When you drink beer and write about beer as we do, you often find yourself getting the same question: “What’s your favorite beer?” We usually give a silly, meaningless response like, “The one in my hand,” because honestly, that’s a very complicated question to answer. Neither of us really have one favorite beer. What we want to drink changes constantly, and often depends on the setting, season, time of day, and countless other factors. But nobody wants to hear us ramble on about all of that, they just want a recommendation for a good beer. We get it.
Goose Summer Ale: A Beer Fridge Favorite
With that in mind, we wanted to share with you our current BFF: Goose Island Summer Ale.
Goose Summer Ale is a 5% ABV session ale from Goose Island Beer Co of Chicago. It was a spur of the moment purchase when we needed a good summer session beer to enjoy while doing some yard work, and it has quickly become a favorite. Maybe it was the heat or the hard work, but Goose Summer Ale really hits the spot on a hot summer afternoon.
Since we were getting our hands dirty, our first experience with Goose Summer Ale was right from the bottle, but it’s best when poured in a glass so you can enjoy the fresh sliced orange aroma. When we poured a glass we got a big, fluffy, cream-colored head and the beer itself was color of clear honey. The orange smell was so pronounced it was as though an orange slice was hiding beneath the foam. The flavor was very well-balanced – not too bitter, not too sweet. The Amarillo hops really come through with more bitterness than we expected, with notes of pine and grapefruit.
Overall, we both really enjoy Goose Summer Ale. It’s a fabulous summer beer that is light without being to watered-down, and we think it will be a staple in our beer fridge and cooler this summer. If you want to try Goose Summer Ale, get it while you can. It’s a summer seasonal, only available between April and August.
Pairings For Your Goose Summer Ale
Here’s our totally unqualified take on what food and activities will pair best with Goose Summer Ale:
Food: Drink Goose Summer Ale with just about anything you cook on the grill. We think it would be great with hot dogs, burgers, and barbecue. We paired ours with some random airport snack pack we found hiding in the pantry, so if you have one of those lying around, bust it out.
Activity: It should go without saying that a Summer Ale is perfect for time spent in the sun. This thirst quenching beer will keep you cool and refreshed, while the lower ABV won’t leave you too drunk for yard games. It also went well with pulling weeds and installing pink flamingos.
Music: We suggest pairing this Chicago-based Goose Island beer with some great Chicago blues, like Muddy Waters or Willie Dixon. The blues goes with everything and is the perfect backdrop to enjoy a cold beer on a hot afternoon.
About Goose Island Beer Co
Founded in Chicago in 1988, Goose Island is one of the most successful craft breweries in the Midwest and produces some of the most popular, and award-winning, beers in the U.S. Since 1989, Goose Island beers have won a variety of awards at acclaimed beer events including the World Beer Championships, World Beer Cup, World Expo of Beer and the Great American Beer Festival (GABF). Since March 2011 Goose Island has been owned by Anheuser-Busch.
For more information on Goose Island beer, including where to find their Goose Summer Ale near you, visit the Goose Island Beer Co webpage.
Do you have a recommendation for a beer we’d love? Do you think you know what could be our next Beer Fridge Favorite? Share your current favorites in the comments below or on our BMT Twitter or Facebook page. We love to hear your suggestions.
Cheers!