Today I actually had some time to make a friendly visit to the Real Simple website, one of my favoritos.  They happen to be talking about a topic that is very near and dear to the Pickle sisters….   beer!

Before I get to that, I will share with you a little background about Lexie and I and how we came to love beer.  We grew up in a small town…  small and actually kind of a country town considering it’s in Florida.  Like, we had a cow pasture at our high school and kids could actually take a class on how to drive a tractor and raise a steer.  What.  The.  Hell.

Anyway, the fun thing to do on the weekends was go to keg parties out in the middle of woods.  But, I would NOT drink beer, oh hell no.  Only Jack Daniels Lynchburg Lemonaide and Boones Farm Strawberry Hill for me!  Hellooo, I was a lady!

Then we went to college in the big city.  Both Lexie and I went to FSU in Tallahassee for college.  We learned real quick how much we took those bums outside the local jiffy store in Leesburg for granted…..  just slip them the cash with the promise of keeping the change and voila, wine cooler central!  Now, getting our favorite wine coolers was a thing of the past!

We both learned to make do with what was there–free beer at the fraternity parties.  At first this was a love-hate relationship but has blossomed over time into a strong love.  We LOVE a good beer.  And only good beer.  In fact, the phrase Beer Snob has been thrown around a time or two.

So, this brings me to our topic at hand.  Real Simple outlines for us 7 Refreshing Summer Beers that they recommend we try! Let’s talk shop guys!

First we have Sam Adams Summer Ale:

This beer is so good.  So good!  If you enjoy Sam Adams then you will really like the Summer Ale.  Real Simple says “A lemony warm-weather wheat ale, this crowd-pleasing brew has cardamom notes and a peppery kick”

Next there is Shock Top Belgian White:

We have had this a few times now.  It is made by Michelob, so I didn’t expect it to be up to my high standards (haha!).  I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty this beer is!  If you like Blue Moon I think you will like Shock Top.

Here we have good ‘ol Red Stripe:

Red Stripe is just near and dear to my heart!  The hubby and I took our honeymoon in Jamaica and I have fond memories of drinking this beer.  Aside from that, it is just a good beer that is in a bottle that is super fun to drink out of!  Definitely a beer to be served out of the bottle and not a glass.

On to Flying Dog Woody Creek White:

I love anything from Flying Dog.  I don’t know if I have ever tried the Woody Creek White but I have really enjoyed all their other beers.  I would imaging it is appealing to a wider audience because it is more of a light ale than some of their other full-bodied beers.

Real Simple says “made with coriander and bitter orange peel, this Belgian-style pilsner from the eccentric Maryland brewery known for its craft beers has a light, creamy texture and dry finish. I am gonna be on the lookout for this one!

Moving on to Newcastle:

I don’t really have too much to say here….   Newcastle is good but not something I would order or buy at the store.  There are just too many other better beers out there in my humble opinion.  However, I certainly wouldn’t snub my nose if I was in the mood for a beer and it was the only thing being served!

Now we have Negra Modelo:

I have ordered this one when eating Mexican a handful of times.  It’s pretty good!  It’s not as dark as I expected either considering they say on the label “dark beer”.  I’ll give it 2 thumbs up for those times you are eating chips and white queso (yummm!) and have had your fill of margaritas.  Good beer to switch to.

And last we have Bohemia:

I have never even heard of this beer so I have nothing to add here.  I guess I will need to be on the lookout next time I am somewhere with a good beer menu and try it out!  From what Real Simple says it sounds pretty good!  This crisp, light-gold Mexican pilsner has a pleasing, slightly bitter finish that cuts through rich and spicy foods like Buffalo chicken wings and hot curries.

And there you have it folks!  All this talk about beer has really got me craving one myself!  Does anyone have any good suggestions for a good beer to try?  I would love to hear them!

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