thing that make summer horrible . or else , raise a can of Citra & Lemon Peel Saison after you get sunburnt in situation you bury to utilize sunscreen !
West Virginia
Mountain State Almost HeavenAmber ale , 5.2%ThomasIt ’s strange , because it feel like DC and WV have the same number of breweries that can or bottle as each other , though one is a tiny district and the other has twice the universe . So kudos to Mountain State for not only canning its wares , but doing so with a Willamette - hopped amber ale right around 5 % with caramel notes indisputable to please any West Virginian who just worked up a effort pout their lawn . Even if all they did was sit on a lawnmower and ride around .
Wisconsin
Central Waters SummarilloAmerican pale laager , 5.2%AmherstAnd not just because it ’s in good order there in the name , OK ? ! The folks at one of Wisconsin ’s most consistently excellent breweries release this lager beer each summertime and it provides a unseamed portmanteau between the crisp , light drinking - ness of a lager with a pleasant hops biff courtesy of the Amarillo hops that make up the second one-half of the name . It work attractively on its own or with that bratwurst you bloody well well be grill .
Wyoming
Snake River MonarchPilsner , 5%JacksonFor a state with so few people , choosing a good locally made summer beer is a huge painful sensation … which is to say , Wyoming has some surprisingly great beer . Not a regretful job to have . We were tempt to go bighearted with one of Melvin ’s mega - turkey , but the Department of State ’s old brewery , Snake River , happens to have a gold - medal Pilsner that ’s just about the sodding American take on the Czech classic . And as far as " drink a tank full of these cans while just kind of gaze into the glorious expanses of Wyoming and pondering the meaning of the universe under a crystallization - clear sky " beers go , the Monarch beats SR ’s own sitting IPA , which would be the conventional choice . Nope . This Pilsner bring home the bacon summer in a land that might be one of the proficient summertime destinations in the US .
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