By Jeff Maisey
Back in 2014, some in the craft beer world had latched onto the label lawnmower beer to describe what were light lagers serving as a way to quench your thirst during the dog days of summer after cutting the grass or doing general yard work.
We in Virginia can certainly relate given our high humidity environment come late May and all the way to mid-September.
Lawnmower beers were sometimes branded as “your grandfather’s beer” as a reference to the likes of PBR, Miller High Life, Budweiser, Coors, and Busch — ironically the very beer style craft beer set out to differentiate itself from.
After all the boundary-pushing experimental beers, heavily-hopped IPAs, bourbon barrel this and that, pucker-up sours and flavors of the week, turns out nothing beats an ice cold lager or pilsner on a 90-degree afternoon when you’re covered in sweat, bug bites, and dust. ’Tis the season.
In just the last five years lagers and pilsners have gained newfound respectability in the craft community and the “funny, ha-ha” lawnmower beer tag has all but dropped off.
Until now…
St. George Brewing Company, in Hampton, has long favored traditional beer styles and as a kitchy way to celebrate the beers of summer they’ve put together their inaugural Lawnmower Beer Festival schedule June 18 from noon to 5 PM.
“We are fans of retro around here,” said Heather Gauthier, St. George’s brand manager. “We loved the idea of hosting a festival outside in the warm weather that represents the fun in enjoying a cold beer on a hot day — especially after mowing the lawn.”
At press time, St. George has 13 craft breweries participating: Vibrant Shore, Dragon Run, Elation, Makers, Wasserhund, NOST, Rip Rap Brewing, 1700, 1865, The Garage Brewery, Gloucester, Three Notched, and themselves.
For the event, St. George is brewing “Mower’s Motivation,” a light bodied, clean Munich-style lager with pleasant, malty base notes and a crisp finish.
Beyond the Lawnmower Beer Festival, all local breweries have beers that fit the category of being light bodied, crisp, and with a low ABV. Some are long running flagships and others are newly invented.
As a newbie, Starr Hill Brewery is introducing Sun Burn as a fresh seasonal. Sun Burn (4.5% ABV) is an ale brewed with lemon peel and orange puree.
In rural areas of Northern Virginia, after an afternoon cutting the grass onboard a John Deere riding lawnmower followed by cleaning the horse stables, reach for a crowler of Stable Craft Brewing & Cidery’s new Farmhouse Ale, a sensational saison brewed with lemongrass, lemon peel and rose hips.
Maker’s Craft Brewery will release Norfolk Naddy Lager, which is described as a “clean, crisp lager that tastes like your granddaddy’s beer” and it “pairs well with yard work.” Maker’s will also release Fuhged Daboudit (Forget About it), an Italian-style pilsner.
Speaking of Italian, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery in Richmond has unveiled at Italian pilsner called Second Circle. Owner Chris Sarnoski described it this way: “Crisp and clean and full of respite, the 2nd Circle Italian Pilsner quenches the Beast’s thirst and lust for a pilsner with salacious hoppiness.”
Garden Grove’s other lawnmower beer is dubbed The Preferred Beer of Richmond, an American lager featuring a blend of domestic corn and German pilsner malts for that classic blue collar man lager taste.
Also from RVA, it is hard to beat Hardywood Park’s Richmond Lager.
Same for Legend Brewing Company’s classic Citra Lager, a delicious tropically fragrant 4.5% ABV lager that can be coupled with Legend’s zesty, ginger-forward Z Dam lager. Z Dam is especially a brilliant choice for that sunset cookout after a day toiling away in the garden.
Hawksbill Brewing Company has a truly unique summertime brew dubbed 7 Days a Wheat, which is essentially a watermelon wheat ale. Betcha never had one of these, eh? No seeds, we’re told.
Billsburg Brewery will highlight its Radler (Lemonade pilsner), Juan’s Nightstand (Cerveza), Fiesta en Billsburg (Vienna Cerveza), Cribbage in the Square (Pilsner), and will have a few different seltzers rotating through the summer months.
Over at Wasserhund Brewing Company, Pop Your Top Off is a fine Helles lager coming in at 5% ABV. It is describes as “bright, crisp, and crushable, this Munich Helles is the perfect beach day brew.”
Having produced Green Can in its early days and the award-winning Proper Lager as of late, O’Connor Brewing Company knows this style well. Coming soon from OBC is Slow Pour Pils, which benefits the Virginia Zoo’s Conservation Fund, Surf Veza Mexican Lager, a fan favorite, but now in 6-pack 12-oz cans, and Juicy Ride Tropical Wheat Ale, a warm weather crusher at 4.5% with tropical notes of Passion Fruit, Cara Cara Orange and Guava.
Anyone remember Miller Lite’s slogan, “Tastes great, less filling”? Elation Brewing introduces Larchmont Lite, brewed with 100% Chesapeake Pilsner malt from Riverbend Malt House. The malt is grown in the Northern Neck and malted in Asheville, NC. Light body, dry finish and refreshing, and at 4% ABV, this brew is an all day crusher.
Vibrant Shore Brewing Company is releasing Rising Bun, a brew Rhett calls “incredibly clean, crushable, and crisp light lager that is an homage to Japanese and new world light lagers.” He continues, “Envision dense white foam on top of a bright light blonde body, created with malted barley, flaked rice and Sorachi Ace hops. Its dryness evaporates off the tongue in a clean finish. 5.4% ABV, 19 IBU There is a Samurai somewhere.”
Out in Roanoke, Big Lick Brewing Company is readying a new lawnmower beer owner Bryan Summerson is calling Lawnz & Lagerz. This new offering will join Smith Mountain Lager and Heritage Pre-Prohibition Lager in Big Lick’s summertime starting lineup of home rum beers.
Reaver Beach plans on Raise Hell, Praise Dale (4/2% ABV) as an American Light Lager for “fans of things like sports-ball, fishing, or watching automobiles go in near endless circles.” At 4.20% ABV, this clean, crisp bad-boi might inspire you to raise some hell, or at least have a few pints.
Beale’s will pull-start Lil’ Mower on June 25 to celebrate the Bedford brewery’s 5th anniversary. Lil’ Mower is just 3.8% ABV and brewed with Jamine rice and pilsner malts. Look out Mic Ultra.
Nansemond Brewing Station will unveil Orange Route Kolsch (blood orange Kolsch, 5.4% AB) named aptly after the main bus route that runs through Suffolk, and is described by their brew team as a “beer designed to be an easy drinking, smooth rider that will carry you through a long week of work while pushing or riding that mower creating your own baseball field lines in the yard.”
Alewerks Brewing Company will hammer-out a newborn brew called Nailed It, a premium lager that will benefit a Habitat for Humanity program called the House that Small Business Built.
Where The Garage Brewery will keep the taps of Light Bulb flowing and Thin Brew Line will do a saison called Tee Off for Cancer, Big Ugly Brewing continues to please with Peake Lager and Bavarian Mouth Werks, The Vanguard’s Caiseal brand of House Beer thrills, and Tradition Brewing’s Tradice Czech-style Pilsner is the real deal.
Last but certainly not least in the Lawnmower beer category are Smartmouth’s Safety Dance Pilsner (with new package design) and New Realm Brewing Company’s Euphonia Pilsner. Both are former Best-in-Show Virginia Craft Beer Cup winners.
And, of course, don’t forget Port City Brewing Company’s Downright Pilsner, a silver medalist in this’s year’s World Beer Cup.
In addition to our tips for must-try lawnmower beers, we asked some of our Facebook friends for their favorites.
