When it comes to leisure activities during the summer months, it’s difficult to beat the appeal of a round of yard games. What could be more fun on a hot, sunny day than besting your friends and siblings in an epic backyard brawl? I can’t think of anything.
I’m talking about games like croquet, lawn darts, bocce, ladder ball, cornhole, and more. The only thing that makes the experience better is having a frosty, refreshing beer firmly in one of your hands. But just like how you don’t enjoy every yard game, not just any beer will do.
What beer styles pair well with yard games?
Since you’ll be playing cornhole and other games in the heat of the summer sun, you’ll want the right beer. Hot days call for thirst-quenching, refreshing, often sessionable beers. This includes crisp, effervescent, highly crushable pilsner and light lager, low-ABV session IPA, juicy, hazy IPA, flavorful wheat beer, as well as Gose-style beers, Kölsch-style beers, pale ales, and pretty much all summery brews.
How did I pick the beers to pair with yard games?
First of all, the selections on this list are all beers I drink regularly during the summer months. I didn’t include anything heavy, overly malty, or anything that I’d rather drink in the middle of winter as opposed to the height of summer. I also selected balanced, lower-ABV beers. But, above all else, every beer on this list is crisp and thirst-quenching on even the hottest summer day.
The best beers to pair with yard games
Now that you’ve learned about the different beer styles that complement yard games and why, it’s time to find some to add to your refrigerator. We have to hurry because summer is almost over. There’s less time to sip refreshing beers while you throw bean bags or hit balls than you think. Autumn, with its pumpkin spice everything, will be here before you know it.
Below, you’ll find my favorite IPAs, pilsners, Gose-style beers, and other thirst-quenchers to finish your summer of yard games off right. Keep scrolling to see them in all their frosty, malty, hoppy glory.
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils and croquet
Croquet is as classic as yard games get. Simply put, it’s a lawn game where players hit hard balls through metal (or plastic) hoops referred to as wickets using wooden mallets. If you play it one-handed, or you take a few breaks during the game, you’ll be able to sip a refreshing, hoppy Firestone Walker Pivo Pils. This 5.3% pilsner is brewed with 100% German malts, house lager yeast, and dry-hopped with Saphir hops. The result is a balanced, crisp pilsner that begins with a nose of lemon peels, honey, wet grass, and floral hops. The palate is centered on notes of bready malts, cereal grains, orange peels, and herbal, floral hops. The finish is crisp, clean, and ends with a kick of gently bitter hops.
Dovetail Kölsch-Style Ale and lawn darts
If you played lawn darts in the 80s or 90s, you were probably lucky not to be impaled by the metal spikes that once adorned this game. While new lawn darts are weighted and much less dangerous, it’s still fun to throw them across the lawn. The game is even better when it’s paired with Dovetail Kölsch. Brewed using open fermentation, this 4.6% ABV Kölsch-style beer is brewed with 100% Pilsner malt, a Belgian yeast strain, and Strisselspalt and Hallertau Blanc hops. This creates a thirst-quenching, memorable beer that begins with aromas of bready malts, lemon peels, honey, and floral hops. Sipping it reveals notes of freshly baked bread, candied lemon zest, cracked black pepper, cereal grains, and floral hops. The finish is crisp, refreshing, and ends with a fruity, citrusy, dry finish.
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier and bocce
You might want to pair an afternoon of bocce with a crisp, refreshing Peroni. But I’d rather opt for the balanced, flavorful German-made Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier. Brewed at the longest continuously operated brewery (founded in 1040), this popular wheat beer is made with a blend of wheat malt and Pilsner malt as well as Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops. This timeless brew is known for its aromas of sweet wheat, ripe bananas, and cloves. The palate is loaded with notes of freshly baked bread, ripe bananas, orange peels, and cloves. The finish is crisp, dry, and ends with fruit esters, banana, and wheat.
Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose and ladder ball
If you’ve never played ladder ball, you’re really missing out. This simple outdoor game consists of players taking turns throwing bolas made of two rubber balls connected by a rope onto a three-rung ladder target. It’s best enjoyed with a beer in hand, and a great choice is Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose. This 4.2% ABV gose-style beer is brewed with Pale two-row malt, malted white wheat, rice hulls, and house yeast. It gets added flavor from sea salt and watermelon. The result is a salty, tart refresher that begins with scents of lemon zest and ripe watermelon. The palate is centered on notes of juicy melon, citrus, and sea salt. The finish is refreshing, dry, salty, tart, and fruity.
Bell’s Light Hearted and corn hole
In the hierarchy of lawn games, few have the universal appeal of corn hole. It’s an easy game where players throw bean bags across the yard to an opposing board. It’s only made better with the addition of a flavorful, refreshing beer like Bell’s Light Hearted. This 4% ABV session IPA is brewed with two-row malts, Pale malts, Munich malts, and C-40 crystal malts, and house ale yeast. It’s hopped with Centennial and Galaxy hops. The result is a balanced IPA that begins with a nose of grapefruit, bready malts, honey, and pine. Drinking it brings notes of freshly baked bread, orange peels, lemon, wet grass, and floral, piney hops. The finish is clean, dry, and ends with a pleasant hop bitterness that leaves you craving more.
