If you’re anything like me, you’re going to spend at least another day or two on the golf course before the end of summer. You might not notice it, but the days are growing shorter, and fall is lurking on the horizon like a pumpkin spice-fueled monster. Your chances of spending sunny, humid days on the links are quickly dwindling. And while where you’re golfing and who you’re with is important, so too is what you’re drinking.
In my years of golfing and drinking, I’ve encountered myriad golf course cocktails, and I’ve found that while you can’t beat the classic flask of whiskey, there’s nothing better than a crisp, refreshing beer on a warm summer day spent enjoying 18 holes. Who cares if you’re hitting eagles or double bogeys left and right if you have a nice beer to sip?
How do I pick the golf course beers?
Firestone Walker
I believe that when it comes to golf course beers, thirst-quenching and crushability are a must. Traditionally, golf course beers are light lagers, pilsners, and other easy-drinking beers. But this doesn’t mean you can’t sneak a flavorful wheat beer, balanced IPA, or hoppy pale ale in there as well. We understand that golfers love beers like Bud Light, Heineken, Coors Light, and even Amstel Light. But I’m going to go a little more balanced for this list.
Classic golf course beers you’ll want to drink this summer
Josh Olalde / Unsplash
Now that you’ve learned a little about what makes a great golf course beer and some of the styles that fit the bill, it’s time actually to find some beers to pair with the back nine. I’m going to include session IPAs, pale ales, light lagers, pilsners, blonde ales, and even wheat beers. The more refreshing, the better. That said, below you’ll find some of my favorite, classic golf course beers. Keep scrolling to see them in all their hop-fueled glory. And remember, you don’t have much summer left to enjoy a day of golf and some frosty brews.
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils
Firestone Walker
This isn’t your average pilsner. Firestone Walker Pivo Pils is brewed with 100% German malts, including Pilsner, the brand’s proprietary house lager yeast, and dry-hopped with Saphir hops. Fermenting in stainless steel adds new dimensions to this perfect golfing beer. It’s well-known for its balanced flavor featuring notes of tangerine, lemongrass, honeydew melon, pineapple, light spices, and dank pine.
Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
Oskar Blues
If you enjoy sipping on pale ales in between long putts, you can do much worse than Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale. Brewed with Cascade, Centennial, and Comet hops, this year-round 6.5% American pale ale is the perfect accompaniment to golf thanks to its balanced flavor profile featuring caramel malts, citrus peels, and dank pine. The finish is memorable, dry, and pleasantly bitter.
Modelo Especial
Modelo
No golf beer list is complete without a crushable, crisp, easy-drinking lager. A day on the links is made better with the addition of a classic Mexican lager. While many beers fit this description, none are better than Modelo Especial. Brewed with simple ingredients like water, barley malt, non-malted cereals, and hops, it’s known for its crisp, clean flavor featuring notes of caramel malt, citrus peels, honey, sweet corn, and floral, earthy hops.
Allagash White
Allagash
If a summery wheat beer is more your jam, you can’t go wrong with a timeless Allagash White. This 5.2% ABV Belgian-style wheat beer is a summer staple. Brewed with oats, malted wheat, and raw wheat, it’s flavored with coriander and Curaçao orange peel. The result is a multi-layered, hazy wheat beer filled with flavors like citrus peels, sweet wheat, and gentle spices.
North Coast Scrimshaw
North Coast
Named for the ornate carvings crafted by seafarers in the 1800s, North Coast Scrimshaw is a classic pilsner brewed with Munich malt and Hallertauer and Tettnang hops. The result is a refreshing, 4.5% ABV, award-winning, European-style pilsner known for its mix of sweet malts, corn, honey, citrus, and floral hops flavors. The finish is clean, crisp, and perfectly dry on a hot summer day.
Bell’s Light Hearted
Bell’s
Bell’s Two Hearted is one of the most beloved IPAs in America. But a day of golf calls for something a little lighter. That’s where Bell’s Light Hearted comes in. This year-round, 4% ABV IPA is brewed with water, malts, house ale yeast, and Centennial and Galaxy hops. Only 110 calories, this session IPA is filled with flavors like caramel malts, cereal grains, pineapple, grapefruit, cracked black pepper, and piney, lightly bitter hops.
Shiner Light Blonde
Shiner
Brewed since 2011, Shiner Light Blonde is a year-round, easy-drinking 4.2% beer brewed with 2-row malt, lager yeast, and Golding hops. This thirst-quencher is a great choice for golf outings because of its balanced flavor profile featuring notes of bready malts, cereal grains, light fruits, citrus peels, and floral, earthy hops. It’s a simple, no-frills beer perfect for a day of golf.
Odell Good Behavior
Odell
This hazy, crisp IPA is a great addition to a day of golf. Brewed with HBC 586, Citra, and Amarillo hops, it’s known for its lightly cloudy appearance and juicy palate featuring notes of mango, caramelized pineapple, ripe peaches, and a dry, gently piney finish. The best part? Odell Good Behavior is only 4% ABV, 7 carbs, and 110 calories. What it lacks in alcohol content and calories, it makes up for in flavor.
von Trapp Helles Golden Lager
von Trapp
This award-winning Helles-style lager is an exceptional choice for an afternoon of golf. Made in the traditional Munich-style, it gets its hop presence from the liberal use of Perle and Tettnang hops. The result is a balanced, refreshing lager centered on flavors like bready malts, honey, fresh cut grass, orange peels, and floral, Noble hops.
Sixpoint The Crisp
Sixpoint
With a name like The Crisp, you should have a pretty good idea about what you’re in for when you crack open one of these bad boys. This 5.4% ABV German-style pilsner is brewed with Tettnang and Hallertau hops sourced from Bavaria. It’s known for its (you guessed it) crisp flavor profile featuring notes of fresh cut grass, bready malts, sweet corn, orange zest, honey, and lightly bitter, floral, earthy hops. It’s dry, lightly spicy, and very memorable.