Celebrate all that is spring with these new craft beers in hand

Strange things are growing in the soil of Hickory Corners, Michigan. That’s where Hop Head Farms is planting Pacific Northwest and European hop varietals, and the resulting crops are reflecting this unique terroir in fascinating ways. One of the most notable examples is Zuper Saazer, a pungent derivation of the classic Czech Republican hop Saaz that’s earthy and herbal with a citrusy American twist. This hop recently found a wonderful showcase in Union Craft’s Skipjack, a perfectly crisp lager that—aside from a small dry-hop—is brewed traditionally with Bohemian pilsner malt and a proper step mash. It’s everything a pilsner should be: refreshing but flavorful with a hint of bitterness and a distinct hop character that keeps you coming back for more. With a cooler full of Skipjacks, mowing the lawn or a premature trip to the beach is infinitely improved.

Marshmallows, strawberries, French fries, graham crackers: The ever-growing list of foodstuff that Omnipollo has gleefully thrown into its IPAs is approaching comedic levels. It’s easy to forget that the Swedish “gypsy brewery” is capable of making a fantastic IPA with just yeast, grains, hops and water. Thankfully, mastermind Henok Fentie will occasionally knock a (comparatively) traditional take on the style out of the park. The latest example: Beglo. Like last year’s Lustro, the 6% ABV brew weds the light body and assertive bite of West Coast IPAs with the lush mouthfeel and hazy visage of New England IPAs. This beer is single-hopped with the Pacific Northwest varietal Simcoe, showcasing the hop’s grapefruit characteristics with a hint of pine.

For decades, craft beer defined itself in opposition to the adjunct-spiked “premium” lagers like Budweiser and Miller High Life. Even though rice and corn have a place in America’s rich pre-Prohibition brewing history, and they can lend a beer a lighter body and better head retention, a stigma perennially surrounded the use of the ingredients. Slowly, though, that stigma has disappeared. In 2013, Stillwater released Classique, its “postmodern deconstruction of the American industrial lager.” Five years later, Founders Brewing Co.—the largest brewery in Michigan—gives us Solid Gold, a less chin-strokey golden lager brewed with corn and an unabashed attempt to woo the 85% of the beer market partial to macro breweries. There’s a little twist in the form of a Lemondrop dry-hop but, otherwise, the concoction is pretty straightforward: This is a slightly sweet, sessionable beer designed for quick consumption. If you’re looking for a way to turn your dad into a craft beer connoisseur, this is it.

Forty-three years ago, Anchor Brewing released Liberty Ale—the progenitor of the modern IPA. It’s still a great beer... but times change. IPAs and pale ales have grown less malty, more aromatic and, well, just plain hoppier. These trends are on display with Brewers’ Pale Ale, a new “rotating-hop” pale ale from the iconic San Francisco brewery. Brewed with a svelte grist of two-row, wheat and pilsner malts, this is a crisp and #crushable brew designed to highlight hops. What hops? Well, that will change. Each iteration of the series will feature a different varietal, and it opens with a doozy: Nelson Sauvin, a pricey New Zealand hop praised for its lemon, mango and white wine flavors.