Crushing on cans
As more craft breweries embrace the practicality of canned beer, it’s easier to find the perfect brew, no matter the occasion. While there’s no doubt cans offer protection against light and oxygen that harm the quality of the beer, the most basic benefit to consumers is convenience. Heading on a float trip or a picnic in the park? Cans are the obvious choice over bottles. Want to chill your beer quickly? Cans take to the task much faster than bottles. As summertime arrives, here are a few can’t-miss canned craft brews for hot St. Louis afternoons.
SANTA FE FREESTYLE PILSNER With its assertive use of the classic Saaz hop, Freestyle Pilsner has a crisp, spicy note that is perfect for a scorching summer day. Its light, delicate malt profile combined with those Saaz hops make this beer truly refreshing. “Easy drinking” is a huge understatement with this one.
KIRKWOOD STATION IPA Kirkwood Station recently announced it would begin canning a few of its beers, and hopheads rejoiced when brewer Dave Johnson revealed his IPA would be in that can lineup. Surprisingly easy drinking for 6.3 percent ABV, this beer has a light, malty, biscuit-like backbone. But the hops are where it shines. With notes of pine and grapefruit, this should be a hophead’s go-to for local canned beer this summer.
STIEGL GRAPEFRUIT RADLER A radler is a beer beverage that consists of a 50-50 mix of beer and German-style soda or lemonade. Austria’s Stiegl Grapefruit Radler is a blend of its Goldbrau and grapefruit soda. The result is a refreshingly tart beverage. Plus, with its mere 2.5 percent ABV, you can drink quite a few. Call it summertime in a glass.
SCHLAFLY SUMMER LAGER One of the area’s first craft beers in a can, Summer Lager is Schlafly’s take on a Helles, a lighter style of beer that is bright and golden in appearance. Its use of German noble hops means this beer is easily accessible to both the beer geek and the big brewery drinker. A nice malt character plays well with the mild lemony hops. It’s a perfect thirst-quencher.
4 HANDS BREWING CONTACT HIGH With its take on a hopped-up wheat beer, 4 Hands has given us a brew that is perfect for IPA lovers and those who don’t like over-the-top hops. This is not your typical wheat beer. Brewed with orange zest and just the right amount of hops, it’s a citrus lover’s dream.
Looking to crack open more local brews? Six Row Brewing just released a trio of canned beers, and more are on the way from The Civil Life Brewing and 4 Hands Brewing. The craft can revolution has only just begun.
Find these craft beers and many more at the newly opened Craft Beer Cellar, 8113 Maryland Ave., Clayton, 314.222.2444, craftbeercellar.com.
Tags : Beer
