"Go To" Summer Beer

[FSUTribe76]

Shiner Ruby Red.

That's my wife's favorite go to beer and she's incredibly happy it jumped from seasonal to annual. Since I just mentioned it, I think for a hot summer day I'd go with the Sea Dog's Sunfish over the Shiner Ruby Red as it's lighter and less strongly fruit flavored. But that's time and place. At home watching a movie and eating some pork tenderloin in the AC I'd go Shiner Ruby Red everytime. But outside in the heat grilling up some hot dogs or some fresh caught fish I'd definitely go Sea Dog Sunfish.

 

[TexSkills]

Is Ballast Point available in Florida?

Yep. You can get a decent number of their beers here, including all the Sculpin varieties.

 

[NDallasRuss]

Actually, I forgot about a great summer slugging beer until just now. Sea Dog's Sunfish ale. It's a light filtered wheat beer with a little added grapefruit, peach and orange blossom honey. Unlike a lot of adjunct beers where the flavors dominate over the beer, in the Sunfish the fruit and honey just adds a nice floral fruitiness to an already great light wheat beer and it's neither overpoweringly tart nor sweet. Although I'm a beer snob and advocate I'm not one who drinks a lot in one sitting session style as I'd rather nurse/sip on one flavorful one than throwback 12 Buds. But if I had to session out a beer, I'd probably go with this one. It's basically an alcoholic San Pellegrino with more than one flavor note.

That sounds pretty good - I'll have to see if they have it around here.

 

[cjnoles9399]

We used to do something similar. In a shot glass, fill half with lemon juice (from those plastic lemon bottles), half with lime juice (from those plastic lime bottles), pour into a pint glass. Fill shot glass again with vodka, pour into pint glass. Fill pint glass with Bud Light. Stir. Drink.

I've done a similar drink on a hot summer day that my wife enjoys. Fresh squeeze of lemon and lime, splash of OJ, splash of Sprite, shot of vodka and fill the rest of the glass with high life.

 

[TexSkills]

Just tried the Summer IPA from Ninkasi out of Oregon and it was great.

Some that I have had in FL that I can't get here were KeyBilly and Hotter Than Helles ( I think that's from Cigar City)

Our Total Wine location had Ninkasi beers a few weeks ago. I got their Double IPA and India Red Ale. They were pretty solid.

Keybilly is made by BrewHub. They're a contract brewing operation that craft brewers outsource their big sellers to, including Cigar City and Green Man Brewing in Asheville. They also brew for BJs Brewhouse. Keybilly is one of their own beers I think.

 

[seminoledq]

Yep. You can get a decent number of their beers here, including all the Sculpin varieties.

This is great news. I was thinking about backing off my moving to Florida if I couldn't get the Sculpin.

 

[West Duval Nole]

Basically an entire Miller High Life

C'mon, you are better than this.

 

[RunRonnieRun]

That's my local brewery, right down the street I really like everything they brew. Sours are an acquired taste, but they are nice on a hot day.

I have been drinking Coors Light, CC Bibo/Tropicalia (when I can find it), 3 Taverns A Night on Ponce, Orpheus Rites and my home brews of Sculpin and Founders All-Day IPA.

How do you feel about Bibo? It's probably my least favorite of the easily-available canned CC beers. As mentioned above, I've been drinking a lot of Tropicalia lately and I really like Athena as well, especially this time of year.

I'm very excited for Scofflaw to open, hopefully this summer.

 

[RTM58]

Cheers, salut, bottoms up – however you say it, nothing beats raising a glass in a new city, country or continent.

LINKY

 

[FSUTribe76]

C'mon, you are better than this.

Nah, for the American adjunct lagers (the polite name for corporate swill) I like the High Life the best of all of the ones I can easily purchase (so over Bud, Coors, Busch, Natty, Keystone, PBR, Rolling Rock etc). And I wouldn't want to waste really good beer in a shandy or radler.

 

[West Duval Nole]

Nah, for the American adjunct lagers (the polite name for corporate swill) I like the High Life the best of all of the ones I can easily purchase (so over Bud, Coors, Busch, Natty, Keystone, PBR, Rolling Rock etc). And I wouldn't want to waste really good beer in a shandy or radler.

I would have pegged you for a Michelob guy!

 

[Cubman777]

Hell or high watermelon is good. New Belgium makes a watermelon brew too. It's good as well, but the name is escaping me at the moment.

Samuel Smith's Apricot Ale is my summer go to (although it's available all year). Just an awesome drink.

New Belgium's is called Heavy Melon. It is undrinkable. Simply disgusting. I like a lot of their beers, too.

I like a nice pale ale when it is super hot, Sierra Nevada is still good to me. Lately I have enjoyed the Pilsner that they have been including in their multi-packs. Not bad. Wish Publix had that as a stand alone sale.

 

[cfbfan23]

Kirsch Gose by Victory Brewing.

 

[seminoledq]

New Belgium's is called Heavy Melon. It is undrinkable. Simply disgusting. I like a lot of their beers, too.

I like a nice pale ale when it is super hot, Sierra Nevada is still good to me. Lately I have enjoyed the Pilsner that they have been including in their multi-packs. Not bad. Wish Publix had that as a stand alone sale.

Nooner, from Sierra Nevada

 

[FSUTribe76]

I would have pegged you for a Michelob guy!

Nah, but if you count Yeungling with the other American adjunct lagers then I guess you could say I'm really a Yeungling guy who drinks High Life in the heat. I usually don't put Yeungling in with the Buds and Coors of the world, I usually hold them just outside of that with the likes of Sam Adams as neither true craft brew nor truly bad American commercial adjunct lager.

And as a sidenote, I go on countless beer, wine and distillery tastings when I travel and do tastings at stores and fairs locally and the best beer tour by far and on par with Opus One for wine and Maker's Mark for spirits is Yeunglings original brewery in PA. You get taken back into the natural cave system used for hundreds of years for beer storage and the pristine water source plus get to see the prohibition era brick walls thrown up around the original brewery tools and the cave system. It's a 5 star tour and the only brewery that REALLY stands out for a tour. Now don't get me wrong, I've had better tasting boards (Wicked Weed in Asheville NC, Victory in Downingtown PA and Troegs in Hershey PA come to mind and it's tough to beat unlimited self pours at Abita just outside of NOLA), but it was an amazing tour.

 

[Cubman777]

Nooner, from Sierra Nevada

That's the one. Pretty good really and I don't really go for Pilsners at all

 

[FreeFlyNole]

I've done a similar drink on a hot summer day that my wife enjoys. Fresh squeeze of lemon and lime, splash of OJ, splash of Sprite, shot of vodka and fill the rest of the glass with high life.

I believe what you guys are describing is a single serving of "Hop, Skip and Go Naked" That is one of my favorite summer party beverages.

one can of condensed lemon aid
one can of condensed lime aid
1 fifth of vodka
1 12pack of light beer
1 2ltr Sprite
Fill the rest of the cooler with ice

Instant summer party.

 

[EL73]

Total wine is a damn good place to get lost in, good cigar selection as well

I call it "Disney World for Adults ". Excellent selection of wines, beer and cigars

 

[F4Gary]

Nooner, from Sierra Nevada

Good stuff for a light beer.

 

[kld04g]

Clown Shoes Brewery- Mango Kolsch

 

[runkpanole]

I like seasonals, but I have to say that spring and summer produce considerably less good options IMHO compared to fall and winter.

 

[FSUTribe76]

I like seasonals, but I have to say that spring and summer produce considerably less good options IMHO compared to fall and winter.

I'm the exact opposite. I think I will puke at the next pumpkin spiced anything I have, I am so over that flavor. Basically everything in winter gets peppermint or generic spiced and everything in fall is pumpkin or occassionally apples. I'd much rather some fruit flavored beers because at least there's a huge variety of options to go with. And really, I'd like to see them go floral other than hops flower more than they have. And I don't mean rose or honeysuckle or anything necessarily "girly", but hibiscus, violet, iris, heather, sweet gale, and elderflower. Even magnolia makes a great bitter. When I was brewing my own beer on the regular, I would frequently substitute in some sweet gale and heather for the generic hops as it gives it a different flavor while still working as a bittering agent. And hibiscus works wonders in a farmhouse sour.

 

[QuaZ2002]

I rarely drink beer, when I do it's one of those "already drunk what's at the bottom of the cooler" moves. I can put down some Sailor Jerry with Pineapple/OJ at the pool or beach. At the bar it's still Makers on the rocks.

 

[RunRonnieRun]

I'm the exact opposite. I think I will puke at the next pumpkin spiced anything I have, I am so over that flavor. Basically everything in winter gets peppermint or generic spiced and everything in fall is pumpkin or occassionally apples. I'd much rather some fruit flavored beers because at least there's a huge variety of options to go with. And really, I'd like to see them go floral other than hops flower more than they have. And I don't mean rose or honeysuckle or anything necessarily "girly", but hibiscus, violet, iris, heather, sweet gale, and elderflower. Even magnolia makes a great bitter. When I was brewing my own beer on the regular, I would frequently substitute in some sweet gale and heather for the generic hops as it gives it a different flavor while still working as a bittering agent. And hibiscus works wonders in a farmhouse sour.

Interesting that's where your mind goes with Fall and Winter beers. I think of Stouts and Porters.

 

[DanC78]

Interesting that's where your mind goes with Fall and Winter beers. I think of Stouts and Porters.

I'm with tribe.

I can drink stouts and porters year round no problem. Just more of a dinner beer rather than afternoon beer. But I don't think of them as seasonal at all.

I can't drink anything hoppy anymore...I'm done with hops, and every flipping beer made seems to be a hoppy beer....the smell makes me want to puke. Smells like straight up butt to me now.

 

[seminoledq]

Interesting that's where your mind goes with Fall and Winter beers. I think of Stouts and Porters.

For me I think of pumpkin & spices for fall and stouts & porters for winter. However I don't drink any of those any time of year. Summers, pales and IPAs' year round for me

 

[montconole]

Total Wine's corporate office is across the street from my office. The owners grew up in Montgomery County and one tried to win a congressional seat this past election and with county controlling and selling liquor through its own stores, there are zero Total Wine stores in this county.

 

[mnole03]

I'm looking to score a few cases of Sweetwater's Summer Variety Pack. Anyone here know where I can get some?

 

[runkpanole]

I'm looking to score a few cases of Sweetwater's Summer Variety Pack. Anyone here know where I can get some?

Publix

 

[billanole]

I'm looking to score a few cases of Sweetwater's Summer Variety Pack. Anyone here know where I can get some?

I saw that in the grocery store above work today (Ingles Supermarket which is a regional chain in western NC). Not a bad choice at all.

 

[TexSkills]

Interesting that's where your mind goes with Fall and Winter beers. I think of Stouts and Porters.

+1

 

[PoopandBoogers]

This is great news. I was thinking about backing off my moving to Florida if I couldn't get the Sculpin.

The Ballast fruit sculpins are hit or miss yr round in FL, but I did hear from their rep (FSU grad), that they should be more available. Their grapefruit is a good summer beer, the pineapple and watermelon are ok, and the habenero, you need to pucker your anus towards the finish.

As far as my fave summer beers, huge fan of Founders All Day IPA and Cigar City Tampa style lager. The CC Tampa lager is one of my least favorite CC's, but it's a damn good beach beer, much better than anything else in the easy-drinking lager category, and one of my go too summer beers.

Also, don't be scared to go for a sour or a goze. Kinda similar to a shandy with a little more kick and personality. This is what I have now.

 

[TexSkills]

I'm looking to score a few cases of Sweetwater's Summer Variety Pack. Anyone here know where I can get some?

LOL, I saw that news story. What was the number the thieves swiped? 7,000+ cases?

Hell, Sweetwater's beer quality ain't what it used to be so the thieves may return it.

 

[cornnoleio11]

Any craft lovers in Duval need to check out Alewife in Riverside/5 points. Nice spread with some great beer selection. Little on the pricey end, but a cool spot.

 

[TexSkills]

Any craft lovers in Duval need to check out Alewife in Riverside/5 points. Nice spread with some great beer selection. Little on the pricey end, but a cool spot.

I've been in there before. You're right about it being pricy and their tap selection is small but it does have a cool vibe.

 

[cornnoleio11]

I've been in there before. You're right about it being pricy and their tap selection is small but it does have a cool vibe.

Yea you can buy the beer but have to pay extra for them to open it and you to drink it there. The Seafood spot next door is the bomb as well. Can't recall its name. I have to throw in another new favorite of mine, Sweetwater Pineapple Express IPA.

 

[F4Gary]

I just drink the same kinda beers year round.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

I just drink the same kinda beers year round.

And your skid marks have been the same since the 80's. Change it up sometime. Seriously, grab a good Belgian St. Bernardus or 2.

 

[F4Gary]

And your skid marks have been the same since the 80's. Change it up sometime. Seriously, grab a good Belgian St. Bernardus or 2.

I try different beers all the time, but I just seem to gravitate back to what I like. Not a fan of the Belgian white beers, or Kolsch beers, or wheat beers. Drinking Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter tonight.

 

[kelleynole#1]

I love the Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, Labatts has one I want to try, I am diabetic so I can only have a couple at a time so I usually buy Yuengling Light or Sam Adams Light