13 Absolute Best Beers For Your Cookout, According To Experts

When the thermometer starts to rise and the sun hangs in the sky late into the evening, that's the perfect time to break out the grill and start cooking outside. While the first decision is always what kind of protein you're going to cook and how long you'll need to stoke those coals, it's not the only decision you'll have to make. In order to have a complete meal, you'll need some sides to create a great barbecue experience — but you'll also need the right drink. You could go with a tequila or whiskey cocktail, but beer seems to be the more popular choice. There's just one problem: With so many beers on the market, from craft to mass-produced, domestic, and international, which beer is the right one? It all depends on what you're grilling.

Sure, we have our favorites, but we wanted to hear from the professionals — those who drink and sell beer every day of the week: Rose Signor and Andrew Smith, the owners of The Silver Stamp in Las Vegas; Kendell Worden, the general manager at Hop City Beer & Wine in Atlanta's Krog District; Kevin Horan, the beverage manager for Ormsby's in Atlanta; Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group's executive chef Jason Halverson; and barbecue maven, Steven Raichlen.

We asked them what they reach for when they're hanging out in the backyard grilling with their friends and families, and they were more than happy to share. In fact, we got over a dozen different suggestions, including a few you may have heard of and some smaller, international brands that you may need to search to find.

If you're a fan of darker beers and smoking meats, especially fattier proteins that need hours to cook in your favorite smoker, the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen from Germany may be the beer for you. Unlike other dark beers, which tend to have a bitter bite, Rose Signor and Andrew Smith — the owners of the well-known Silver Stamp in Las Vegas — say this beer is "rich, malty, and has this savory, bacon-like smokiness that works really well with something like smoked brisket."

That smokiness is thanks to the fact that this beer is one of the original smokebeers. A smokebeer is a beer that's created by burning beech-wood logs and using the thick, aromatic smoke from the fire to smoke the malt used during the brewing process. These beers have become harder and harder to find because there are only two breweries left in the world that take the time to smoke the malt and brew Rauchbier or smokebeer the traditional way. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen is created at one of those two breweries, the Schlenkerla distillery in Bamberg, Germany.  

"This is the classic smoked beer," Signor and Smith tell us, adding that it has a "super clean finish for how bold it is."

One of the most recognizable stouts on the market, Guinness can usually be spotted during St. Patrick's Day celebrations or being poured by the pint at every Irish pub all over the world. But barbecue maven, Steven Raichlen, says you don't have to wait until March to enjoy the dark stout. Instead, he believes this is the perfect beer to be enjoyed any time you're grilling up a nice cut of beef. "The darkest of beers with the strongest of flavor — those malty, bitter, earthy tones are what you need to stand up to the powerful flavor of meat," explains Raichlen.

This stout has been Guinness' flagship beer for well over two centuries. While other beers have come and gone at the centuries-old Dublin brewery, the recipe for the well-known stout hasn't changed. The brewmasters still use barley from local farmers, which is still mixed with heated water from County Wicklow's Poulaphouca Lake. For generations, the same strain of yeast has been used in the brewing process, and there are still double the number of hops involved compared to your standard beer. That attention to detail creates a beer whose flavor is appreciated all over the world.

There's something about a cookout that just brings friends and family together. Between the warm weather and cooking outdoors, it's easy to see why it's so popular, especially during the spring and summer months. So, it's fitting that the beverage manager for Ormsby's in Atlanta, Kevin Horan, would recommend a beer from Deschutes. See, The Deschutes Brewery and Public House began as a small Oregon brewpub in 1988, when founder Gary Fish opened it as a place for folks to gather and enjoy a pint of Deschutes beer. The brewery now produces over 50 different beers, ranging from IPAs to stouts and sours. They even have a handful of non-alcoholic options for those who want to enjoy a beer or two but would rather avoid the alcohol by volume. 

Out of all Deschuttes' options, Horan says the Deschuttes Black Butte Porter is the way to go when you're grilling up fattier proteins, like brisket or ribeye. "It's light enough in alcohol that one won't get obnoxiously drunk," he explains, "yet the roasted malts provide unity between the slow-roasted meat and the toast on the malt."

Tennessee may be known for its whiskey, country music, and barbecue, but it also happens to be the home of a little craft brewery producing some really unique beers. They're unique because of how they're produced: brewmaster Joel Stickrod doesn't age his beer in the more common stainless-steel tanks, he uses wine barrels. Those barrels impart each of his bottles with unique flavors that have fans both in and outside of Tennessee. He even found a fan in Atlanta. 

Kendell Worden, the general manager at Hop City Beer & Wine, believes Barrique's Lentbier is the perfect accompaniment to your favorite grilled protein. "[It's] a smoked amber lager, so there is obvious resonance to be found between the smoked malt and whatever you're putting grill marks on," she explains. That smokiness comes from the way this particular draft is brewed. Stickrod uses rauchmalt in his brew, which adds a smoky flavor and aroma to this beer. "It also delivers toasty breadiness and a light caramel sweetness to balance salty-savory-meaty qualities in your main course," says Worden. 

If this sounds like the type of beer you'd enjoy, there are a couple things to be aware of: It's a seasonal brew that's only available during Lent, hence its name. It's also only available at the brewery in Tennessee. 

When it comes to lighter beers, a classic choice is a wheat beer. While there are numerous options out there, Steven Raichlen recommends a can of Allagash White, especially if you're grilling up seafood. "Wheat beers possess a pleasant acidity — like a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Perfect for grilled seafood," he says. That acidity is why you'll often see a pint served with an orange or lemon slice because the fresh citrus really enhances the acidity in the beer. Squeeze a little lemon juice over your fish, and you'll tie the whole meal together. 

A relative newcomer to the beer scene, Allagash only appeared on the market 30 years ago when Rob Tod opened up Allagash Brewing Company in 1995 in Portland, Maine. What makes Allagash stand out and why it's won numerous gold medals over its three-decade existence is the recipe. Unlike other lagers of the time, Tod chose to create a beer in the Belgian style, which meant adding coriander and Curacao orange peel to the mix. Those flavors are why Raichlen believes this beer pairs so well with any type of seafood. 

While we all enjoy grilling up a nice, hearty steak or thick, rich 80/20 burger, every so often we like to change things up and grill a nice chicken breast or thigh and some veggies. It's a little healthier, and the smoke imparts a flavor you just can't get by roasting them in the oven. The only question is what should you drink? Neighbor Hospitality Group's chef Jason Halverson recommends the Heater Allen Pils for both, but for different reasons. He thinks it's great with vegetables because "it's refreshing but structured enough to stand up to punchy vinaigrettes and smoky charred veggies." But he adds that this lager is also a good partner for chicken because "its clean bitterness helps balance out the savory depth of schmaltz and garlic, keeping your palate refreshed between bites."

Created by owner Rick Allen, the Pils is Heater Allen's tribute to the vintage Bohemian lagers from yesteryear. Allen uses Bohemian Pilsner malts and Czech Saaz hops specifically so those drinking the Pils will feel as if they're enjoying a brew inside a classic Czech pub. That attention to detail and flavor is why Halverson believes you should "think of it as your go-to utility player."

Sometimes, picking out the perfect drink to pair with your cookout can be seriously stressful. You want to make sure the flavors go with whatever you're cooking, but you don't want it to overpower your main dish. You also want everyone to enjoy it. So, how do you pick the perfect can? Kendell Worden advises us, "Don't overthink it." She believes Montucky Cold Snacks' "crisp, thirst-destroying, beer-flavored beer" will go with any protein. Better yet, Worden notes that this light American lager "is a budget-friendly bulk buy for big groups."

Several beers on this list come from breweries that produce different types of beer in a variety of styles, but Jeremy Gregory and Chad Zeitner, the Montana brains behind this lager, chose to put all their energy into brewing just one option. The duo wanted to provide a refreshing beer that folks could enjoy anywhere from the ski slopes of Bozeman to the rivers of Glacier National Park and everywhere in between. In order to achieve this objective, Gregory and Zeitner use a vegan recipe that's only 102 calories per can with a 4.1% ABV, making it a nice, light option to pair with your heavier proteins.

Based out of Duluth, Georgia, the Good Word Brewing and Public House was apparently founded with one idea in mind: for the community to get off their phones and interact face to face over a pint or two of beer. To that end, Good Word has created a variety of beers, from lagers to IPAs, and sours to pilsners. But it's the brewery's Face for Radio pale ale that Hop City Beer & Wine's general manager believes is the perfect can to sip with your favorite burger. 

This bright orange, 12-ounce can may not be the strongest beer on Good Word's docket, coming in at only 5% alcohol by volume, but Kendell Worden believes this American pale ale's "punch-you-in-the-nose tropical and citrusy hop aroma" will make any beer drinker stand up and take note. That tropicality in part comes from the tropical American yeast. Additionally, Worden notes that, during fermentation, "It uses rightly prized Weyermann malt to provide a biscuit-y, oyster-cracker-y base upon which the passionfruit and grapefruit rind aromas can pirouette." Meanwhile, she adds that its "sturdy bitterness will cut through even the most unctuous, cheesy double burger."

Another international option that was recommended to us comes from Belgium's Brasserie Dupont. It's the brewery's flagship ale, the Saison Dupont, that Rose Signor and Andrew Smith from The Silver Stamp say is the ideal choice when you're grilling up an herb-marinated pork or chicken. "Dry, crisp, and a little peppery with some citrusy notes. The carbonation cuts through fattier cuts," they explain.  

First brewed in 1844, this Belgian ale was created during the harsh winter and left to ferment in wooden barrels for several months before being served as a refreshing thirst quencher to the farmers at the height of summer. And that's how the ale got its name: Saison in French means "season," and Dupont comes from Louis Dupont, the man who brought the saison recipe and style back to life after his father, Alfred, enticed him to stay in Belgium by buying him the small farm and brewery in Hainaut in 1920. Since then, Saison Dupont has not only become the saison by which all other saison-type ales are compared, it also frequently makes best beer lists all over the world. 

Just because you don't have to put as much thought and preparation into grilling up hot dogs and burgers doesn't mean those two classic entrées don't deserve a nice beer to drink alongside them. Kevin Horan agrees. "If we're talking burgers or dogs, I'd pair a nice Creature Comforts Brewing Company Tropicália IPA," says the beverage manager at Ormsby's in Atlanta. "Their flagship IPA has taken the state by storm, with good reason," he continues. 

Creature Comforts, which was founded in Georgia in 2014, is another craft brewery whose goal has been to get its community members back to interacting with each other. To that end, the brains behind the brand are committed to giving back to both their local community as well as the craft beer community, and that starts with their extensive line of beers. While the majority of Creature Comforts' brews are IPAs, it has several lagers and even a few seltzers in its catalog. But it's the Tropicália that Horan recommends, explaining, "The balance of the hop-forward ale would help to elevate the masticatory experience with the bittering agents that would harmonize with the backyard staples."

Lambics may seem more like a cider than a beer, but believe it or not, they are actually beers. Known as sour beers, these brews are typically produced in Belgium (though there are a few American brands cropping up, as well). What sets them apart from the beers made from hops and barley are the different fruits used to create them. 

Like all beers, lambics also come in variety of flavors, ranging from strawberry to peach, and there are even some that are a combination of fruits. But it's the kriek, which is made using sour cherries (the Schaarbeek variety was traditionally used), that is barbecue expert Steven Raichlen's choice for grilled sweets. "Any beer that tastes like cherries makes a great dessert companion in my book," he says. 

Brewers don't just use the pulp of sour cherries to give this particular lambic its flavor, they use the whole fruit. While Lindemans uses the whole fruit, including the pits, to give kriek its prominent cherry flavor, these brewmasters changed up the company's formula once it started exporting the beer to America: Lindemans started blending fresh, unsweetened cherry juice with one-year-old lambic before beginning the fermentation process, after which the product is pasteurized. Brewing the lambic this way creates a kriek that's sweeter and fruitier than others on the market. As a kriek that's not only full of cherry flavor but has an acidic finish, Raichlen believes it's strong enough "to cut through the whipped cream and sugar" of most desserts.

While beer is the classic choice when putting together a backyard barbecue, it's not the only choice. In fact, a couple experts have suggested a cider instead, because sometimes that tart, fruity finish just hits better. And before you assume they were pairing cider with desserts or grilled fruits, chef Jason Halverson recommends popping open a can of The Far West Cider Company's spicy pineapple cider any time you're grilling up seafood. "[It's] a slightly tart, tropical cider that cuts through the richness of the olive oil and brings brightness to seafood," he explains. 

Based out of central California's San Joaquin Valley, all the ciders that Far West produces are created using various fruits grown on its 100-year-old farm. Those fruits are pressed into various juices which are then transported to Far West's cidery in Richmond, where they're fermented and bottled. A combination of apples and pineapple, the "tingle" in That Pineapple Tingle comes from a dash of chipotle pepper which hits on the finish, creating a cider that Halverson calls "playful and palate-cleansing — perfect for light summer grilling."

"If the final course were to be a grilled fruit of some sort, one couldn't go wrong with JK Scrumpy's Apple Cider," says Kevin Horan, explaining that it would "provide enough acidity to cut through the sugar of a sweeter dessert item." The apples used to create this cider come from JK Scrumpy's orchards in Flushing, Michigan. Orchards that have been in the Koan family for over 150 years. These apples, then, are the same as the ones Jim Koan's (JK) great-great grandfather would have first pressed back in the 1850s. 

Unlike other cideries, Koan only uses two ingredients to make his original hard cider: organic apples and yeast. All the fruit is grown, harvested, and pressed into juice right there on the farm. It's even fermented and bottled there, as well. But what makes JK Scrumpy's really unique is that each batch will have a slight variation due to the fruit being used, making it a more interesting and flavorful cider. 

But even with those slight nuances, this apple cider is still going to be on the sweeter side, which Horan says will complement your BBQ's concluding sugary treat. But not just any dessert will do. Horan recommends drinking it with grilled pears, goat cheese, and honey.