The terms tropical ale, summer ale, and pacific ale are all used interchangeably to describe styles of beer that are known to be highly refreshing in their nature due to the fact that they often contain rather high levels of hop fruitiness and characteristically low to moderate amounts of hop bitterness.
Having only recently been created and cemented as a unique style of ale, examples of these beers can vary quite significantly in their specific flavour profiles and characteristics.
That being said, they can generally be defined as light to medium bodied beers that possess strong fruit flavours of passionfruit, mango, lychee, and citrus alongside a malt profile that often contains moderate amounts of wheat malt, enhancing the beers delicate body and high levels of carbonation.
Because of the styles lack of regulation in terms of particular style points or production requirements, it can be tough to definitively define how a beer of this style will or should taste, however, following the above characteristics as a guide, you'll never be far from the truth.
For more on the technicalities of this style, this quick style guide by one its biggest brewers in Australia, Stone & Wood, offers further insights.
Considering that the respective names of these beers have clear connotations towards them being enjoyed on a hot summers day, when holidaying in a tropical paradise, or sipped on during relaxing days at the beach, it is often easiest to imagine drinking them purely as a refreshing and cooling beverage only in these instances.
Whilst enjoying a tropical, summer, or pacific ale on its own is certainly recommended, it is also suitable to pair these beers with a range of different food items and dishes.
One of the best pairing options is to drink these beers alongside any type of fresh, grilled, or fried seafood dish, as the high fruit character and light to medium body of these beers will pair wonderfully well with a plate of prawns, mussels, or fresh or grilled fish.
In addition to this, they can also be matched with light and zesty salads, grilled chicken dishes, or finally, fruit-based desserts, including lemon tarts or even a fruit salad.
There's a pacific, tropical, or summer ale out there for everyone. Here are some of the brands and bottles that we recommend you look out for the next time you're browsing online or in-store.
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