Full disclosure: I’m no beer expert.
But I do know several fine people who curate and drink beer for a living. I call them my beer gurus, always patiently explaining the concepts and nuances of creative (and traditional) brewing. So whenever I’m in the mood for an IPA or a lager, I call on them for tips and recommendations.
And Shane Monteiro—of Carmine Street Beers in New York City—is one of my go-to beer whizzes. But I’m not the only one who calls on his expertise. A lot of West Village folk flock to Monteiro. After all, he manages an incredible beer inventory. (My introduction to him involved a generous pour of the 2013 Sam Adams Utopias, a limited-release that Monteiro wisely describes as a whiskey drinker’s beer.) Carmine Street Beers, which opened in August 2013, started out as a retail shop frequented by connoisseurs. Think of it as beer heaven: There are more than 500 beers offered, including 100 special releases and seasonal hard-to-find items from all over the world. And last February, Monteiro expanded the space to include a seating area and fourteen rotating beers on tap.
But if you can’t make your way to New York City any time soon, Monteiro put together an intriguing list of must-try beers for the season. “This list is an anthology of unique beers that I believe would entice those who are growing tired of the usual picks for summer,” Monteiro says. “I’ve chosen beers with interesting ingredients or very intriguing histories, along with fun variations on classic styles. The beers aren’t ranked, since each one is so unique that it’s impossible to make any direct comparisons. Note that the list only contains beers that can be found in New York City this summer.”
Carmine Street Beers, in New York City's West Village, offers more than 500 beers to go (including... [+]
Key Lime Pie Gose By Westbrook Brewing Co. (ABV: 4%) | Style: Sour – Gose
“Westbrook’s Key Lime Gose is a real treat. Low on ABV, with a good tartness, this beer is one of the first sours I’ve had that I would consider dessert-like,” Monteiro says. “ The sour and salty gose body starts on the front palate and slowly leads into a whip cream and key lime core. Despite the additional sweeter flavors not present in the original, it finishes dry and yeasty. Consider this a great entry point for those trying to get into sours without jumping in head first, and a pleasantly tart beer for those who know them well.”
Old Fashioned Lemonade By Evil Twin Brewing/Omnipollo (ABV: 7%) | Style: Fruit Beer
“Old Fashioned Lemonade is a notable collaboration between two brewers known for making highly esoteric brews, and this one is a great example of their techniques,” Monteiro notes. “They’ve used a pretty light IPA base with a very minimal hoppy profile, mixed with a ton of lemon juice. The result is a lightly acidic lemonade flavor balanced by refined sugar-tasting malts. It’s the perfect summer shandy you won’t have to mix yourself.”
Watermelon Ale by Way Beer/Jester King Brewing (ABV: 4.7%) | Style: Fruit Beer
“Most craft-beer enthusiasts are probably sighing at the inclusion of a watermelon ale on this list, and normally I’d be inclined to agree,” Monteiro says. “However, this watermelon beer stands head and shoulders above its competition for one very unique reason: texture. The combination of wheat malt, hibiscus, and roughly three tons of watermelon gives this beer a distinct watermelon juice texture. At points, it’s nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. You won’t find any sticky sweetness or artificial flavoring here.”
Ceremonial Session by Burial Beer Company (ABV: 4%) | Style: IPA – Session
“Session IPAs are a natural fit for relaxed summer hangouts, with low alcohol content and large hoppy flavor profiles. Burial takes this concept one step further than most breweries by making Ceremonial one of the few rotational single hop session IPAs on the market, allowing people to try a variety of different hop profiles while still maintaining high levels of quality at a very reasonable price point. That rotation, along with its session-friendly, pint-can packaging, will keep things interesting for IPA lovers all summer long.”
Straphanger By Kings County Brewers Collective (ABV: 4.8%) | Style: Lager – North American Adjunct
“KCBC’s Straphanger is a light and easy drinking lager brewed with Hallertau hops. The uniqueness in this beer comes from the brewery’s decision to include rice, which can be a source of contention for many craft beer drinkers, due to the adjunct,” Monteiro says. “However, I see the rice addition as a point of interest, showcasing the ability of KCBC to brew a lager whose focus is an adjunct, rather than pretending to not have used it. The hops keep the rice from adding too much sweetness, which makes the rice notes seem dry and pleasant, with a little starchy sweetness coming out in the aroma and flavor. Rice lagers are certainly not a common style, so having a local option is pretty unique and interesting. It’s a definite summer time crusher.”
Whirlpool By Night Shift Brewing (ABV: 4.5%) | Style: Pale Ale – American
“Whirlpool is a soft and easygoing pale ale with hints of lemon and peach hidden among a surprisingly delicate hop profile. This pale ale really stands out because it has a fair amount of wheat and oats brewed into the beer along with Mosaic hops, both classic tropes of the Northeast style. Pour this one into a glass and you’ll really appreciate the clouds in your hands.”
G3 Golden Ale By Transmitter (ABV: 6.9%) | Style: Golden Ale
“Transmitter is the only one of New York City’s many breweries to dedicate its talents to brewing Belgian-style beers, and it does a fantastic job. G3 is a part of its series on golden ales, and certainly my favorite one. It’s brewed using Trappist yeast, with American hops added, and finally bottled with Brettanomyces. The combination gives it high carbonation and a quick burst of hoppy citrus and tropical tones, and it finishes dry and earthy. It’s an easy beer replacement for a dry Prosecco in the hot summer months.”
Coedo Shikkoku By Kyodo Shoji Coedo Brewery (ABV: 5%) | Style: Lager – Dark
“Don’t be fooled by the pitch-black color of this beer—it has a very light body,” Monteiro says. “The flavor profile boasts great espresso and dark dried-fruit flavors, with a complex and rich malt backbone that will satisfy even stout drinkers. The finish has a light creaminess with a hint of sweetness. If a Japanese black lager isn’t unique enough, look no further than it’s name, which is inspired by the ancient Japanese art of black lacquer work.”
Gose O’s By DuClaw Brewing Co. (ABV: 5.5%) | Style: Sour – Gose
“Gose O’s was brewed for the Baltimore Orioles opening day this year, hence the orange and black packaging,” Monteiro explains. “The theme continues with the very unique ingredients used to make this gose—black lava salt and cantaloupe. While gose are traditionally a salty and tart beer, this one makes it self a lot more accessible and delicious with its melon flavors, carefully balancing sweetness with a light tartness and salt in a medium bodied beer. I’d be excited to see more beers skillfully made with cantaloupe after this one.”
Dayslayer By Stone Brewing/Maine Beer Company (ABV: 7.5%) | Style: Lager – IPL (India Pale Lager)
“Dayslayer is a great example of having a little bit of everything in a summer beer. A nice floral and citrusy bouquet of hops starts this beer off right, giving it enough of a presence to make sure you aren’t taking it lightly. It finishes clean and dry, much like a pilsner, making sure you aren’t forgetting its lager heritage. The great range of flavors makes this collaboration a showcase of the best of these two breweries: the bitter hoppy profile of a Stone beer and the delicate finish Maine is known for.”
Las Tumbas By Braven Brewing Co. (ABV: 7.5%) | Style: Spiced Stout
“It would take an exceptionally out-of-the-ordinary stout to make a summer beer list, and Braven’s newest creation is my pick for exactly that,” Monteiro says. “Las Tumbas is a very well crafted stout brewed with chocolate malts and infused with orange and habanero. The result is a rich and roasty body, which lands on some heavy chocolate notes, finishing on the very noticeable habanero. The orange peel acts as the medium between the sweet chocolate malts and the spicy peppers and keeps the entire beer in balance. It’s that balance and combination of flavors that make this stout very summer-friendly.”
Hessians in Paradise By Gun Hill Brewing Co. (ABV: 3.8%) | Style: Sour – Berliner Weisse
“Berliner Weisse beers are the ultimate choice for summer, session-friendly sours. Hessians in Paradise is no different, bringing a distinctly German style of beer to the City by way of Gun Hill in the Bronx. The 3.8% ABV carries a lovely tart flavor profile, especially as the lime flavors hit the back of the palate. It finishes light, with a touch of creaminess that will make you crave the next sip. With such a low ABV, that won’t be much of a problem.”
Halfway to Whangarei! By 8Wired Brewing/Modern Times Beer (ABV: 5.5%) | Style: Grisette
“Grisettes, which are very similar to saisons, are a part of a larger trend of breweries attempting to revive previously extinct genres. This style originates in the Hainaut region of Belgium, where grisettes quenched the thirst of coal miners after a long day of work,” Monteiro says. “This particular one is brewed in collaboration by 8Wired in New Zealand and Modern Times in California. It drinks light and is more easygoing than a saison, having small notes of wheat malt, a lot of lemon, and a nice tropical and somewhat earthy finish from the New Zealand hops and Brett. If you’re looking for a slightly more sessionable saison, try and seek out a grisette this summer.”
