Best summer beers 2019A guide to the best beer for summer
Summer has finally arrived, that means parks, beer gardens and of course, summer beers! In our list of the best summer beers 2019 we've included, summer crafts, the best Session and Saison beers, alcohol-free beer and our roundup of the best beers to enjoy in the sun for 2019.
Below you will find some of the best, Witbiers, Saisons, IPAs, Fruit beer, Sours and some alcohol-free beers for the summer. As always, these "best” beers are based on preference and very much a personal opinion. Use this as a guide and even an opportunity to discover something new. Remember, it’s all about your taste and your favourites!
Witbier and Weizenbier
As soon as the sun starts to peak through the clouds in the UK, every beer and pub garden is amassed with sun-soakers. Despite this nationwide adoption, Belgians are still the godfathers of summer beer. Most of the best emulate Belgian styles. A very typical Belgian style Witbier is Wieckse Witte. You often see this style in a robust glass with a slice of lemon. However, we advise against this, it kills the beer head and in turn effects the quality. Beer foam, or rather too much of it, can be a contentious topic in the UK, but it’s there to protect your beer!
Do you also enjoy a good Witbier at home, in the garden or on the terrace? This a beer style that is brewed a lot in the Netherlands, but there are also some great examples in the UK too! For example, Watermelon Wheat Beer by Manchester brewers, The Seven Bro7hers. This Witbier is the taste of summer; a subtle infusion of fresh watermelon, mellow strawberry and pineapple aromas. Refreshingly fruity, you’re ultimate summer thirst quencher. If you’re familiar with Amsterdam, likelihood is you’ll have heard of the popular windmill Brewery ‘t IJ. Their IJwit, is easy to drink and has many notes of citrus fruit, banana and coriander. This flavoursome easy-drinker is on the firm side at 6.5%, but is incredibly tasty!
Witbier is often confused with the Weizen style. This is not entirely correct, the flavours of Weizen such as the slightly acidic touch of wheat and the aromas of banana and clove do very well in the sunshine. This means it’s delicious all year round! For example, why not try the Hefeweizen from Erdinger, which is an unfiltered cloudy beer with a distinctive full white head. In addition to the typical whey flavours there are distinctive tones of banana and clove. If you’re really into tropical flavours, especially banana, then try the Tropical Ralphie from Two Chefs Brewing. With the addition of banana there are hints of other tropical fruit and a light hoppy bitterness.
The season of the Saison
The Saison is another summer beer style that originates from Belgium. Traditionally, this beer was brewed in the colder winter months, and stored for the farm workers to enjoy in the summer. Saison Dupont is the most iconic example; spicy, fruity, a dry aftertaste and aromas of citrus fruit from the copious amounts of hops!
IPAs and Sessions
You can never go wrong with an IPA in our opinion, but especially in the summer months. The balanced aroma is both clean, complex and hoppy, making it a particularly refreshing summer beer.
Nowadays, additional fruit or fruit juice is added to the citrus aromas of the hops to make it even fruitier. The same goes for the Bloody ‘Ell.
from Beavertown, which gets a good dose of blood orange peel and juice added during the cooking process.
Prefer something lighter? Beerwulf has some of the best Session beers, all the fruit and hoppy taste of an IPA, but with less of the alcohol. Why not try the Palm Session IPA? It's fruity, refreshing and has delicious aromas of tropical fruit and peach. Or what about Jopen Life’s A Beach? Full of hops and only 3.3% alcohol!
Fruit beer and Sour beer
Speaking of fruit, a real fruit beer is also wonderful for the sun. Now you might think of a sticky and sweet lemonade beer, but have you ever had a real Kriek? Boon Kriek is a spontaneously fermented beer that is brewed with 250 grams of cherries (sour cherries) per liter. The subtle interplay between fresh sourness and sweetness makes for a delicious acidic beer. It is packed with lots of cherries making the aftertaste sour, surprisingly refreshing and fruity.
They also like more acidic beers in Berlin, the birthplace of the Berliner Weisse. A beer that is fermented using a lactic acid bacterium, giving it a fresh, sour taste. A good example of this is the Stone Berliner Weisse. In the Netherlands the men of Walhalla brew Aphrodite, a Berliner Weisse with added raspberry. With only 4% alcohol a nice fruity, sour beer for the summer.
Alcohol-free beer
In the sun you should always be careful with drinking alcohol, because the moisture-wicking effect of alcohol is accelerated in the heat and can affect you quickly. A Playground IPA from vandeStreek is therefore perfect for the sun, and long day drinking sessions. Or even when you need to drive home after a barbecue with friends. All the hoppy aromas of an IPA, but with only 0.5% alcohol! We even have an alcohol-free pack with all the most delicious low-alcohol beers.
Read more about Alcohol-free beer
