The beach. Those lovely patches of sand — near our homes, far away, or even just in our imaginations — that we dream about all winter. The ultimate sign that summer is finally here.
There are few hot weather activities better than a day at the beach. Feet in the sand, ice-cold beer in hand, and nothing else planned equals perfection, right? But the beer you bring to the beach is just as important as which sunscreen you buy (that 8-spf isn’t doing shit!).
That’s why we went right to the source and asked some of our favorite brewers to tell us their go-to beers for a day at the beach.
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice
Joe Connolly, director of Springdale Beer
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice tastes like melted orange creamsicles, and I will forever associate it with an image of chasing the ice cream truck at Castle Island in South Boston.
Creature Comforts Athena
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSpRYiIB_oV/
Dan Weber, head innovation brewer at Dogfish Head
I like to keep it very light on the beach, which I frequent here in coastal Delaware. Usually the lower the ABV the better. Creature Comforts Athena is a great lighter beer that comes to mind for this purpose, but don’t be surprised if my cooler has a few PBR’s in it too.
Pelican Sea Breeze
Steven Pauwels, brewmaster at Boulevard Brewing Co.
Tough question for a Midwestern brewer but if we were on a beach in Belize, we would go with anything from Pelican because it’s ‘Born at the Beach.’ I’ll take a Pelican Sea Breeze any day.
Firestone Walker Easy Jack
https://www.instagram.com/p/BydhMYfAAf1/
Rhett Dougherty, head brewer at Veza Sur Brewing Co.
The most important aspects of beach beer for me are package design, sessionability, and temperature. A cooler full of Easy Jack cans from Firestone Walker is a summer treat that fits the bill flawlessly. This sessionable West-Coast IPA packs a strong citrusy hop punch you can enjoy all day while catching some rays.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Mike Stoneburg, brewmaster at Blue Point Brewing Company
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It’s hoppy, refreshing, and light. It’s my go-to beer for any time of the year.
J. Wakefield Fly Pelican Fly
Cody Reif, research & development brewer at New Belgium Brewing
Fly Pelican Fly from J. Wakefield brewing in Miami. The Florida Berlinerweiss master never fails to impress me. Just the right amount of sour and tons of fruit. I wish I could get more of this beer (and more beach time, too — for that matter).
Kulshan Premium Lager
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVqfdT3A-Mu/
Josh Waldman, brewmaster at Elysian Brewing
Kulshan Brewing – Premium Lager. Really light, super drinkable, and a great local brewery.
Dogfish Head SeaQuench
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXbTNHShXjR/
Scott Ungermann, brewmaster at Anchor Brewing
SeaQuench makes sense, but I don’t really bring beer to the beach – I look for bars along the beach where I can sit comfortably and enjoy a draught beer.
Amstel Light
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwdE04PFg0K/
Tim Matthews, head of brewing operations at Oskar Blues Brewery
It has to be light and super cold, because I don’t do well in the heat on the beach. If you catch me on the beach in the Caribbean, which happens every few years, I’m probably bobbing in the water with a bottle of the local light lager or Euro imported light lager like Amstel Light.
Samuel Adams Sam ‘76
Chris Rockwood, head brewer at Magic Hat Brewing
Sam ‘76: The beach begs for something that is light and best-served ice cold from the cooler. Sam ’76 presents enough flavor without being overbearing for the heat on a brilliant beach day.
