Summer Brews

Enhance grilled fare and time outdoors with these refreshing beers

by Kiley Van Zant, Craft Beer Specialist

Mother Nature reigned supreme this year in most of California. This past winter, and leading into the spring, the Sierras, and most of the peaks from Oregon to the Mexican border, were blanketed in several feet of snow. But with the past few months of sunny, beautiful weather, flowers are blooming, grasses are growing, and summer has arrived. Now the grill is fired up and your palate is thirsting for something new. Summer beers are much lighter than the resin-y hops that we drink in the autumn and winter, and will make for a crisp and refreshing way to kick back at the end of the warm days. Here are two of my favorites this year. With the longer days, hopefully you will have a chance to venture out and smell those great aromas of summer. I hope this season brings you rebirth, new adventures, and, as always, great beer. These two brews will hopefully enhance your great outdoor experiences during this long-awaited summer—enjoy!

Farmers Light

Farmers Brewing Co., Princeton, California

4.1 % abv/12 ibu

Founded in 2017, Farmers Brewing Co. began brewing in a small town with a population of only 407 people. Its true “farm to glass” practices have expanded to a new facility where they craft lighter, sessionable, and heathier beers. The brewers pride themselves on using high-quality grains grown on their own farm to produce high-quality beers. One of my personal favorites is the Farmers Light. This refreshing light beer is crafted with barley and 50% sushi rice. It’s cold fermented with a lager yeast and sterile filtered at near freezing to create a clean, crisp flavor. It is exceptionally smooth, with hints of fresh grasses and earthy notes, and tastes so good when these summer temperatures rise. This season, get out there and have one—or three—and soak in those sun rays.

Allagash White

Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine 5.2 % abv/13 ibu

Allagash Brewing Co., founded in 1995, is considered to be one of the first microbreweries. Its flagship beer, Allagash White, described as a go-to gateway craft beer, has a refreshing balance of citrus and spice. Brewed with wheat, coriander, and Curaçao orange peel, this beer is both complex and refreshing. It is a Belgian-style “witbier” or “white beer,” called Celis White (the most famous of this style of beer is Hoegaarden). When pouring this beer into a tulip glass, you will notice the hazy, almost cloudy consistency. Don’t be alarmed—that is the way this beer is crafted. With notes of orange, cloves, and spices, this masterpiece is a unique must-try brew. It would be a perfect pairing with light seafood dishes or your grilled favorites.