Top Picks for PNW Beers This Summer

Our List of Top 10 Pacific Northwest Brews

If you’re looking to change up your go-to beer selection for the summer, you’ve come to the right place. The Pacific Northwest is a great beer region, with countless options for breweries and taprooms to visit after a long day of exploring. Enjoy a hoppy IPA, crisp Pale Ale, full-bodied Stout, or any of the other refreshing PNW craft beers.

Nothing says summertime like a cold, crisp beer. Whether you’re spending the day on the water, going for a picnic hike, or grilling at the lake house, we have the best PNW beers to try that are summer-approved.

1.  Fat Tug IPA by Driftwood Brewing

Brewed in Victoria, BC with the hop aficionado in mind, Fat Tug is a Northwest-style India Pale Ale with an intense hop profile featuring notes of grapefruit, mango, melon and passionfruit. This beer delivers on the promise to satisfy anyone with a thirst for all things hoppy.

2. Mosaic Pale Ale by Seapine Brewing

This American Pale Ale has a crisp and clean, lighter taste, featuring Mosaic hops, and is well balanced with a light malt body and soft bitterness, making it a perfect beer for summer.

3. Lush IPA by Fremont Brewing

In the last few years, this India Pale Ale has won awards and certificates of excellence. The aroma is tropical with melon, citrus and grassy, and the flavor is a medium sweetness with moderate bitterness and a toasted biscuit backbone.

4. Immersion Amber Ale by Two Beers Brewing

In addition to their motto of ‘Drink beer. Go outside. Be happy.’, and how dog friendly they are, we also love the beer at Two Beers Brewing. Their Immersion Amber Ale is a ruby-colored Northwest-style amber ale that has a clean caramel character with soft citrus notes.

5. XXXXX Stout by PikeBrewing

This reddish-black color robust stout contains a full-bodied, velvety malt texture with hints of chocolate, licorice and dark roasted coffee. The XXXXX Stout is ideal for cooler summer evenings or as a dessert beer.

6. 33 Acres of Darkness Dark Lager by 33 Acres Brewing

If you’re the type who likes to judge a beer by it’s colour, 33 Acres of Darkness will surely surprise. While most equate heaviness with flavor, this Schwarzbier strives to bring tantalizing taste beyond the usual weight. This dark lager was the first flagship seasonal beer of the Vancouver based brewery, and is now a mainstay in both their tasting room and retail partners.

7. Simple Things Pilsner by Steel and Oak Brewing

Based in New Westminster, BC, this award winning German Pilsner pours gold with a fluffy white head. Flavour is crisp, clean, with notes of honey, graham cracker, biscuit, and a refreshing and lengthy bitterness.

8. Dark Matter by Hoyne Brewing Company

Drinking Dark Matter is like stepping into a cozy British pub on a rainy afternoon. With subtle hints of dark chocolate aroma and roasted malt, this deceptively light beer is soft and creamy on the palate, and defies categorization.

9. Robust Porter by Stoup Brewing

This Seattle craft beer has won many awards, dating back to 2014, this is one Seattle craft beer you’ll definitely want to try this summer. Featuring hints of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and light malty sweetness, Stoup Brewing’s Robust Porter replicates the taste of decadent chocolate treats dipped in coffee.

10. Magic Hour Grapefruit Gose by Vancouver Island Brewing

An extra light radler built on the foundation of a Gose, rather than a lager. The moderate grapefruit flavor is held up by a clean acidity and a hint of saltiness. A sessionable sour fruit beer that brings you a glass of the summer wherever you go.