Try a shandy, gose, or a wheat beer, and stay cool

Try a shandy, gose, or a wheat beer, and stay cool

Here we are smack dab in the middle of summer. The heat and humidity making us almost too languid to get off the couch and grab a beer from the fridge come quittin' time. Almost.

But summer calls for a beer that's a little lighter, a little crisper than brews we enjoy the rest of the year – crisp lagers, tangy goses, and maybe even a radler or shandy.

Here's a list of seasonal tipples that would be perfect for an afternoon in the hammock.

Mai Time Wheat Ale from Kona Brewing Another wheat ale that boasts orange, pineapple and lime for a taste that reminds us of Tiki drinks in an island paradise.

Coolcumber from Wicked Weed Brewing Cucumbers and summer go together like - well - like beer and summer. If you dig cucumbers (plus juniper and basil), give this one a try. If you don't dig cucumbers, avoid it like you'd avoid a sneeze in the grocery store.

Grapefruit Radler from Stiegl This Austrian import is a mix of beer and grapefruit soda. Light, refreshing, a little sweet, and a little tart. Is it wrong to think of this as a "breakfast beer?"

Summer Shandy from Leinenkugel Beer plus lemonade…abomination, you say? Nah, brah, this is just the ticket for your post-lawn-mowing refreshment.

Oberon from Bell's Brewery Oberon is our classic summer standby. Light and crisp, this wheat beer screams fun in the sun and has been around long enough to make it easy to find.

Not a beer drinker.? Try our Summer Solstice Sipper Cocktail

— Ben Singleton