Top 10 American Craft Beers for Summer

By Daniel Drennon Thu., Jun. 16 2011 at 11:00 AM

Daniel Drennon

Ommegang Hennepin

Traffic. Air pollution. Earthquakes. So why, at your local sports bar, are seemingly half the patrons transplants from New York, Boston and Chicago pulling for their hometown teams and lamenting "how great it is back home?" Four words. Bikinis. Board shorts. Beer. Another idyllic summer has arrived here in Los Angeles and it's the perfect time to enjoy our country's best climate with a smooth, crisp, light-bodied American craft beer. So we consulted with three of the best beer minds in the region for guidance as to which beers to savor this summer.

Gabe Gordon helms Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach and will open Beachwood BBQ and Brewery in downtown Long Beach in July. Tony Yanow owns the hideaway know as Tony's Darts Away in Burbank, and will open Mohawk Bend, with 70 taps in Echo Park, on July 28. Martin Svab is the beer savant at Naja's Place in Redondo Beach, a waterfront dive bar that features a mere 88 taps and three times that many bottles.

We asked each of the three to give us their 10 favorite summer-drinking beers, then combined their lists with our own, then weighted them with the rankings of thousands of beer geeks who "grade" individual beers on beeradvocate.com. We're nothing if not scientific. Turn the page for the results: the 10 best American craft beers for summer.

10. Allagash White (Portland, Maine). A slightly fruity, refreshing Belgian-style wit and only 5% abv so you can drink it all day long, like Kool-Aid, only way better.

9. Victory Prima Pils (Downingtown, PA). A German-style pilsner hailing from the classic Pennsylvania brewery. A thirst-quencher and sessionable at 5.3% abv.

8. Ommegang Hennepin (Cooperstown, NY). A brilliant farmhouse saison that lights up your tongue with a hint of spice and citrus that makes this a perfect beer to offset the heat. At 7.7% abv, this one can sneak up on you.

7. Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale (Petaluma, CA). A silky, crisp, wheat beer that is oh so right for a little sumpin' summer. It goes down so smooth that you would never guess it comes in at 7.5% abv.

6. Strand 24th Street Pale Ale (Torrance, CA). A perfect pale that is the only local beer to make the Top 10, and available at most decent beer bars in town thanks to Rich Marcello, aka the hardest working guy in the L.A. beerbiz. As for the pale itself, we would say to brewer Joel Elliott, "You done good, son!"

Tags:

Beachwood BBQ, beer, Daniel Drennon, Gabe Gordon, Martin Svab, Mohawk Bend, Naja's Place, summer beer, Tony Yanow, Tony's Darts Away

We Recommend

foodgps

Good rundown of seasonally appropriate beers. Cool to see Strand make the cut.

Gigantalope

I think Oskar Blues has some contenders, like Gordon's and Gubna, and ODell in Ft Collins makes a fantastic Summer Ale called St Llupin (sp) it's likea hop-tightroe walk, Also Session from Full Sail is among the best hot weather beers in the world. Hess 5n San Diego makes a Viena Ale,whichis a spin-off of the classic Vienna Lager that the most interesting manin the world drinks.

Thirsty in LA

A must summer "refresher" course. Mr. Drennon really brought the flavors to life in print, can't hardly wait to try some Allagash White and Dogfish Head Festina Peche, so the hunt begins.

Hop Locust

These beers are so well described, I want to try them all. One question: what does it mean for a beer to be sessionable?

Stevicus

Sessionable beers are typically lighter in alcohol but still try for a sturdy flavor. A beer you would want to drink all night, and one that did not knock you out after 3 or 4, or 8 or 12.

Chorizo

Just to add. Sessions are about 4% ABV and lower. A lot of craft beer makers (Drakes, Russian River, Avery) are starting to make them. However, if you drink 12 of them, it's no longer a session.

Stars&Stripes

Another great article by Mr. Drennon. A great selection of beers for that "hot town - summer in the city - back of my neck getting dirty and gritty" - kind of day when you want to kick back with a cool brew by the pool or where ever. Only suggestion is that next time - have one of the "Girls of LA Beer" holding a bottle of the best cool brew in your pictorial photos.