How to choose a Beer Style for Summer

Summer is here and warmer, brighter and longer days arrived. Let`s talk about Beer Styles and refreshment. There are more than one hundred twenty amazing Beer Styles. Beer is a very versatile drink and shelter a huge variety of colours, flavours and textures. There are surely some beer styles that fit better the Summer season; probably those that are ligther, refreshing, thirst-quenching and pair with Summer food ingredients and recipes. It is much easier to choose a seasonal food; you just have to go to a local market and take what growths in the shelves...Brewers in nowadays can produce almost any beer style all year-round so it is not easy to choose. The good news is that there are some simple tips that will help you to choose a refreshing Beer style. Although there are no universal rules that fit every beer, there are some great guidelines that will empower your refreshing beers choices. When you love some beers, you make rules.

GUIDELINES TO BEER REFRESHEMENT

Guideline #1

Check the ingredients

Brewmasters use barley malt as the main beer ingredient. It brings strenght and body to the beer.

When they want to brew lighter beers they boost other ingredients and use corn, rice or wheat and avoid special and darker malts.

Fruits (for example cherry, dried orange peel), spices like zesty coriander seeds are great in some styles. Fruity hops also bring freshness. And, of course, they use more water in the recipe. Remember that the most thirst-quenching drink is water.

If the beer is fermented with other microorganisms beyond brewing yeast (wild fermented), go for it.

Guideline #2

Moderate alcohol content

Although beer is generally a moderately alcoholic drink, pick the beers with lower alcohol (in average, less than 4,8 % abv).

That means that these beer styles are in in the lower end of standard-strenght beer (4 – 6 % abv).

abv: alcohol by volume

Guideline #3

Look beer in the eyes and choose the paler ones

Lighter beer colours generally refer to lighter beers syles.

So choose preferentiallly pale beers, yellow to gold having white or clear foam.There are some exceptions like Dark Mild and Dunkles Weissbier. Be carefull with some Belgian beers that are pale but powerfully alcoholic.

Vibrant bubbling or effervescence also apply to beer refreshment, as well a creamy beautiful foam.

Guideline #4

Pay attention to the mouthfeel

Look for light to medium bodied beers in order to stay in fresh mode.

The textures of refreshing beers can be crisp, puckering, watery, creamy or smooth. No alcohol warming in order to let freshness shine.

Gas tingling or bite are welcome in some styles.

Guidelines #5

Look for acid taste

The most refreshing beer styles are acids, so look for it.

Low to moderate bitterness and a punch of salty are fine but avoid sweet at any cost.

Guidelines #6

Follow Nature flavours

Beer Summer flavours follow Nature and food seasonality: sour, vegetal, sulphur, dairy, floral, fruity, phenol.

No alcohol, pungent spicy (pepper, ginger,etc) and Maillard-type flavours (caramel, chocolate, nutty, roasted, toasted) that boost with special malts. Don´t forget to look for a dry finish to find an amazing Summer breeze in your beer.

AMAZING BEER LIST FOR SUMMER

Take this beer list anywhere and you will never fail beer refreshment. Enjoy!