Cheap Beer Was Built for Summer

I am all about the microbrew. About the care that goes into a single bottle, the unique flavor that each yeast brings to the process, the story behind the product.

But I recently shared a precious moment with a Narragansett.  It was a very hot summer evening, sticky and uncomfortable. Someone thrust a red, green, and white sweating can into my hand. To tell the truth, what I really needed was water, but it was a backyard BBQ and this can of beer was the next best thing. The Narragansett was light, crisp, and seemed to pair well with whatever I ate — from hamburger to fruit salad to the microbrew I enjoyed after.

Later that week, while browsing the coolers at the liquor store, those same tallboy cans caught my eye. I walked past them, and then retraced my steps. They were imbued with the mythical qualities of that hot summer moment. I grabbed a six-pack. This was the first time I’d bought “cheap beer” in several years. I think I was scarred from too many years of Mountain Creek Classic Lager in college (which cost $8 for a 30-pack in Beloit, WI).


At the register, the six-pack cost me $6. What a steal, especially for tallboys. I enjoyed them later that night on my porch with some friends. While not quite as perfect as the afternoon BBQ, it was still pretty good, definitely good enough for $6.

This summer, don’t underestimate the prowess of cheap beer. If you’re going to get sunscreen, bugs spray, and sand in it anyway, you may as well save your money for a time when you can truly savor that microbrew. Also, cheap beer is great to bring to a party. It’s cheap, you can buy more of it, and it really isn’t that bad on a gorgeous summer evening spent with good company and good food.

Test a few brands out before you show up at that party though, not all cheap beers are created equal. And lastly, under no circumstance would I buy cheap light beer. That stuff really is gross.