10 Philly craft beers to try this summer, from Jamaican collabs to pink lemonade ales

Summer is in full swing, and that means the Guinness stouts and dark porters can stay in the fridge — unless that’s your thing.

Warm-weather beers are a science. They’re meant to be sipped under the sun, so they need to be light, refreshing, and lower in alcohol content — the goal is to keep the party going, not end it early. (Though there’s always someone who insists on bringing a 10% ABV triple IPA.)

This is the season of brews that require levity and visual appeal but also juiciness and, at times, a little zing.

Philadelphia brewers know how to deliver. Each year they release seasonal favorites and fresh new flavors, and 2025 is shaping up to be an especially collaborative one, with local ingredients from nearby farms meeting flavors from Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Here are the summer beers from Philadelphia breweries you need to try this season.

Prepare for a burst of tart, herbal flavor with this local-favorite gose from Attic Brewing Co. Brewed with organic sage from Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op and finished with notes of lemon, Sage Against the Machine is light, refreshing, and easy to sip — but its zippy mouthfeel keeps things interesting. 4% ABV

📍137 Berkley Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19144, 🌐 atticbrewing.com, 📞 267-748-2495

An explosively fruity wheat ale — aptly named for the Philly audience — Conshy Brewing’s Woodermelon is a must-have at a picnic or cookout. It’s sweet but not too sweet, oozing with watermelon flavor. Also try their Ring the Bell lager, one of the best local beers available at Citizens Bank Park during Phillies games. 6% ABV

📍739 E. Elm Street, #2301, Conshohocken, Pa. 19428, 🌐 conshohockenbrewing.com, 📞 610-897-8962

The Berliner Weisse — a fruity, sour wheat beer that originated in Germany — has been reimagined by American brewers, and Philly’s own Dock Street Brewery puts its spin on the style with Barracuda weisse. Brewed with hibiscus and raspberry, it balances the rewarding tartness of a sour with bright, fruity flavor. The third release of Found Friends IPA was just tapped too, a collobaration with the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). 4% ABV

📍2118 Washington Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19146, 🌐 dockstreetbeer.com, 📞 215-337-3103

Love City proudly champions its beer as “brewed for all,” even if you don’t drink alcohol (they offer plenty of nonalcoholic brews on tap), no matter what community you’re from. So, when the time came to create a summertime chamomile saison, they used Pennsylvania-grown barley and spelt, called on collaborators Bluestem Botanicals for hand-picked chamomile, and partnered with the burgeoning brewers at Souderton’s Brass Collar Brewing to create this perky, tart summer beer. 5.6% ABV

📍1023 Hamilton Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19123, 🌐 lovecitybrewing.com, 📞 215-398-1900

Endless Sunrays is the no-brainer Philly summer beer. This American pilsner — light, smooth, and easy to drink with a restrained hoppy flavor — can easily replace the big domestic brands in the party or beach cooler. 4.8% ABV

📍1710 N. Fifth Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19122, 🌐 humanrobotbeer.com, 📞 267-534-5761

Dry, refreshing, and strikingly vibrant, Local Summers looks as good as it tastes. The saison gets its pinkish-red hue from Nigerian hibiscus flowers — a color you won’t find in other local beers. Add some Jamaican mango tree leaves, provided by Montego Bay-based brewer Mark Ricketts of Summer In The Field brewery. It just might be the beer of the summer. 6% ABV

📍3675 Market Street, Suite 100, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104, 🌐 twolocalsbrewing.com, 📞 267-969-3837

Who doesn’t love lemonade on a hot summer’s day? Evil Genius Beer concocted the beer version with Hair of the Dog, a pink lemonade ale so smooth, it’s almost like the real thing. Bursting with fruit flavors, maybe even hints of watermelon and berries, this is a great “session beer” due to its low alcohol content and sippability. 5.5% ABV

📍1727 Front Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19122, 🌐 evilgeniusbeer.com, 📞 215-425-6820

While this summer beer packs a heavier punch at 8.8% ABV, the brew wizards at Neshaminy Creek Brewing were able to pack as many fruits as possible into this super hazy ale. Enjoy passion fruit, orange, and guava alongside the hoppiness an IPA delivers. For something lighter, one can never go wrong with their timeless Rita’s Fruit Brews collection, with mango, peach ring, and watermelon sour beers. 8.8% ABV

📍909 Ray Ave., Croydon, Pa. 19021, 🌐 neshaminycreekbrewing.com, 📞 215-458-7081

The Bavarian hefeweizen, a wheat beer that pairs perfectly with citrus or grapefruit, has landed at Iron Hill Brewery as the Ruby Citrus Crush, an easy-to-drink, light, and subtly hoppy brew with a powerfully ruby red grapefruit tang. 5% ABV

1150 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107, 🌐 ironhillbrewery.com, 📞 267-507-7365

Sometimes a good summer beer doesn’t need any over-the-top frills; just a clean and crisp light beer that wets the whistle on a hot day. Schooner does more than that though; it’s a pilsner with a solid body that teases notes of citrus thanks to its unique hops from New Zealand, and a smooth mouthfeel. Don’t miss Wiss’ Goseberry Mango, either. This mango purée wheat beer is brewed with Himalayan pink salt. 5.2% ABV

📍3705 W. School House Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19129, 🌐 wissahickonbrew.com, 📞 215-483-8833