Great Summer Ales

[nfulton]

I have been a beer fan since I took that first sip of the Silver Bullet oh so long ago. One "style" of beer that never whet my pallet was the summer ales most brewers offer. They tend to be sweet and sickly. I have decided to visit this again. I started off with the Sam Adams summer brew...awful! Now I know that everyone's pallet is different so I know that some of you might love it. Anyhow, I have been though enough now that they all blend together in an overly sweet, syrupy mess. Finally, on Monday I hit paydirt. I purchased a mini keg of the Belle's Oberon Summer Ale. It was superb and was exactly what the description said it would be, the color and flavor of summer. Now Belles makes a Two Hearted Ale that is in my top 5 so I should have expected nothing less. So what sorts of "summer ales" does everyone else drink? I've got a credit card and a thirst, now I just need some good ideas. Oh, and try the Belles if you can find it. Yummy!

 

[tkoepp]

I have been on a FFF Gumballhead kick as of late.

 

[denverdog]

I have been on a FFF Gumballhead kick as of late.

We don't get FFF out here, but I was able to snag one of those the last time I was in Chicago. What a great brew, good call Tim!

 

[Satchmo]

The local brewery, Silvercreek, has an IPA that is very nice. I have always enjoyed the New Glarus Spotted Cow also. NGB has some great stuff.

 

[Aventinus]

Hoegaarden is one of my favorite beers to drink in the Summer. German Hefeweizens are another. Franziskaner, Schneider, and Paulaner are some of my favorites. Some people don't like the clove and banana flavors from the yeast in these beers however, so YMMV.

Locally, Boulevard's Zon and their new Lunar are great summer beers. We've been drinking a lot of Schlafly's Summer Kolsch, too. I doubt that helps you out in Ohio!

 

[humboldtflyer]

I personally have been on a kick of Blue Moon Belgian White Ale... Its an awesome summer brew... Toss a slice of orange in there and its heaven!

 

[rbbrock]

I like the light wheats for summer consumption (hefeweizens and, to a lesser degree, American wheats). In my very limited-selection locale this means Paulaner & Hacker-Pschorr, and Boulevard & Summit. Really, really hot days are also pretty much the only time I like IPAs or American Pale Ales; the overpoweringly bitter hoppiness only tastes good to me when I'm sweating like a pig. :laugh: I enjoy Boulevard again (doesn't take the hop over the top). If you really, really like American hops, there's a pale ale from Goose Island, I think it was their standard IPA, that was like drinking Pine-sol it was so damn hoppy. I hated it, but I'm sure plenty of people love that stuff (the beer, not the Pine-sol).

 

[cuppajack]

Try the Anchor Brewery Summer Wheat. Not too sweet.

The Sierra Nevada Summer Ale went over pretty well at the last pool party too.

But for my money, the best beer for summer (though not a summer beer) is Pacifico!

 

[tsmckenney]

Fat Tire out of Colorado. Fantastic. One of my absolute favorite ales and a good pairing for most cigars as well.

 

[cuppajack]

Fat Tire out of Colorado. Fantastic. One of my absolute favorite ales and a good pairing for most cigars as well.

I was jsut recently re-introduced to Fat Tire!
Good stuff!
I had one last week paired w/ a Petite Tatuaje and it worked very well.

 

[denverdog]

Fat Tire out of Colorado. Fantastic. One of my absolute favorite ales and a good pairing for most cigars as well.

I was jsut recently re-introduced to Fat Tire!
Good stuff!
I had one last week paired w/ a Petite Tatuaje and it worked very well.

Crazy how big Fat Tire is. The weird part is most beer drinkers here in CO don't even like it.

 

[tsmckenney]

Fat Tire out of Colorado. Fantastic. One of my absolute favorite ales and a good pairing for most cigars as well.

I was jsut recently re-introduced to Fat Tire!
Good stuff!
I had one last week paired w/ a Petite Tatuaje and it worked very well.

Crazy how big Fat Tire is. The weird part is most beer drinkers here in CO don't even like it.

In the Twin Cities you can only buy Fat Tire in a 22 oz bottle, $3.99 per. Or $40 for a case of 12. At the bar, they run $7 a bottle. Still, it's a unique beer, and that biscuit-like flavor is very smooth.

BTW, what's not to like about it? That's nutso. That would be like MNs hating Prince just cuz he's from Minneapolis. To hell with that.

 

[denverdog]

Fat Tire out of Colorado. Fantastic. One of my absolute favorite ales and a good pairing for most cigars as well.

I was jsut recently re-introduced to Fat Tire!
Good stuff!
I had one last week paired w/ a Petite Tatuaje and it worked very well.

Crazy how big Fat Tire is. The weird part is most beer drinkers here in CO don't even like it.

In the Twin Cities you can only buy Fat Tire in a 22 oz bottle, $3.99 per. Or $40 for a case of 12. At the bar, they run $7 a bottle. Still, it's a unique beer, and that biscuit-like flavor is very smooth.

BTW, what's not to like about it? That's nutso. That would be like MNs hating Prince just cuz he's from Minneapolis. To hell with that.

I am not saying that there is anything wrong with it perse. I think it is good for what it is, not really a standout fantastic beer but good.

 

[davidr2340]

When it gets warm out, I always like a good wheat or blonde... Ah hell, who am I kidding... I'll drink anything!!! ???
I brewed up a wheat at the start of summer that went down real nice on hot days!

 

[smellysell]

In the Twin Cities you can only buy Fat Tire in a 22 oz bottle, $3.99 per. Or $40 for a case of 12. At the bar, they run $7 a bottle. Still, it's a unique beer, and that biscuit-like flavor is very smooth.

BTW, what's not to like about it? That's nutso. That would be like MNs hating Prince just cuz he's from Minneapolis. To hell with that.

$40 for a 12er??? Damn!!! (OK, now that I read that again, I'm guessing $40 for a 12er of bombers? Still crazy though)

You can get Fat Tire at any gas station you stop in out here, and I have to agree with Jonas. It's not a bad beer, but just nothing remarkable IMHO.

edit: Can't go wrong with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

 

[tsmckenney]

I'll admit, a lot of it is hype. I go through a different beer phase every couple of months. Currently, it's Fat Tire.

 

[ndp]

Geary's Summer Ale, and Geary's Hampshire Special are my two favorite summer beers at the moment. Grimbergen Blond (very refreshing), and the Bells Oberon are other favorites of mine during the hot months.

Nate

 

[rbbrock]

Just tried a couple Bell's Oberon and Pyramid Curve Ball the other day. They were both fairly bland, IMO, and not very good examples of their styles (American wheat and Kölsch, respectively). Of the two, I liked the Curve Ball better; although plain, it is a fairly crisp, refreshing, inoffensive beer.

 

[Hillbilly Steaks]

I actually got a 6 pack of Sam Adams Summer Ale this weekend and it was suprisingly pretty damn good!!!

 

[ChiTown_Huck]

Goose Island makes a great Kolsch called Summertime. Their 312 is very good wheat beer.