We Asked 9 Brewers: What Beer Are You Keeping Stocked in Your Cooler This Summer?
From backyard barbecues to beach days, beer is the perfect pairing for all things summer. And with countless styles from thousands of producers, there are near-endless options to toss in your cooler as temperatures heat up.
To learn more about what the pros will be drinking to cool off this summer, we asked brewers from across the country to share the beers they’ll be keeping stocked in their coolers. From Mexican lagers to a helles from Costco, here are nine brewers’ go-to summer beers.
The best beers to keep stocked in your cooler this summer, according to brewers:
Forest & Main Pilsner
Troubles End The Point Helles
Carbon Copy Kin Mexican Style Lager
Neshaminy Creek Warehouse Lager
Kirkland Helles
Allagash White
Rothaus Pils
Brooklyn Brewery Playa de Brooklyn
Moody Tongue Cold Kiwi IPA
The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. (ABGB) Hell Yes Helles
14th Star Brewing Co. Mexican Lager
Lawson’s Finest Liquids Kolsch
Russian River Brewing Company Blind Pig
Westbound & Down Brewing Company Westbound IPA
pFriem Family Brewers Pilsner
Trumer Pils
“Forest & Main Pilsner. F&M has been knocking out killer lager for a few years at this point, but I don’t think I’ve seen one labeled pilsner before. F&M is one of those breweries with a distinct house character, and it shines here. Troubles End The Point Helles, too. These 12-ounce cans are wonderful, especially when head brewer Zach is grilling you up a whole trout with corn and potatoes (he’s my neighbor). There’s also Carbon Copy Kin Mexican Style Lager. This is one of my favorite beers that I’ve had in the last few years. A light-bodied adjunct lager with all Motueka [hops], which give the beer a little lime character. It’s just so drinkable.” —Andrew Foss, head brewer, Human Robot Beer, Philadelphia
“It’s gonna be a long, hot summer. Without fail, Neshaminy Creek’s Warehouse Lager will be in my cooler. Warehouse is honestly a year-round favorite of mine, but when the heat and the humidity really get going, there is no substitute for an ice-cold Mexican Lager.” —Rory McClure, head brewer, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co, Croydon, Pa.
“After receiving medals at both GABF and World Beer Cup, I decided to buy some Kirkland Helles produced by Deschutes. Wow, that’s a solid beer! Because of the price and quality, it’s safe to say I’ll be keeping a constant supply in my fridge for a while.” —Derek Gallanosa, head brewer, GOAL. Brewing, San Diego
“Allagash White. Whether on draft, in cans, or in bottles, this beer is almost always flawless; bright, zippy, a little twang of wheaty acidity and just a touch of citrus. The ultimate porch-pounder. I’d give a slight edge to Schönramer if they were more widely available (we need some in New York!), but Rothaus is really the ultimate real-deal pilsner. Clean, sharp, some sweet malt, a floral hop aroma, and a tiny whiff of sulfur. Rothaus smells like a brewery, and I love it. Playa de Brooklyn, too. OK, sure, it’s my beer, but you know it’s in my cooler and it should be in yours, too. Playa is our version of a Mexican-style lager with a wedge of lime. And here’s the trick — the lime is so real (because it’s just juice) that this beer takes you straight to the beach and puts palm trees over your head. It’s exactly what you want with that barbecue.” —Garrett Oliver, brewmaster, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn
“I am currently stocking the fridge in my garage with our Cold Kiwi IPA. This is our newest beer in our perennial lineup, which is incredibly light-bodied and brewed with New Zealand hops, which create a profile reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc wines. What would be better than sitting outside during the summertime with a bottle of this IPA and grilled shrimp tacos?” —Jared Rouben, head brewmaster, Moody Tongue, Chicago
“ABGB Hell Yes Helles. I have been bribing all of my Austin friends to send me as much of this beer as possible this summer. It is a bit nostalgic for me, as I drank tons of this while living in Texas, but this helles continues to be one of the crispest, most drinkable, and balanced beers I think I have ever had. In the heat of the summer, it is all I want to drink.” —Averie Swanson, founder & beermaker, Keeping Together, Sante Fe, N.M.
“14th Star Brewing Co. Mexican Lager is always a go-to on a muggy Vermont afternoon. Endlessly enjoyable, I grab a fresh can whenever I’m on or near the water. I also look forward to our Kolsch-style after a shift.” —Christopher Heilmann, head brewer, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, Vt.
“Some of the beers I regularly keep in my fridge over the summer are: Russian River’s Blind Pig; Westbound & Down’s Westbound IPA; pFriem Pilsner; and Trumer Pils. I’m looking for something full-flavored but still bright and refreshing. Crispy pils or WCIPAs are my go-to beers through the summer months. If I’m not drinking Prost or Broken Hops beers, these are the ones I’ll go out and find.” —Christopher O’Connor, vice president of brewery operations, Prost Brewing Company, Northglenn, Colo. / founder, Broken Hops Brewing, Denver
“Our cooler is packed with Allagash White this summer. With friends and family constantly visiting Portland during the one time we tell them not to, the busiest time of the year is filled with oysters, hiking, excursions, and ferry rides to the surrounding islands. No one visits Maine and drinks a beer that wasn’t made here, and nothing pairs better with these activities and the fanaticism of drinking local than the only wit beer in the state.” —Brienne Allan, head brewer, Sacred Profane Brewery and Tankpub, Biddeford, Maine
*Image retrieved from Davizro Photography via stock.adobe.com
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