Summer is the perfect time to enjoy fresh fruit. There’s something nostalgic about biting into a huge slice of watermelon, juice running down your face, and the feeling of sticky hands and sunburns. As adults, fruit beer is a marriage of two beautiful things, juicy summer fruit, and delicious booze. It’s a category that stretches beyond the lemon shandies of the world and includes everything from mangoes with chili to pineapple and passionfruit. And if you’re worried these are going to be too sweet, don’t. These brewers have expertly crafted a crisp and refreshing summer beer.
Clear up some space in the cooler and make way for these 7 delicious summer fruit beers.
Rahr & Sons– Paleta De Mango
ABV: 5.5 percent
Juicy and tropical flavors of ripe mango, pair exquisitely with fresh lime and Mexican Pequin Chilis. While not a new flavor combination, it makes for a unique and refreshing summertime beer.
Deschutes– Fresh Squeezed IPA
ABV: 6.5 percent
Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA is the perfect summer companion with a heavy helping of citra and mosaic hops. This beer really is tasty, and surprisingly refreshing.
Ballast Point– Grapefruit Sculpin
ABV: 7 percent
The tangy bitterness of grapefruit gives this brew a refreshing and unique taste. Although grapefruit is technically a winter fruit, this IPA tastes like great on a warm summer eve.
Goose Island– SPF
ABV: 5.5 percent
A crisp and refreshing fruit ale with hints of passionfruit and pineapple. This beer is tropical, aromatic, but not overly sweet. SPF is perfectly light and quenching.
Stiegl– Radler Grapefruit
ABV: 2.5 percent
Stiegl Radler Grapefruit is a great option for those looking for a beer with lower alcohol content, or calorie-conscious consumers. It has a wonderfully fruity grapefruit aroma and is made with 100% all-natural ingredients.
Shiner– Sea Salt & Lime
ABV: 4.9%
This beer literally makes me feel like I’m on the beach. Refreshing lager brewed with sea salt and lime, it just might be the quintessential summertime beverage.
21st Amendment Brewery– Hell or High Watermelon
ABV: 4.9 percent
This wheat beer is brewed with real watermelon for a flavor that is crisp, dry, and refreshing. You can’t help but feel like that sweet summertime bliss when drinking in the smell of watermelon.
