Summer of Lager, Cisco Brewers, Nantucket, MA

I know, it's been awhile. I've been pretty busy with life stuff so the beer writing took a bit of a backseat. A few weeks ago I went on vacation to the great escape, Cape Cod. Very relaxing. While there I picked up the Summer of Lager. It immediately shot up the charts of my favorite summer beers. It executed all the attributes of a great summer beer well; it was light, crisp, hoppy and citrusy. Not to mention a 6.25% ABV! I spent the remaining week of my vacation trying to hunt this down again, but to no avail. It's a little bit late in the season and I see the Ocktoberfests already creeping into the stores, so if you get a chance, go out and try the Summer of Lager. It's a 4.0!

Blue Moon: Honey Moon Summer Ale

Anyone else out there a fan of Blue Moon? Well, anyone else besides you Sargent Crowley... To me, a nice cold Blue Moon on a warm summer's night usually hits the spot. Tonight however, that was not the case.

I'm dog sitting for my brother, and I don't really know the area, so I don't really know where the good liquor stores are. I had to hit a smaller store with less of a selection and this was the only brew they had that I hadn't had before. Last time I make that mistake.

When first opened, you're hit with a rush of citrus scent, so I'm thinking this is a good thing. My first sip was flavorful and I actually thought I could taste a hint of honey. Well I was sadly mistaken. A quarter of the way thru the bottle, the citrus disappeared and I was left with a Coors Light, which was very disappointing. So I thought I'd try a second bottle, thinking maybe it was just the one I tried. Wrong again Kemosabe. The same thing happened here.

At 5.2%abv, I couldn't even manage a buzz either. All in all, this beer ranks a very unsolid 1.5. I'm a fan of Blue Moon, so I had high hopes, but all I got was a cheap Coors Light. Very sad.

Bud Light Lime

The second beer in my beers of summer review is relatively new on the scene. Bud Light Lime. It's only been around a year or so, but it has already carved out it's place in the summer beer market.


When first opened, you're immediately hit with the scent of lime. Almost as if you were to put three or four limes into a Corona. The beer is light in color and light on substance, like a typical bud light and has a very low 4.3% abv. The dominant flavor is without a doubt, lime. In my opinion, if you enjoy Corona, you'll enjoy this beer, and the lazy among us will enjoy not having to cut up limes to put in the beer. Essentially, Budweiser saved us the pain of getting lime juice in the paper cuts on our fingers. If you were to pick up a six pack, it's not something you'd regret, although at the same time, I'm still very loyal to Corona, and don't see myself making the switch at any point.

Overall, I'd give this beer a 2.5. In my humble opinion, the Corona is still king of the summer beers.

Corona: An Oldie, But A Goodie

The Corona. We've all had one, we've all had a lot more than one. When I was a kid, nothing said summer like that first day I got to wear shorts to school and the familiar sound of the ice cream truck trolling the neighborhood for customers. That all changed when I discovered the wonders of beer.

Whether you enjoy it with the lime (or lemon or orange as I've also seen), or a la carte, nothing beats a Corona on a warm summer's eve. It goes down smooth, with little after taste lingering in your mouth. If you choose to go with the lime, it gives it that added zip that it doesn't necessarily need (in my opinion) but that definitely makes it taste more like summer. It may not be the most perfectly crafted beer, but we've all had those days where we come home from a long day at work on a hot August afternoon, and a Corona or two out by the grill makes all of life's little problems disappear for those few hours.

It's inexpensive, great for a party, and still trying to fight its way out of the summer beer stereotype. I have to admit that on those mostly dark days of mid winter, a nice cold Corona can momentarily take me back to the beaches in Mexico.

On a side note, a friend once left a sixer outside one frigid winters night. The fridge was full, so his deck was the next best thing. We brought it in, popped the top off the bottle and put in a lime. Within seconds, from the bottom up, the beer crystallized. Now I'm no scientitian, so I have no idea why it did this, but something about the chemistry of the lime interacting with the beer, caused it to turn to slush. I highly recommend you try this some night.

Overall, it's generally light on flavor as well as in color, but something about it keeps us coming back. I'm going to rate it a solid 3, but some of that has to do with the summer feelings that come along with it.

Quickly, I'd like to introduce myself. As you can tell from my nom de plume, Pale Ale Guy, I'm a fan of the pale ales. I tend to stay away from the porters and stouts, but that won't stop me from trying some this winter. I'm a laid back kinda guy, who enjoys long walks on the beach.. wait wrong bio... The plan is for the first few entries to review the beers of summer. I'm going with the lime flavors first, and we'll play it by ear after that. If you have any suggestions, I'm always open to hear them.