As summer begins to give way to fall, you might be trying to hang on to a slice of sunshine before the bitterness of winter sets in. So before you start reaching for the heartier stouts and porters, why not have one last summer-beer hurrah?
A nice crop of melon-y beers has taken over the market this summer, and we think they’re the perfect way to cool off in the final weeks of summer. Fresh flavors such as watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, and cucumber are mixing with IPAs, sours, saisons, and wits, allowing for lots of variety for every palate. We’ve got to get our fruit somehow!
Watermelon
Watermelon makes a fantastic melon beer because it has a bit of sweet juiciness and a bit of tartness that goes very well with a number of beer styles. While some beers lean more toward the soft and wheaty variety, others are firmly on the sour and Gose side.
- Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, California) Briney Melon Gose
- Paradox Beer Company (Divide, Colorado) Skully Barrel No. 30 Dry Hopped Dark Sour Ale
- Breckenridge Brewing (Breckenridge, Colorado) 471 IPA Barrel Series: Hull Melon
- Strangeways Brewing (Richmond, Virginia) O.T.I.S. Cucumber Melon Sour
- Perennial Artisan Ales (St. Louis, Missouri) Funky Wit Melon