August is starting out on a hot note. Really hot — from coast-to-coast. And on these epically hot days, the only thing that we truly crave to cool us down (besides a soft serve from the ice cream man) is a frosty, refreshing beer. The kind of beer we can crush; the lower alcohol brews that we’re eager to go back to again and again.
To find these summer refreshers, asked a panel of stone-cold craft beer experts to rave about their picks for the title of “most refreshing beer ever!” And since the summer is only going to get warmer before the chill of fall sets in, the time is right to stock up on these easy-drinking brews. Keep scrolling to see all of the picks.
Allagash White
Jeremy Marshall, brewmaster at Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, California
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $9.50 for a four-pack
Why This Beer?
Allagash White. It’s an amazing beer and refreshes on many levels. I like it in the sun— it even tastes like a hot sunny day. It’s like a sun tan for your innards. It’s naturally cloudy and zesty, but also has a unique spiciness to it. Brewers tend to like Allagash White the way guitar players like Jeff Beck. But there are reasons for that — a nerdy combo of oats and un-malted wheat, some sort of secret spice and botanical blend with an expressive Belgian yeast that’s approachable—it’s sublime.
Schönramer Pils
Karlton Graham, head brewer at Kansas City Bier Company in Kansas City
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $4.50 for a 500ml bottle
Why This Beer?
This one is easy. Although I suppose not many Americans have ever had the opportunity to taste it fresh, Schönramer Pils is the most refreshing beer ever. It is perfectly balanced. It is full-bodied, and yet, so very delicate you can hardly believe it’s true. If you are ever in Bavaria and have the opportunity to run five miles and then sit down with a liter of beer, choose this one.
Urban Artifacts Spyglass
Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 4.7%
Average Price: $11.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
I still think back to a couple of summers ago when I was doing house and yard work. A heavy sweat was building. My mouth was getting dry. I needed a refreshing beer. At that point, I hadn’t had Spyglass by Urban Artifact, but there was one in my fridge that I brought home from my bar, and damn. Just damn. It was somewhere between your favorite golden ale and your favorite classic margarita. All that was missing was a salted rim.
Kaiju Krush Tropical Pale Ale
Kyle Pearson, founder of Alice Springs Brewing Co. in Northern Territory, Australia
ABV: 4.7%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Living in the Australian desert can get hot during the summer months, and Kaiju Krush. is the perfect drink to quench your thirst. This tropical ale has a “super-clean” malt profile that highlights the drink’s many tropical flavors, such as pineapple and passionfruit.
Augustiner Helles
Parker Penley, lead innovation brewer of Widmer Brothers Brewery in Portland, Oregon
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $15 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Augustiner Helles/original is hands down one of my favorite beers of all time and if you can swing it, drink it from the source in Germany. It is a wonderful beer when fresh and has a perfect balance. The malt and hops dance in harmony without either dominating. The beautiful, cracker-y maltiness from German pilsner malt causes it to go down almost too easy.
One could drink liters of it.
Sudwerk People’s Pilsner
Kevin McGee, president and CEO of Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville, California
ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Sudwerk People’s Pilsner. This is a classic North German-style pilsner made by one of the most exceptional craft lager breweries in the world. It’s extremely drinkable and super crisp and clean with a hit of German hoppy bite. Probably one of the five best Pilsners out there today. No joke.
Evil Twin Nomader Weisse
Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Beer Company in Richmond, California
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $3.75 for a 12-ounce can
Why This Beer?
Berliner Weisse is an amazingly refreshing beer due to its balance: A subtle tartness – nowhere near as sour as a sour – balances out the fruity notes, and a light effervescence brings it all together. One of the best craft examples is Evil Twin Nomader Weisse. It’s slightly sour, tart, and loaded with refreshing citrus flavors.
Jester King Le Petit Prince
Ian Brown, head brewer at Biggerstaff Brewing in Atlanta
ABV: 2.9%
Average Price: $11 for a 750ml bottle
Why This Beer?
Jester King’s Le Petit Prince is amazing. It’s sub-3%, so is almost quite literally hydrating. The minerality almost makes it come across as fancy mineral water with a little hop, a little spice, a little breadiness. It’s perfection on a hot day.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Ben Saller, founder and brewer at Burnt City Brewing in Chicago
ABV: 5.6%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
One time I went on a 13-mile hike on a mountain in Alaska and right afterward was given a cold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. At least at that moment, it was the most refreshing beer of all time. And of course, this gem is a classic and maybe the most influential American craft beer on earth, so you don’t just have to take my word for it.
Dogfish Head SeaQuench
Josh Radigan, director of food and beverage at Viceroy in Washington DC
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $10.50 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
That’s a tough question because I love Dogfish Head’s SeaQuench Ale. It’s salty and has touches of lime – perfect for a beach day. It gets its thirst-quenching flavor because it’s a mix of a Kolsch-style beer, a salty Gose, and a tart Berliner Weiss. Flavored with sea salt, lime juice, and black limes, it’s arguably the most refreshing beer of all time.
Writer’s Picks:
Creature Comforts Tritonia
ABV: 4.5%
Average Price: $14.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
When it comes to refreshing beers, we always reach for a flavorful, fruity, slightly salt Gose-style beer above all others. This 4.5% tart, slightly salty, highly refreshing Gose-style beer is brewed with lime, sea salt, coriander, and cucumber. This German-style wheat beer is guaranteed to quench the mightiest thirst on a hot, hazy summer day.
Notch Session Pils
ABV: 4%
Average Price: $10.50 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
If tart, salty beers aren’t for you, we always suggest a traditional, Czech-style pilsner. One of the best (and most sessionable) is Notch Session Pils. It’s low in alcohol but high in flavor. It’s crisp, crushable, and very refreshing. It’s the kind of beer you’ll want to drink all day — particularly when the temp climbs.
