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Fill your cooler with these brews.
Fill your cooler with these brews. (Photo: Shann Diego/Stocksy)

The 12 Best Summer Beers of 2019

From fruity sours to lagers that don't bore you to tears, we've got your must-drink list

Published: 
Fill your cooler with these brews.
(Photo: Shann Diego/Stocksy)

New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! .

Sometimes it feels like humans just aren鈥檛 made for summertime.听We sunburn. Mosquitos make us itch. And for some reason, when we run in the heat, our butt cheeks chafe.听(We鈥檇 like to talk to a manager about that one.)

Humans may not have been optimized for summertime, but beer is. And nothing takes the sting out of chafed cheeks like gulping down 12 superchilled ounces of malty, hoppy goodness. It鈥檚 like salve for your innards.

The summer beer class of 2019 is an especially good one.听 a听beer-industry consultant based in Ontario, Canada, and an advocate for diversity in brewing, says she鈥檚 excited for all the fruity sours she鈥檚 seeing on menus. Lagers are back, too, and we鈥檙e excited because, when done right, they鈥檙e interesting and easy to drink. Additionally, there are lots of great old-school wheat beers in the mix, says Navarro. In fact, the only summer beer trend Navarro isn鈥檛 on board with is folks refrigerating their glassware. 鈥淚t messes with the flavor,鈥 she warns. If you want something frosty, get a snow cone.

Of course, you can drink whatever you like鈥攊t鈥檚 your summer. But听our suggestions are below.

Hi Hoaloha, AleSmith Brewing Company

(Courtesy AleSmith Brewing Company)

The folks on Maui know a thing or two about summer beers, which is why AleSmith tapped Maui Brewing to help with this collaboration. (which means 鈥渇riends鈥 in Hawaiian) is a pale ale with 5.3 percent ABV that鈥檚 spiked with galaxy hops and brewed with Koshihikari rice, a short-grain Japanese rice. This听rice makes for a very light, smooth brew,听perfect for beach drinking鈥攚ith your friends or by yourself. We won鈥檛 judge.听

Beehave, Greenpoint Harbor Brewery

(Courtesy Greenpoint Harbor)

鈥淚 always hype as a good summer beer,鈥 says Arch Bernard, a New York City鈥揵ased bartender and beer expert. Mildly hopped and finished with just a touch of orange blossom honey and 5.3 percent ABV, it鈥檚 refreshing yet interesting, which can be a hard combo to nail.

Rosalie, Firestone Walker Brewing Company

(Courtesy Firestone Walker)

When your beer making听began on the family winery, as was the case for Adam Firestoneat Firestone Walker, it鈥檚 inevitable that some grapes are eventually going to end up in your fermentation tank. For , brewmaster Matt Brynildson cofermented pilsner and white wheat malt with chardonnay grapes. The rosy color comes from hibiscus leaves. At 5 percent ABV, it鈥檚 bright, fruity, and floral鈥攂ut definitely still beer, not wine.听

Lagur, Lagunitas Brewing Company

(Courtesy Lagunitas)

When we mentioned听lagers being back in a big way, this was the lager we had in mind. It鈥檚 just good. Using a new yeast from Denmark plus a floral hop variety called Laurel, 听(5 percent ABV) is the kind of beer you sip, think about a bit, then take another sip. It won鈥檛 punch you in the face like a double IPA or supersour gose, but sometimes your face doesn鈥檛 want to be punched.

420 Strain Mango Kush, Sweetwater Brewing Company

(Courtesy Sweetwater Brewing Company)

Sweetwater launched its first iteration of the 420 Strain line last year, with an ode to the superpowered G13 cannabis strain of urban legends. pays homage to mango kush, an indica-dominant variety. To be clear, there鈥檚 no cannabis in this听5 percent ABV beer. Instead the brewers focused on finding hops with terpenes (aromatic oils)听that match those found in mango kush. You don鈥檛 have to be a cannabis connoisseur to like this brew. The hazy golden ale is a touch fruity and just a bit dank鈥攂ut in a good way.听

Wheat, Side Launch Brewing Company

(Courtesy Side Launch Brewing Company)

This is one of Navarro鈥檚 summer favorites. For her, a good wheat has those traditional banana esters (fruity aromas generated by the yeast), hints of clove, and 鈥渢hat perfect cloudiness.鈥 , with 5.3 percent ABV, nails it. Yes, you鈥檒l have to go to Canada to get it (Side Launch is based in Collingwood, Ontario), but who doesn鈥檛 love a summer road trip?听

Wheels Gose Round, Left Hand Brewing Company

(Courtesy Left Hand Brewing Company)

If you鈥檙e not sure you鈥檙e a gose fan, to change your mind. It鈥檚 fruit forward听and not that sour, but it definitely has a bit of tang. Continuing on the low ABV trend, this is just 4.4 percent, so feel free to have two鈥攅specially since proceeds from the beer benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis听Society.听

Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza, New Belgium Brewing/Cervezeria Primus

(Courtesy New Belgium/Cervezeria Primus)

We鈥檙e stoked to see beer collaborations starting to go global, and this one听between Mexico City鈥檚 Cervezeria Primus and New Belgium, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, is a perfect example of why. Inspired by the refreshing mix of water, fruit, and flowers that often make up traditional agua fresca, it鈥檚 brewed with a light touch. Nugget hops and ale yeast combine听with watermelon, lime, and hibiscus for听 that鈥檚 somehow both beer and agua fresca. At just 4 percent ABV, you鈥檒l definitely find yourself reaching for another, so keep your fridge stocked. 听

Hell or High Watermelon, 21st Amendment Brewery

(Courtesy 21st Amendment Brewery)

Fruity sours are our jam, but there鈥檚 no reason fruit can鈥檛 make it into other types of beer, too. is another of Bernard鈥檚 summer go-tos. The watermelon is subtle鈥攜ou鈥檒l get just a hint at the finish, which is perfect since you ordered beer, not juice. It鈥檚 only 4.9 percent ABV and more yeasty than bitter, making it perfect for drinking by the pool.

Run Wild IPA, Athletic Brewing Company

(Courtesy Athletic Brewing Company)

We love the nonalcoholic-craft-beer trend. With an ABV of less than 0.5 percent,听 tastes remarkably like a real IPA, says Bernard, who is in the process of opening an all-nonalcoholic beer bar in New York City. The Citra and Mosaic hops give it plenty of bitterness, while organic malt adds interest and balance.听

Juicifer IPA, New Belgium Brewing

(Courtesy New Belgium)

As a general rule, I won鈥檛 put two beers from the same brewery in one story, but I can鈥檛 help myself. I have ridden the IPA roller coaster like the rest of us (from More听hops!听to Oooh, that鈥檚 a little much) and finally the roller coaster has dropped me off at the space I want to occupy: this听7.7 percent ABV offering. . If you don鈥檛 like those good old alpha acids, you won鈥檛 like this. However, the Citra hops鈥攚ith their tart-orange taste鈥攃hange听the whole tenor of the beer. It鈥檚 like the difference between hearing a good story about a breakup versus going through it: the first is a juicy delight,听the other is full-on bitterness. This beer nails the first.

Victory Wheat, Well Being Brewing Company

(Courtesy Well Being Brewing Company)

Is this really the healthiest beer in the world, as Well Being proclaims? Who knows and who cares? What really matters is that this crisp wheat ale is a perfect antidote to sweating your ass off while mowing the lawn. Well Being is another craft nonalcoholic beer company, and the only thing is spiked with is orange peel. The 鈥渉ealthiest beer in the world鈥 claim comes from added electrolytes, B vitamins, and protein (three听grams).听

Lead Photo: Shann Diego/Stocksy

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