Looking for the best summer beers to drink in the park or at home? Check out our options below for the best Designated driver? You can still enjoy beers this summer with our round-up of non-alcoholic beers.
Eko Haze New England IPA, £5.20/440ml, Hop Burns & Black
London’s Eko Brewery makes beer inspired by African traditions and ingredients, and their latest release, a hazy NEIPA, is a homage to a classic African drink, palm wine. Brewed with coconut palm sugar, this is a winningly juicy, fruity affair with tart citrus notes and a rounded sweetness from the palm sugar. At 6.5% ABV it’s quite boozy, but the 440ml can means you can easily split between two people.
People’s Captain Legend APA, £14.29/6 pack, peoplescaptain.co.uk
A classic American pale ale with a piney, citrus kick, this is great served with spicy summery food like tacos or kebabs. A percentage of each beer sold also goes to the People’s Captain Foundation to support mental health initiatives.
Beavertown Space-Born Lo-Cal Hazy Pale, £2.25/330ml, beavertownbrewery.co.uk
Lower-calorie beers are often bland lager-type affairs so this juicy, fruit-packed hazy is a welcome lighter addition to summertime drinking. A perfect BBQ partner.
Fourpure Citrus Session IPA, £2/330ml, fourpure.com
Fourpure’s whole range has undergone a summer makeover. This crisp, refeshing IPA (previously known as Easy Peeler) packs in the citrus fruit for a light and lovely thirst-quencher.
Grey Skies Headliner, £26/12 pack, greyskiesbrew.co
Sometimes simplicity is best – such as with this likeable, straightforward lager from new Manchester brewery Grey Skies. Clean and crisp, with an appealing soft maltiness, it’s a great everyday beer. We also liked their Studio Session pale ale, with its perky, piney hoppiness and peachy stone fruit notes.
You’re On Mute!, £6/440ml, magicrockbrewing.com
Tropical and topical, this latest beer from Huddersfield cult brewers Magic Rock is a cheeky nod to the unofficial catchphrase of the past year. The DIPA (double India pale ale – a beer style where the hops are increased along with the malts for a deeper, richer, stronger beer) is intensely fruity with complex tropical notes – think juicy, sun-ripened mango with a little sharp citrus edge. It comes in at a hefty 8% but it’s a lovely balanced beer – serve chilled and sip slowly for the ultimate wind-down.
Signature Brew C-Sharp Sicilian Lemon & Citra Sour, £3.15/330ml, signaturebrew.co.uk
A slightly hazy, beautifully crisp sour that doesn’t tip over into mouth-puckering, C-Sharp Sicilian Lemon & Citra Sour balances the lower acidity and perfume of Sicilian lemons with crisp Citra hops. A perfect intro to the sour style, this is a tart summer refresher.
Lowlander Summer Ale, £3/330ml; bathrdbeers.co.uk
Brewed with dragon fruit and curaçao orange, this easy-drinking, low-ABV beer (3.8%) has an aromatic citrus and tropical character. Ideal for session drinking.
Siren Lumina Session IPA, £2/330ml, sirencraftbrew.com
All summery tropical hoppiness, this winningly accessible IPA has a beautifully soft mouthfeel thanks to the addition of oats in the beer.
Jubel Beer Cut With Elderflower, £1.85/330ml, Sainsbury’s
This crisp bottle, cut with gently sweet (not cloying) elderflower, has delicate floral notes that make it surprisingly complex.
Øl Gose to Hollywood, £3.50/440ml, M&S
This Danish brewery has revamped its popular sour and the end result is deliciously refreshing, with that lip-smacking saltiness characteristic of gose, as well as summery orange notes.
