The Best Summer Microbrew Beers To Try Now

Soak up summer vibes with these microbrew favorites.

Heed the call of summer the next time you open your fridge and stock your cooler for a day at the beach or a backyard BBQ. There’s rarely a bad time of year to have a beer, of course, but the best summer microbrews elevate the experience to another level entirely.

Whether amping up the flavor of a traditional lager or brewing beers insanely packed with tropical notes, some of the best craft breweries in the country are taking aim at revamped, new-and-improved styles of beer. There’s a time and a place for old-school “macro” lagers, but when flavor and refreshment beckon, summer’s top microbrews are a distinct change of pace from the ordinary. These are the ones begging for a spot in your beer fridge.

New Belgium Mountain Time Lager

If you appreciate the cold, crisp notes and easygoing refreshment of a major domestic lager, yet want something with a bit more flavor, it’s hard to go wrong with New Belgium’s excellent Mountain Time Lager. The only thing better is cooling down with one after a hike in the brewery’s picturesque home state of Colorado. $12.99/6-pack

Shiner Light Blonde

Shiner is best known for its full-bodied yet scarily drinkable Shiner Bock, an all-time classic beer first brewed (and served to) Texas farmers in the high heat. Shiner’s Light Blonde, however, is a smoother, lighter option with lightly sweet notes and distinctive character for a blonde ale. $14.99/6-pack

Firestone Walker Mind Haze Brain Melter

Put to rest the idea that every summer beer needs to be ultra-light. For cooler summer evenings and for occasions where you feel like savoring a hazy IPA (and sticking to quality, rather than quantity), this juicy, hop-packed packs a ton of tropical and citrus notes. $11.99/6-pack

Wicked Weed Strawberry Burst Kiwi Session Sour

There’s a tricky balance to nail when it comes to giving a beer character (and in this case, tons of citrus flavor) without overdoing it. Add in the difficulty inherent in getting a sour beer that’s not too, well, sour, and you’ve got another set of challenges. Helpfully, Wicked Weed delivers a fresh beer that hits all the right notes. $11.99/6-pack

Allagash Surf House Lager

Allagash Brewing’s vaunted White Ale is as enjoyable a beer as it gets, but might not be for everyone, especially if a pleasantly hoppy yet crushable lager is more your speed. For all those times, Surf House should take up some space in your cooler. $14.99/6-pack

Bell’s Oberon Sunshine Tropical Shandy

What do you get when Bell’s ever-popular Oberon gets a unique kick via plenty of tropical fruit, and just in time for invigorating summer sipping? You get a truly delightful take on the shandy, a much-aligned style that just might be making a comeback. $24.99/12-pack

Boulevard Brewing Ah Sure, Look Dark Lager

There’s an entire world out there of summer beers that are simply primed to go beyond the more typical lagers, like this deceptively smooth, rich dark lager, made to pair expertly with smoked meats around a bonfire on a brisk summer night. $10.99/6-pack

Sam Adams Summer Ale

The best summer beers need to toe the line between approachable and interesting, and Sam Adams uses grains of paradise to give its summer ale a pleasing finish. This is an accessible all-timer to keep in the cooler for many a backyard BBQ. $10.99/6-pack

Two Roads Lil’ Heaven Crushable IPA

It doesn’t make the most sense on paper to call an IPA “crushable,” but Two Roads has perfected that formula with a delightfully easy-to-drink beer that clocks in at just 4.8% ABV. $14.99/6-pack

Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale

Dogfish Head practically threw everything but the kitchen sink into its aptly named SeaQuench, which fuses slightly salty, sweet and tangy notes into an absurdly drinkable beer practically brewed for the beach. $9.99/6-pack