German Pils, Smith & Lentz Brewing
Under normal circumstances, summer is always a fine time for outside beer drinking. Even those of us who are maltmen when it comes to preferred styles shove off our porters and stouts and Scotch ales and festbiers until autumn returns to dial down nature’s thermostat. In the meantime, we seek out the lighter, refreshing, straw-colored styles, those that are perfect for day-drinking under the climbing sun or sipping easy on sultry nights.
Below are four local brews to suit every beer drinker. Grab a few and toss one six feet to your socially distant drinking buddy.
Sultry Seagull, Jackalope Brewing
Fruited wheat ale, 4.4 percent ABV
Jackalope already struck summer gold with its strawberry-raspberry-infused Lovebird wheat ale. But as the temperatures started to rise, the crew added an extra kick: lemonade. If the original berry-heavy version was perfect for sipping while sitting in a shady spot on the porch, its more citrusy cousin is likely to push that chair into the sunlight, bring out the sunglasses and strip off your shirt. Close your eyes and imagine sunbathing on a quiet beach while the tart and sweet make magic in your mouth. Sultry Seagull was a limited run, but there are still cans around. Like their namesake squawkers in Finding Nemo, snatch one up and say “Mine!”
Mango Passion Fruit Banana Coconut Sour Schnack, TailGate Brewery
Mango Passion Fruit Banana Coconut Sour Schnack, TailGate Brewery
Fruit sour, 6.7 percent ABV
The mischievous geniuses at TailGate have spent much of Covidtide brewing new dessert beers. Not beers that go with dessert, but rather beers that could be dessert themselves. Blueberry-cobbler beer, banana-pudding beer and a stunning variety of fruity, smoothie-textured others. Don’t bother committing the name of this one to memory, as the staff is able to translate your request for “that one with all the stuff in it” or “tutti frutti” or “that papaya boysenberry dragon fruit acai sour thing or whatever.” And don’t let the inclusion of coconut drive you off. Though some coconut-infused beers give off a bit of a sunscreen smell (or flavor), this one lets the coconut wisp delicately in the background, giving this surprisingly easy drinker (given its relatively high ABV) the taste of ambrosia (the fruit salad, not the nectar of the gods, though after a couple, your opinion could go either way).
German Pils, Smith & Lentz Brewing
German pilsner, 5 percent ABV
The East Side’s Smith & Lentz got hit with a brutal double whammy: First their taproom took a hit from the March 3 tornado, then they got hit by the pandemic (which has changed everyone’s life). Nevertheless, the crew keeps brewing this straightforward interpretation of the unpretentious classic-style pilsner. It is crisp, clean and bright, a completely crushable tipple to enjoy while waiting for whatever normal will be.
Calla IPA, Yazoo Brewing Company
New England IPA, 6 percent ABV
The hazy New England-style IPA had a moment a few summers back, as hopheads opted for its creaminess as an alternative to the dry and sharp mouthfeel of the West Coast IPA. Because of the softer touch, New Englands are often better when the hops show citrus rather than piney character. Calla hits with good grapefruit and even tangerine notes, but there’s also just a hint of mint, which is unusual, unexpected and downright smile-sparking. Calla was Yazoo’s spring seasonal, but there are still plenty of sixers out in the world.
