One way — perhaps even the best way — to wring out the remaining magic of summer is by imbibing as many seasonal brews as possible between now and the end of September. It’s important to finish summer on your own terms, is the point here. It’s going to end and there’s no reason to whine and limp your way into autumn by giving up and drinking watery, generic-tasting, fizzy, yellow beers or by opting to skip right over the end of summer and jump into darker, maltier beers too early.
“During the end of summer, it is still hot here even though the nights may be cooling off some,” says Fal Allen, brewmaster at Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in Boonville, California. “For beers during that season, I look for light and bright beers that are thirst-quenching and quaffable.”
Allen has the right idea and other experts agree with him. That’s why we asked some of our favorite craft brewing professionals and brewers to tell us about their picks for the best beers to drink as summer winds down. Keep scrolling to see the beers you should be stocking up on for the month ahead.
Ayinger Bräuweisse
Joe Straitiff, brewing manager at Half Acre Brewing in Chicago
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $5 for a 500ml bottle
The Beer:
I gravitate towards Hefeweizens as summer comes to a close. Ayinger’s Bräuweisse is my personal favorite. The low alcohol and high carbonation make it very refreshing and perfect for patio sipping.
Tasting Notes:
The soft mouthfeel and banana esters cling to summer, while the subtle phenolic clove is a reminder that fall is just around the corner.
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils
Nico Freccia, co-founder at COO at 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco
ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Pivo Pils from Firestone Walker. It’s a new world twist on a classic old-world style. It’s amazingly good and amazingly refreshing. It’s tough to beat as an end of summer beer.
Tasting Notes:
It has the base of a classic German Pilsner with its crisp, dry, and refreshing malt character, with old-world bittering hops and then dry hopped with Saphir for a new-world aroma.
Ommegang Rare Vos
Brian Wendt, brewer at Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Waitsfield, Vermont
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $14 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Ommegang’s Rare Vos. It’s a beautiful Belgian-style amber with nice spiciness and complexity. It’s very smooth for those chilly nights at the end of summer.
Tasting Notes:
Brewed with orange peel, grains of paradise, and coriander, this amber ale is spicy, fruity, and filled with citrus flavor.
Stiegl Grapefruit Radler
Jared Williamson, lead brewer at Schlafly Brewing in St. Louis
ABV: 2.5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Stiegl Grapefruit Radler is light and refreshing and oh so easy to drink. Its low alcohol content means you can enjoy a few on a hot day and not feel bad about it.
Tasting Notes:
That bright citrus pop of grapefruit plays so well with the lager beer finish. As the summer days wane, this beer just highlights all the fun of the warmer months.
Jenlain Ambrée
George Hummel, grain master of My Local Brew Works in Philadelphia
ABV: 7.5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
As summer winds down I like to transition from the spicy Saison I’ve enjoyed all summer to a more malty profile expressed by a good Biere De Garde. In a style so underrepresented in the selection available, sometimes you just have to go classic and pop open a Jenlain. To me, the style seems to be a mashup of a farmhouse ale and an Oktoberfest bier.
Tasting Notes:
The brew is malty with some notes of dry fruit, Earth, and mild spiciness. Just a great beer for the seasonal change.
Crux Fermentation Project Pilz
Bryan Donaldson, brewing innovation manager at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
If we think of the waning days of summer as August and September, here on the west coast we are just getting into the thick of some of the hottest days of the year, so I think of great end-of-summer beers as those that are light and refreshing, yet still full of flavor. That leads me to Crux Fermentation Project Pilz.
Tasting Notes:
Lovely pilsner malts, layered with Saaz and Sterling, lead to a slightly spicy/herbal note, while also bringing some biscuit flavor. A bit of citrus on the finish and there you have it.
Victory Prima Pils
Fal Allen, brew master at Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in Boonville, California
ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
I want my end-of-summer beers to have some character, so I don’t want an American lite lager, but I would certainly love a fresh American version of a German-style pilsner – or something in that vein. A great choice is Victory Prima Pils, brewed with Tettnang, Hallertau, Spalt, and Saaz hops.
Tasting Notes:
This crisp, refreshing pilsner is floral, gently spicy, and layered with complex noble hops.
River North Festbier
Ryan Pachmayer, head brewer at Yak and Yeti Restaurant and Brewpub in Arvada, Colorado
ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
River North Festbier. They were one of the earlier breweries to make pale festbier in Denver and they do it so well. Especially as a garden-type beer in those evenings when it starts to cool.
Tasting Notes:
On cool nights, you can handle a little extra alcohol, but it’s still a smooth, malt-forward beer with a balancing hop presence.
Phase Three Czech-style Pilsner
Garth Beyer, certified Cicerone and owner of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $11 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Phase Three Czech-style Pilsner is brewed with Bohemian malt, which gives it an exceptional cracker-y base, slightly doughy flavor, and electric yeast character. The Saaz hops shine through with mixed earthy spice flavors.
Tasting Notes:
This is one of my favorite pilsners because it’s not clean and thin, but not heavy and hazy; it’s the perfect transition pilsner from summer’s crispy boys and autumn’s Oktoberfest beers.
Deschutes Fresh Squeezed
Andrew Hueston, USBG bartender at El Vez in Philadelphia
ABV: 6.4%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Picking a beer for summer’s last gasp is difficult. If I had to pick just one, Deschutes Fresh Squeezed WIPA I think helps maximize the last moments of summer.
Tasting Notes:
Brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops, it’s juicy and filled with tropical fruit flavors and bright pine. It’s a great beer to sip as you await the return of autumn.
