It’s officially summer … not that you can tell! Okay, despite the rain this weekend, the sun is promising to shine in western Washington again soon and breweries are currently releasing summer seasonals, so it’s close enough! Times are still weird but local breweries are still doing their thing, providing us with delicious, crushable beers for those sunny days ahead.
We at The Spilt Pint decided to take a break from the barrel-aged darkness of our beer cellars and brainstorm 10 of our favorite beers to sip on while enjoying some sun and fighting off the pollen. Some are seasonals, some are flagship beers, some are more limited releases, all are delicious.
Sun Glitter Peach IPA, Silver City Brewing
The Sun Glimmer, while a year-round offering, is built for those warm days of summer. It’s tasty and refreshing with a nice peach accent. It comes in at 6.5% but you’d never know sipping on this delicious hazy beer that glimmers like ocean waves at sunset. – David
| Photo courtesy of Silver City.
Summer IPA, Reuben’s Brews
After visiting Seattle from Ottawa last year and brewery hopping, both of my sisters now want me to send this beer back to them by the case. This obsessive behavior also extends to a friend in San Francisco who honed his palate on NW IPA’s. I am now required to send out regular shipments of Summer IPA. – Brian
| Photo courtesy of Reuben’s.
Harbor Hefeweizen, San Juan Brewing
One of my favorite hefes. Easily crushable while chilling in Friday Harbor, riding the ferry home, or, you know, sitting on your couch. – David
| Photo courtesy of David Krueger.
Seattle Sunshine Hazy Pale, Hellbent Brewing
Brewed for the Sounders’ ECS supporters, this is the perfect beer to sip on while watching the Sounders annihilate the Portland Timbers. Or while scrolling through the Sounders Twitter account desperate to find any possible soccer content you can right now. – David
| Photo courtesy of David Krueger.
Coconut Blonde, Scrappy Punk Brewing
A festival and tap room staple, Coconut Blonde put Scrappy Punk on the map and help propel them to that *most beer fest tokens* level. A lighter grain bill with the nose and taste of pure coconut is sure to delight in the summer sun. – Brian
| Photo courtesy of Silver City.
Cucumber Gose, Fremont Brewing
Fremont tends to nail everything and the Cucumber Gose is the star of the summer show. It is the quintessential summer beer, using seasonal ingredients to make a light, refreshing and amazing beer. If the temperature cracks 70, I’m cracking one of these. – Brian
| Photo courtesy of Brian Hoorn
Pink Drink, Crucible Brewing
A year round Raspberry sour that is never too sour but always refreshing. A good blend of fruit and sour without overwhelming. – Brian
| Photo courtesy of Brian Hoorn
Italian Pilsner, Lowercase Brewing
Take a trip to the Old Country with this beautifully crisp pilsner. Double dry-hopped with Hallertau Mittlelfruh and Saphir hops, this Italian pilsner is unfiltered and full of summery flavors, including earth, flowers and freshly mowed grass. – Aaron
| Photo courtesy of Lowercase.
Winona, Fair Isle Brewing
The saison kings of Ballard hit a home run with this tart refreshing offering. I can see sipping a lightly chilled Winona as a new favorite pastime for a lazy summer day. – Brian
| Photo courtesy of Brian Hoorn.
Mexican Lager, Chuckanut Brewing
This is no time for Corona! Put down the watered-down, flavorless cerveza and pick up this beauty from Bellingham. Known for their German-style lagers and ales, Chuckanut brewed this with Skagit Valley Malting malted wheat, giving it a firm-yet-light body and refreshing finish. And sure, toss in a lime if you want. – Aaron
| Photo courtesy of Chuckanut