5 minute read
Summer Ales
Summer Staples WITH SUMMER ALES
Summer is here and what better time to enjoy a great tasting, refreshing beer. The dilemma around summer, especially when entrusting friends and family to pick up some beer, surrounds what to get and what suits the warmer climate. Of course, we can forget heavier darker beers such as stouts, porters and dark ales, but where does that leave us? Most people tend to gravitate towards something that is light, drinkable, and not overly bitter or hoppy. Citrus seems to be a big hit in summer as it provides refreshment, whether it is brewed with citrus flavours such as lemon or grapefruit, or used as a garnish such as the classic summer favourite - Corona with a lime wedge - muchas gracias México!
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WORDS LUKAS RASCHILLA
The term ‘summer ale’ is an ambiguous one, with no hard and fast rules on what exactly it is. Depending on the brewery, it can cover an array of styles. One defined category is English summer ale, which is characterised by a light, straw golden colour with a low to medium bitterness, light to medium body and malt sweetness (think sweet, like a biscuit flavour). Overall, these are refreshing and thirst quenching, but not quite as light and crisp as their Australian counterparts. In fact, most summer ales fall into one or two styles - the wheat beer variety or pale ale variety. To add further confusion, pacific ale, the new kid on the block made popular by Stone & Wood, is another type of beer ever popular during the warmer months due to its fruity and floral notes. Beyond this, summer beers can be anything from a pilsner, lager, or even a sessionable IPA.
The main characteristics of summer ale are a light, crisp taste (light bodied, not light in the sense of ABV, although most summer ales won’t be above 5% ABV). They are very approachable and can be used as a gateway to those moving from mainstream to craft beer as the flavours may be subtly different but not so left of field and as such are not overly bitter or hoppy.
San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing was one of the first breweries to self-identify a beer as summer beer in 1984, with their summer wheat variety. Still brewed seasonally throughout the American summer between May and August, summer wheat is a clean, crisp and light beer with the use of wheat producing a style of beer that is akin to a filtered version of the German wheat beer style, hefeweizen.
AUSSIE SUMMER ALES
The number of companies now producing summer ales in Australia is testament to the style’s growing popularity with consumers here. The likes of Balmain Brewing Co, Gage Roads, Feral Brewing, and Riverside Brewing all now offer a summer ale in their range.
Once you have figured out which style of summer ale you prefer - be it the wheat, English, or pale ale variety, choosing a summer brew is a lot easier. Look for characteristics such as citrus, or other flavours that appeal to you. Many companies also print the IBU (international bitterness units) on their products; if you want an easy drinking beer, aim for something with an IBU under 30. While this is not a hard and fast rule, in many beers with higher IBU ratings certain malts and hops can offset the bitterness, it provides a rule-of-thumb guide. If all else fails, like anything, finding your preferred summer beer will be a matter of trial and error, and this applies to summer ales like any other style. Here are some of our personal favourites. Happy hopping!
4 PINES INDIAN SUMMER ALE
4.2% ABV 15 IBU 4 Pines added its Indian Summer Ale to the core range in late 2015, also marking its first venture into cans. The Indian Summer Ale has a crisp bitterness and aromas of passion fruit and honeydew. This beer is light in body but retains a hoppy character.
SYDNEY BREWERY GLAMARAMA SUMMER ALE
4.5% ABV 18 IBU Glamarama is a hop driven ale made with strong citrus notes of lime and grapefruit. The aroma has malt, citrus, fruit, and floral notes with hints of hops on the nose. The taste is light up front with citrus and tropical fruit notes and a dry hop finish. Glamarama is best enjoyed ice-cold on a sizzling summer day and pairs perfectly with dishes like fresh prawns, grilled fish with melon salsa, and the classic salt and pepper calamari.
JAMES SQUIRE THE SWINDLER SUMMER ALE
4.2% ABV 22 IBU Last year saw James Squire add The Swindler Summer Ale to its range. The Swindler is a crisp, refreshing ale with a firm malt body, made using a blend of rare Calypso and El Dorado hops. It also has a distinctive aroma with notes of pear and watermelon. Pairs well with hearty summer salads, barbeque dishes and fresh seafood.
4.7% ABV 20 IBU Victoria’s Mountain Goat added a summer ale to its core range in 2013, which was based on its seasonal Skipping Girl beer that was only available in the summer months. Mountain Goat wanted a beer that embodied everything great about the outdoors - camping, hiking, gardening, picnic, and, of course, music festivals. The Mountain Goat Summer Ale has fruit and floral notes, is low on bitterness, fruity, crisp and thirst quenching.
PRICKLY MOSES SUMMER ALE
4.5% ABV 18 IBU Based in Victoria’s Otways, Prickly Moses Handcrafted Beer offers a summer ale that is a refreshing, crisp, golden ale with hints of tropical pineapple, passion fruit and citrus flavours. This is an easy drinking ale that can be enjoyed year-round.
YOUNG HENRYS SUMMER HOP ALE
6.1% ABV 51 IBU For the IPA and hop lovers, Young Henrys has created the perfect hoppy beer for summer, with its Summer Hop Ale. This is an Australian and American style IPA that is ideal for summer and highly sessionable with characters of pine, rock melon, stone fruit and citrus. Summer Hop Ale has a slightly hazy golden hue, balanced bitterness and a refreshingly dry finish. A big tropical and citrus dry hop character rounds it out. The crisp mouth feel and unique tropical aroma makes this the perfect accompaniment for seafood and the barbeque. Young Henrys Summer Hop Ale is available in limited release from now until March 2017 from bottle shops in 640ml long neck bottles, and on tap at your favourite pubs.
