Photo: Yuri Kriventsoff (Getty Images)
When it comes to summer beers, you can’t go wrong with a classic pale ale, pilsner, or IPA. But, the true king of summer is the wheat beer. For those unfamiliar with the style, a wheat beer is a one that is made with a large portion of its grain comprised of (you guessed it) wheat. They’re known for their sometimes unfiltered, hazy, citrus and banana-like flavors. If you’re the type of drinker who adds fruit to your beer, they pair well with a slice of orange and are perfectly suited for sunny summer sipping.
Even though there are variations, we’re all about the classic interpretation of the style. And, keeping this in mind, we decided to rank our top 10 wheat beers for summer. Check them all out below.
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Ranked! 10 Summer Wheat Beers
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10. Lagunitas Sumpin' Sumpin'
This highly potent 7.5 percent ABV offering is the perfect wheat beer for IPA fans while not turning off hefeweizen Stans. It’s smooth, refreshing and full of soft wheat flavors paired with subtle hop bitterness.
Photo: Lagunitas
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9. Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
This 4.8 percent ABV wheat beer was inspired by the classic Bavarian kellerweis-style beers. It’s hazy, unfiltered and full of cloves, coriander, and subtle hints of caramelized banana.
Photo: Sierra Nevada
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8. UFO White
Let’s start by saying that UFO White is amazing on its own. But, like Blue Moon, it’s only made better with addition of a slice of orange (or even blood orange). It’s 4.8 percent ABV and light, refreshing, and full of hints of coriander and orange peel.
Photo: UFO
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7. Revolution Sun Crusher
If ‘Crusher’ is in the name, you know this 5.8 percent wheat beer is highly crushable. It’s not your average wheat beer as it's hoppier than most of the other offerings on this list. On top of the wheat flavor, it’s full of citrus flavors and subtle bitterness.
Photo: Revolution
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6. Odell Easy Street
This 4.6 percent American-style wheat ale is unfiltered, fresh and full of citrus notes. The strong yeast presence makes this beer super refreshing and smooth.
Photo: Odell
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5. Avery White Rascal
Avery White Rascal is one of the best examples of an American craft made Belgian-style white ale. It’s 5.6 percent, hazy and full of hints of coriander, cinnamon, and tart Curaçao orange peel.
Photo: Avery
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4. Troegs Dream Weaver
This 4.8 wheat beer was made in the classic style with open-top fermentation. It’s unfiltered, slightly cloudy and full of lemon zest, clove, and sweet banana flavors.
Photo: Troegs
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3. Creature Comforts Athena
This 4.5 percent sessionable Berliner Weisse is subtly tart and full of tropical fruit and citrus flavors. In the pantheon of wheat beers, this one is bordering on a sour beer and we’re completely okay with that.
Photo: Creature Comforts
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2. Allagash White
No wheat beer list is complete without the addition of Allagash White. This Belgian-style witbier is hazy, subtly sweet, and full of hints of cloves and banana.
Photo: Allagash
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1. Bell's Oberon
There are few beers that let the world know that spring has arrived quite like Bell’s Oberon. It’s like a literal bell tolling the end of snow and darkness. It’s 5.8 percent ABV and full of subtly spicy hops and rich fruit flavors that are perfectly suited for the warmer months.
Photo: Oberon
