Five Fresh Local Beers for Spring

The sunshine on the can isn’t just a graphic, it’s bursting out of this beer that highlights the citrus forward and aptly-named Citra hop.  Session is the word of the season, and with Xtra-Citra pouring a mild 4.5% ABV, the beer is light and breezy. While its aroma leads with a dominate citrus profile, the beer works because of a strong malt base akin to Furious. There’s a firm backbone and soft balance all the way through. It’s pretty much the definition of a patio beer.

Image credit: Surly Brewing

It’s the rise of the lager. The oft-overlooked style has been abused and lightened by the macros, but beers like Lock & Dam highlight its strengths perfectly. The latest in the expanding Grain Belt line, Lock & Dam is bright golden with a definitive effervescence. This beer is crisp and hyper carbonated, making it relaxing and a new go-to lawnmower beer. The flavor is a familiar lager and malt mix, but with a buried hop profile that gives off a certain freshness, a green and light floral flavor that accents and refreshes an already easy drinking beer.

Image credit: Grain Belt

A new session IPA from British-inspired brewers NorthGate, Get Together is a stylistic marriage of American hop forward beers with more traditional British brewing that uses hops as a bittering agent. The beer has a notable lemon and orange, followed by a biscuit impression and a zesty pine that comes in the tail end atop a balanced profile. British in build with a light mouthfeel that suits it well to the season. It’s fresh but without overdoing the hop element.

Image credit: Untapped.com

Seeing a trend here? Another session ale, this new Finnegan’s offering has been on market since February and adds a hop forward recipe to their Irish themed lineup. Including four different hops, it carries hints of tropical fruits, grapefruit, and tangerine in a complex but smooth package. Plus, it’s for charity: an excellent excuse to have another.

Image credit: Finnegan's

Modist is redefining beer, using a unique mash filter to separate their wort. But that’s industry talk, when the finished product is what matters. pHresh is their true standout upon opening, a "gateway sour" that’s more in line with typical beer expectations but with a tart fruity pear and a hint of salinity to complement the honeydew melon flavors at the start. It’s light and simultaneously both sweet and sour. It’s also incredibly unique, which is what sets Modist apart.

Image credit: Modist