The Best New American Microbrews To Savor This Summer
From refreshing lagers to low-ABV sippers, crack open the top American microbrews to beat the heat.
Stocking your beer cooler is a bit like keeping your toolbox or your wardrobe thoughtfully updated. Summer heatwaves demand both an adjusted sartorial outlook and a new take on your go-to beers as you hit your nearest beach, lake, or backyard BBQ. While there’s always a place for hop-forward styles like IPAs, summer is all about light lagers and pilsners when it comes to the American microbrews to savor now.
Sierra Nevada SummerFest 2026
As clean and refreshing as a breezy day by the water, this lager delivers just a hint of lemon in an easily drinkable package. For days when even Sierra Nevada’s famed Pale Ale might prove a bit too malty, consider this an utterly crisp alternative from a foundational California brewery. $17.99/12-pack
Bell’s Flyover Light Lager
Beer from Bell’s is as synonymous with summers on the lake in its home state of Michigan as anything else. And while Bell’s Oberon reigns supreme as a stellar seasonal sipper, don’t sleep on Flyover Light Lager. It delivers a more flavorful tilt than other ultra-light beers, all the while calling to mind sunsets on Lake Michigan. $19.99/15-pack
Wicked Weed Freak of Nature
In the same way you might need to keep a lightweight flannel shirt on hand for cooler-than-expected bonfire nights, it’s a sensible move to have a delicious IPA on hand for hops-happy beer lovers. Wicked Weed is a proper modern Asheville, North Carolina institution, and a quartet of hops make this double IPA positively memorable. $13.49/6-pack
Threes Brewing Echo of Nothing with Lime
What is it about the acidic punch of lime that unlocks a new level of flavor in a lager? And while there are mass-market breweries aplenty that hang their hat on the Mexican lager, Brooklyn’s Threes Brewing delivers a thoughtful and still-crushable alternative. $15.99/4-pack
Lagunitas x Iron Maiden Trooper West Coast IPA 2026
If any group was capable of turning up the volume in hops form as well as onstage, it’d be metal legends Iron Maiden. And in keeping with the Lagunitas tradition of crafting uncompromising California IPAs, the duo teamed up on a true-to-form update of the iconic Lagunitas profile just in time to toast five decades of the British rockers. $11.99/6-pack
Garage Beer Lime Beer Summer 2026
The keep-it-simple formula of the brewery now backed by the Kelce brothers, media darlings and NFL champions alike, is again victorious with a small-batch lime beer that’s as drinkable as one might hope to find. For backyard BBQs and days on the water, this Columbus, Ohio brew is a nearly picture-perfect summer beer. $16.99/12-pack
Small Beer Lager
There’s no debating the joys of a richly crafted IPA, but the next-day hangover just might persuade you to reach for something lighter in the future. Just as Benicio Del Toro would have it, “a few small beers” are well within your reach this season, as this Colorado-brewed light lager clocks in at an ultra-low 2.5 percent ABV.
New Belgium Fat Tire 35th Anniversary Edition – Summer 2026
Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing is throwing it back three-plus decades with a limited-edition retooling of its Fat Tire Ale, one of the beers that first put the craft movement on the map. The effect of the classic recipe and the OG can design is retro-tinged and comforting, a fine sight to see in your cooler this holiday weekend and beyond. $11.99/6-pack
Allagash Seconds to Summer 2026
Maine’s Allagash White remains nearly undefeated across the summer months, with its blend of coriander and delicate spice, while Allagash Seconds to Summer could be viewed as a lighter, smooth and crisp counterpart that pairs perfectly with grilled meats and ocean breezes. $23.99/12-pack
Narragansett Lager ‘Jaws’ Can 2026
In a toast to the legendary beer’s frequent appearance in the 1970s classic Jaws, the Rhode Island brewery brings back the same famed can design, one that just so happens to hold its remarkably refreshing lager.