21 Summer Beers to Cool You Off On a Hot Day

The late English author Gilbert Chesterton once wrote: "Let a man walk 10 miles steadily on a hot summer's day along a dusty English road, and he will soon discover why beer was invented." He's right, of course — there's something about the combination of the warmest season and an ice cold brew that just works. But at the hottest times of the day, many people want to avoid the beers that feel too heavy and have the highest alcohol content. We've found a selection of beers that will help settle that warm-weather parch without knocking you out. Cheers!

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ABV: 4.5% 
You've probably heard of Stella Artois and might have even thrown back a few of their pilsners in your time, but this newer beer from the Belgium brand takes its cue from what was arguably 2020's biggest beer trend: lagers galore. It's triple-filtered for a light and crisp finish with hints of citrus. 

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ABV:4.2% 
If your idea of a great summer drink is a piña colada, 21st Amendment, out of San Francisco, might turn you into a beer lover yet with Sparkale Tropical's flavors of pineapple and coconut with just a hint of apple. 

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ABV:5.4% 
Another lager that's perfect for the lazy days of summer, this one is brewed with fresh lime peel and puree. Great Lakes Brewing suggests pairing it with carnitas tacos and fruit. Beer Advocate reviewers give is solid marks, with one remarking that it has "the exact right amount of lime — very refreshing."

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ABV: 4.2%
This beer — often called a "Leinie" — won't be near the top of any beer snobs' to-buy list. But ask a few friends and the shandy will almost certainly come up, with comments such as "Drinking it means time at the lake!" It's not strictly beer, but a crisp Weiss blended with lemonade, which makes it extra refreshing in hot weather. Not a lemon fan? It comes in other flavors; keep an eye out for its grapefruit version this year.

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ABV: 4%
Need a beer you'll feel comfortable quaffing in your swimsuit? At just 95 calories, the Slightly Mighty is what Dogfish calls its "lo-cal" IPA. The secret? Monk fruit, which gives the beer a sweetness while keeping it low on calories and carbs. Its hoppy flavor is further complemented by notes of "pineapple, coconut, mango, and citrus." Low-calorie craft beers continue to be a trend, and this entry is just the first of a handful on this list.

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ABV: 5%
Another 2020 trend sticking around for 2021? Rosé beers. And this one, Rosalie — which appeared on a number of "best summer beers" lists — is one worth picking up. Firestone Walker blends Chardonnay and other grape varieties with pilsner and white wheat malts and a "dash of hibiscus flower." Men's Health called Rosalie "dry and delicately acidic, with a moderate alcohol content designed for day dissolving into evening."

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ABV: 6.5%
Rated consistently four or five stars, Dupont's Belgian saison farmhouse ale was introduced in the U.S. in the 1980s, and its popularity hasn't faded. If anything, it's had a renaissance after saisons became popular with craft brewers again a few years back. Beer-ranking site the Beer Connoisseur calls the Dupont a thirst-quencher "with no equal."

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ABV: 3.8%
With a lower-end ABV and just 120 calories per can, Rec League is another brew that slid into a number of "best summer beers" rankings. An American pale ale, it's described as both "fluffy" and "crisp," with summer-inspired notes of grapefruit, orange, mango, and papaya.

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ABV: 4%
A lot of beers on this list have fruit notes — it is summer, after all. But Suncrush — a newer label from the Hardywood Park Craft Brewery team — goes all in with the fruit focus. It's a cold-conditioned sparkling ale made with matcha green tea and fruit, and it comes in six flavors: tangerine, black cherry, grapefruit, Southern peach, lemon raspberry, and cranberry, and it's the embodiment of another beer trend — the low-ABV, fruit-flavored beer. As of now it's availability is limited mostly to Virginia and Washington, D.C.

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ABV: 4.2%
If you can't find Suncrush in your area, this Flanders red ale with the added juice of cherries and elderberries is a nice alternative with consistently high ratings on beer review sites. Said one review on BeerAdvocate: "Surprisingly very drinkable. Although there's a fair amount of sweetness to this, the light body, low ABV, and the small serving size could all combine to help convince me to have two or three in a session."

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ABV: 4%
New Belgium collaborated with craft brewing company Primus Cerveceria to brew this homage to Mexico's agua frescas, or fruit drinks, served typically in street food markets. Mural surprises those who drink it with its deep pink hue, as well as bright notes of watermelon, lime, hibiscus, and agave. One reviewer on BeerAdvocate notes that the brew gives "hints of all of summer ... without punching you in the face. It's a beer that would be good on the beach or after a race."

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ABV: 5.3%
Another collaboration, AleSmith worked with Maui Brewing to develop this "pale ale with authentic Japanese Koshihikari rice along with fruit-forward Galaxy hops." One reviewer noted that the "use of rice ... really lightens up the body and makes it very easy to drink." Look for notes of citrus, passionfruit, and mango.

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ABV: 4%
A light lager with lemony and herbal hop notes, Swipe Light is a recent entry in the category of "light beers," bridging the gap, says BeerConnoisseur.com, between "craft beer flavor and lower calorie, easier drinking beers." It comes in a slim can, each serving up just 110 calories.

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ABV: 6.5%
Clearly not for the beer purist, this recently introduced brew is riding in on the back — get it? — of the popular mule trend. It's infused, of course, with flavors of ginger and lime but, just like with its namesake, at 6.5% ABV you won't want to drink too many too fast.

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ABV: 4.4%
Jackie Dodd, the face behind Domesticfits.com website, recommends goses for the warm weather months. "The tartness, with a hint of salt, just tastes like summer," she says. While Dodd is stocking her fridge with Kulshan Brewing's Cherry Gose this summer, the brew may not be available outside the Pacific Northwest. For a tasty alternative, try Left Hand's gose, ranked one of the best summer beers of 2019 by Outside Magazine.

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ABV: 4.5%
Session ales are another recommended summer beer because of their low ABV. A "sessionable" beer is so named because of its low alcohol content, meaning you can have a few over the course of a day without too much buzz. This particular session ale is what Dodd is drinking this summer, but it's a pub draft only in certain parts of the country. An alternative if you can't find it? Lagunitas Brewing's DayTime Session IPA came in second on Men's Health's list of best summer beers.

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ABV: 5%
Looking for something a bit stronger? And less fruity? This widely available Mexican lager made it onto Dodd's and Men's Health's best summer beers lists. Dodd says: "There is a nostalgic quality to a Mexican lager, and since craft breweries have been doing a great job at creating them, I'll do a great job at drinking them."

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ABV: 4.5% to 5.3%
Sometimes you don't want to hunt good beer down, and that's especially true if you're throwing a party. For times such as that, pick up a couple armfuls of this variety pack from nationally distributed Sam Adams. The pack contains Sam 76, a lager/ale hybrid, the citrus wheat Summer Ale, Porch Rocker, a tangy radler, and the brewery's original brew, the Boston Lager.

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ABV: 4.8%
Brewed in Cologne, Germany, where the Kolsch style originated, Reissdorf's version has been around a long time and is widely available. What makes a Kolsch a Kolsch? The brew is fermented with ale yeast, then finished with lagering, leaving a light beer with a clean, crisp finish — perfect for summer. And, indeed, the Reissdorf version was once named "The Perfect Beer for Summer."

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ABV: 5.2%
The name says it all, and Victory follows that up by claiming its golden ale is "a taste of sunshine." With "earthy and citrusy hop flavors of lemon and pine," it's not overly fruity. The brew gets consistently solid scores on BeerAdvocate. Says one reviewer: "Pleasant, tasty, and drinkable ... looking forward to picking this one up again."

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ABV: 4.2%
Another veteran on this list, Shiner's blonde debuted in 2011. Though it's available year-round, the brewery says it is "the perfect complement to a really well-tied rope swing" — in other words, it's perfect for summer. And, at just 99 calories per bottle, it's perfect for those who may be watching their summer weight.

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