If you’re an avid beer drinker, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve come across the style called “blonde ale”. But there’s also a decent chance you have no idea what that means. Don’t worry, this style that you won’t see remotely as often as an IPA, lager, or stout has a pretty simple, straightforward definition. It’s also, along with the aforementioned IPA and lager, pilsner, pale ale, wheat beer, and Kolsch, one of the best easy-going, warm weather beers on the market. But what is it?
In the simplest terms, a blonde or golden ale (the terms are seemingly interchangeable) is the easiest drinking, most refreshing, light beer style that isn’t defined as a “light beer”. Unlike the hoppy (and sometimes bitterly so) characteristics of an IPA or pale ale, blonde ales have no over-the-top hop flavors. Also, unlike a Marzen or lager, blonde ales don’t have bold malt flavors either. They have hops and malts, but they’re simple, clean, refreshing, and perfect for a hot spring or summer day. In terms of malt and hop balance, there’s no beating a blonde ale.
But that balanced flavor profile means that it’s also a versatile beer and many brewers add fruit, vanilla, and other flavors. There is a myriad on the market if you’re into that sort of thing. Today, though, we’re going to (mostly) stick to the classic, American-style blonde and golden ales without any additional flavors. Just thirst-quenching beers. The kind of beers you want to crush after an afternoon spent mowing a massive lawn on a hot day.
Keep scrolling to see ten of the best blonde and golden ales. Each was selected specifically for its hops to malt balance, its superior drinkability, and the fact that we plan on imbibing every one of these beers from now until the first leaves start to tumble down from the trees this fall (and perhaps well into autumn if we’re feeling wacky). So, stock your fridge with one or more of these beers this spring and summer. You’ll be pretty happy you did.
Revolution Cross of Gold
This Chicago-made golden ale is one of the first beers ever brewed by Revolution. It started as a homebrew created in a basement and eventually became an award-winning beer for the brewery. Available year-round (although it’s most suited for hazy, summer weather), it carries notable flavors like honey, orange blossoms, caramel malts, slight grains, and very mild bitterness at the finish. It’s a nice mix of sweetness, malts, and hops that will leave you craving more.
- Origin: Illinois
- ABV: 4.8%
- Price Range: 11.99-13.99 for a six-pack
Firestone Walker 805
California’s Firestone Walker is well known for its hop-centric IPAs and barrel-aged beers. Its 805 is a change of pace. It was literally created to highlight the “laid back California lifestyle” in beer form. And it does just that with simple ingredients listed as hops, malt, yeast, and water. Noting fancy here. Just a crisp, refreshing beer highlighted by notes of apple, honey, tangerine, and a nice balance between hops and malts that is supposed to be enjoyed cold.
- Origin: California
- ABV: 4.7%
- Price Range: $9.99-12.99 for a six-pack
Nola Blonde Ale
This year-round offering from Nola Brewing is just as simple in flavor as its name. You don’t need a flashy, pun-filled name if you have a well-balanced beer brewed with Crystal and Perle hops as well as 2-row, acidulated, caramel Pilsen, and light Munich malts as well as wheat. The brewery’s flagship beer, Nola Blonde Ale is sweet, slightly malty, with notes of freshly-baked bread, citrus zest, and honey.
- Origin: Louisiana
- ABV: 5%
- Price Range: $7.99-10.99 for a six-pack
Narragansett Fresh Catch
If you’re like us and you watch ‘Jaws’ to start the summer, you’ve likely noticed that everyone drinks Narragansett Lager (specifically Quint). There are few beer brands more immersed in summer culture than Narragansett. They even have a shandy made in collaboration with a frozen lemonade stand. But, in our opinion, the true champion of summer is its blonde ale Fresh Catch. This blond ale that’s dry-hopped with Citra hops is refreshing, crisp, and has summery flavors of citrus zest, tropical fruits, and a nice balance of malts and hops.
- Origin: Rhode Island
- ABV: 4.2%
- Price Range: $10.99-12.99 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans
Deep Ellum Dallas Blonde
Dallas is a city well-known for its big-haired, pageant blondes. This is why Deep Ellum made a beer and adorned it with a cartoonish blonde, adorned in a crown to pay tribute to them. This 5.2 percent blonde ale is brewed with American hops and Pale, Vienna, and Wheat malts. The result is a sessionable, well-balanced, summery beer with notes of citrus, pear, freshly-baked bread, hay, and caramel. You don’t have to be blonde to drink it either. In fact, it’s probably better that you’re not.
- Origin: Texas
- ABV: 5.2%
- Price Range: $10.99-12.99 for a six-pack
Kona Big Wave
Hawaii is well-known for its easy-going nature. So it should come as no surprise that a Hawaiian brewery would make one of the most refreshing, easy-going beers of all time. Kona Big Wave is a 4.4 percent golden ale brewed with Pale, 2-row, and Caramel 20 malts as well as Galaxy and Citra hops. This results in a beer with flavors like honey, freshly cut grass, citrus zest, and a smooth, lightly bitter finish.
- Origin: Hawaii
- ABV: 4.4%
- Price Range: $9.99-12.99 for a six-pack
Melvin Killer Bees
The only flavored blonde ale on this list, Wyoming’s Melvin Brewing started with an American blonde ale and then added more than eight pounds of honey per 42-gallon batch. It has the same characteristics blonde fans enjoy, light, refreshing, well-balanced flavor, with the addition of extra honey sweetness to tie everything together nicely. It’s a sweet, smooth, easy drinker, perfectly suited for a hot, humid day.
- Origin: Wyoming
- ABV: 5%
- Price Range: $9.99-11.99 for a six-pack
Ska True Blonde
Ska Brewing is known for its eclectic style and delicious, well-made beer. Its take on the classic blonde ale is its Ska True Blonde. Crisp, refreshing, and thirst-quenching, this beer gets added flavor from the addition of Durango, Colorado’s Honeyville bees honey. This results in a sweet, crushable beer with notes of sweet honey, bread-like malts, citrus zest, and just a hint of hop bitterness at the very end.
- Origin: Colorado
- ABV: 5%
- Price Range: $9.99-11.99 for a six-pack
Bissell Brothers Baby Genius
We don’t know why the folks at Bissell Brothers named this beer Baby Genius, but it’s so good we don’t really care. Brewed with Maine-sourced oats, wheat, pilsner malts, and Vienna malts, as well as Citra, Ella, and Topaz hops, it’s loaded with citrus flavors, and caramel malts, and sweet oat flavors. It’s juicy, fruity, and highly crushable on a hot day.
- Origin: Maine
- ABV: 4%
- Price Range: $14-16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
Sycamore Southern Girl
For some reason, even though there are great breweries all over the south, we don’t often think about North Carolina when we think of great breweries. Charlotte’s Sycamore wants to change that with its award-winning beers. Its take on the classic blonde ale, Sycamore Southern Girl, is a can’t miss summery beer loaded with biscuit-like malt, ripe berry, melon, and honey flavors.
- Origin: North Carolina
- ABV: 5.1%
- Price Range: $10.99-12.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
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