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Heidi's Summer Beer Picks

Crushable beers to drink in the sun

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There are SO MANY great summer beer options in Central Oregon to choose from. My curated list has new, unique brews as well as old favorites, but they all have one thing in common. They're all crushable! Let's get started with a couple of beers from CRUX Fermentation Project.

By Heidi Howard

Summertime beer lineup: Imminently crushable.

No Mo – Non-alcoholic IPA. I know... this is simply not like me to write about (gasp) non-alcoholic beers. This review is for my friends and readers who don't drink alcohol and love the taste of beer, or for those pregnant beer gals who crave a yummy non-alcoholic beverage. No Mo has a light hoppy aroma, just like its alcoholic sibling, Gimme Mo. It's nicely carbonated, extremely refreshing and is bright and citrusy. Really delicious. No, really!

Lawn Party – hoppy golden ale. Also, from CRUX and IS alcoholic at 5%. Malty aromas are biscuity, and the flavor is bright and slightly sweet with a tang from the carbonation. This beer in one hand and a cornhole bag in the other sounds like a fantastic summer day to me!

Let's move onto a brewery that absolutely reads "summer crushable."

Boss Rambler Beer Club. Cerveza Classica – this is an awesome Mexican-style lager. The can says "Drink Ice Cold. With a Lime. DOS MÃS!" I obliged but took a sip without a lime first. Malt forward on both the aroma and the flavor. Adding the lime adds additional brightness, enhancing the beer, but is certainly not a necessity. This is a high-end, delicious Mexican lager. It's leaving me with a craving for queso. The ABV on this one is 4.5%

Also from Boss Rambler is Maui Babe IPA 6.5 ABV. I love Boss Rambler's cans. This one says "Golden Sun Tans and Ice Cold Cans." Bringing the glass up to my nose, I'm met with a bouquet of hops. Upon drinking it, I'm always surprised at how well-balanced it is. The different hops blend so well together. Is it ironic that I'm writing this on one of our few drizzly days in Central Oregon? Sipping this beer, I swear I feel the sun on my face.

The next beer is one I've already reviewed, but Worthy's Easy Day belongs on this list. As a reminder, Easy Day is a 3.4% IPA and only 97 calories. Today, I am drinking the Hazy Tangerine version. This beer is bright, juicy goodness. It's begging to be thrown into my cooler for a casual kayak on Sparks Lake.

Easy Day is Easy Drinking: Worthy gives us low buzz with big flavor

Last, but certainly not least is Mango Daze – Mango Pale Ale from Silver Moon Brewing. An oldie, but a goodie and also one of my summertime "go to" beers for many years now. The mango aroma and malty flavors just work so perfectly together. This beer goes down quick and easy (but do be careful. It's a moderate 6% ABV). I continue to reach for it over and over again. Mango Daze is a touch of the tropics right here in Central Oregon.

The Spirit of Collaboration: Many food & drink products are made in Central Oregon. Now, there's an organization to help them thrive

All of these beers are available locally in Central Oregon at the pubs, breweries and stores. Go grab some and head up to the lakes! Hurray for summer! I can't believe I drank all those beers! The things I do for you!