Some brews, such as Guinness, shine in colder weather while others are more suited to the beachy crowd (ever seen a Corona commercial?). As per American craft beers, plenty of breweries have a summer seasonal in their arsenals, but these eight feature a whole slew of suds to keep you refreshed despite the heat waves (we listed our faves alphabetically).
8. Abita - Maybe it's the local swelter in which they were created, but Louisiana's Abita brews seem well-suited to any hot day, especially Purple Haze, Restoration and Strawberry Harvest -- as fruity as it sounds.
7. Bell's - Some say that spring isn't actually here until Bell's Oberon is released (a notion we far prefer to a neurotic groundhog) and their Two-Hearted Ale may be the best summer IPA in the biz.
6. Brooklyn - Sure, they offer a Summer Ale, but with year-rounds including a nice Weisse, a baseball-adorned Pennant Ale and a refreshing Pilsner, summer in Brooklyn is secure.
5. Harpoon - Harpoon has an aptly named Summer Beer made in the Kölsch style, but their UFO Hefeweizen garnished with a touch of citrus is one of the most drinkable American wheats on the market. The light, crisp Harpoon IPA is only mildly hoppy and is another winner.
The final four after the jump!4. Kona - Maybe Hawaii's largest brewery took the easy way out, but by naming beers like Longboard Island Lager, Big Wave Golden Ale and Fire Rock Pale Ale, it shows it sure knows its target audience.
3. Magic Hat - As always, Magic Hat offers a couple of bizarrely named summer seasonals like Wacko and Summer Odd Notion, but with its apricot-tinged flagship brew #9 and beloved year-rounds like Circus Boy, this Hat is best worn in the sunshine.
2. New Belgium - A brewery from Fort Collins might seem like an unlikely summer suspect, but with two fantastic year-round wheats (Sunshine and Mothership Wit) and a couple great warm weather seasonals, the Colorado brewer keeps it cool.
1. Pyramid - Curve Ball is their seasonal (and in fact Pyramid just threw us one) but the newly anointed Audacious Apricot Ale is possibly the best fruit beer out there, and their Hefe ain't too shabby either.
Honorable mentions to two New York breweries: Southern Tier and Southampton (who we wish we could add to the list based on their Double White alone, but that would be bending the rules).
We tried to focus on summer suds that are nationally availabile, but are there any breweries we neglected, especially local faves?
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