Boo! (Did I scare ya?)

Halloween is less than a week away and we’ve been trying our best to get in a spooky mood. Although this year’s frightful festivities might be a little less exciting than usual, we’ll still be making the most of this haunted holiday. That means putting on our favorite horror movies, enjoying plenty of Halloween candy, and drinking delicious beer.

We’ve lined up some delicious beer for this weekend but we’ve enjoyed plenty of tasty offerings over the past week. Below you’ll find the best beer we drank from October 19th to the 26th.

Many of the breweries below are shipping beer–both locally and nationally. Check TapRm or Drizly to see if they’re providing local delivery and check out one of our favorite delivery services – Tavour – to see if their beer is available nationally.

Never Too Late For Summer

Florida Avenue Brewing Co. — Tampa, FL

never too late for summer berliner weisse
 

Berliner Weisse — With the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been experiencing in North Carolina over the past week, I’m inclined to side with Florida Avenue. In fact, it was certainly warm enough to crack open a refreshing Berliner weisse. Never Too Late For Summer is a fruited kettle sour from Tampa, FL’s Florida Avenue Brewing Co. It features a split grain bill of 50% German Pilsner and 50% malted wheat, plus watermelon and lime additions. The result is a breezy, summer-y beverage with a thirst-quencing tartness and sunny effervescence.

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Freiheit!

Wayfinder Beer — Portland, OR

wayfinder freiheit festbier

Festbier — Oktoberfest season has come to a close but we’re still enjoying a handful of Festbier offerings from the country’s best lager breweries. And, though Wayfinder, might not have the same name recognition as others, the Portland, OR brewery deserves to recognized as a true lager powerhouse. Freiheit is German for “freedom” and I’d argue that the beer fits the name well. Simple in construction and freeing in flavor, this beer sports a smooth, golden malt flavor that warms the soul.

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Color Book

Outer Range Brewing Co. — Frisco, CO

outer range color book
 

Double Hazy IPA — Color Book sees Frisco, CO-based brewery Outer Range team up with local artist duo Tanner & Taylor Barkin (aka @moorecollection). Along with a blank canvas of a can, Outer Range co-produced an actual coloring book as well as some branded colored pencils. The overall presentation of this release was spot on. And the beer certainly didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was a stellar hazy IPA. Brewed with Strata, Azacca, Motueka, and Mosaic hops, Color Book delivered plenty of fresh juicy flavors with a gently bitter backbone.

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West Coast Connect

Resident Culture Brewing Co. + 3 Sons Brewing Co. — Charlotte, NC + Dania Beach, FL

resident culture and 3 sons brewing west coast connect
 

West Coast Double IPA — Speaking of bitter, Charlotte’s own Resident Culture took a trip out west with this pine-forward IPA. West Coast Connect is a collaboration between Resident Culture and 3 Sons Brewing Co., based in Dania Beach, Florida. An ode to all things dank, this beer was hopped with Centennial, Simcoe Cryo, Strata, and Vic Secret. As a result, bitter pine flavors take the lead followed by some pithy citrus and just a subtle hint of tropical vibes.

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Jamberry (Blackberry + Boysenberry)

Lamplighter Brewing Co. — Cambridge, MA

lamplighter jamberry fruited ipa
 

Fruited New England IPA — This beer sits at the intersection of several styles. It’s not quite a kettle sour, not a hazy IPA, not a sour IPA. In fact, it’s effectively all at once. The base is brewed as a New England IPA before getting a healthy fruit addition of blackberry and boysenberry. Plus, it’s hopped with American-grown Grungeist, which imparts more juicy fruit flavors. The result isn’t as intensely thick or pastry-like as other modern fruited sours, but it offers prominent jammy flavors that are reminiscent of a tart and berry-filled cobbler.

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