D.C. United Drink Your Enemy Series: Samuel Adams Summer Ale

Image Credit: Sam Adams

The D.C. United Drink Your Enemy Series is a weekly look at different beers in regions close to D.C. United opponents. This week in preparation for United’s Saturday match against the New England Revolution (530pm EST, News Channel 8 MLS Live) we will be trying one of the most eagerly anticipated beers of the year: Samuel Adams Summer Ale. 

Now one might be asking: just why on earth would you choose Samuel Adams Summer Ale? The timing of it seemed prescient.

With D.C. United celebrating their 20th anniversary home match this weekend against the New England Revolution it seemed appropriate to try a beer from a company that has grown tremendously in twenty years. Twenty years ago, Sam Adams was a small, but thriving brewery based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Now the Boston Beer Company, which makes the Samuel Adams brand of beer, is the fifth largest brewery in the United States.

Plus Sam Adams is one of the first beers that this intrepid reporter tried in the parking lots of RFK Stadium while waiting to get into a D.C. United match.

Although the fancy title looks great on the bottle the first thing one realizes when drinking a Summer Ale is that it is actually a Wheat Beer. Generally speaking wheat beers are very light and can at times have a bit of a fruity taste to them. It is a result of using lighter hops and more peppery spices.  For this particular beer the brewers have used lemon peels which is added in the beginning and then removed shortly before the beer is allowed to ferment.

The other interesting thing about the beers is how smooth the beer is. Wheat Ales are generally very smooth as they are intended to go well in the summer. But Sam Adams’ Summer Ale is exceptionally smooth and a testament to the exceptional skill of their brewers.

With D.C. looking for their second win of the season against a very difficult Revolution side supporters might need a couple of cold beers to keep them calm. The Summer Ale would be the perfect beer to enjoy as D.C. best their old foes.