Thirsty students be advised: Spring is on the way! So along with those revealing clothes and open-toed shoes, get ready for some delicious beers.
Spring beers are typically a bit lighter than their winter counterparts, lower on the alcohol scale and often include a percentage of wheat in addition to malted barley in their grain bill. Many make use of fruits or spices, as well as specialty yeast that imparts its own particular characteristic flavors. One common factor among them, however, is that they will be ready to be enjoyed in the ensuing weeks!
Hoegaarden Belgian White Ale
Popping open a bottle, the aroma of orange peel and coriander, common ingredients in nearly all Belgian witbiers added during the brewing process, hit the nose. It has a pale, straw-yellow color with a slight protein haze, common in many wheat beers, and just a creamy little cap of white foam. Hoegaarden is fairly light-bodied, with very mild maltiness and a hint of a “citrusy” zest. This beer is best enjoyed on a sunny afternoon from a large hexagonal tumbler.
Paulaner Hefe-weizen
The name of this delicious beer incorporates yeast (“hefe”) and wheat (“weizen”) and is just that: a cloudy wheat beer driven by its characteristic yeast-produced banana and clove aromas and flavors. It is hard to miss these distinct scents, and its cloudy, amber-orange color is also indicative of a Hefeweizen. Paulaner is medium- to light-bodied, with up-front wheat maltiness and a hint of citrus. This is balanced out with a very mild hop bitterness on the back of the tongue that cleans up nicely and leaves you desiring a second sip. This is one of my favorite spring and summer beers — one that I look forward to enjoying in the upcoming warm days.
Harpoon’s Celtic Ale
Formerly known as Hibernian Irish Red Ale, this beer was recently renamed in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. It has a pronounced malt aroma with a hint of caramel and its light copper color looks great beneath its moderate, off-white head. It is a heartier beer, with solid malt body and just a hint of hop bitterness that leaves a sweet, malty finish on the tongue.
Rogue Dead Guy Ale
Named after the Mayan Day of the Dead, this beer is of the Maibock style, a German bock enjoyed in the month of May. I can anticipate your next question, so: “bock” means ram or billy goat in German, and the beers are so playfully named because this surprisingly drinkable dark lager has the capacity to knock you over after a few. Quite common in Germany, the bock style has yet to really catch on in the United States. Rogue’s Maibock, though, is worth checking out. It has a great balance of malt and hops in both aroma and flavor, and its pale amber color is attractive in itself. Medium-bodied, this beer has a nice, lingering hop bitterness that finishes quite cleanly. I would reach for this one over most of the others on this list.