After a long trip, driving through countless states, drinking beers from 11 states in five different regions, it’s about time I take my beer drinking overseas. No, I’m not about to fly over the Atlantic, I’m just going to relax, and kick back to some ole reliable Newcastle.
But it’s not Newcastle Brown Ale I’m going to be having. I’m going to switch it up. Now that we’re in some great weather – especially here in the Bay Area of California – I got to have a refreshing beer to complement the heat of summer. That’s why instead of a Brown Ale, I’m cracking up the limited release by the great UK brand, Newcastle Summer Ale. In homage to the end of every post my brother puts on his social network page, What’s Up?!?!?!
And according to brand director of Newcastle Brown Ale, Charles van Es, it’s the way to drink Newcastle Summer Ale, saying, “Newcastle Summer Ale is a refreshing, delicious beer meant to be enjoyed in the summer, when it’s hot outside.”
Newcastle Summer Ale is brewed with Optic malts and Styrian Golding and Challenger hops. With it being a summer beer, it’s not too overwhelming in the alcohol department either (4.4 percent by volume) so you can enjoy one after another. It’s well balanced, too, with 26 International Bittering Units (IBUs).
It’s a beer that is made with us, the drinking people, in mind as well. It’s not like Newcastle is just making beer for themselves and selling it to us. They made us this delectable Summer Ale to enjoy in these hot months because they think “people drink more beer when it’s warm outside.”
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I certainly fit that bill. I know I’ll be having multiple Newcastle Summer Ale throughout these hot months.
This is a beer brewed at the historic Caledonian Brewery, and really hits the nail on the head with its traditional United Kingdom flavor profile. Of course, a lot of summer type beers are really light and lacking on flavor; Newcastle Summer Ale does not fall into that category.
Newcastle Summer Ale, however, since it is a limited release by the world-renowned brewery, only puts out its Summer Ale for a few months during the year. It has been available nationwide since May and will be on your grocery and liquor store shelves through July (and later in some cases should we all foolishly not clean out the inventory by then).
Right now, as I wash down my fifth Newcastle Summer Ale, and the thermometer in the house clocking in at 90-plus degrees, it is totally my new beer of choice for summer.
Side note – is anyone else impressed by Newcastle? It was just a few years ago when all we had from the guys who bring us “The One and Only Newcastle Brown Ale,” was a brown ale. Now in the past several years, we get Winter IPA, Founders Ale, Werewolf and Summer Ale. It’s not that I don’t love Newcastle Brown Ale – I correlate my study abroad program in Spain with the “Hops and Glory” of Newcastle Brown Ale as it was my beer of choice that month and I loved every day of that trip – but the options are a refreshing change of pace that can only be accompanied with a round of applause by this avid beer drinker.
Please do yourself a favor and open your horizons to Newcastle Summer Ale – and all of its limited edition series for that matter – because it’s worth it. It’s nothing crazy like what we get here in the States from the craft breweries, but it’s a solid beer that holds its own.
In the meantime, I’ll raise my pint of Newcastle Summer Ale and wait for you to raise yours too as we celebrate good beer, good times, and good weather this summer. Cheers!
Like it? Hate it? Love it? Let me know. I’m sure you’ll be pleased though.
Giovanni Albanese Jr.
San Jose, Calif.
Follow Giovanni on Twitter @GAlbaneseJr
