It's hard to believe Summer is almost over... September is right around the corner and football is upon us! Before you go apeshxt over having your beloved back, take advantage of the last few days that some pretty fvckin' awesome brews are available. These 5 beers to try are usually only available through the warmer calendar months, but you can stock up and enjoy them in the expected unseasonably warm fall months we've been putting up with:
Hypebeerst 5 To Try - Summer Beers
Southern Tier Hop Sun
Hop Sun is an American Wheat Ale that packs a bit of a hoppy punch that you don't normally expect from the wheat ale style. There's a reasonable amount of sweet the wheat provides that balances the hop bitterness. It's a little citrusy with some lemon permeating every sip, making this beer a very light and refreshing brew. Victory's Summer Love is similar in flavor profile, but Hop Sun is a better overall beer and I'd recommend this beer to try over Summer Love by a slight margin.
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Founders Rubaeus
Founders is good for showing up in any list I even consider making. They're just that fvcking dope. One of their limited seasonals comes in the form of Rubaeus, a raspberry ale that breaks the mold for what a fruit beer is. Rubaeus maintains such a clearly defined flavor profile because fresh raspberries are added at five different points during the brewing process according to the Founders Brewing website.
In complete honesty, anything else I tell you doesn't really matter; go and seek this shxt out. Immediately. It's the "summer anthem" of fruit beers and I'm pretty sure you haven't had any yet... Fvck you waitin' on?
Founders Brewing Company
Type: Raspberry Ale
ABV: 5.7 %
Availability: *Limited* July - August
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Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy
I know I'm going to get heat for suggesting this brew as worth drinking from beer snobs abound, but fvck it. Summer Shandy is one of my guilty pleasures that I think is a great brew for people that either don't drink craft (if you can call Leinie's that now) beer or are interested in it but need to be gingerly ushered into things.
Summer Shandy is a very light brew that's combined with lemonade. It's not overly sweet and has a very tart but not mouth puckering taste. You won't get drunk off of this unless you're double fisting these heauxs for hours, but they're great on a hot day or after some outdoor exertion. It's not heavy on the palate and has more malt than hops; they'll work well with a ton of different foods.
21st Amendment Hell Or High Watermelon
Hell Or High Watermelon is another of those guilty pleasures of mine when it comes to beer snobbery. My motto is buy some beer, drink that shxt; I could give two fvcks less about what a snob thinks about what or how we drink! 21st Amendment has crept into my list of favorite breweries and HOHW is a great seasonal that uses pure watermelon in the brewing process.
It's an American Wheat Ale, similar to RJ Rockers Son Of A Peach that I talked about in the last Hypebeerst post. Where 21st Amendment takes steps beyond RJ Rockers is in the balance between the foundation beer (wheat ale) and the flavor of the flavoring ingredient (watermelon). Watermelon isn't a very strong flavored fruit to begin with, so don't expect a candy like burst of sugar to hit your mouth (pause) when you crack your first can.
21st Amendment Brewery
Type: American Wheat Ale
ABV: 4.9 %
Availability: April - September
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Southern Tier Compass
I picked up Compass on a random trip to one of my bottle shops when I was in the mood to try something random. Seeing rose hips on the label piqued my interest, I can't recall ever drinking something brewed specifically with flowers. Compass is an Imperial Sparkling Ale that is bottle conditioned which raises the ABV and adds to carbonation; this combination brings this brew to drink like a champagne or dry sparkling wine.
I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor profile and how clearly the rose hip comes through. in addition to the floral profile, I tasted tropical fruits that meshed extremely well. Southern Tier says to serve this one cold (42º F), however I let this one warm up just a little and it seemed to release some of the flavors that were more faint. Also, Compass is a solid candidate for aging, think about putting this one away for a quiet night when you're looking to impress (read: trying to cut) a jawn with something le fanci. Heauxs love experiencing new things.
Southern Tier Brewing Company
Type: Bottle Conditioned Sparkling Ale
ABV: 6 %
Availability: Summer
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As always, post a photo of you with your brew if you try anything I've featured here and hashtag it: #Hypebeerst with your thoughts! I want to know what you think!
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