There Is a Cure for the Summertime Blues

Five beers of summer that’ll keep you cool and help you forget our bumbling boys of summer.

Well, it’s officially summer and despite the Phillies’ best attempts to give us the blues, the season must go on. Luckily, there’s so much to do in Philly and down the shore one can easily forget the debacle that is our beloved baseball team. Pardon my disdain, I’m nursing a month-long hangover thanks to our amazing Philadelphia Beer Week.

But things are looking up in our ‘hood – the Falls has been graced with its very own pop-up Beer Garden under the Twin Bridges!!!! If you haven’t made it out to one yet, you’ve missed some great brews, food and company on the banks of the river!  The Beer Garden pops-up every 3rd Thursday from 6pm-11pm in the summer!

Summer is indeed in full swing, and it’s getting hot…. like Buster Poindexter Hot Hot Hot…so in attempt to chill out, here are some selections to cool you down in the hotter days to come, whether it be on vacation or at home.

Avery White Rascal
Boulder, Colorado

• Aromas of citrus, spice, and biscuit
• Strong hints of coriander & Curaçao orange peel
• Medium-bodied, zesty Belgian-style wheat beer
• ABV 5.6% (alcohol by volume)
• IBU 10 (International bittering units. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the more bitter the beer.)

This zesty witbier is great in the summer, although it is available year-round.  It’s lovely spice & citus combination pair amazingly well with a fresh summer salad with seasonal fruit, or as a nice cutting contrast to a creamy blue-cheese or brie.

I love using it as a base for steaming mussels in the summer, just add some garlic, shallots, and fresh parsley, thyme, or basil and enjoy the magic!

Green Flash Passion Fruit Kicker
San Diego, California

• Aromas of passion fruit, biscuit, and bubblegum
• Hints of passion fruit, lemon, and vanilla
• Refreshingly sweet & tart, medium bodied wheat ale layered with passion fruit tea and juice
• ABV 5.5%
• IBU 5

This tropical brew breaks away from Green Flash’s normal practice of hitting the imbiber over the head with hops, and the result is a beautifully balanced, mouthwatering delight.  This beer is a great choice after a sun-filled day working outside or lounging on the beach.  I suggest pairing it with tacos, freshly grilled seafood, or your favorite kabob on the grill.

Dogfish Head Seaquench Ale
Milton, Delaware

• Huge aromas of citrus and lime
• Hints of black lime, salt, & coriander
• Low-calorie, light bodied, tart Kolsch/Gose/Berlinerweiss styled session beer
• ABV 4.9%
• IBU 10

This crazy hybrid sour is one of my personal favorites in the summer, and part of the proceeds go to helping the National Aquarium’s conservation efforts along the Chesapeake Bay!  DFH’s mad scientists/brewers again achieve a glory only possible in the USA by combining 3 great German beer styles in one magnum opus.  Reinheitsgebot – aka the “German Beer Purity Law” BE DAMNED!

This libation is a perfect palate cleanser for a cheese board, pairs amazingly with fresh oysters, and with its low alcohol content is amazing for that ALL-DAY summer drinking session.  Seaquench is low carb & low-cal, only 140 calories and 9 carbs per 12oz serving, so you can maintain that hard-earned beach body without worrying about enjoying a brew!

Half-Acre Tuna Extra Pale Ale
Chicago, Illinois

• Floral and citrus aromas
• Hints of green apple, guava, watermelon, & citrus with grassy notes
• Light-medium bodied, sessionable pale ale with balanced hop flavors
• ABV 4.7%
• IBU N/A

This session beer is great substitute for its higher ABV cousin, Daisy Cutter, which has become a local favorite despite local quizzo host and journalist, Brian Hickey’s, attempts to buy every can within a 10-mile radius.

So, if you stop into Murphy’s and a certain soccer aficionado and Katie Perry fan has cleaned them out of Daisy Cutter, try the Tuna…. you won’t be disappointed!  This beer pairs great with spicy hot wings or some loaded nachos!

Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace
Brooklyn, New York

• Aromas of citrus and lemongrass
• Hints of citrus and pear, with spicy herbal notes
• Medium-bodied, unfiltered saison brewed with Japanese Sorachi Ace hops
• ABV 7.6%
• IBU 35

This beautifully crafted farmhouse ale has been a personal favorite for several years now.  It has an amazingly crisp, peppery lemongrass and verbena flavor that arouses the palate. It pairs well with fish tacos, Asian pork buns, summer BBQ, and according to its creators, brief guitar solos and bad puns……I mean who doesn’t like that!

Here’s to beers & plenty of cheers,

JK