Boston's Best

Boston's Best Craft Beers For Your 4th Of July Backyard BBQ

June 22, 2016 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS Boston

Craft beers take on their own flavor and body depending upon the brewery where they are developed and created. Boston has some wonderful craft beers to be enjoyed by the throngs at upcoming 4th of July backyard BBQs. There are many light and airy summer craft beers, some with a hint of fresh citrus and others with a peppery or flowery flavor.

Summer Ale
Sam Adams
30 Germania St.
Boston, MA 02130
(617) 368-5080
www.samueladams.com

Sam Adams is one of Boston's most popular craft beer breweries and is located in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The Samuel Adams Summer Ale is a perfect choice to serve at a 4th of July BBQ with its citrusy flavor from the added lemon peel and a hint of spiciness from the Grains of Paradise. Grains of Paradise is a seeded plant grown in West Africa, which has a zesty, peppery flavor with hints of flowers, coriander and cardamom.

UFO Big Squeeze Shandy
Harpoon Beer
306 Northern Ave.
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 574-9551
www.harpoonbrewery.com

This unique craft beer, which is brewed at Harpoon Beer in the Seaport District of the city, is a sweet malt brew with a hint of tartness from grapefruit. The beer offers a clean, citrusy taste, which makes it a perfect summer BBQ beverage. It is a refreshing and thirst-quenching choice when out in the summer sun having some 4th of July holiday fun.

Summer Belgian Session Ale
Mayflower Brewing Company
12 Resnik Road
Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 746-2674
www.mayflowerbrewing.com

Heading south of the city to Plymouth, about a 40-mile sojourn from Boston, there is a great local brewery that offers Summer Belgian Session Ale. The Mayflower Brewing Company stocks this craft beer brewed with pilsner, rye and wheat malts with plenty of added American hops to make a flavorful and unique craft beer. Summer Belgian Session Ale has a dry and spicy flavor with an added fruity bitterness making it a great summer BBQ choice.

Sunny Ridge
Jack's Abby Craft Lager
100 Clinton St.
Framingham, MA 01702
(508) 872-0900
www.jacksabby.com

Sunny Ridge is a complex craft beer brewed by Jack's Abby Craft Lager in Framingham, which is located about 22 miles west of Boston. This lager brew features herbal noble hop nose and is a blend of pilsner malt and some unique European hops. Sunny Ridge has a light, sunshine-y color, making it a great refreshing choice of craft beer to serve at a 4th of July BBQ gathering.

Dreaming Of Summer
Flying Dreams Brewing Company
455B Park Ave.
Worcester, MA 01610
(508) 926-8251
www.flyingdreamsbrewing.com

Dreaming of Summer craft beer is a refreshing, light brew with a subtle, tangy flavor. It is a light brew made with fine hops from Australia, the Czech Republic and Germany and blended with malted barley from various places around the world. The resulting craft beer, Dreaming of Summer brewed by Flying Dreams Brewing Company, has hints of citrus and florals. This crisp craft beer will fare well at any 4th of July summer BBQ.

Nancy is a native Bostonian. She enjoys the sights, sounds and tastes of Boston while exploring the city by day or night. Nancy is also a school nurse at an independent middle/high school. Her work can be found on a variety of websites, including Examiner.com.

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