RS Recommends
From refreshing pale ales, to fruit-forward IPAs, we've rounded up the top craft beers that are totally sippable for a hot summer's day
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As bars open back up around the country, a lot of people are easing back into the idea of popping into their local drinking establishment for a cold one. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stop drinking at home—in fact, you may have already stocked up your mini fridge and prepped a full-on home bar for the long haul.
Truth is, there’s never been a better time to try out the best craft beers from some of the best breweries in the country. For one, it’s now easier than ever to get local favorites, limited edition IPAs, and seasonal beers delivered straight to your door. You don’t have to worry about long lines, or removing your mask to take a frosty sip. Plenty of craft breweries have upped their game with beers you can buy online—along with all the other wine, and tequila, and more you can order now.
Related: The Best Non-Alcoholic Beer, Wine and Spirits to Order Online
So if you don’t want to extend your brewmaster wings and go through the hassle of making your own at home, save the brewing for the professionals. We’ve rounded up some of the best craft beers to try this season, whether you crack them open at a long-awaited BBQ with friends, or just from the comfort of your own home.
A bonus: use our links to buy these craft beers online and have them delivered in as little as 30 minutes. Right now, you can also get $5 off your purchase at delivery site/app Saucey.com with code MEMORIALDRINKS. Valid 5/1-6/1.
1. New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale
BEST OVERALL
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Now this is a beer that tastes as good as you can feel about drinking—New Belgium brewing company, known for their crowd-pleasing favorites such as their Voodoo Ranger and Sour IPA, are also notable for their sustainable manufacturing processes and their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But their standout is clearly the sweet yet herbal Fat Tire Amber Ale (named after the co-founder’s bike drip across Europe), which was dubbed “America’s first Carbon Neutral certified beer.”
A little spicy, a little fruity, this is a well-balanced 5.2% ABV beer that is great for grilling season, since the woodsy flavor pairs so well with barbecued foods. Think of it like the rosemary roast chicken of the craft beer world. There’s truly something for everyone, though, whether you like a more hops-forward drink, something sour, or something fruity. For a beer with a light footprint, and a refreshingly light taste, we can choose no other than Fat Tire Amber Ale.
Right now, you can also get $5off your purchase at Saucey with code MEMORIALDRINKS. Valid 5/1-6/1.
Buy New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale $12.99
2. BrewDog Clockwork Tangerine Citrus Session IPA
BEST FRUIT-FORWARD BEER
If BrewDog‘s Clockwork Tangerine was a movie, we would give it all the awards for best summertime blockbuster. The fresh, fruity, and citrus-infused flavors tick all our boxes for a solid summer beer, something you can lightly sip at the beach or crack open after a long day of yard work.
This 4.5% ABV is a stand-out IPA, considering it took the crown in Brewdog’s 2017 Prototype Challenge under the pseudonym of ‘Tangerine Session IPA’. Normally fruity beers will try to lean into the citrus by going full-on sour, or mash a bunch of tropical fruit flavors together until it feels more like a smoothie than a hard beverage. But Clockwork Tangerine has a citrus kick with mellow tropical notes, and a toasty background that rounds it all out. As with all BrewDog beers, Clockwork Tangerine is carbon negative and BrewDog removes double the CO2 it takes to make.
Buy Brewdog Clockwork Tangerine Citrus… $10.99
3. Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA
BEST HAZY IPA
Looking for a beer that feels a little more raw, with more of an unfiltered taste? Hazy Little Thing IPA from Sierra Nevada is as low-processed as it gets, as it comes straight from the tanks and into the can for those who like it bit more au natural.
The smooth, juicy flavor of this 6.7% ABV beer is thanks to Sierra Nevada’s unique fermenting process—not only do they use grains like wheat, oats, and Munich malt for a creamier finish, they chill their fermenters at a higher temperature than normal, which gives the beer that signature “haze.” While it’s still a fruit-forward hop, it’s pretty bold, so it’s best pair with light and lean summer foods like salads, seafood, and greens like asparagus. Extremely smooth to drink, hopefully your night won’t end up as hazy as this beer.
Buy Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA $11.25
4. Narragansett Lager
BEST LAGER
This award-winning Rhode Island beer is not only incredibly sessionable, it’s packed with some of the most flavor we’ve tasted out of a premium lager. It’s won several medals from the World Beer Championship, World Beer Cup, and the Great International Beer & Cider Competition, just to name a few, with a recipe that’s stayed the same since 1890.
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Okay, so then how does it taste? Clean, crisp and refreshing—it’s an “old reliable”-type lager, the gold standard. It may not have any of the fancy flavor combinations of newer craft beers, but this 5% ABV beer will deliver on smooth taste every time. Narragansett is the kind of lager you would share with a neighbor, or bring to a cookout. Speaking of which, it’s incredible versatile to boot, pairing just as well with the smoky flavors of BBQ as it does to leftover takeout.
5. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
BEST STOUT
This Goose Island imperial stout is as dark, dense, and full of flavor as the inside of a bourbon barrel. Which makes sense, since the brewing company used a blend of barrels from several whiskey distilleries when making this dark beer, aging it for a year to get you incredibly rich, bourbon-esque taste.
Not only is it aged like bourbon, it will hit you like bourbon too—the drink has 12.9% ABV, one of the highest levels on our list. Even if it’s a bit boozier, you can still really get all the complex flavors, and you won’t miss all the notes of chocolate, vanilla, and caramel combined with the smoky charred oak. It’s incredibly rich, the kind of beer that goes best with a hefty steak dinner. The company says as much, that “one sip has more flavor than your average case of beer.” As long as actually you slow down to taste it, we’re inclined to agree.
Buy Goose Island Bourbon County Stout $25
6. Night Shift Whirlpool Pale Ale
BEST PALE ALE
Sometimes you don’t want to go heavy, though, especially if it’s going to be a long night: that’s where Whirlpool’s Pale Ale comes in. Whirlpool is Night Shift’s flagship New England pale ale, and for good reason—it’s a hazy blonde beer that at 4.5% ABV feels remarkably easy either sip at dinner party, or just throw back.
The flavors are explosive too, with a juicy blend of ripe peach and clementine, and it’s super vibrant as it goes down without a bitter finish. Fun fact: Night Shift’s whole brewhouse was custom-built for this beer’s unique whirlpool brewing process, which allows for an generous generous dry-hopping process. It’s also fairly soft, and would pair well with a good cheese board, thanks to the combo brew of wheat and oats used. An all-time favorite, Whirlpool gives you bright flavors that won’t leave you spinning at the end of the night.
Buy Night Shift Whirlpool Pale Ale $13.99
7. Lagunitas IPNA
BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC
You may already know Lagunitas, the Northern California brewery behind one of the best-selling IPAs in the world. But they’ve used all the same knowledge and brewing secrets to whip up a satisfying non-alcoholic take on their flagship India Pale Ale that won’t leave you disappointed.
This is a full-flavored IPA with low ABV (around 0.5%), dry-hopped with Mosaic and Citra Hops (trust us, you will not miss out on any hoppy-ness here). Lagunitas uses the same ingredients found in any good IPA: hops, malt, yeast, and water to get that same favor to satisfy even the snobbiest of craft beer aficionados. It’s got a good, crisp flavor, with hints of citrus, so you can really pair it with most proteins, although it’s a little heavier than the average non-alcoholic bevvy. But Lagunitas is as no-frills and accessible as it gets for IPNA, especially if you’re looking for the good ol’ hop-forward beer.
FAQs
What is the most popular beer in 2022? ›
Corona and Bud Light are the most well-known beer brands in the United States. Both these brands are recognized by 85% of respondents in the U.S. Next on the list is the most valuable beer brand in the world, Budweiser, reaching a brand awareness of 84%.
What is the #1 craft beer in America? ›| Sorted by weighted rank (not shown). | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Beer:Barrel:Time (Rye 2022) Side Project Brewing American Imperial Stout | 15.00% |
| 2 | The Greenest Green Tree House Brewing Company New England IPA | 8.80% |
| 3 | Bourbon County Brand Two-Year Barleywine Reserve (2022) Goose Island Beer Co. English Barleywine | 17.00% |
Corona (brand value up 21% to US$7.0 billion) retains its top position as the world's most valuable beer brand, according to a new report from the world's leading brand valuation consultancy, Brand Finance.
What is currently the most popular craft beer style in America? ›Unsurprisingly, IPAs, DIPAs, and hazy IPAs are still the most popular beer styles in America.
What are the best selling craft beers? ›| Rank | Company | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc | PA |
| 2 | Boston Beer Co | MA, DE |
| 3 | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co | CA |
| 4 | Duvel Moortgat USA | CA, MO, NY |
In 2021, overall beer sales were up 1% year over year – hitting $100.2 billion – and sales of craft beer jumped 8%, according to the association. Craft beer, said Watson, may be the industry's answer to consumers' increased willingness to spend more on variety, flavor and quality.
Why craft beer is healthier? ›Craft beer offers some important health benefits because it contains antioxidants, protein, and vitamin B complex. It is a good source of silicon and some recent scientific studies show that hops could act as a barrier against gradual decline of the brain's cognitive functions.
What is the best tasting beer in America? ›- Best Overall: Alchemist Heady Topper. ...
- Best IPA: Brouwerij West Picnic Lightning IPA. ...
- Best Pale Ale: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. ...
- Best Stout: Bell's Expedition Stout. ...
- Best Porter: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald. ...
- Best Brown Ale: Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale.
The top selling beer of 2020 is Bud Light:What are the top 10 beers in the world in 2020The number 2 best selling beer: Corona Extra #3 best beer on the list is: Michelob Ultra #4 is Coors Light from the Molson Coors Brewing Company Coming in at #5 is Miller Lite The number 6 top beer is Budweiser #7 is Heineken #8 ...
What is the most popular beer with Millennials? ›
The online survey of 548 beer drinkers by market research company Datassential finds that millennials (respondents 26-40 years old) prefer IPAs, while Gen X (41-57 years old) and Baby Boomer (58 years and older) beer drinkers say lager is their favorite beer style.
What is the top 10 beer in the world? ›- Budweiser. Budweiser, sometimes known as “the king of beers,” has been the number one beer in the world for a long while. ...
- Bud Light. Budweiser's profits remain steady, especially in the domestic beer market. ...
- Corona. ...
- Heineken. ...
- Coors Light. ...
- Tsingtao. ...
- Modelo. ...
- Keystone Light.
A bottle of Budweiser beer. The slogan was changed to the “King of Beers” in the mid-twentieth century as aluminum cans became a more popular form of packaging. It's still in use today and is featured predominately on Budweiser labels.
Which is the healthiest beer to drink? ›The healthiest are stouts and porters, and higher hoppy beers, such as DIPAs and Imperial IPAs, Trappist beers, and spontaneous fermented beers, such as Lambics and Gose. Trappist-style beer is probably the most famous of the Belgian beers.
What country drink the most beer? ›The country that drinks the most beer per capita is the Czech Republic. It has topped the list for almost 30 years straight, since 1993. The Czechs drink on average 181.7L of beer per year per person. That is almost twice as much as the second-ranking country, Austria, which averages 96.8L per person.
What are the latest craft trends? ›- Glassblowing.
- Tufting.
- Stained glass art.
- Terrazzo.
- Crochet.
- Dried flower arranging (the eco-friendly kind)
- Polymer clay everything.
Why are IPAs so popular? IPAs tend to have a cult following. They're different and interesting and have a different flavor profile than most craft beers, so they have a pretty intense following of all sorts of beer drinkers, from the occasional partaker to the enthusiast.
What is the craft beer capital of America? ›San Diego, California
With long stretches of sandy shoreline and more than 150 breweries across the county, the city is known as the “Craft Beer Capital of America,” and it's almost impossible not to step into at least one tap room during a trip to this southern California oasis.
- Best Overall: Weathered Souls Black Is Beautiful Imperial Stout. ...
- Best Stout: Deschutes Brewery Obsidian Stout. ...
- Best Wheat: Allagash White. ...
- Best Pale Ale: Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale. ...
- Best Summer: Stillwater Artisanal Ales Extra Dry. ...
- Best Red Ale: Karl Strauss Red Trolley Irish Red.
- 1) Pliny the Elder.
- 2) Two Hearted Ale.
- 3) Torpedo Extra IPA.
- 4) Hazy Little Thing.
- 5) Heady Topper.
- 6) Blind Pig.
- 7) Liberty IPA.
- 8) Stone IPA.
What beers are popular this winter? ›
Jackie O's Brewpub: Bourbon Barrel Black Maple (Athens, OH) 13.1% ABV. Prairie Artisan Ales: Barrel Aged Christmas Bomb (Tulsa, OK) 13% ABV. Goose Island Beer Company: Bourbon County Brand Stout (Chicago, IL) 14.7% ABV. Great Divide Brewing Company: Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout (Denver, CO) 9.5% ABV.
What age group drinks the most craft beer? ›A craft beer could have as much as . 9 ounces of alcohol per serving rather than . 6 like in a typical beer. As a result, you could get drunker faster and stay impaired for longer.
Is craft beer healthier than regular beer? ›Drink craft beer for the nutritional value.
Lower rates of cardiovascular disease. Improved bone density due to the presence of bone-developing element, silicon. Lower risk of joint issues, like arthritis. Increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, which help lower cholesterol.
Like the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men, and defines a drink as one 12-ounce serving of beer with 5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
What are the side effects of drinking craft beer? ›Drinking higher amounts of alcoholic beer can cause, blackouts, drowsiness, low blood sugar, vomiting, and other serious problems. Drinking large amounts of alcoholic beer long-term can cause many serious health problems including dependence, liver problems, and certain types of cancer.
Are IPAs more healthy? ›Indian Pale Ale (IPA) and other malted barley-rich beers are the best sources of silicon. Silicon does not only help in the bone buildup but also helps in maintaining the health of your bones. Another mineral found in beer is orthosilicic acid. This mineral makes it easier for the body to metabolize.
What is the best beer for new drinkers? ›Lager & Pilsner
(Budweiser, Coors Light, Corona and Michelob Ultra are all lagers.) This type of beer is perfect for beginners as it's known for its light, crisp taste and smooth flavor. Pilsners, a type of Lager, are slightly more spicy than a traditional Lager and are typically higher in hops flavor.
- Corona Extra With A Slice Of Lime.
- Abita Purple Haze.
- Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy.
- Bud Light Lime.
- Shock Top Lemon Shandy.
- Landshark Island Style Lager.
- Blue Moon Belgian White.
- Abita Strawberry Lager.
...
Brand value of leading beer brands worldwide in 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)
What are girly beers? ›
They include sour/American wild ales, fruit/vegetable/pumpkin-flavored beers, herb or spiced brews, shandies/radlers, Hefeweizens, blonde/golden ales, and Saison/farmhouse blends. Blonde/golden ale was the most frequent favorite among women, with 36 percent naming it one of their top styles.
What's a beer everyone likes? ›Miller Genuine Draft – Popularity Rating: 35% Modelo Especial – Popularity Rating: 35% Heineken Light – Popularity Rating: 34% Michelob Ultra – Popularity Rating: 34%
What state drinks the most beer? ›...
American Beer Consumption By State.
| Beer Consumption By State (2020) | Annual Gallons Per Capita | Preferred Beer |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 29.1 | Budweiser |
| Alaska | 26.1 | |
| Arizona | 27.0 | Dos Equis |
| Arkansas | 23.9 | Budweiser |
Guinness – Popularity Rating: 47% Samuel Adams – Popularity Rating: 47% Miller – Popularity Rating: 46% Budweiser – Popularity Rating: 44%
What are hipster beers? ›A beer that's more of an afterthought in today's beer landscape… Something you'd see in your grandfather's cooler rather than a rock club. Hipster beers are almost always lagers that pair competently with a shot of generic bourbon. They're deliberately anti-craft, anti-elitist and dive-bar chic.
What alcohol do millennials prefer? ›According to NielsenIQ data for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 4, 2021, beer had the highest penetration among consumers aged 21 to 34, with 35 percent of the population purchasing within the category. Wine and spirits saw similar penetration with millennials at 30 percent and 29 percent, respectively.
What is the most popular drink in America 2022? ›Most Americans are favoring Margaritas to sip at happy hour, a report by the agency TOP Marketing has revealed. A total of 22 states report the tequila-based tipple as their drink of choice, according to the agency's survey analysis.
What is the most expensive beer 2022? ›Brew Dog's The End of History
This Scottish beer has 55% alcohol content and makers recommend drinking it in small servings. The limited-edition beer by BrewDog will cost you a whopping $765 for 650ml. And believe it or not, the bottles are individually crafted using real animals that have died of natural causes.
Herbal and botanical flavors will be popular across all types of alcohol, including RTDs. Spirit brands will be innovating while still trying to make the beverage experience more accessible. Low and no-alcohol beverages will become more sophisticated and brewers will also have to incorporate more creative flavors.
What beverages are trending 2022? ›In 2022, expect beverage makers to continue emphasizing the presence of familiar flavors in drinks across categories. Childhood favorites like watermelon, strawberry, cherry, apple and grape will see a resurgence as consumers reach for those immediately recognizable and nostalgic profiles.
Which premium beer is best? ›
- Six Fields: A Belgian-style wheat beer, Six Fields has a rich colour, smooth taste and exotic aroma - specially made for people who enjoy fine alcohol. ...
- Godfather: ...
- Kingfisher: ...
- Budweiser: ...
- White Rhino: ...
- Simba: ...
- Corona:
Costco Beer Brands (Kirkland Brand)
If you are willing to commit to a 36-pack at a time (or even more depending on the beer) you will save yourself money compared to buying from a regular supermarket. This great pricing is especially true with the Kirkland signature beers—Costco beer even comes in a variety pack!
Bud Light from the Anheuser-Busch InBev Brewery is america's best selling beer brand with it's natural light flavour by restaurants in 2020.
What is the cleanest beer to drink? ›The healthiest are stouts and porters, and higher hoppy beers, such as DIPAs and Imperial IPAs, Trappist beers, and spontaneous fermented beers, such as Lambics and Gose. Trappist-style beer is probably the most famous of the Belgian beers.
What is the drunkest country in the world? ›People from Australia are getting wasted at a much higher frequency than the rest of the world, according to a global drug survey. The world's largest annual drug survey has ranked Australia as the drunkest country on the planet, with Australians getting shitfaced almost twice as frequently as the global average.