With cooler weather rolling in to Rochester, New York we’ve entered my favorite time of year. Shorter days and changing leaves are a stark reminder that we’re nearing a long winter, but it’s also an opportunity to look back on a sober summer of great beers.
These last few months I extended my near beer exploration into Belgium, Australia, and Canada. While the shipping costs and wait time will be a hurdle to placing regular orders, its certainly still more economical than flying there myself!
Between some new international beers and the regular lineup of domestics available, fall seems like a great time to look back on a few of my favorites. These aren’t necessarily gold medal recipients or the best of the best, and aren’t intended to be an objective review.
This is just a look back on my favorites from the summer and an opportunity to indulge in the nostalgia of sunnier days and warmer nights.
Not every beer I found this summer was a keeper, but these six stand out in my memory as total stunners.
Two Frays – You Do You – Mango Guava Wheat
Two Frays is a small craft brewer from Pittsburgh founded in 2020. What started as a small project to brew better beer has quickly grown into a local favorite craft brewery.
There aren’t many breweries who take seriously the task of brewing stand-out non-alcoholic beers, but Two Frays goes beyond taking it seriously and ensures their <0.5% ABV brews are as stellar as their full-test stuff.
Their “You Do You” is a name prescribed for a revolving lineup, and this summer it included a Mango Guava Wheat. The sweet fruity notes in this one balanced nicely with the drier wheat profile and ultimately arrived at a pretty fantastic beer.
It was refreshing as hell, crisp, and smooth with a great orange-ish hue. I was grateful to get one and made sure to mindfully enjoy the entire can.
Years – Pilsner
It’s rare to find an entirely-non-alcoholic-brewery that lands on the scene and nails their first beer out of the gate.
When Years launched this last spring in Chicago I was a bit untrusting, or perhaps trepidatious. While so many breweries try to impress with an IPA, the launch of a simple Pilsner was both curious and promising.
I bought a six-pack online and kept my expectations low, which ultimately proved unnecessary. All six of those cans proved to be the perfect summer beer with a crisp and cool profile that just barely touched some malt notes, and tinge of hops that wrapped up before the bitter set in.
Years landed right on my “Watch These Guys” list with the first sip. I’m hoping to see more from them soon!
Hoegaarden 0,0 Rosée
While placing a late night order on a Belgian website I noticed this one shimmering in the online store waiting to be snagged.
At the time I knew nothing of Hoegaarden nor the fact that it had been brewing since 1445. I’ve since learned that the Hoegaarden brand is synonymous with “Oh hell yeah!” in other parts of the world.
It’s a shame that they’re not more readily available here in the States, because each of the beers I’ve had from them are beyond outstanding.
Admittedly, this Rosèe was super sweet and drank closer to a berry soda than what I’d expect from a beer. But since I chose to pop the top on this bottle on a sweltering August afternoon, the cloying profile of the fruit kinda hit right where I needed it.
Maybe it was a momentous occasion that can’t be replicated, but this one really stood out for the summer.
Beaglepuss – Strange Hoppenings
If I were to confess my innermost thoughts, I’d have to admit the name Beaglepuss doesn’t really grab me. Adding to that, I typically don’t love IPAs.
If you’re still reading and willing to give me a chance, let’s just say that I’ve found some to be fine, but rarely anything I’m excited with.
When a friend was curious about this new craft brewery out of Providence, Rhode Island I agreed to split an order. What helped sell me was the fact that every non-alcoholic beer nerd that I knew and trusted all raved about the Beaglepuss brews.
I figured they had to be on to something, and it turns out they were.
The Strange Hoppenings Hazy IPA is easily the most approachable, balanced and vibrant IPAs I’ve had. The hops are present on the palate, but don’t linger with the bitterness I typically find in an IPA.
With a lot of beers in this category I have to think about my next sips, but this Hazy IPA goes down easy. After the first, I was glad we had split an order and I still had more to revisit.
Momentum – Kolsch
The launch of Momentum was widely anticipated in the non-alc beer community.
The guys behind ProofNoMore had already developed a solid reputation so we all expected great things from their brewery venture.
The Kolsch was the third release from Momentum that launched this year and I gotta say, it was a perfect summer crusher. On a warm summer day while cooking over a fire, this one proved itself to be so refreshing I almost drank it too fast and forgot to savor it along the way.
While a complex profile is impressive, I’m typically more impressed with a simple good ‘ole classic beer done right, and the Momentum Kolsh fits that bill perfectly.
Bière Sans Alcool – Blanche
This Canadian brewer out of Quebec seems to really lean into their sours which I do enjoy, but when I see a White available I’m typically extra intrigued.
I bought a can of this without any previous knowledge and no expectations. In fact, I was so un-enthralled it sat in the back of my fridge for a month before I even remembered it was there. Boy, was that stupid.
While Blue Moon has held strong as the superlative Belgian White, this BSA might be the top contender for a Blue Moon craving.
The notes of orange peel and the peppery wheat profile blend for one of the smoothest, most poised profiles of any beer I drank all summer.
I actually may take a drive up north just to drink one of these right in America’s Hat.
