Welcome to July! It’s time for cold, tasty beers that can quench a deep thirst on a hot day. This time of year calls for juicy beers that lean lower on the ABVs — you don’t want a heavy, creamy beer with the kick of a bottle of wine right now. Beer on hot days should be all about light, refreshing, and crisp.
Below, we’ve compiled a shortlist of some of the best beers being released and hitting markets this July. Some of these are easier to find, with larger distribution; some you’ll have to travel for and do a bit of sleuthing to uncover. Either way, a good beer is always worth the trouble!
Happy hunting!
HI-FI HOPS — LAGUNITAS
Cannabis has been riding a wave of legalization for the better part of a decade. And, finally, the world of THC and hops have collided in the mainstream with the Lagunitas release of Hi-Fi Hops.
The beer is technically a “sparkling water” that’s infused with hops and spiked with THC. So, yes, you will get stoned drinking this beer and there’s an almost ale-like hoppy smoothness here that’s not too bitter and rather refreshing. If you’re in a state where cannabis is (finally) legal, check this one out.
CRAFT PILSNER — UPSLOPE BREWING COMPANY
Upslope just got a huge boost and will start distributing further afield than Colorado this summer. That’s a win for everyone since this is some of the best beer being brewed right now.
Their Tap Room Series Craft Pilsner is the perfect summer beer. It’s on the lighter side of the crafty beers with a nice balance of bitter hoppiness alongside a mellow sweet cracker maltiness. Throw a dozen or so in a cooler with plenty of ice and enjoy a hot day all the more with these excellent lagers.
CHOKECHERRY BROWN ALE — MINER BREWING CO.
If you find yourself in the Black Hills of South Dakota this summer, make sure to stop in at Miner Brewing for a few excellently brewed suds. A fan favorite is their locally sourced and brewed Chokecherry Brown Ale. The beer has a nice fruity tartness making itself known through sweet nutty brown ale malts with an echo of hoppy pine in the background.
It’s legit delicious.
SPACE DUST IPA — ELYSIAN BREWING COMPANY
Elysian’s Space Dust IPA is a year-round release. So, you should be able to find this one easily if you’re in the Pacific Northwest.
We’re highlighting it this month because Elysian just launched a dope street art project. They’ve commissioned five artists to create Space Dust inspired murals around the country. So, grab a bottle of deliciously hoppy Space Dust and check out the art this summer in Austin, New York, Orlando, San Francisco, and, of course, Seattle.
VOODOO RANGER LIQUID PARADISE — NEW BELGIUM BREWING
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New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger is always a great summer tipple. This summer, they’ve upped the game with a “special release” called Liquid Paradise.
The beer is a very citrus and tropical fruit forward IPA with guava, grapefruit, and an almost herbal grass nose leading the way. The taste hits a nice juicy balance of slightly bitter hops that finish with a tropical fruit malty sweetness. It’s refreshing, quaffable, and perfect for the summer.
SPREE BERLINER WEISSE — FAMILY BUSINESS BEER CO.
Master brewer Nate Seale’s return to the Austin beer scene at Family Business Beer Co. has put the brewery on the map. This summer, Seale brewed up a batch of Berliner Weisse, appropriately called Spree, that’s worth the trip out to Dripping Springs (about 30 minutes west of Austin).
The beer has the perfect creamy tartness that you want from a super refreshing Berliner Weisse. Then there’s the interesting blend of watermelon and basil, adding an earthy foundation that adds flavor without getting too sweet. This is a great summer session beer to sip while lazing away in the Texan shade.
JUICY — HILL FARMSTEAD BREWERY
Hill Farmstead is one of the best breweries in America. Their beers are always worth the search and the brewery is worth traveling to year around (but especially as a summer road trip).
Their latest release, Juicy, is an excellent summer drink. The beer is a combination of American and European malts giving it a subtle sweetness and a combo of American and New Zealand hops offering an even subtler bitterness. The beer is then mellowed with local microflorae bacteria and oak barrel aging. It’s smooth, tart, and easy to drink all day (though watch out for that 7.4 percent ABV).
IMPORT OF THE MONTH: ORVAL — ORVAL BREWERY, BELGIUM
Orval is one of the best beers out there. It’s just complex enough to make it fun to drink without having to overthink anything. There’s a wonderful malty sweetness here that gives way to a hint of hops and it’s just damn near perfect.
You should be able to find this one at higher-end grocery stores these days or specialty liquor stores. If you can find some, we recommend grabbing a case and aging them in the cellar for a couple years to add a wholly new dimension to the beer. Try one or two now, a couple in a year, and so on to really get a handle on how this beer evolves. It’s pretty dang magical.
