What The Heck Is A Session Beer
It’s a day before the annual canoe trip. You’ve got everything packed and ready to go, but the cooler remains empty. Choosing how to fill up this space is no simple task, as you still need to keep a level head during the trip. You need something that’s flavorful, yet refreshing. Something with a low enough alcohol content that you can drink it all day. We call that a “session beer.”
According to Beer Advocate a session beer is “Any beer that contains no higher than 5 percent ABV, featuring a balance between malt and hop characters (ingredients) and, typically, a clean finish – a combination of which creates a beer with high drinkability.” To put it simply, it’s an easy drinking beer with a low alcohol content. As the word “session” also refers to a particular length of time, we typically say that you can enjoy many of these beers in the same “session” without things getting… sloppy.
Beer Advocate also explains that session beers potentially harken back to WWI, when factory workers on break needed something they could drink that wouldn’t become a problem for production. This is key, being able to enjoy oneself responsibly while operating machinery, or floating down the river on a canoe trip.
Less is more when it comes to session beers, and you’ll soon find that they’re the best companion for any outdoor excursion.
The fourth annual Naperville Ale Fest will take place on Saturday, July 16, 2016 and will showcase over 200 unique beers from craft breweries around the country. The fest will also feature live music and food from some of the area’s favorite restaurants and food trucks. Situated on the grounds of the Naper Settlement, with downtown Naperville as a backdrop, it is the ideal setting to experience craft beer. A portion of the proceeds from the Naperville Ale Fest will benefit the Naper Settlement and the Naperville Heritage Society.
Naperville Ale Fest
Saturday, July 16th
Naper Settlement