Southern Tier Brewing Co. owners Sarah and Phin DeMink have been brewing out of Lakewood, NY since 2002. Two years after their launch, they introduced Hop Sun, a spring and summer American wheat beer that’s brewed to be a thirst quencher on a hot day.

Made zestier by the addition of fresh hop flowers after fermentation, the crisp and dry ale definitely could go the distance on a sultry August (or June!) afternoon. The appearance is clean and lightly golden with a perky - though shallow - head that clings to the side of the glass before slowly dissipating. Aromatic grapefruit bursts through on the nose, though a deeper inhale unveils grass and evokes a bright, sunny afternoon.

The body is thin-to-medium in a way that’s perfectly appropriate for a session wheat beer. The initial sip presents the dry tongue-tingle of bittering hops — a bracing first moment that gives way to a slightly sweet and not-unpleasant lemon flavor. On the second sip, a grassy taste appears, the three malts used combining for a flavor that truly embodies the taste of a summer’s day.

The brewers recommend pairing 5.1% ABV Hop Sun with warm weather faves like fresh mozzarella, gazpacho or fresh berries, or taking it along on a picnic for a perfect sandwich companion. Hop Sun is available in 12-oz. bottles or on draft throughout the Eastern United States, as well as in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver.