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Vancouver Summer Beers That Nigel Springthorpe Has Thirsty Affections For

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Summer solstice is on the immediate horizon; the longest day of the year goes down this Sunday, June 21st, and there will be much rejoicing. Forecasters are calling for a high of 24 degrees, which is perfect beer weather. In anticipation of the golden day, we asked Alibi Room and Brassneck Brewery co-owner Nigel Springthorpe to weigh in on local summer beers for your ranking consideration below.

“There are most certainly a lot of fantastic beers made by great breweries that do not appear here on this list,” he qualifies. “These five are the first that came to mind when I thought about a balanced list of approachable summer beers Scout readers might appreciate knowing a little more about.”

Berliner Weisse from Four Winds | Light, tart, and highly refreshing, this beer is kettle-soured to quench your thirst and get your gleekers going! It has tons of flavour but it’s very low in alcohol which means it measures high on the poundability scale. It’s a post service staff fave at the Alibi for sure (look out for their Passionfruit version coming really soon).

Light Side of the Moon from The Moon Brewery | A summery lager with a subtle twist. They brew this beer with a little rice and orange peel. The rice gives it a lovely brightness while the orange peel supplies a delicate, satisfying fruity finish. It just goes down so easily. It’s the very definition of a session beer. BONUS – you can get this guy in cans, making it ideal for 3rd Beach sunsets.

Jongleur Witbier from Strange Fellows | This one’s an old world favourite brewed with care and precision by a very experienced local brewer. No need for too many frills, but classic adjuncts curacao orange peel and coriander are in the grist giving this beer its familiar Belgian flavours. The result is a zesty, citrusy, slightly cloudy brew that just feels right in the warmth of summer. This one’s in cans, too. Yeehaw!

Raspberry Changeling from Brassneck Brewery | Changeling gets people all of a lather when it’s pouring at Brassneck. It’s one of those beers that just captures people’s imaginationn ()oh, and it’s bloody delish, too). The base beer is a “kettle sour” with a controlled acidic twang giving it a pleasing tartness. Then a ludicrous amount of raspberries are added – 600lbs in a 1000 litre batch to be precise (real ones, mind, no syrups or whatnot). Usually only available at the brewery, albeit briefly.

Pilsner from Steamworks | I don’t think I believe in the concept of “best” when it comes to beer. There are so many factors in play whenever you taste beer (or anything else for that matter). But if “best” was to mean my Desert Island Beer, then I think this one would be one of the top contenders. It’s authentic and consistent, and it doesn’t make any promises it can’t keep. When I go to the beer shop, a six pack of this will be the first thing I grab, almost automatically. Only then will I look around for the bombers of IPA’s, Sours, Saisons, and other specialty stuff. In other words, you should always have a six pack of this kicking around in your fridge at home!

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Which ONE of these summer beers would you drink first?

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