Discover the Right Beer for the Season

Most people have their go-to’s when it comes to beer. Maybe it’s that tried and true lager, or a nice IPA brewed just down the road. While having your mainstay is perfectly fine, sometimes you might want to branch out and try something new. So as we move into fall, we started thinking about all of the great seasonal beer offerings that are only available at certain times of the year. Drink whatever beer you like most, but if you’re looking to get into the seasonal beers, here are a few styles to consider.

Ah, summertime when the living is easy. The hotter temperatures and relaxed vibes call for crisp, refreshing beers. Summer beers are typically lighter and not as filling.

French for “season,” saisons are typically brewed in a Belgian style during the colder months of the year. By the time summer rolls around, these pale ales typically feature a lower ABV and have a lighter body. They’re perfect for sipping throughout the day.

The shandy style has summer written all over it. These brews are composed of the perfect mixture of beer and lemonade. That means they’re super refreshing and extremely light. Many folks who don’t usually like beer tend to gravitate toward shandies because they lack the hoppy or malty tastes you’d find in more traditional beers.

Unlike their summer counterparts, autumn beers tend to be a bit hardier, and are typically brewed with certain spices or other flavors to bring out the tastes and smells of the season.

The world’s largest beer festival deserves its own style of beer. Also known as Märzen (German for March), these lagers have become an expected offering at many fall parties. Fest beers can range in color and body, but are usually defined by a malty flavor with a clean finish.

Fun fact: Did you know Oktoberfest actually takes place in September?

Dunkel what? German for “dark wheat,” these beers are the maltier version of their lighter summer counterparts, Hefeweizen. They tend to be on the sweeter side and offer a rich bouquet of various fall flavors such as chocolate and cloves.

As much as we hate to admit it, winter isn’t far off. Thankfully, there are plenty of great beer styles to help you through the colder months of the year. As you might expect, winter beers tend to be hearty and dark, leaving you full and content.

The most wonderful time of the year comes complete with its own styles of beer. While this is a broad category that can include lagers, ales, porters and stouts, what makes Christmas beer stand out is the added flavoring that really bring out the season’s festive vibe. This might include special spices like cloves, nutmeg or cranberry or simply a higher ABV. Most breweries adapt their flagship beer into a Christmas or winter version.

Ay, there’s nothing better than a wee dram of whiskey to keep the winter chill away. However, if liquor isn’t your thing, you might want to opt for a nice Scotch ale. These beers are usually pretty dark and malty, with lovely hints of caramel and that iconic peat (smokey) aftertaste. Like their whiskey namesake, Scotch ales usually have a higher ABV, (alcohol by volume) so easy does it with these bad boys.

And then the snow thaws, the warmer weather returns, and our taste in beer lighten up. Spring is a time for celebration, and there are plenty of festivals the world over.

As we’ve seen in previous examples, the Germans certainly know their way around beer. Bocks are the preference in springtime because of their crisp flavoring with higher ABVs. Typically served in May (Mai, in German), Maibocks are a nice break from the darker, heavier beers you’ve been drinking all winter.

While not strictly a spring beer, farmhouse ales are quite popular as the weather gets better because of their wide array of flavors, body styles and ABVs. As the name suggests, these beers tend to have a wheaty flavor and conjure the image of planting season on the farm.

The End Zone Sports Bar is more than just a great place to watch the big game (although it’s definitely the perfect spot for that). What better way to kick back after a hard week than with the perfect seasonal brew in hand? We offer over 100 different beers, with 20 rotating taps! Find your old favorites or explore new seasonal beers today.