July beers: 8 beers in the moderate alcohol range, perfect for summer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Our July beer column focuses on moderate-alcohol beverages that are perfect for warm weather.

The eight beers come from seven states and range from about 5% to 6%. All should be available on store shelves in northeast Ohio. Cheers!

Drew Pilsner

Brink Brewing Co.Cincinnati, Pilsner, 5.4%

Amazingly balanced with sweet hints of vanilla and glistening chocolate in every sip. Hops emerge slowly but do not overwhelm. Very creamy, delicious. Excellent example of the style of a Czech Pilsner. The renowned brewery, which is only five years old, won top honors at the Great American Beer Festival.

Tart ‘n Juicy Sour IPA

Epic Brewing Co., Denver, Colorado; Sour India Pale Ale, 5.1%

If you like sours and IPAs, you’ll like this one because that’s exactly what you get: a sour flavor followed by a hint of hops. The tangerine also comes out cleanly in this beer.

pulp art

Brooklyn Brewing Co., Utica, New York; Hazy India Pale Ale, 6.5%

Foggy, but not extravagant. No spicy burn on the finish. Citrus is there without resin/pine qualities. Tasty, but hard to put your finger on the specific fruits. Worth trying to figure this out…

Ready

Old Nation Brewing Co., Williamston, Michigan; Belgian Style Wheat Ale, 5.5%

Brewed with orange zest and coriander, this beer has the classic banana flavor and the spice kicks in. Not detecting a lot of orange peel or marrow flavors. True to style, of course, and delicious.

Pepas Pils

Collaboration: Trip animals, Doral, Florida; and Mixing of the 3 wires, Dania Beach, Florida; Pilsner, 5%

The Floridian duo have created an intriguing beer that almost tastes like a Belgian-style Pilsner. It’s a different version of a Pilsner, it’s not overly hoppy and has a very light finish. The bright yellow drunken happy face stands out against the shelves.

Juice Bigalow Hops Gigolo

Rochester Mills Beer Co., Auburn Hills, Michigan; New England-style India Pale Ale, 6%

Extremely pithy. Not overflowing with fruit, but definitely zesty. So if you like, say, the flavors that come from the inner wall of a fruit, try this. Fluffy heads, rejoice.

Stratosphere IPA

Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, Alaska; India Pale Ale, 6%

A little thin. The brewery has had several solid beers on the market, but after generic hopping this offers no big fruit and no pine. Next time I will come back to their other offers.

Mandarin

Heretic Brewing Co., Fairfield, Calif.; New England-style India Pale Ale with tangerine, 6.6%

The tangerine is crisp and frank – first on the aroma, then on the palate. A bit of creaminess rounds it out, with some marrow on the finish and a bit of dryness. Do you like tangerine and hops? This one is for you. Delicious.

Favorites of the month: Brink’s Drew Pilsner.

Our opinions: Most of the beers we buy come from retail stores and stores in Northeast Ohio. We chose Lizardville over Copley, plus Heinen’s, Red, Wine & Brew; Acme, Giant Eagle, Mustard Seed Market, Whole Foods and others.

Like beer? Check give them beer for gifts for beer lovers. The company offers craft beer baskets, seasonal selections and more.

Beer Monthly Reviews 2022

For January, we tried 6 beers from breweries in 6 states

Warm Up With These February Beers: 8 Glasses For Cold Nights

For March, we sipped 7 beers from Ohio to Texas to Colorado and beyond

For April, we’re trying 8 very different beers from New York to Ohio and beyond

Beer of the Month for May: 11 Great Beers from Canada to Ohio and Beyond

Beers for June: As the weather gets warmer, we’re trying low-alcohol radlers, German lagers, and more.

I am on cleveland.comfrom the Life and Culture team and covers topics related to food, beer, wine and sport. If you want to see my stories, here is a directory on cleveland.com. WTAM-1100’s Bill Wills and I usually talk food and drink at 8:20 Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.

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