The time is right to crack a cold one. Take a swig after gardening, atop a fourteener, once you’ve crossed the 5K finish line, or while firing up the grill. Honestly, what would we do without beer? After chatting with beer lovers and brewers, and looking at lists from restaurants across the country, we’ve narrowed down our favorite sips for the summer months, including nonalcoholic, gluten-free, and low-ABV (alcohol by volume) options that hold their own against the real thing.
Saison
King of the Carrot Flowers
Location: Denver, Colorado
A farmhouse ale made with freshly pressed organic carrot juice and dry-hopped elderflower? It’s unusual, yes, but this dry saison is vibrant, balanced, and versatile—not to mention a great conversation piece. It’s perfect for a backyard barbecue. 5.9 percent ABV
Hazy IPA
Free Wave
Location: Stratford, Connecticut
These days you can’t have a discussion about beer without someone mentioning Athletic Brewing Co. The suds are that good—even better when you realize they’re nonalcoholic. This hazy IPA, jammed with Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic hops, is for those easy-breezy days when you just want to crush a juicy brew. 0.05 percent ABV
American Pale Ale
Daisy Cutter
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Hints of pine, citrus, papaya, and mango combine with light carbonation for a seriously refreshing sipper. The pale ale drinks dry—but that just means you’ll go back for another. 5.2 percent ABV
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Lawnmower
Location: Houston, Texas
With a name like Lawnmower, this classic German-style kölsch has got to be a quintessential summer beer—and it is! Slightly fruity and clean, the ale was expertly built to offset the Texas heat. 4.9 percent ABV
Sour
Maypop
Location: Ava, Illinois
OK, so you won’t be able to source this one as easily as others on this list. But if you find yourself near Shawnee National Forest, pull over at Scratch for brews made with local and foraged ingredients like mushrooms and dandelions. Don’t miss Maypop, a sour flavored with wild southern Illinois passion fruit. 4.6 percent ABV
Lager
Light and Tight Anytime
Location: San Francisco, California
We all need an everything beer: something to grab while doing yard work or after a long bike ride. This light, crisp, and low-ABV lager is just the refreshing thing to stock your fridge with, so you’ll always have one on hand. 3.9 percent ABV
Golden Ale
Goat Hill
Location: Maryville, Tennessee
Blonde beers are defined by their easy, everyone’s-a-fan drinkability; this Belgian-style golden ale is no exception. With a Noble hop finish, Goat Hill is plush yet a still thirst-quenching beverage. 5 percent ABV
Blonde
Favorite
Location: Golden Colorado
This brew is gluten-free and oh so worthy of inclusion on this list, thanks to millet and buckwheat malts that provide an impressively smooth mouthfeel, with lemony and light hop notes. 5 percent ABV
Pilsner
STS
Location: Windsor, California
The ideal pilsner is refreshing and crisp—the very definition of summer drinking. The STS German-style pilsner, dry-hopped with European hops, is just that, coming in with a zippy finish. 5.35 percent ABV