Northern Virginia summers are relentless, and when the heat hits, it’s easy to reach for whatever’s coldest in the cooler. But craft beer has better answers, and they’re not hard to find.
Kölsch
Originating in Cologne, Germany, Kölsch is the craft world’s best-kept secret for hot-weather drinking. It has the clean, cold crispness of a lager but the subtle fruitiness of an ale. It’s brewed at low temperatures for a light, refreshing finish. If you’ve ever thought craft beer was too heavy for summer, a well-made Kölsch will change your mind.
Witbier
Chances are you’ve already had a version of this style at a backyard cookout. A traditional Belgian witbier is brewed with wheat, coriander, and orange peel, delivering a hazy, softly tart pour that practically evaporates in the heat. Port City Brewing Co.’s Optimal Wit, brewed in Alexandria, is a perennial award-winner and a year-round offering worth keeping on rotation. Many other local breweries put their own excellent spin on the style as well.
Italian Pilsner
The sleeper pick. An Italian pilsner takes the classic crisp, dry German pils and adds a late dry hopping that brings floral and herbal aromatics without weight or bitterness. Light and crisp on the palate, it’s exactly the kind of beer that turns casual summer drinkers into craft enthusiasts.
Bonus: If you want to go further down the rabbit hole, seek out a session saison. Dry, spritzy, and herbal, it’s a summer beer most people haven’t discovered yet.
Most NoVA breweries will have at least one of these styles on tap this summer, so your next great warm-weather craft beer is probably closer than you think.
Charlie Harr is the head judge of the Virginia Craft Beer Cup.
Feature image, Katja/stock.adobe.com
This story originally ran in our July issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
