Summer brews: We test 5 refreshing beers
Published 5:25 pm Friday, June 26, 2009
Brewing a summer seasonal is tricky.
On the one hand, the beer has to be light and refreshing, the cliched goal of most summer beers.
On the other hand, it also has to be distinct and flavorful. If it’s not, you may as well drink a Miller Lite.
Some of the larger microbreweries fail to accomplish both, playing it safe with lighter fare that’s as thirst-quenching as it is forgettable. Smaller brewers in the area have better luck, crafting beer that you may remember after the season ends.
Tripel 7 Belgian Style Ale
From: Scuttlebutt Brewing, Everett
Thoughts: You might dismiss Scuttlebutt’s Tripel 7 as gimmicky, what with the banana and white pear accents. That would be shortsighted. The Tripel 7’s light, tropical flavors elevate this wonderful Belgian ale. Drink with caution, however. The carefully blended tastes ably mask the high alcohol content.
Alcohol by volume: 9 percent
Served in: 22-ounce bottles
Grade: 3 1/2 stars out of 4
Blonde Ale
From: Diamond Knot Brewing, Mukilteo
Thoughts: This blond delivers an outdoorsy flavor that, as one in our informal group of eight testers said, tastes like camping. While the flavor is pleasant at first, the initial buzz gives way to a buttery aftertaste that detracts from the otherwise admirable beer.
Alcohol by volume: 4.2 percent
Served in: Half-gallon growlers
Grade: 3 stars
Summer Beer
From: Snoqualmie Falls Brewing, Snoqualmie
Thoughts: Snoqualmie’s summer beer is not all that summery. A variation on a pilsner, it has a strong, bitter flavor that tastes more like an effervescent IPA. It’s hard to imagine drinking one at the beach, but a bottle could work if you’re grilling something equally substantial, like a rack of ribs.
Alcohol by volume: 5.6 percent
Served in: 22-ounce bottles
Grade: 2 1/2 stars
Curve Ball Blonde Ale
From: Pyramid Brewing, Seattle
Thoughts: Curve Ball is refreshing in the same way water is refreshing. The drinkable ale satisfies, but it also lacks flavor. A pint glass might benefit from the addition of a slice of orange. Without that spike of citrus, you may want to just grab a Bud Light.
Alcohol by volume: 5 percent
Served in: 12-ounce bottles
Grade: 2 stars
Sunrye
From: Redhook Ale Brewery, Woodinville
Thoughts: Like Pyramid’s Curve Ball, Redhook’s Sunrye is refreshing but unremarkable. Again, it calls to mind a slightly more complex mass-market beer, and again, it doesn’t quite justify the extra money for a six-pack.
Alcohol by volume: 4.7 percent
Served in: 12-ounce bottles
Grade: 1 1/2 stars
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com
