Best Summer Beers: Our Top IPAs, Ales, and Lagers for Hot Weather
Pull off the grill cover, put on a tank, and rejoice over summer’s return. The sun hangs high and lazy, its toasty rays full of promise: music festivals, rooftop parties, and coolers loaded with summer craft beers whose refreshing flavors are prime for the season.
Popular summer beer styles
Sometimes light and refreshing summer beers are the ticket, and traditional lagers are champions of crisp. Lush fruit is also a summer staple, and Hazy IPAs often taste like a juicy harvest. And hops are so versatile, the wide world of India Pale Ale can always tame hot temps.
So keep an open mind: both a low-ABV session beer and a bold Torpedo could be the summer beer styles you’re after.
Top 5 Summer Beers
Whether it’s for a beach day, the rec kickball team, or a chill BBQ, scan our picks for the most refreshing summer beers to bring along.
Best Summer IPA: Peachy Little Thing Hazy IPA
Your personal orchard, stocked all summer long.
Available May–November
Peachy Little Thing drips with juicy, bright flavor from Alora hops — a bounty of peach, nectarine, and orange. We layer in Magnum hops and real fruit character so every sip of this Hazy IPA is a hoppy harvest. “It has that initial punch of peaches,” says Isaiah Mangold, our Manager of Innovation, “but as you keep sipping, it has all the complexity you expect from an IPA.”
Best Summer Lager: Summerfest Lager
Cool down with the best summer beer for hot weather.
Available April–July
Soak up the rays with our Summerfest beer, the perfect balance of malt sweetness and floral, spicy hops. It pours golden bright, serving up hints of biscuity bread and lemon zest, leading into a dry and refreshing finish. With an easygoing 5% ABV, Summerfest is your cold snap for any heat wave.
Best Summer Pilsner: Sierra Nevada PILS
European pilsner tradition meets American craft.
Sierra Nevada PILS is our modern take on a timeless classic. Immerse yourself in this premium craft lager, from its brilliant color and tight foam to the hop kiss from Crystal Lupulin. At 4.7% ABV, with light malt sweetness and a clean, refreshing finish, PILS is your summer patio anthem.
Best Beach Beer: Hazy Little Thing IPA
Juicy & silky smooth, for a Hazy IPA summer.
Available year-round
Take in its hazy, golden glow. Those foggy depths are a jackpot of juicy hop flavor, like tasty bites of ripe citrus or sweet-tart slices of pineapple.
And while Hazy IPAs can be easy drinking, their creation is rather complex. With Hazy Little Thing, our brewers obsess over the hops and malt making it the most refreshing summer IPA beer. That’s because certain grains — picked for their proteins, beta-glucans, and other beer-nerdy specs — interact with hop compounds called polyphenols to help generate that smooth, refreshing and fruity haze.
But hey, we take care of that tricky science; you just soak up the Hazy summer.
Best Summer Ale: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
It tastes like summer camping, basically.
Available year-round
When he launched Sierra Nevada on “glorified home brewery equipment,” founder Ken Grossman knew he wanted to feature exclusively American ingredients in his flagship Pale Ale. But at the time, American hops fell short — until a newbie changed everything.
“Cascade came out and it was just different than all the rest of them,” Ken says. “We wanted unique and distinctive, and so the Cascade fit that bill.”
Cascade’s famed aroma of pine, citrus and spice define Pale Ale, which promptly started the American craft beer revolution. Almost a half-century later, Pale Ale remains the gold standard for the style, balancing caramel malt and bold hops, and having a magnetic pull toward coolers destined for outdoor adventure. Pitch the tent, then reach for Pale Ale.
Bonus Picks: Best Beer for Summer’s Outdoor Adventures
Tropical Little Thing Hazy IPA
Available exclusively in the Hazy IPA Pack
For some, it’s a hammock nap at a quiet campsite. You’re channeling the Tropical Little Thing vacation vibes, hopped for ripe aromas and flavors of mango, papaya, and passion fruit.
Torpedo IPA
Available year-round
For others, it’s ripping singletrack or kayaking some feisty waters, and Torpedo IPA goes just as hard with explosive notes of citrus, tropical fruit, and pine.
Non-Alcoholic Trail Pass
Direct shipping to the lower 48 states except GA, ID, MI, MS, TN & WV
Alongside our iconic beers, the non-alcoholic Trail Pass lineup means you can reach for the right can at the right time.
- • Trail Pass Hazy IPA won the Gold Award for “Hoppy Non-Alcohol Beer” at the 2025 World Beer Cup®. It’s fruity and dank, a juicy flavorscape fit for any adventure.
- • Trail Pass Golden is an easy-drinker when temps soar, with smooth malt and a crisp finish.
- • Trail Pass IPA brings the hoppy notes of citrus and pine, balanced with a silky malt body.
- • Trail Pass Brewveza is beach-ready, a blonde ale brewed with just a hint of lime for maximum refreshment.
Beer and BBQ
Beer and BBQ make for a good, chill time — the food is sizzling and your friends are lounging. You can’t go wrong with Pale Ale, Hazy Little Thing, and Summerfest in the cooler; both the hopheads and lager lovers are covered. Plus if you can spare a few precious ounces, beer can dial up the flavor on the grill.
Pale Ale Bratwurst Recipe
Hazy Grilled Shrimp Skewers Recipe
FAQs for Summer Beers
What makes a beer a good summer beer?
A good summer beer is crisp, refreshing, and easy to reach for when the temperature climbs. Think bright flavor, balanced bitterness, and a finish that keeps every sip feeling clean.
What are the best beer styles for summer?
Some of the best beer styles for summer are lagers, pilsners, pale ales, and session IPAs. They bring plenty of flavor but still feel light, lively, and ready for long afternoons outside.
Is lager or IPA better for hot weather?
It depends on your summer mood. Lagers usually feel crisper and more refreshing in the heat, while IPAs bring bigger hop flavor and more bite. For pure hot-weather refreshment, lager often wins the cooler.
What is the best summer IPA style to drink?
The best summer IPA is one that stays bright and drinkable. Session IPAs and citrus-forward IPAs are great picks when you want hop flavor that still feels fresh, breezy, and right at home in the sun.
What is the best beer for the beach or pool?
The best beach beer or poolside beer is one that stays crisp, easy-drinking, and refreshing from the first sip to the last. Lagers, pilsners, and session IPAs all fit the bill when the sun is high and the cooler is open.
What foods pair best with summer beers?
Summer beers love warm-weather food. They pair especially well with grilled chicken, burgers, fish tacos, hot dogs, fresh salads, and salty snacks. Crisp beer and backyard BBQ food are a pretty natural match.
What are the most popular summer beer flavors?
Summer beer flavors tend to lean bright and refreshing. Citrus, floral hops, tropical fruit, light malt, and crisp grain notes all show up a lot in beers made for sunny days and easygoing hangs.
