May is another of one those “in-between” months. It feels like we have one foot in spring and one foot in summer. It’s the literal incarnation of walking around wearing a giant rain boot on one foot and a tennis shoe on the other. But while the weather doesn’t quite seem to know what it wants to do, you can rest easy that the beer world is firmly in summer mode.
Say goodbye to darker, maltier beers (if you’re still clinging to them) and make way for hoppier, lighter brews. Summer session beers are waiting in the wings.
May is the gateway to summer and is a month for crisp, refreshing, thirst-quenching beers (as well as memes featuring Justin Timberlake). To prepare for the month ahead, and the ensuing summer months, we figured we’d start May off right by letting you in on our favorite beers to chase down this month. Below, you’ll find New England-style IPAs, sour beers, pale ales, wheat beers, session beers, and even a fruity Kolsch-style brew. Some are brand new, others are familiar favorites that have either just been re-released or simply fit this month’s criterion. All are well-suited for May drinking.
Keep scrolling to see them all!
Firestone Walker No Vacancy
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $19 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
This West Coast IPA is the official collaboration beer of the upcoming 2023 Firestone Walker Invitation Beer Fest. The brewers at Firestone Walker worked with Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey to create this limited-edition brew featuring Cascade, Mosaic Incognito, Mosaic Cryo hops, and Mosaic T-90 Pellets is fruity and tropical.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is heavy on citrus in the best way possible. There’s a ton of tangerine, lime, and grapefruit. It gives way to floral, dank, piney hops. The palate has a nice sweet malt backbone that works well with the grapefruit, orange peel, lemongrass, tropical fruits, and dank, resinous, lightly bitter pine on the palate.
Bottom Line:
Sometimes West Coast IPAs can be all bitter pine and not much else. This beer manages to have an epic amount of hop aroma and flavor (with great bitterness) while still being fruity and flavorful.
Lawson’s Finest Hazy Rays
ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: $19 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
If you’re a fan of New England-style IPAs you’ve probably had Lawson’s Finest Sip of Sunshine at some point. Recently, the popular Vermont-based brewery dropped a new beer called Hazy Rays. This 5.3%, highly crushable hazy IPA is brewed with Citra and Mandarina Bavaria hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is all tangerine, orange peel, and grapefruit. There’s also a light floral, resinous hoppy aroma that draws you in. Drinking it reveals a sublimely sweet, fruity, citrus-filled palate of ripe orange, grapefruit, honeydew melon, and mango. There’s a bit of floral hop flavor at the finish, but almost no bitterness whatsoever.
Bottom Line:
This one is for hazy citrus fans. It’s as close to a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in beer form, you’re going to get. But it’s hoppy, complex, and much more than just a sweet, juicy beer.
WeldWerks Key Lime Pie
ABV: 4.2%
Average Price: $6 for a 16-ounce can
The Beer:
Who doesn’t enjoy a nice piece of key lime pie on a spring or summer day? Tart, sweet, and delicious. The only thing better is a key lime pie in beer form. The folks at Weldwerks did this by brewing a tart Berliner Weiss-style beer with freshly squeezed key limes, graham crackers, and vanilla beans.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are notes of graham crackers, ley limes, honeydew melons, lemon zest, sweet wheat, and a bit of funky yeast. The palate continues this trend with hints of vanilla beans, tart key limes, more graham cracker, a dose of lactose, and an acidic, citrus backbone. The finish is lightly bitter and totally tart.
Bottom Line:
For a beer crafted to taste like a key lime pie, there’s so much more to this beer. It’s tart, refreshing, and extremely complex.
AleSmith Session .394
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Maybe a session beer is more your style when it comes to May imbibing. If so, we suggest AleSmith Session .394. Named for San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn’s ridiculous 1994 batting average, it’s a crushable pale ale brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops.
Tasting Notes:
This crushable, sessionable beer starts with a fairly light nose of orange peels, lime zest, grapefruit, and caramelized pineapple. Drinking it reveals notes of more ripe pineapple, tangerine, melon, peach, lime peel, and floral, lightly bitter, dank hops. It’s all fairly light and very drinkable.
Bottom Line:
This is a great, sessionable pale ale. It’s loaded with all the flavors pale ale fans enjoy, but it’s lower in ABV and doesn’t knock you out with any overpowering flavors.
Dogfish Head Mandarin & Mango Crush
ABV: 6%
Average Price: $15 for a six-pack
The Beer:
The “crush” cocktail featuring fresh squeezed orange juice, vodka, and triple sec is a popular summer drink in Delaware. This is why the brewers at Dogfish Head decided to pay homage to this summer staple by brewing Mandarin & Mango Crush, a beer with tart, fruity, citrus flavors and crisp, refreshing finish.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is an explosion of tropical and citrus fruit aromas. Tangerine, lime, lemon, and a ton of mango, guava, and peach give this beer a tremendous beginning. Tasting it brings forth notes of mango, mandarin orange, grapefruit, and floral, lightly piney hops. The finish is tart, crisp, and leaves you craving more.
Bottom Line:
While we often enjoy light, no-frills lagers, sometimes we want something tart, crisp, and fruity. This beer definitely fits that bill.
Tröegs Perpetual Haze
ABV: 7.5%
Average Price: $15 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Tröegs is a brewery well-known for its popular, seasonal, limited releases. One of the best is Tröegs Perpetual Haze. This yearly offering was crafted to taste like a mix of a bitter, piney West Coast IPA and hazy, juicy New England-style IPA. They do this by brewing it with raw wheat, London 2 yeast, and dry-hopping with Citra and Cashmere hops.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of ripe peach, sweet wheat, crisp apples, orange peels, and light floral, dank pine needles greets you before your first sip. The palate is filled with tangerine, pineapple, mango, ripe grapefruit, and more resinous pine. The finish is a mix of fruity, tropical sweetness, and hoppy bitterness.
Bottom Line:
This beer really is the best of both worlds. It has the juicy, hazy tropical fruit presence of a great New England-style IPA and the citrus and pine of a classic West Coast IPA.
Breakside White
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
May is a great time of year to start enjoying wheat beers. That is if you haven’t already been enjoying them all year long. Breakside recently launched a new wheat beer simply called Breakside White. Brewed with pilsner malt and wheat along with Sterling, Hersbrucker, and Mt. Hood hops, this is sure to become one of your spring staples.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is yeasty and filled with aromas of coriander, orange peel, and lightly spicy, floral, earthy hops. The palate follows suit with ripe tangerine, coriander, candied orange peels, light spices, and herbal, earthy hops. The finish is lightly spicy and dry.
Bottom Line:
This is a complex, flavorful wheat beer that deserves a spot in your spring and summer beer rotation. It’s the kind of beer you’ll want to crack open while you play backyard games on a hot day.
Genesee Tropical Pineapple Kolsch
ABV: 4.5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
Genesee’s Ruby Red Kolsch with its bold, bright grapefruit flavor has been such a hit since its first release a few years ago, the brand decided to drop a Tropical Pineapple version. This seasonal beer was inspired by the brewery’s German heritage. It gets a modern twist with the addition of sweet, fruity pineapple.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is loaded with ripe pineapple, lemon zest, orange peel, and light floral hops. The flavor is juicy and sweet with notes of caramel malts, more pineapple, bright citrus, tropical fruits, and lightly bitter hops. It’s sweet, lightly bitter, and highly refreshing on a hot day.
Bottom Line:
Fruit beers can be hit or miss. But this one is subtle enough that it makes for a fruity, crushable beer perfect for an unseasonably warm spring day.
