Since yours truly is spending most of her summer working full-time in a craft beer store, an article like this was to be expected. A question I receive almost daily concerns summer beers, and usually which one to try or not.
To save you a long trip to the European mainland, here are some of my top picks that are available at your local Tesco.
BrewDog Elvis Juice
While some IPAs can be a tad too bitter for some, this specific one is wonderfully balanced thanks to the addition of grapefruit, giving it some much needed sweetness.
Besides grapefruit, tones of orange and caramel are also present. It is a perfect combination of both sweet and bitter.
Added bonus, this liquid gold is brewed in the north east of Scotland, making it easy to support your friendly neighbours.
Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier
Next up, we have a classic German weizen. With the oldest brewery in the world being German, it almost feels wrong not to include at least one of them.
Weiss-bier is known for its slight banana flavour and golden colour. The overall taste of this beer is sweet with a medium amount of bitterness and a slight hint of citrus.
The Fraziskaner monks devoured this beer for decades, making it almost impossible to not be divine.
Thornbridge Tart Bakewell sour
Sour beers are some of my personal favourites for summer, and this British one is definitely one of my go-to sours.
This beer gets most of its taste from citrusey hops and flavours of grapefruit and bitter lemon. To quote a beer enthusiast ‘If champagne was a beer, this would be it’.
Do I need to say more?
Bacchus Kriek
By now you might have noticed a trend throughout this small list: fruit. Summer is the time of year where all the brew masters whip out their favourite sources of vitamin C.
It is only fair to mention a specific beer type that is world famous for its fruit. Kriek is an old Flemish beer style where sour cherries are added to lambic beer, which is a sour and dry beer. This combination of both sweet and sour creates a perfect summer beer.
Sierra Nevada pale ale
This American beer is just like the patriotic country it is brewed in, bigger and better.
This pale is a step-up, flavour wise, compared to your classic British ale. While it is not as bitter as your usual IPA, keep in mind that is not as soft as a usual ale either.
This amber coloured beer has a slightly spicy flavour and a so called complex character. You know when the second beers are given their own personalities, you have something special on your hand.
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