May is a big month for beer releases, as craft breweries introduce summer seasonals and one-off brews to a public that’s growing increasingly thirsty as the temperature rises. Look for everything from chipotle beers to watermelon beers to hit the shelves this month. There’s even a wicked bourbon-barrel aged stout. Here are eight beers you can look forward to drinking this month.
1. Daughters of Poseidon DC Brau and Baxter Brewing Co. A collaboration Black IPA brewed with oysters. There’s actually two versions of this stout/IPA. The one distributed in Maine uses oysters from the Pemaquid Maine area. The version distributed in DC uses Rappahannock oysters from Virginia. Look for it in 16-ounce cans starting May 8.
2. Moonray Terrapin Beer Company Athens based Terrapin loves their Side Project beers. Moonray is the latest—a chocolate orange Weizenbock. Expect big malts and some banana. Look for it in 22 ounce bombers beginning this month.
3. Dragon’s Milk Reserve New Holland Brewing A twist on New Holland’s popular Dragon’s Milk, the Reserve is aged in bourbon barrels with toasted chilies. Look for it in 22-ounce bombers right now.
4. Tier De Garde Belgian IPA Southern Tier The third beer in Southern Tier’s Belgian series, Tier de Garde is brewed with grapefruit peel. Dry, bitter and zesty with a little bit of fruity sweetness in this bottle. I like the headless, tandem bikers on the label. Makes me thirsty.
5. SummerBright Ale Breckenridge Brewery This seasonal hit the shelves again at the end of April. It is the definition of a “session beer,” coming in at 4.5% with nothing bitter going on. Find it in six pack bottles or cans.
6. Stumptown Tart Bridgeport Brewing You’ve got blueberries and cranberries in this Belgian style ale. The two fruits play off each other—one sweet, one tart. Look for the big bombers starting May 15.
7. Hell or High Watermelon 21st Amendment Brewery Take your American wheat beer, brew it with watermelon, and you’ve got a warm weather treat. A full review is in the works, but this is one of 21st Amendment’s best sellers. Find it in cans from now through summer.
8. Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers Stone Brewing Co. This was originally a one-off beer for Cinco de Mayo, but it was so popular, Stone kept bringing it back. Roasted and smoky are the tasting notes. With a bit of spice. Find the 22-ounce bottles on shelves this week.
