What's the Best Beer to Drink in a Heatwave?
- Jul 15
- 6 min read
Britain is hot.
Properly hot.
The sort of weather where your bollocks have applied for independent nation status and opening the fridge feels like entering a luxury spa.
And obviously, beer sounds bloody wonderful.
Cold glass.
Condensation running down the side.
That first mouthful when you've been slowly cooking in your own skin for three hours.
Lovely.
But here's the question.
What's actually the best beer to drink in a heatwave?
Because the strongest, hoppiest and most expensive beer in your fridge might suddenly be the worst possible choice.
That 9% double dry hopped imperial mango bastard you paid £9.50 for?
At 33°C, it might be about as refreshing as drinking gravy in a greenhouse.
So let's look at lager, IPA, Alcohol Free beer, radlers and stronger craft beer to work out what actually belongs in your glass when Britain turns into an air fryer.
Does Hot Weather Change What Beer We Drink?
It certainly seems to change how much beer we buy.
Hot weather has traditionally been good news for beer sales, and pubs have recently enjoyed a huge boost from the combination of sunshine and football.
But extreme heat might be slightly different.
Research reported by Reuters suggests alcohol consumption generally increases as temperatures rise, but only up to around 32°C. Beyond that, the pattern can weaken or even reverse.
In other words, there may genuinely be a point where it's simply too bloody hot for another strong beer.
There is also the slightly boring but important bit.
The NHS advises drinking extra fluids and avoiding alcohol during very hot weather. Drinkaware warns that adding alcohol to extreme heat can increase the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
So no, beer isn't hydration.
I know.
Devastating news.
If you're drinking alcohol in the heat, get some water down your neck as well.
What Beer Do YOU Reach For When It's Bloody Hot?
Ice cold lager
Hazy IPA
Alcohol free beer
Radler or fruit beer
Lager. The Obvious Bastard.
Let's get the predictable one out of the way.
Lager.
Cold, crisp, carbonated and usually sitting at a relatively sensible strength.
There's a reason people suddenly start fantasising about a frosty glass of lager when the sun appears.
I've recently been drinking Mahou at 3°C from my PerfectDraft machine and, honestly, in this weather it makes complete sense.
Would I normally spend hours analysing the delicate complexity of Mahou?
No.
Would I happily stick my face underneath the tap when it's 30°C outside?
Let's not rule anything out.
The point is that refreshment changes how we judge beer.
A crisp lager might not be the most complex beer in your fridge.
It doesn't need to be.
Sometimes you don't want seventeen hop varieties, a barrel-aged finish and tasting notes that require a fucking thesaurus.
Sometimes you want cold beer.
WATCH: My Perfect Mahou Pour
And yes, if you fancy drinking your beer from one of my glasses, you can find The Hopper Reviews and Hopper Out glassware at HopperShopper.
Alcohol Free Beer Suddenly Makes A Lot Of Sense
I've reviewed a ridiculous amount of Alcohol Free beer.
Some of it has been excellent.
Some of it has tasted like someone washed a bread bin and bottled the water.
But a heatwave is one of those occasions where good Alcohol Free beer suddenly makes enormous sense.
Recently, I drank Yma o Hyd from Dirwest.
It was hot.
I wanted a beer.
I still needed to drive.
Problem solved.
Cold beer, refreshing, tasted great and I could still get in the car afterwards.
I've also recently reviewed Nirvana's Cloudy Lemon Lager, which sits somewhere between beer, lager and a proper summer refresher.
That's the important thing.
In extreme heat, refreshment can become more important than alcohol.
You still get the cold glass.
You still get the pour.
You still get the beer experience.
You just don't add a load of alcohol to a body that's already trying not to melt.
If you want to know more about why the category is growing so quickly, I've already looked at the biggest Alcohol Free Beer trends in 2026.
WATCH: Yma o Hyd Alcohol Free Beer
Radlers, Lemon Lager And Fruit Beer
Ten years ago, if you'd offered me lemonade in my beer, I'd probably have assumed you were trying to ruin my day.
I've mellowed.
Slightly.
In a heatwave, citrus works.
Lemon works.
Grapefruit can work, although grapefruit and I have a relationship best described as professionally civil.
Radlers and fruit lagers can be lighter, sharper and ridiculously refreshing when served properly cold.
Nirvana's Cloudy Lemon Lager is a perfect recent example.
I didn't really judge it like a normal beer.
That wasn't the point.
It was hot, I was thirsty and the bloody thing disappeared from my glass at a speed that suggested evaporation might've been involved.
I'm not saying my taste buds have become less sophisticated.
I'm saying they're sweating and can't be arsed.
What About IPA?
Now we're getting into dangerous territory.
I love a good IPA.
Give me a soft, hazy, juicy New England IPA packed with tropical hops and I'm a happy Hopper.
Nectaron.
Citra.
Mosaic.
Riwaka.
Lovely stuff.
If you're wondering why those hops can make beer taste of mango, pineapple, peach and tropical fruit without a fruit salad being lobbed into the fermenter, I've written a full guide explaining what hops actually do in beer.
But not every IPA belongs in a heatwave.
A bitter West Coast IPA in 33°C heat?
I'd rather lick the hot metal frame of a bus shelter.
That aggressive bitterness that some people love can feel even more brutal when all I want is something refreshing.
A juicy session IPA?
Different story.
Lower alcohol.
Soft bitterness.
Big tropical flavours.
Cold.
That's got heatwave potential.
The DIPA Problem
I fucking love a DIPA.
This isn't new information.
Give me a huge, hazy 8% or 9% beer packed with Nectaron and I'll start making noises usually associated with a Labrador spotting an unattended roast chicken.
But let's be honest.
A DIPA isn't really a heatwave beer.
You can drink one in a heatwave.
You can also wear a three-piece wool suit to the beach.
Nobody's stopping you.
But there may be better options.
A 9% DIPA in direct sunlight isn't refreshment.
It's an afternoon nap with paperwork.
Strong beer, extreme heat and dehydration aren't a particularly clever combination.
My DIPA can wait until the sun has fucked off slightly.
Is Mid-Strength Beer Perfect For Hot Weather?
This is where things get interesting.
I've already written about the growth of mid-strength drinks, generally sitting somewhere between Alcohol Free and normal full-strength beer.
A 2.5% or 3% beer could make enormous sense during a long, hot afternoon.
You still get alcohol.
You still get beer.
But you can reduce the total amount of alcohol you're drinking compared with smashing through a line-up of 6% craft IPAs.
I'm increasingly convinced that mid-strength beer has a much bigger future in the UK than people realise.
Heatwaves might be one of the occasions where it really proves its point.
So, What's The Best Beer To Drink In A Heatwave?
My honest answer?
The beer that refreshes you.
That's going to be different for everyone.
But for me, when temperatures climb properly, I'm looking towards:
Cold lager
Alcohol Free lager
Radlers and citrus beers
Mid-strength beer
Juicy session IPA
I'm looking for something cold.
Something refreshing.
Something I immediately want another mouthful of.
In a heatwave, refreshment beats complexity.
That's why a relatively simple lager at 3°C can suddenly hit harder than an expensive craft beer containing enough hops to fill a garden centre.
There's a time for analysing beer.
There's a time for discussing mouthfeel, malt profiles and hop combinations.
And there's a time for sitting in the shade, condensation dripping down your glass, and saying:
Fuck me, I needed that.
Watch The Hopper Reviews
I review beer, Alcohol Free beer and occasionally things that should probably never have been put in a can.
There are honest beer reviews, brewery stories, beer news and plenty of nonsense on The Hopper Reviews YouTube channel.
Fancy Drinking From My Glassware?
The Hopper Reviews and Hopper Out glassware is now available from HopperShopper, along with my merch and other bits I've somehow convinced people to put my logo on.
What Do You Drink In A Heatwave?
Now it's your turn.
What's the perfect hot weather beer?
Cold lager?
Juicy IPA?
Alcohol Free?
A radler?
Or are you the lunatic sitting in direct sunlight drinking a 12% imperial stout?
Vote in the polls and let me know in the comments.
Stay cool.
Drink some bloody water as well.
Hopper out!
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