Sierra Nevada 'Summerfest' Lager. 5% abv. 28 IBU. Pale yellow color. Over a finger of bubbly white head. Excellent retention with moderate lace. Nose of faint sweet light malt, herbal hops on the back. Front taste of grain, corn, floral bitter hops. Aftertaste is spiced hop bite, bitter grassy grain on the sustain. Thin body. Mouthfeel is crisp, effervescent, slight carb.

This is a good easy-drinking summer brew. The thin almost watery body and mouthfeel lend to outdoor sessions, but with just enough hop bite to bring you back. The flavors range from herbal to floral, always with a fresh bitter sting in the background. A worthy lawnmower beer, by design. Good stuff. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"Since their invention in the 1840s, Pilsener-style beers have become the world’s most popular style. With a nod toward the original Czech tradition, Summerfest is brewed to feature the best of Bohemian nature. Crisp, golden, dry and incredibly drinkable, Summerfest has a delicate and complex malt flavor and spicy and floral hop character—the perfect warm weather beer."

[source: sierranevada.com]

"There's something about a warm summer day that calls out for a cold glass of great beer, and this classic Czech-style lager is sure to for the bill. Crisp, golden and refreshing, Summerfest is the perfect choice for soaking up the sunshine."

[source: bottle]

Anderson Valley Brewing 'Summer Solstice' Cream Ale. 5% abv. 6 IBU. Amber-orange color. Finger of creamy tan head. Good retention and moderate-low lacing. Nose of caramel, warm sugar. Front taste of sweet malt, caramel, faint herbal spice on the back. Aftertaste of brown sugar, biscuit, sweet citrus notes. Medium body. Mouthfeel is rich, creamy, round.

This is an excellent beer, and a departure from its supposed category. Summer beers tend to be crisp, light, with heavy citrus. This unique summer beer is malty, sweet, and rich, almost serving as a dessert brew. The malt profile combined with the background citrus and hint of spice is enough to give it a signature all its own.

Summer Solstice is based on Anderson Valley's amazing Winter Solstice, which is bolder in its use of spices, and is one of my favorite seasonal beers. I encourage you to try both. If you like their summer beer, you will adore their winter. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Summer Solstice is a slightly sweet, malty session beer with a creamy mouth feel and clean finish.  With hints of caramel in the nose and a touch of spice, it’s become affectionately known as 'cream soda for adults'. The unique flavors and superior drinkability make for the ultimate refreshment on a hot summer day."

[source: avbc.com]

Anchor Brewing Summer Beer. 4.5% abv. 10 IBU. Gold color with thick white frothy head off the pour. Minimal retention. Thin lace. Faint nose of crackers on the pour. Malty wheat is very present up front. Medium mouthfeel due to the wheaty head, a contrast to its thin watery body. Light aftertaste of wheat and hops that does not sustain long. Crisp light session brew. Sweet buttery aroma further down the glass. An ok-good lawnmower beer. Every brewery has a mass-crowd-pleaser, a beer that is approachable by anyone. This is Anchor’s. It’s good, but far from their usual excellence.

From the brewery:

"The crisp, clean flavors of Anchor Summer Beer are refreshingly light, a thirst-quenching American-style filtered wheat beer. Released each year in advance of the summer season, Anchor Summer Beer is an all-malt craft beer, with over 50% of its malt derived from malted wheat. It is fermented with a traditional top-fermenting "ale" yeast, yielding a clean, balanced flavor that highlights the refreshingly light flavor of malted wheat. The head is unusually abundant due to the natural protein deposits of wheat, with a thick consistency similar to meringue. First brewed in the summer of 1984, Anchor Summer Beer is the first American wheat beer in modern times. Anchor Summer Beer is intended to be a lighter beer for those who don’t want to sacrifice historic tradition or character."

Sierra Nevada 'Flipside' Red IPA. 6.2% abv. 60 IBU. An alternative summer beer. Red-amber color with off-white head. Low retention. Nose of herbs and citrus peel. First taste is hops and bitter fruit, like grapefruit. Balanced hop aftertaste. Thin-medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, small-bead carb.

This is a good beer that tries to strike a middle ground between different styles. It’s got the easy drinkability and citrus notes of a summer beer, but with the slightly malty back of an amber. It’s not as good as many IPAs, but better than most red ales. I could certainly have a couple of these in one sitting. That being said, it is far from the best that Sierra Nevada has to offer.

From the brewery:

"A hop-forward fix for the first days of fall. Just when it feels like the dog days will never end, suddenly, the switch is flipped, the air gets cooler and it’s clear that autumn is on the way. Featuring a ruby-red hue and abundant tropical fruit and citrus hop flavors, Flipside Red IPA is the perfect beer for the final flash of summer."