The Beer Holiday Starts Now: A Midwest Beer Show Holiday Weekend Recap

There are certain weekends when beer becomes more than just something in the refrigerator.

The July 4 holiday weekend is one of them.

Cookouts, backyard gatherings, fireworks, pool days, vacations, and long afternoons outside all bring beer into the conversation. That made it the perfect time for a special edition of the Midwest Beer Show, where Dave from Beer In Front and I got together to talk beer as the holiday weekend was getting started.

The theme for this episode was simple:

The beer holiday starts now.

And once you start thinking about a major summer holiday through the lens of beer, there is a lot to talk about.

What Belongs in the Holiday Weekend Cooler?

One of the biggest questions around any holiday gathering is also one of the simplest:

What beer are you bringing?

The answer can say a lot about how people drink beer today.

Some beer drinkers will always reach for the familiar macro lager. There is a reason beers like Miller Lite, Coors Light, Budweiser, Busch Light, and other longtime favorites continue to show up at cookouts and summer gatherings. They are familiar, easy to find, and built for drinking over a longer period.

Others want the holiday weekend to be another opportunity to support a local brewery. That might mean bringing a craft lager, pilsner, pale ale, wheat beer, IPA, or mixed pack from somewhere close to home.

And then there are the beer drinkers who want a little bit of everything.

That may actually be the best way to describe the modern beer cooler.

The days of assuming everyone at a gathering drinks the same beer are long gone. One person may want a crisp lager. Someone else may reach for an IPA. Another person may want a fruit beer, a non-alcoholic option, or something lighter in alcohol.

For me, that variety is part of what makes beer interesting.

The “best” holiday beer may not be one specific beer at all. It may simply be the one that fits the moment.

What Makes a Great Hot-Weather Beer?

Summer also changes what many of us want from a beer.

A big barrel-aged stout may be fantastic, but is that what most people want while sitting outside in the heat for several hours?

Probably not.

When the temperature rises, qualities like refreshment, crispness, drinkability, and balance can become more important.

That opens the door for a lot of styles.

Lagers and pilsners are obvious choices. Wheat beers can bring a refreshing character to a hot afternoon. Pale ales can deliver hop flavor without the weight of a bigger IPA. Kölsch-style beers, cream ales, blonde ales, and lower-ABV options can also fit the occasion.

Of course, plenty of IPA drinkers are still putting IPAs in the cooler.

The bigger question is whether our definition of a “good beer” changes based on where and when we are drinking it.

I think it does.

A beer that works perfectly while sitting inside a taproom may not be the same beer I want during a six-hour cookout. Context matters.

Sometimes the best beer is not the biggest, boldest, rarest, or most hyped beer.

Sometimes it is simply the beer that makes you want another sip.

Does Summer Belong to Craft Beer or Macro Beer?

The craft-versus-macro debate has been around for a long time, but holiday weekends have a way of making the conversation more interesting.

A lot of serious craft beer drinkers still enjoy a macro lager from time to time.

And why not?

Beer does not always have to be complicated.

There is a place for exploring new releases, supporting independent breweries, and chasing interesting flavors. There is also a place for grabbing a familiar lager, sitting down with friends, and not thinking too hard about what is in the glass.

For me, the better question is not:

Craft or macro?

It is:

Are you enjoying what you are drinking?

The modern beer world gives us more choices than ever. Local craft breweries are making excellent lagers and other easy-drinking styles. Larger beer companies continue to produce familiar brands that many people associate with summer, cookouts, ballgames, and holidays.

Those two worlds do not always have to be enemies.

Your cooler can hold both.

Are Lower-ABV Beers Better for a Long Holiday Weekend?

Another part of the summer beer conversation is alcohol strength.

Does a great summer beer need to be lower in alcohol?

Not necessarily.

But lower-ABV beer can make a lot of sense when the occasion lasts for several hours.

There is a big difference between sitting down with one 9% beer and spending an afternoon or evening moving between food, conversations, yard games, and other activities.

That is where sessionability becomes more important.

A lower-ABV lager, pilsner, pale ale, or other easy-drinking beer can allow flavor to remain part of the experience without making alcohol strength the entire experience.

That does not mean big beers disappear during the summer. There will always be a place for a great Double IPA or another higher-ABV favorite.

But more beer drinkers seem willing to ask a practical question:

How does this beer fit the occasion?

That may be one of the most important changes in how people think about beer today.

Maybe the Best Summer Beer Is the One That Fits the Moment

That was one of my biggest takeaways from this special edition of the Midwest Beer Show.

There is no single correct answer for what belongs in your holiday cooler.

Maybe you are bringing a case of a familiar macro lager.

Maybe you are showing up with a mixed pack from a local brewery.

Maybe your cooler includes IPAs, lagers, wheat beers, non-alcoholic beer, and whatever else people enjoy.

That is the fun of it.

Beer culture can sometimes get caught up in rankings, ratings, hype, rarity, and arguments over what people should or should not drink.

A holiday weekend is a good reminder that beer can also be much simpler than that.

Get together.

Bring something you enjoy.

Try something new.

Share a beer with someone else.

And make a few good memories along the way.

That is a beer holiday worth celebrating.

Watch the Midwest Beer Show Replay

Dave from Beer In Front and I dive into the beer conversation in this special edition of the Midwest Beer Show.

What belongs in your holiday cooler?

Do you prefer craft beer or macro beer at a cookout?

What matters most in a hot-weather beer?

And does a great summer beer need to be lower in alcohol?

Watch the full replay here:

https://youtube.com/live/HnXCioAeWFI?feature=share

Then let me know what you are drinking this summer and what beer absolutely has to be in your cooler.

Thanks for watching, supporting the show, and being part of the Rod J BeerVentures community.

Get your beer on! 🍻