What makes a great summer beer?
It has to start with refreshment. It’s sweltering out, your brow is damp and your throat is parched. The last thing you want is some hop bomb of an IPA or a big chocolatey stout. No thanks. Save that for the nine months of rain.
When the mercury makes a push upward toward triple digits—which, thanks to global warming, is going to happen more and more often in the usually temperate Pacific Northwest — you want something light, effervescent, crisp.
Sure, a little flavor helps, and no beer drinker is going to get bent out of shape if there’s some slight hop bitterness, but what you want after that marathon in the beating sun is something craft beer experts call quaffability.
Now, the last time I whipped that word out while I was drinking a beer I was rightfully mocked. Who says quaffability? It sounds like the First Lord of Cambridgeshire just shot a pinky up and tilted his monocle in agreement of a right fancy tea. It’s bourgeois, not working-class craft beer talk, right?
But, listen. No, seriously, stop laughing. Quaffable is a real world and it’s real important to beer drinkers. It’s important in the sense that quaffable means you can drink more. You can try more of that 4.5 percent helles lager than that 8 percent triple IPA that dry-hopped your tongue back to the stone age. Summer beer is a numbers game.
So, I gathered some friends who know a little something about beer but nothing about numbers and tried some of the best summer beers from right here in Snohomish County.
Also, one of our taste testers, David, intricately described the perfect location each beer should be enjoyed, so I listed those as well.
Binnacle Summer Ale
Diamond Knot Brewing, Mukilteo
This summer beer from the Mukilteo brewery comes with a twist. Take a sip and you’ll notice it right away: a sweet, honey-like finish. That comes from the Belgian yeast, which Diamond Knot added to the beer to give it that special touch. But this isn’t an authentic Belgian-style beer. The brewers at DK used a 2-row pale malt to give it major drinkability. It pours a golden color and has a really solid backbone, and yet finishes light, just what you want in a summer beer.
David’s where to drink: Awkwardly mingling with relatives at a family reunion.
Cit-Bay Pale Ale
Snotown Brewery, Snohomish
SnoTown head brewer Frank Sandoval was planning on stopping production of his popular citrus-basil pale ale when he could no longer get the organic basil from a local farm. But he was getting too many requests, so when he found another local farm to provide basil he decided to bring it back as a summer beer. It’s an inspired decision. Cit-Bay is a nice mix of bright citrus and spice. The basil is very subtle and the beer
is refreshing and flavorful. It’s a great beer to go with a barbecue and that epic fruit salad your aunt makes every family picnic.
David’s where to drink: Standing in front of your barbecue as you ‘cue up some spicy cuts of pork and beef.
The Daily Rind
Skookum Brewery, Arlington
Skookum head brewer Hollis Wood unleashes this beauty every spring and it’s easy to see why. The base citrus flavor of this pale ale is the perfect canvas to have some fun with throughout the summer. Between now and September, Wood will throw in all kinds of fruits, from clementine oranges to grapefruit, to boost the flavor without affecting the drinkability. The Daily Rind isn’t as refreshing as some of the other beers on this list, but it makes up for it in complexity and hoppiness. Think of it as a versatile summer beer; it’s a great beer for the dog days or the cool nights.
David’s where to drink: In your camping chair in front of a ferocious bonfire.
Independence Pilsner
American Brewing Co., Edmonds
Not surprisingly, this was the lightest beer of the group. Made with Liber- ty hops instead of the usual Saaz or Hallertau hops, this new pilsner from American Brewing is very light and drinkable. It’s the perfect beer to hand your uncle who only drinks Coors Light. Unlike the Rocky Mountain refresher, the Independence Pilsner has a solid hoppiness from the Liberty hops and is flavorful, including hints of bread and honey. One of our taste testers took a long drink and then blurted out, “My mom would really like this beer.” That could be taken two ways, but I think it’s a solid compliment, especially when you’re talking about a summer beer.
David’s where to drink: On an Adirondack chair in front of a lake as the sun goes down.
Go-To Helles
Crucible Brewing, Everett
The name may conjure images of darkness, but helles means light or pale in German. Helles lagers are just that: light, pale and very refreshing. Another word that comes to mind is clean. Crucible head brewer Dick Mergens brewed this version of the popular German summer refresher as an answer to the brewery’s Pilsner that had been on tap since they opened, and it is surpremely “clean.” It’s a well-structured lager that has the nice soft features of a lager with the subtle bite of hoppiness that comes with a pilsner. At 4.6 percent ABV and just 13 IBU, a coupleof pints of this beer is just the beginning.
David’s where to drink: Beside a beautiful stream at the end of a long hike.
Kiteboard Kolsch
Sound to Summit Brewing, Snohomish
It may not be brewed in Cologne, Germany, but Sound to Summit’s kolsch is a fine interpretation of the famous hoppy ale. Kiteboard Kolsch is light in color and body and could be mistaken for a pilsner, but it’s a bit too hoppy and has a nice bed of fruitiness that makes it … well, something more. It has everything you could want in a summer beer: brilliant color, gentle hoppiness and crisp finish. Another nice note: Sound to Summit recently began bottling its kolsch, so now it’s easier to find.
David’s where to drink: On your porch as you survey the lawn you just mastered.
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