There are a few choices when it comes to power ranking summer beers. Sure, you can make a claim for a classic West Coast IPA, wheat beer, Kolsch-style beer, or the salty, refreshing Gose-style beer. But, in the hierarchy of summer beers, it’s difficult to beat the appeal of a crushable, thirst-quenching lager. It just feels like summer activities were made for this beer style.
Honestly, if I happen upon an ice-filled beer cooler and stick my hand in blindly, grabbing for a can, I’m hoping it comes up with a summery lager. There are few things better on a hot day at the lake, mowing the lawn, or simply sitting in a field in the sun than a crisp lager. What would you rather have occupying your non-playing hand during an afternoon of cornhole, bocce, or ladderball?
Warm weather lagers?
Before I go any further, it’s important to give a little background on lagers themselves. This beer style is defined by its brewing and conditioning at cold temperatures, using a bottom-fermenting yeast. There are a wide variety of lagers, including strong lagers (like bock beers) and dark lagers (like Vienna lagers), but today we are most concerned with the thirst-quenching, light bodied lagers like pilsners, Helles lagers, light lagers, and pale lagers.
We’re looking for lagers that are crisp, refreshing, flavorful, but crushable (and likely sessionable), and well-suited for a day spent floating in a river, lake, or large pond in a comically large inner tube or blow-up mythical creature. The lighter the better if you ask us. What would you rather drink on a hot day: a crisp pilsner or a barrel-aged stout? I think the answer is fairly obvious.
The best easy-drinking beers for spring (and summer)
Now that you’ve learned a little background on the types of lagers we prefer to drink during the warm months, it’s time to actually find some to add to your garage refrigerator. I did my best to mix up the lighter lager styles and included a pilsner, helles-style lagers, light lager, and a pale lager. Below, you’ll find these crushable brews in all their glory. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Narragansett Lager
If you’re going to drink an American no-frills lager, make it Narragansett Lager. Brewed with 6-row malt, a blend of Northwest hops, Iowa-grown corn, and lager yeast, it’s known for its bready, lightly mineral aroma that also features sweet corn and gentle floral hops on the nose. The palate is refreshing and surprisingly flavorful with notes of sweet corn, cereal grains, honey, and floral, earthy, lightly bitter hops. The finish is sublimely crisp and dry, and leaves you craving more. As a bonus, it’s a sessionable 5% ABV and often comes in retro cans that are the same ones Captain Quint “crushes” in ‘Jaws’.
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils
California’s Firestone Walker is well-known for its IPAs. But you absolutely shouldn’t sleep on its popular Pivo Pils. This 5.3% pilsner is brewed with Pilsner malts, house lager yeast, and kettle hopped and dry-hopped with Saphir hops. The result is a memorable, crushable pilsner that begins with a nose of bready malts, lemon peels, honey, and herbal, floral, lightly piney hops. Sipping it reveals notes of biscuit malts, citrus peels, honey, freshly baked bread, and prickly, floral, gently bitter hops. The finish is crisp, dry, and ends with a gentle, piney, noble hop bitterness that you won’t soon forget.
Weihenstephaner Helles
No classic summer lagers list is complete without at least one beer from Germany. Not only is Weihenstephaner the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world, founded in 1040, but it also makes one of the best Helles lagers. Made according to the traditional German Purity Law (also known as the Reinheitsgebot), it’s crafted with simple ingredients like well water, proprietary yeast, Bavarian-grown malted barley, and Hallertau Select and Saphir Noble hops. The result is a balanced, refreshing lager that begins with a nose of bready malts, orchard fruits, citrus peels, and floral hops. The palate is centered on notes of caramel malts, honey, ripe apples, and floral, earthy Noble hops. The finish is gently hoppy and effortlessly thirst-quenching.
Bohemia Pilsner
You can’t have an easy-drinking lager list without at least one Mexican lager. While you can’t go wrong with a Corona or Modelo Especial, I love the refreshing, balanced flavor of a Bohemia Pilsner. Made in the traditional European style, this memorable pilsner is brewed with Moravian malted barley, a proprietary yeast strain, and Czech-grown Saaz hops. Made in Mexico the same way since 1905, it begins with aromas of lemon peels, honey, bready malts, fresh-cut grass, and floral hops. Sipping it brings flavors like caramel malts, citrus peels, hay, ripe fruits, and flora, earthy, slightly spicy hops. The finish is crisp, dry, and leaves you hoping there’s at least one more still left in your back yard cooler.
