My Top Adult Beverage Picks for Summer!

I’m sharing My Top Adult Beverage Picks For Summer! From rosé, to summer beers, to hard seltzer, and a few canned wines too! It was so hard to narrow down my favorites – there’s truly something for everyone here and I go in depth with tasting notes for each! It will save you some time at the liquor store & I hope take some stress out of entertaining this summer!

It’s finally Friday and I’m sharing ALL of my favorite summer adult beverages to enjoy this summer! From rosé, to summer beers (my personal fave), to the hard seltzers that are all the rage these days. And some canned wines too to top it all off!

I wanted to make a resource to help you guys this summer at the liquor store, because I often want to try a new craft beer or bottle of wine, and I often want trusted feedback about how it is! It can definitely be intimidating and you don’t always want to buy a variety pack of these beers and seltzers, without knowing what they taste like!

I’ve personally taste tested all of these, and I’m giving you my tasting notes for all of them! I hope this helps in your quest to find your favorite summer bevs, and I hope it helps you figure out what to buy for your summer get-togethers!

So let’s get to it!

Starting with ROSÉ!

ROSÉ

These 5 rosés are super agreeable, and easy drinking. Here’s a run down:

Charles & Charles Rosé: I have to say, this one initially got me because of the pretty bottle. It’s initially acidic, but then super smooth. It has berry notes, and it’s really light. Perfect for a super hot day if you want something light and refreshing. If I had to choose, it’s probably my least favorite of the bunch.

Chloe: This one is drier, super crisp, balanced, and smooth. I got a lot of tropical and melon notes, which I loved. Probably my #2 pick!

Diving into Hampton Water: It’s super light, fresh, and fruity, without being sweet. This one is a super agreeable wine. It’s on the pricier end of these wines, but I tried to stay under $15-20. This one is a little over, but very very good!

Azul y Garanza Garnacha Rosé: This one is my FAVE. Garnacha is always my favorite varietal, whether it’s a Spanish red wine or a rosé. I knew I’d love this one, and I was right. It’s SO good. And it comes in a liter bottle, which is awesome! It has a beautiful nose, and I got a lot of juicy, blood orange and berry notes. Absolutely love it.

Joel Gott Rosé: I like this one a lot too. It’s more on the acidic side, but super refreshing. I’d describe it as clean, and it has a lot of peachy notes.

And now for beer!

My personal favorite category – so I figured I’d start you off with my favorite beer of the summer. This Passion Fruit Kolsch by New Belgium. It’s super crisp, light, and it has the perfect amount of passionfruit. I’m kind of obsessed with it!

When I lived in California, I would buy passionfruit by the boatload, because it’s so hard to find on the east coast and it’s my favorite fruit! So it’s kind of like a marrying of my two loves – beer and passionfruit! If you like summer beers that aren’t too fruity, this one is for you!

And now for the rest of the summer beers…

BEER

Leinenkugel’s Shandy’s: These are probably some of the most well-known and popular of summer beers, and I might sounds super basic saying this, but I really love them.

• Grapefruit: Just the right amount of grapefruit – not overpowering at all!
• Summer: This one is probably my favorite just because of the nostalgia it gives me. It’s probably one of the very first beers I ever drank when it started to become popular years ago. It tastes like lemonade beer to me! So so good.
• Watermelon: Sooo good. Not as watermelon-y as the Narragansett – it’s more subtle. Super refreshing.
• Orange: I don’t usually love orange flavored things but this one is amazing. It’s almost like drinking a Blue Moon if you’re into that!

Narragansett Watermelon Shandy: This one was new to me this year, and it’s so good and refreshing! And intensely watermelony! I almost couldn’t believe how much watermelon flavor it had. Slightly sweet too, but not in a bad way! Definitely the most unique of the bunch. If you love watermelon, you will go crazy for this. Plus, the packaging. I mean how cute?!

Dragons & YumYum’s by Dogfish Head: This one is definitely tropical, but not overly so. You can definitely taste the passionfruit, and I love it for that reason. I’m an IPA kind of girl, and this definitely has the hoppy bitterness I love. Not too much, just the right amount. Loved it!

And now for the summer beverage that everyone is going crazy over that I didn’t think I’d like!

Hard Seltzer

I’m not one of those people that drinks La Croix like it’s their job. I just don’t care for it that much. I’m much more of a flat, plain ‘ol room temperature water kind of person. But, I do enjoy a good Spindrift every once in awhile. But, I figured I would try these and see what all of the hype was about!

Spoiler alert: I really like it. You can’t even taste the alcohol and it’s not artificial tasting at all. Which is what I was afraid of!

Truly Hard Seltzer:

• Lime – I thought this one tasted just like Sprite. So good!
• Lemon – Tasted like straight up lemon infused water. Super refreshing!
• Grapefruit – I hate describing it like this, but it was super grapefruity! In a good way. Really yummy.
• Orange – This one wasn’t my fave, but I’m not generally a fan of orange flavored things. My mom liked it though!

I discovered that these are even more delicious with fresh fruit in them to enhance the natural flavors. Like, if you add lime slices to the lime one, it’s even better. Same goes for all of them! They’re a super refreshing summer drink when you’re not in a beer or wine kind of mood. You could probably make a really delicious sangria with them!

And last, for a few wildcard picks:

Canned Wine

Underwood Rosé Bubbles: It’s fruity, with strawberry notes, and super bubbly and effervescent. Really refreshing! If you love rosé and you love bubbles, this one’s for you.

Cask & Cluster Dry Red Wine: This is a local Maryland wine, and I first tried it at an event last summer. I honestly was shocked at how much I loved it! I couldn’t believe it came out of a can, and neither could my brother. He’s kind of a red wine snob, and after I finally made him try it, he kept asking for more. If you like a full bodied, smooth, drier red, you will go crazy for this.

The Original House Wine with Grapefruit Zest: This is definitely the most unique of the bunch, and I wasn’t expecting a ton from it. I was so surprised – it tasted like a sparkling grapefruit cocktail rather than a wine! It’s super lightly carbonated, with a clean, light grapefruit flavor. My mom and I both thought it tasted like a cocktail! Sooo good!

This post was honestly so much fun – and I hope it’s helpful to all of you!

And if you need some cocktails to enjoy alongside all of these, I’ve got you covered.

If you try any of these beverages this summer, or if I inspire you host any kind of party or get-together during this Summer Entertaining Series, be sure to tag me, @spicesinmydna, and hashtag #summerentertainingseries on Instagram or Facebook! I absolutely LOVE seeing what you guys create!

(Just a little disclaimer: this post is not sponsored at all – all of the beer, wine, and hard seltzer was purchased by me! I hope this information is a helpful resource as you look for your favorite summer beverages to enjoy this season!)