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by snebbu

Top Ten Beers to End Your Summer

Summer is coming to an end. Teachers and students must return to the dreaded school year, people start to give up on visiting the beach/lake/river, and discussions center around when the pool will close. Sad face. With all this doom and gloom, the only way to try to squeak out the last few bits of summer are of course through alcohol. We took a look at the ten best beers to remind of the summer. Enjoy.

10. Victory Summer Love

Summer love lends a refreshing, crisp taste to a beer without losing the actual flavor of beer. For me, shandies may tend to be too sweet. The ABV is low enough to day drink without compromising taste.

9. Coppertail Unholy

Based out of Tampa, Coppertail brewed an American Trippel that sticks to the traditional style of a trippel with tasty hops throughout. This is a drink to have on the porch in the evening as the day cools down and you realize the summer is ending. The high ABV makes this a great summer night cap.

8. Dogfish Head Namaste

Namaste is one of my go-to summer beers. It’s a low ABV plus a very refreshing beer with strong taste of summer (orange, lemongrass). PLUS, it can be mixed with another beer on our list. Delish.

7. Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin

Ballast Point Sculpin has been a tradition in our summer beer exchange for a few years now. But once they starting coming out with additional flavors of the Sculpin, we couldn’t help but try out the others. Pineapple is my favorite, and it sticks to the theme of summer. Pineapple juice flavor is strong, yet you still think you’re drinking beer.

6. Founders All Day IPA

Endless Beers: Top 10 “Winter Rarities”

What’s a “Winter Rarity?” Well, you know those “seasonals” you like so much? Yes, they are great…but odds are they will be around next year as well. How about the ones that won’t be around? THOSE are winter rarities. The special treats that breweries bless us with once a year—only during that year. Next year, they’ll have at it with a tweak. I won’t waste my breath, but here’s one simple tip. These rarities are meant to be enjoyed, but not all at once. Save at least six and compare with the next year…and the next…and the next. Within six years, you’ll have six beers to compare against each other. Anyway…here it is.

10. Bell’s Black Note Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout (2013)

ABV: 11.5%

Bell’s brewery decided to combine the Exhibition Stout with the Double Cream Stout. The result is a delicious beverage filled with malty flavors of chocolate, coffee, and even some fruity flavors. As you can imagine, this is not for the faint-hearted. OH—did you noticed the whole “aged in Bourbon Barrels” thing? Yup. Find one…if you’re lucky.

(Bell’s)

9. Weyerbacher’s Althea (2013)

ABV: 7.7%

With visions of the occasional sugar plum still dancing in your head, you’ll enjoy this brew. This is a dubbel style beer with notes of fruits coming through. Weyerbacher brewed this beer to raise Breast Cancer Awareness and donated one dollar per bottle to the cause.

(Weyerbacher’s)

Top 10 Beers to Drink on Halloween

Other than eating half of it, what are you planning on doing while handing out Halloween candy? Hopefully you’re planning on scaring the crap out of kids. Or maybe popping in your favorite scary movie. Regardless, why not do that while drinking a seasonal brew?

I’ve sampled each of the beers listed (and then some) to create a lineup of the top ten beers to drink on Halloween. Rather than ranking them, I put them into my own categories in order for you to determine which would be your best pick. I suggest picking two (or three) solid choices that you know you will like. Then, take a risk and try something new! On to the research:

Sweetest Pumpkin Beer: Tommyknocker Brewery’s “Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale”

ABV: 5%

Pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. That pretty much sums up this one. It smells like pumpkin pie and tastes like pumpkin pie. This is not for those out there that don’t enjoy sweets, particularly sweet beers. But for those who do, try it out. It’s a great dessert beer. It is medium bodied and has more of a sweet pumpkin taste than the spice taste that most pumpkin beers do. It’s a crisp, clear brew that’s easy (and sweet) drinking.

Spiciest Pumpkin Beer: Sam Adams Fat Jack Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 8.5%

You’ve heard about this one before, but trust me, it’s got all you want for a cool fall night. The brew offers a warming feeling with every sip–the same feeling in your stomach you get from a sip of Jack Daniels—while also delivering the sweet taste of pumpkin. You can taste the spices of cinnamon, ginger, and even the allspice together with pumpkin.

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