Red Racer Summer Crush Hopped Lager

Red Racer Summer Crush Hopped Lager Review

Central City Brewers & Distillers has a great deal for those shopping for in-home or outdoor summer beverages. Their 500 ml cans, slightly larger than the 473ml (US 16 oz) tall cans everyone else uses, actually cost significantly less than other craft beers. Now, from the folks that gave us Beer League lager, there’s a hopped-up new addition to their lineup of half-litre cans.

Summer Crush is an upscale lawnmower beer with New Zealand Perle and Lemondrop hops. The first time we had it, we could see why they gave it the name ‘Summer Crush’; it seemed perfectly suited to a hot day on the patio.

This beer poured a very light yellow, close to straw. Despite lively carbonation, it displayed a modest head with minimal retention…similar to a macro beer in that way.

On the nose there were fresh notes of grass, corn husk and apricot. The lager had just a slight sweetness to it, with a hint of melon and apricot. Yet there was a floral aspect to it, while also slightly tropical.

On the palate, the sensation was fresh but fairly dry. What felt like mild astringency may have come from the hop oils.

This would be a great accompaniment to BBQ and outdoor fun, assuming you remember how to do that.