As spring days warm up for summer, it’s the ideal time to go out for a beer. Not that you need a reason, of course!
Nebraska’s breweries are known for their ambiance, community and entertainment. Locals can catch live bands, play bingo, trivia or enjoy good grub from local food trucks.
From April to August (depending on the brewery), locals can sample warm weather seasonals — craft brews and hard ciders that are bright, citrusy, floral and fruity. Be sure to visit these locations this spring and summer to savor the best of what Nebraska craft breweries have to offer.
Wheat beer
Characterized by its high carbonation and bright flavors, wheat beer is excellent during warm weather months. It is top-fermented (meaning its yeast relies on warm temperatures to rise) and brewed with a larger ratio of wheat to malted barley, giving it its bready, sometimes citrusy flavor. These breweries serve excellent wheat-forward beers.
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Think classy bachelorette weekend or casual wedding anniversary celebration when you visit Mac’s Creek Winery and Brewery. Live music, food trucks and their summer wheat beer are all you and your clan need.
With locations in Omaha and Lincoln, you can count on Backswing Brewing Co. to deliver quality beers that focus on taste, not trends. Their no-fuss, no-muss wheat is a perfect choice during summer music bingo, trivia or even a fitness class!
For a summer wheat that’s otherworldly, Site-1 is your spaceship. Its brews are as buzzworthy as their galactic names suggest, and Site-1 is always rotating what’s on tap.
Sour/gose beer
The sour/gose beers can be salty and sometimes have flavors of coriander. These go down nice and smooth, especially on a warm day because of their carbonation and bright flavors.
Enjoy warm nights under strings of lights in Benson Brewery’s courtyard. Surrounded by both greenery and florals, you’ll immediately feel at ease. Order their B Passionate fruited sour for an unexpected punch with each sip.
Go for the sours, stay for the presentation. Whether you try their Operation Lemon Drop (basically, lemon drop candy made into a beer) or their Amaretto Sour Ale (every bit as flavorful as an amaretto cocktail), you can expect each pour to be served in one of their signature Stone Hollow Brewing glasses for an elevated experience.
India pale ale
Maltier and stronger than other pale ales, this hoppy-style beer is known to be fruity and flavorful. Give these unique-tasting IPAs a try!
Committed to tradition and innovation, Pint Nine offers both classic-style ales and one-off batches that keep things interesting. From their OJ’s Bronco Lactose IPA (tangerine and blood orange puree with vanilla and lactose) to their False Idol New England-style IPA (bright citrus and stone fruit, fairly hoppy), Pint Nine has an array of impressive flavor profiles.
Known for their artisan ales, Zipline Brewing Co. has four locations serving up some incredibly imaginative IPAs. Names like “Mosaic,” “Daaang!” and “Dope!” describe flavor profiles that are papaya and blueberry-focused, dark and tangy, and tubular and juicy.
Dollar pizza slices on Wednesdays, $5 pints on Mondays and IPAs that are dry-hopped with cashmere, cascade, amarillo and locally grown triple perle hops — that’s what you can expect from Peg Leg Brewing, along with a menu filled with true Southern comfort!
Blonde ale
Characterized by their moderate bitterness and maltiness, these straw-colored to medium blonde ales closely mirror some traditional mass market lagers. In fact, they were created to sneakily convert mass market consumers to craft beer lovers. Considering their popularity today, it’s fair to say it worked. Give one a try at one of these local breweries.
If you’re big on community, this is the spot. Between its monthly themed potlucks, big screen for sporting events (from football to volleyball) and weekly happy hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Five-0-Five Brewing Co. is all about creating a friendly environment. Bond with your neighbors over their Razzbaby Blonde Ale for a low-hop brew that’s clean and fruity and perfect for warm weather.
Grab a pal, a brew and a lawn chair if watching the Nebraskan sunset and listening to live bands is your scene. Lively, entertaining and serving craft brews made in small batches (as in, always fresh and flavorful), Pals Brewery delivers nothing short of a good time.
Fruit beers
As its name suggests, fruit beer is made with fruits in place of the usual unmalted grains. Lighter and refreshing in flavor, these crafts mainly incorporate malt-scented strawberries, plums, raspberries and cherries. Enjoy top-notch fruit beers at these locations.
As the spot with the motto to “celebrate, commiserate, commemorate,” Brickway Brewery & Distillery offers a bright interior for indoor occasions and an outdoor patio for warm weather outings. Find their Raspberry Hefeweizen (Hef for short), featuring hints of pepper, banana and clove, as well as strong notes of raspberry, from April to August.
Housed in the town’s old opera building, this Fairfield brewery is known for its warm and historic environment, homemade food and craft seasonals. Described as “light, crisp and slightly fruity with low-hop bitterness,” its Little Blue Kolsch German-style ale is the perfect sip for warm weather.
Hard cider
Although usually associated with the fall, this alcoholic beverage (made with fermented fruit juice) is perfect for the spring and summer, when featured flavors are fragrant, herbal and fruity. Check out this location for the perfect warm weather seasonals.
Cozy and chic, Saro is the go-to spot for a friendly gathering or an intimate night out with your partner. Enroll in a charcuterie class where you learn to craft a board of your own while enjoying their best complementary ciders, or bring the family for a bite to eat and a taste of their refreshing seasonals (raspberry, grapefruit and sangria).
To learn more, visit nebraska.beer/find-nebraska-beer.
