Summer Ale
Brooklyn Brewery

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- From:
- Brooklyn Brewery
- New York, United States
- Style:
- Pale Ale - English
Ranked #96 - ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 81
Ranked #27,064 - Avg:
- 3.56 | pDev: 13.48%
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 15, 2022
- Added:
- Sep 04, 2006
- Wants:
- 48
- Gots:
- 504
SCORE
81
Good
81
Good

Notes:
Summer in Brooklyn is all about following your impulses, winging it from beaches and barbecues to stoops and rooftops. Brooklyn Summer Ale is a refreshing, flavorful pale ale made to accompany you on all your warm weather adventures.
18 IBU
18 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by AmyAnn:
2.64/5 rDev -25.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
by AmyAnn from New York
This tastes slightly better than Budweiser, but not far off and much pricier. Doesn’t remotely resemble a summery pale ale to me. Wouldn’t buy again.
Jul 01, 2020
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
by AmyAnn from New York
This tastes slightly better than Budweiser, but not far off and much pricier. Doesn’t remotely resemble a summery pale ale to me. Wouldn’t buy again.
Jul 01, 2020
More User Ratings:
3.02/5 rDev -15.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
by Sigmund from Norway
April 2012. 355 ml botlle, served as a "warm-up" beer at a tasting with Garrett Oliver. ABV was 5.0%. Orange colour, moderate white head. Dust and very moderate hops in both aroma and flavour, blander than expected. A bit more hops in the aftertaste though. No need to import this to Norway, Brooklyn Brewery has better beers to offer.
May 15, 2022
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
by Sigmund from Norway
April 2012. 355 ml botlle, served as a "warm-up" beer at a tasting with Garrett Oliver. ABV was 5.0%. Orange colour, moderate white head. Dust and very moderate hops in both aroma and flavour, blander than expected. A bit more hops in the aftertaste though. No need to import this to Norway, Brooklyn Brewery has better beers to offer.
May 15, 2022
3.52/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by lastmango from Pennsylvania
L - Poured a pale yellow with a one finger fizzy head that dissipated to a film. No lacing.
S - Slight citrus and malt.
T - Light malt, cracker, citrus and grass, the latter of which lingers on the finish.
F - Thin bodied with moderate carbonation.
O - An ok drinkable ale.
May 15, 2022
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by lastmango from Pennsylvania
L - Poured a pale yellow with a one finger fizzy head that dissipated to a film. No lacing.
S - Slight citrus and malt.
T - Light malt, cracker, citrus and grass, the latter of which lingers on the finish.
F - Thin bodied with moderate carbonation.
O - An ok drinkable ale.
May 15, 2022
3.25 by mpenske from California on Apr 04, 2022
4 by gvickery from Texas on Mar 19, 2022
3.14 by TMoney2591 from Illinois on Jan 25, 2022
3.01 by fishguyac from Virginia on Aug 27, 2021
4.04/5 rDev +13.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by jlindros from Massachusetts
Draft at six flags
Big creamy head, good retention slight hazy golden color
Nose light golden semi sweet malt, light floral citrusy hops, grassy, light spices,
Taste similar, golden sweet grainy malts, pale malt, bit citrusy, vegetal fruity notes with light bitterness, little citrus zest, mild sticky finish mostly dry
Mouth is med bod, med higher prickly carb
Overall pretty nice easy smooth summer beer
Jul 04, 2021
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by jlindros from Massachusetts
Draft at six flags
Big creamy head, good retention slight hazy golden color
Nose light golden semi sweet malt, light floral citrusy hops, grassy, light spices,
Taste similar, golden sweet grainy malts, pale malt, bit citrusy, vegetal fruity notes with light bitterness, little citrus zest, mild sticky finish mostly dry
Mouth is med bod, med higher prickly carb
Overall pretty nice easy smooth summer beer
Jul 04, 2021
3 by wildman69 from New York on Jun 27, 2021
3.21 by Arg914 from New York on Jun 24, 2021
3.53 by O-Meg from New York on Jun 23, 2021
3.24/5 rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
by dacrza1 from New Jersey
DATE: June 19, 2021... OCCASION: enjoying some Father's Day eve film festivities with the family... catching up with a beer I had years ago at a minor league baseball game... GLASSWARE: Howard's Pub pint... pours a pale golden body that is clear and vibrant with bubbles... its head is white and fleeting, compressing from a single finger to a sudsy film... it looks refreshing, if not simple... sharp citrus strikes first, with cracker malts and sweet caramel offering a balance... not much complexity in the way of aroma-in fact, it's pleasant but not exactly a beer that evokes the summer... its sip is dry, medium-bodied, refreshing and light in its finish... the malts linger and marry decently with the emerging flowery accents--lilac and lavender make this more of a spring arrival... the citrus is subdued but present, clean and easy, but I find the malts are as prominent... this works, and maybe it needs a baseball game as a proper setting for its true enjoyment...
Jun 20, 2021
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
by dacrza1 from New Jersey
DATE: June 19, 2021... OCCASION: enjoying some Father's Day eve film festivities with the family... catching up with a beer I had years ago at a minor league baseball game... GLASSWARE: Howard's Pub pint... pours a pale golden body that is clear and vibrant with bubbles... its head is white and fleeting, compressing from a single finger to a sudsy film... it looks refreshing, if not simple... sharp citrus strikes first, with cracker malts and sweet caramel offering a balance... not much complexity in the way of aroma-in fact, it's pleasant but not exactly a beer that evokes the summer... its sip is dry, medium-bodied, refreshing and light in its finish... the malts linger and marry decently with the emerging flowery accents--lilac and lavender make this more of a spring arrival... the citrus is subdued but present, clean and easy, but I find the malts are as prominent... this works, and maybe it needs a baseball game as a proper setting for its true enjoyment...
Jun 20, 2021
3.95 by NeoClassicist from New York on May 22, 2021
3.5 by Chipwells from Georgia on Feb 05, 2021
3.67/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by Peach63 from New York
Pours golden yellow with a 1 inch white head, which lasts. Heavy lacing to the end.
Aroma is hoppy, floral, citrus, hay.
Taste is bready, malty, grassy. Light bitterness.
Light bodied, light carbonation. Semi-dry finish.
A decent summer ale. Much better than AAL's.
Sep 22, 2020
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by Peach63 from New York
Pours golden yellow with a 1 inch white head, which lasts. Heavy lacing to the end.
Aroma is hoppy, floral, citrus, hay.
Taste is bready, malty, grassy. Light bitterness.
Light bodied, light carbonation. Semi-dry finish.
A decent summer ale. Much better than AAL's.
Sep 22, 2020
3.67/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by jadpsu from Georgia
LOOK: Pours a very clear pale straw yellow with a good looking white head that slowly fades. Side glass lace is quite prominent.
AROMA: Mild hops with a lemon scent.
TASTE: Didn't pick up the surprising bread malts on the aroma but so in the taste, dry and fits well with the floral lemon hops.
A decent, simple clean summer ale by Brooklyn.
Aug 16, 2020
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by jadpsu from Georgia
LOOK: Pours a very clear pale straw yellow with a good looking white head that slowly fades. Side glass lace is quite prominent.
AROMA: Mild hops with a lemon scent.
TASTE: Didn't pick up the surprising bread malts on the aroma but so in the taste, dry and fits well with the floral lemon hops.
A decent, simple clean summer ale by Brooklyn.
Aug 16, 2020
3.49 by zachary_snackery from Massachusetts on Aug 16, 2020
3 by anthony-s from New Jersey on Aug 14, 2020
2.75 by RiceOwls27 from Texas on Jul 22, 2020
4.58 by Shan-man from New Jersey on Jul 17, 2020
2.73/5 rDev -23.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
by BubbleBobble from New York
From bottle, best by 11/20.
L: Light yellow, brief thin white foamy head, peeled away quickly with little retention.
S: Bit of grass and straw, lemon.
T: Unassertive - some sweetness, a bit of lemon - lacking in any hop bitterness.
F: Thin, but refreshing carbonation.
O: Doesn't really seem to fit style - unremarkable outside of it.
Jul 05, 2020
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
by BubbleBobble from New York
From bottle, best by 11/20.
L: Light yellow, brief thin white foamy head, peeled away quickly with little retention.
S: Bit of grass and straw, lemon.
T: Unassertive - some sweetness, a bit of lemon - lacking in any hop bitterness.
F: Thin, but refreshing carbonation.
O: Doesn't really seem to fit style - unremarkable outside of it.
Jul 05, 2020
3.69 by TonyStarks2231 from New York on Jun 29, 2020
4/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by monkist from Hungary
The last Brooklyn brew that I had was the Sorachi Ace, a very nice one indeed, now being the middle of summer it was time to open up their Summer Ale.
Interestingly it smells rather like a pilsner, more specifically, a Czech lezák from Bohemia, which is very good. It was a bit different from what I expected, as it wasn’t your typical pale ale or your session IPA. It also tasted quite fruity but not really as your average ales do but rather like a hoppy lager.
And this is it, actually it was somewhere between an ale and a lager. The feel was smooth like an ale and rounder, fruitier, maltier but the lightness of the character, its hoppy and yeasty thing to it made it taste like a decent lager or rather a good pilsner.
Well, as I love pilsners, I quite liked this one too. It went perfectly well with some corn on cob on a hot and humid summer night.
Jun 27, 2020
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by monkist from Hungary
The last Brooklyn brew that I had was the Sorachi Ace, a very nice one indeed, now being the middle of summer it was time to open up their Summer Ale.
Interestingly it smells rather like a pilsner, more specifically, a Czech lezák from Bohemia, which is very good. It was a bit different from what I expected, as it wasn’t your typical pale ale or your session IPA. It also tasted quite fruity but not really as your average ales do but rather like a hoppy lager.
And this is it, actually it was somewhere between an ale and a lager. The feel was smooth like an ale and rounder, fruitier, maltier but the lightness of the character, its hoppy and yeasty thing to it made it taste like a decent lager or rather a good pilsner.
Well, as I love pilsners, I quite liked this one too. It went perfectly well with some corn on cob on a hot and humid summer night.
Jun 27, 2020
3.32 by Cfitty from New York on Jun 26, 2020
3.84 by sirzekel from Georgia on Jun 17, 2020
3.74 by Z-man from Michigan on Jun 13, 2020
3.52/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by Mugman8 from New York
Pretty boring. Once thought this was a good brewery, but have had a lot of pedestrian brews from them lately. Oberon and even Sam's Summer are much better. Meh!
Jun 09, 2020
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by Mugman8 from New York
Pretty boring. Once thought this was a good brewery, but have had a lot of pedestrian brews from them lately. Oberon and even Sam's Summer are much better. Meh!
Jun 09, 2020
3.68 by Taenim from New Jersey on Jun 02, 2020
3.5 by shigg85 from Japan on May 30, 2020
3.6 by smi69 from New York on May 25, 2020
4.23 by gorby67 from Pennsylvania on May 20, 2020
3.93 by Timfromthemainland from New York on May 16, 2020
3.4 by hybridentropy from Angola on May 12, 2020
2.99 by Khaack from New York on Jan 27, 2020
3.5 by Wontonst from California on Jan 15, 2020
3.62/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
by beersampler6 from Michigan
Light, refreshing ale that would work well either on a hot summer day or indoors during a cold fall day. Great taste and balance. Best by 11/19/19 printed on bottle. Clean golden color, a little fluffy white head and very spotty lingering lacing. Smells of malt, grain, a little hops and wheat. Taste follows the nose, decently bright and refreshing and I enjoyed the balance of flavors. Very smooth, sticky, surprising coating of the palate. Good amount of carbonation. An enjoyable beer.
Oct 30, 2019
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
by beersampler6 from Michigan
Light, refreshing ale that would work well either on a hot summer day or indoors during a cold fall day. Great taste and balance. Best by 11/19/19 printed on bottle. Clean golden color, a little fluffy white head and very spotty lingering lacing. Smells of malt, grain, a little hops and wheat. Taste follows the nose, decently bright and refreshing and I enjoyed the balance of flavors. Very smooth, sticky, surprising coating of the palate. Good amount of carbonation. An enjoyable beer.
Oct 30, 2019
3 by MonkeyPilates from Minnesota on Oct 27, 2019
3.5 by jroof1 from Massachusetts on Oct 09, 2019
3.79/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
by GreesyFizeek from New York
On tap at Murphy's Law in Rochester, NY.
This one pours a slightly hazy golden yellow color, with a small head, and a bit of lacing.
This smells like lightly hoppy lemon, some tea, light malt, and a bit of grassiness.
This is pretty basic, but it's well-brewed and clean. The lemon and grassy hop flavor is nice, and there's a very crisp and clean flavor to it.
This is light bodied, and very drinkable, with no off-flavors or flaws, really.
This is pretty lightly-flavored and basic, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Oct 07, 2019
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
by GreesyFizeek from New York
On tap at Murphy's Law in Rochester, NY.
This one pours a slightly hazy golden yellow color, with a small head, and a bit of lacing.
This smells like lightly hoppy lemon, some tea, light malt, and a bit of grassiness.
This is pretty basic, but it's well-brewed and clean. The lemon and grassy hop flavor is nice, and there's a very crisp and clean flavor to it.
This is light bodied, and very drinkable, with no off-flavors or flaws, really.
This is pretty lightly-flavored and basic, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Oct 07, 2019
3.27 by Stampy from New York on Sep 24, 2019
Summer Ale from Brooklyn Brewery
Beer rating:
81 out of
100 with
1968 ratings