Craft brewers lighten up for refreshing summer beers

Summer is approaching fast and soon our activities move outside to backyards, patios, swimming pools, campgrounds and a plethora of other gathering places. Cookouts become one of out favorite social settings for eating and drinking together under the sun and stars. All of this outdoor activity leads many of us to focus our drinking on cold, and refreshing, beer.

The American beer movement has exploded in recent years, providing tremendous selection and innovation for beer lovers. One of the most fun things to follow and enjoy is the continually evolving cycle of seasonal beer releases. In a sense, the craft brewers are returning to historical roots with their summer selections.

Hundreds of years ago, German brewers would shift their brewing focus based on the seasons. In those days, each town had its own brewery that reflected the style of beer enjoyed by local residents. One of the wonderful things about the explosion of craft breweries is that you can drink local or regional if you wish.

The other key similarity today’s breweries share with their forefathers is the style of beer produced for summer enjoyment. Consumers are looking for lighter styles and refreshing flavors to enjoy during the warmer months and to help cool them down after traditional summer activities. In 17th Century Germany, most breweries would focus on Kolsch and Weisen style beers.

You’ll see those two styles offered by many breweries across the country today, but there is also a tremendous level of diversity and creativity in the summer offerings these days. Brewmasters work hard to combine styles and flavors that represent the old traditions, while creating new flavors and styles all their own. This creates an abundance of options for people shopping for summer beer.

I had a chance to review about a dozen summer beers for this article. I selected six for my “summer six pack” to share with all of you. These beers offer geographic and stylistic diversity, along with some amazing flavors. Many breweries offer summer variety 12-packs with four different beers in them. This is a great way to try multiple beers with one purchase and begin your own summer beer sampling.

Here’s a look at six beers that stood out during my tasting:

Great Lakes Brewing Company Steady Rollin Session IPA (Cleveland): A single hop session IPA with vibrant tropical fruit aromas and fruity Mosaic hop flavors, balanced with smooth sailing malt flavors.

Sweetwater Brewing Company Going Coastal IPA (Atlanta): The bright aromas of the five citrus hops are accentuated by the tropical fruit of the pineapple. Offers a quick and bright finish that makes it highly drinkable.

Sierra Nevada Summerfest (Chico, Calif.): Brewed in the traditional Czech style. Crisp, golden and dry with a delicate and complex malt flavor balanced by spicy and floral hop character

Traveler Brewing Company Grapefruit Shandy (Burlington, Vt.): An intriguingly delicious wheat beer made with real grapefruit. It delivers bright and satisfying citrus aromas and flavor that invites another sip.

Brooklyn Summer Ale (Brooklyn, N.Y.): A refreshing and lively pale ale made with 100 percent British Row barley, which brings bread-like flavors. The American and German hops bring a snappy, bitter finish.

Anderson Valley Summer Solstice (Boonville, Calif.): A slightly sweet, malty session beer with a creamy mouth feel and clean finish. Hints of caramel on the nose and spice on the palate.