In Stores Now: Summer Beers

There are two new big bottle standouts on beer shelves across D.C. this summer. The Lagunitas is a seasonal, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be the same batch this time next year. Track them down before they’re gone:

Harpoon’s latest installment in their “100 Barrel Series” is the Helles Blond Bock. This rich and malty bock is smooth and creamy, like an alcoholic vanilla milkshake. Vaguely sweet with a touch of hops, a lovely early summer beer. I sampled this with three friends with different beer preferences, all of whom wished that I had a second bottle to open when this one was killed.
Seen at: D'Vine's in Columbia Heights.

Lagunitas’ 2009 Correction Ale starts off with a nod to the hilarious Firesign Theater (“We’re All Bozos on This Bus”) on the label and a rant worthy of Hunter Thompson. What’s inside the bottle is a hopped ale that smells and tastes of orange and basil. Not a bad combo as pesto season arrives. A nice change up from traditional hop blends while pushing into what might be called a double IPA, even if the label tells us otherwise.
Seen at: D'Vine's in Columbia Heights, Magruder's in Chevy Chase, and the Tenleytown Whole Foods.

Both beers run between $6 and $7, depending on where you buy.