What's in the beer fridge: Summer 2020

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It’s hard to beat an ice cold beer in the summer. It’s the perfect top off after a long hike and a welcome companion when you’re in charge of the grill. Plus, unlike a cocktail, there’s no preparation or recipe for enjoying a beer other than making sure it’s refrigerated.

With days getting hotter and hotter, there’s no better time to restock your fridge with beer. Here’s what’s in mine right now:

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IPAs

I’m a fan of a good IPA, especially in the summer. They taste great on their own and even better with some carnitas tacos from the local taco truck. Drake’s is my gold standard when it comes to IPAs. You’ll often find it in my fridge or me sharing it with others. Not to be outdone, I’m also a diehard 21st Amendment devotee. Their variety pack comes with four different styles of IPAs (and a few other beers that I’ll get to in a second) and I’m all for it (I just wish Back in Black was included).

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Sours And other sweet ales

Sour beers are the perfect beer for summer, but you can find them in our beer fridge year-round because they’re Chelsea’s favorite style of beer. Sierra Nevada’s Wild Little Thing and Dogfish Head’s Seaquench Ale are great examples of how different sours can cary. The former is sweet yet tart and bursting with guava and hibiscus while the latter tastes almost like a margarita with sour limes and sea salt. I would love to tell you how the Crush variety pack tastes but my wife has claimed them all (she says their great). The 21st Amendment Sparkale comes in the variety pack and so I lumped it here. It’s perhaps just a little too sweet for me, but perfect for your friend that loves wine and coolers but doesn’t drink beer.

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Stouts and Porters

While Chelsea is a fan of sours, I love a good stout and porter. Anchor Brewing’s Porter is actually the first modern porter to be brewed in the United States. I find it to have a strong, almost bitter coffee flavor compared to Anderson Valley’s Oatmeal Stout, which tastes sweeter like toffee. Outside of the states, you’ll always find Guinness in my fridge. I often have to travel for Ireland to work and while nothing beats cream straight from the tap, a can will have to suffice until we can travel again.

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Wheat, Belgians, pilsners, and Lagers

I tend to favor lighter beers like wheats and lagers in the summer over brown ales. 21st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon is my quintessential summer beer - light with a dash of fruit. However, last summer, my friend Carrie turned me on to Allagash White and it’s been making appearances in my fridge since. I enjoy its Belgian-style wheat flavor with hints of coriander and orange peel. When I’m not looking for fruit in my beer, I’m either drinking North Coast Brewing’s Scrimshaw Pilsner or 21st Amendment’s El Sully Lager, both of which are great every day beers.

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DrinksEdwin Zeebeer, beer fridge, Anchor Brewing, Allagash, 21st Amendment, Drake's Brewing, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, 10 Barrel Brewing Co, Anderson Valley, North Coast Brewing, Guinness, Shady Oak Barrel House, HenHouse Brewing, Cooperage Brewing Company, Humble Sea, Original Pattern Brewing Company, Roses' Taproom, Innis & Gunn, Two Birds Brewing, Stone & Wood, Caledonian, Fremont Brewing, MadTree, Bell's, Fort Point, what's in the beer fridge, archive