Keep it light during the hot months with these refreshing, low-alcohol brews made in Virginia
Peak summer is upon us, and that means long, humid days in the Commonwealth. When you hit the beach or the boat landing, it’s time to fill the cooler with ice cold, easy-drinking session beers, and, fortunately, Virginia breweries make plenty that are worth tasting. Here are a handful of our hot-weather favorites.
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Richmond Lager
Hardywood is a stalwart operation in Richmond’s sprawling craft beer scene. With two area locations—one in the city’s Historic German Brewing District and one at West Creek, 20 minutes outside of town—the brewery continues to crank out a solid line-up of core beers, including this nicely executed American Craft Lager. Perfect for post-work porch sipping, this clean and crisp light beer will remind you of some old-school macro brews, but with the use of Virginia-grown barley and some citrusy hops, it’s a refreshing update on a classic style. Hardywood.com
Three Notch’d Brewing Company
Virginia Light
Sometimes the name just says it all. Virginia Light is as easy-drinking (4.2% ABV) as the moniker suggests, a crisp pilsner that you’ll want to sip by the pool all summer long. Charlottesville-headquartered Three Notch’d Brewing Company offers this one in cans at Virginia grocery stores and bottle shops, but you can also get a fresh pint at one of the brewery’s six taprooms. Find locations in Charlottesville, Richmond, Nellysford, Harrisonburg, Virginia Beach and Roanoke. Threenotchdbrewing.com
Basic City Beer Co.
Our Daily Pils
Basic City—based in Waynesboro, but also operating a taproom in Richmond—is known for producing some killer New England IPAs, but the brewery tones down its love of hops to create this contemporary take on a classic German pilsner. At 4.7% ABV, Our Daily Pils is a great option when you want to have a few at a summer picnic. It features a refreshing dry profile and light touches of lemon notes that really fit the season. Basiccitybeer.com
Aleworks Brewing Company
Chesapeake Pale Ale
For the pale ale fans, this long-running Williamsburg brewery delivers the goods with a beer named to celebrate its namesake estuary. Chesapeake Pale comes in at an approachable 5.6% ABV, but it’s bursting with flavor thanks to the use of four hops—Cascade, Chinook, Amarillo and Centennial—in the brewing and dry-hop processes. And drinking this one supports a good cause, as proceeds from its sales support the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. Aleworks.com
Starr Hill Brewery
Sun Burn Summer Ale
Starr Hill calls this beer “perfect for fun in the sun,” and we couldn’t agree more. The brewery’s summer seasonal is a light and refreshing ale with bright citrus notes and a low alcohol content of 4.5% ABV—making it an easy crusher on a scorching hot day. Find it in cans on store shelves or try it on tap at one of the brewery’s six outposts around the Commonwealth (Crozet, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Richmond, Roanoke and Tysons). Starrhill.com
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
Vienna Lager
Since opening in 2008, mainstay Virginia craft brewery Devils Backbone has been pouring this smooth-sipping lager. The amber beer made with German noble hops is well balanced between the toasted maltiness and caramel-forward sweetness to be expected from this traditional European brew. And Devils Backbone’s take on the style has been well reputed, earning multiple awards at the Great American Beer Festival. Dbbrewingcompany.com
