Honestly, this is one of the most challenging lists we had to put together because the Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler project forces us to think back on all the festivals, events, and places we’ve been to this summer, including the event pop-ups and taprooms we visited, plus the random cans open opened with colleagues, friends, and family all summer for this year’s Chilly Moose Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler list.
Luckily, we keep good notes throughout the summer, because of expense accounts, or this would have been a mental exercise of potentially unwieldy proportions. And yet, we find the craft traditional beers, radlers, sours, ready-to-drinks, and ciders that make this list are often the ones we don’t need to remember, or rather, we never forget—we remember them fondly because they were always on ice everywhere we went this summer.
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As a reader, you know that we have featured many craft breweries and distilleries over the years. So, with the help of recommendations and suggestions of those following Chilly this summer along with some in-person research by our summer team at craft breweries and distillers on both sides of the border throughout the summer.
We have selected twenty-four must-have Craft Beers, Radlers, Sours, Ciders, and Ready-to-Drink canned cocktails from this past summer representing brands from Hawaii to Nova Scotia that all have one thing in common, they made their way on ice our 2024 Chilly Moose Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler this summer, however, we recommend that you have these on ice all year long.
Now we wanted to make sure that it was stated that no one on our summer crew or editorial staff is a Cicerone and these are just our summer crew’s personal preferences. Over 120 different brands and 500 different styles and types of beverages were sampled, I know tough job eh, for this project, and since we believe in full disclosure, no company has paid for placement in this project.
So, let’s reach into the ice of our Chilly Moose Cooler and see what we pull out!
TRADITIONAL CRAFT BEERS
Traditional Craft Beers are easygoing, super-drinkable beers. These are well-balanced with low-to-medium alcohol by volume (ABV) but tons of flavor and refreshing and have you going back to the cooler for more.
Nova Scotia Lager | Lager | 5.0% alc./vol
Coldstream Clear Distillery| Stewiacke, NS Canada | https://www.coldstreamclear.com/
Coldstream Nova Scotia Lager is crisp, smooth, brilliantly clear, and ultra-refreshing especially when pulled from an icy cooler. It is brewed for a clean and light taste, then precisely filtered for a truly exceptional quality traditional lager that all beer drinkers can enjoy. This easy-drinking beer is one you might just make your new go-to and it was always in our Chilly Moose Cooler this summer!
Cerveza | Mexican-style Lager | 4.25% alc/vol
Hawk Tail Brewery | Rimbey, AB, Canada | https://hawktailbrewery.com/
Hawk Tail Brewery’s Cerveza Craft Beer is a Mexican-style lager that’s incredibly light and refreshingly simple. Brewed with flaked corn and barley, it boasts a clean, crisp taste with hints of toasted marshmallow and citrus, reminiscent of grapefruit. Our team enjoyed it with a wedge of lime jammed in the can, but equally as good straight up, and no wonder it’s one of their best sellers because we were going deep in the cooler every time for one of these!
Bikini Blonde | Lager | 4.80% alc/vol
Maui Brewing | Kihei, Maui, HI, USA | https://mauibrewingco.com/
Maui Brewing Company out of Hihie, Maui, Hawaii, was founded in 2005 and is Hawaii’s largest craft brewery, operating 100% in Hawaii. For Maui Brewing Company, success means having confidence in their unique citrus, mango, pineapple, and coconut beers, and other ready-to-drink canned cocktails, sharing a true taste of the islands.
Maui Brewing’s Bikini Blonde lager offers drinkers a clean, crisp, and refreshing lager with low bitterness and a caramel malt sweetness making it perfect for any occasion and in our Ultimate Craft Cooler every time.
Campfire Red | Red Ale | 5.50% alc/vol
Off Grid (OG) Ales | Magaguadavic, NB, Canada | https://ogales.ca/
OG Ales’s Campfire Red Ale offers a refreshing beer that is perfect for any event or meal. OG Ales used specialty roasted malts to create a uniquely complex beer with beautiful caramel flavors and aromas. This beer is like having a summer campfire in a can. That’s why it is on ice in our Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler to enjoy this summer and beyond.
Beach Chair Lager | Lager | 4.25% alc/vol
PEI Brewing Company | Charlottetown, PE, Canada | https://beachchairlager.com/
PEI Brewing Company’s Beach Chair Lager is an ode to malt and hops and inspired by Island shores and sunny skies. This approachable craft lager is light and refreshing with subtle yet complex malt flavour, mild bitterness, frothy head, and long dry finish. This easy-to-drink lager has a pale golden colour and is the perfect choice for enjoying friends. So, grab one out of the cooler and grab a chair, and relax – no matter where you are, you’re on Island time now.
Hu Jon Hops Light |American IPA | 4.00% alc/vol
Trailway Brewing Company | Fredericton, NB, Canada | https://www.trailwaybrewing.com/
This is Trailway Brewing’s flagship beer brand in a lighter style. Hu Jon Hops Light is tropical and fruity with juicy citrusy hop notes with some pear and apricot notes that are also noticeable. With some floral undertones and residual sugar notes with almost no bitterness. The body of this beer is full with good carbonation. So, everything you love about Hu Jon Hops in a lower alcohol version making it one that we always looked for in the Chilly Moose cooler this summer and will continue to look for in the fall.
CRAFT RADLERS AND SOUR BEERS
Craft Radlers and Sour beers are also very drinkable like summer beers. A traditional Radler combines equal parts light-colored, hoppy beer and citrus flavours (grapefruit, lemon, lime etc), but nowadays you can add just about anything. However, in saying that, the flavour should still be a crisp combination of sweet and tart, with a touch of bitterness for balance. Sour beer on the other hand has an intentionally acidic, tart, or sour taste.
Radler is the Bavarian dialect word for Radfahrer meaning cyclist, but it is also a German term for a mixture of beer and fruit or fruit soda or lemonade. We are not sure why there is this association and honestly, we do not care, but one thing that we know is these are the one that you should have in your cooler, because they were in ours all summer long.
Sunblink | Berry Sour | 5.00% alc/vol
Cannery Brewing | Penticton, BC, Canada | https://cannerybrewing.com
Sunblink Berry Sour from Cannery Brewing is a uniquely refreshing beer. This light sour beer is brewed with a blend of raspberries, blackberries, and currants. It has a tart yet sweet fruit flavor that is balanced perfectly by a light malty backbone. The beer has an attractive pink color that pairs well with its lightly tart, berry flavor. It has a medium-bodied mouthfeel making it great for sipping on a hot summer day. The Sunblink Berry Sour is light and crisp and perfect for session drinking. It has just enough flavor to make it enjoyable but not overbearing. Cannery Brewing has hit the mark with this beer. So, whether you’re at the beach or by the fire you’ll find this beer on ice in the Ultimate Craft Cooler.
Jam Packed | Raspberry Sour | 5.00% alc/vol
Gahan Brewing | Charlottetown, PE, Canada | https://beer.gahan.ca/
Gahan Brewing (PEI Brewing Co Brand) Jam Packed is a kettle-soured wheat beer inspired by some of their favourite West and East coast sour beers. Conditioned and finished with real raspberries that give it the fantastic nose, taste, and colour. The best way to describe it is, if jam on biscuits were a beer and we are very excited to have in the cooler this summer. We feel in love with this beer at the Cavendish Beach Music Festival and hope to load up the Chilly Moose cooler again when we head over in September for the Sommo Festival.
Mango Dragonfruit Sour | Sour Pilsner | 5.00% alc/vol
Garrison Brewing | Halifax, NS, Canada | https://www.garrisonbrewing.com
Since opening their doors at Garrison Brewing back in 1997 they have strived to create exceptional craft beer that represented Bluenosers and their East Coast pride. Garrison Brewing offers distinctive beers that are crafted at the historic and vibrant Halifax Seaport in Nova Scotia. All beers are full of flavour and the product line has an exceptional range offering something for everyone to enjoy at the cottage or poolside.
Garrison Brewing’s Mango Dragonfruit Sour is a refreshingly sweet and mildly sour ale that is blended with an infusion of Mango, Dragon Fruit and Hibiscus makes for a ravishing flavour and magnificent colour.! The nose is full of fruit, and what can we say about the taste! We were surprised, as this is one of our favourites of the summer! The sour side is almost erased by the taste of mango and red fruits, it’s super refreshing. Just a really good sour that tastes like summer in a can and a must-have in your cooler whether in the backyard with friends or at the cottage.
Crafty Radler | Tart Cherry & Blueberry | 4.70% alc/vol
Pump House Brewing | Moncton, NB, Canada | https://pumphousebrewery.ca
Crafty Radler Tart Cherry & Blueberry includes a mix of house-made tart cherry and blueberry craft soda. It exhibits a natural cloudy ruby-red hue and is as appealing to the taste buds as it is to the nose. This mixture gives off a refreshing smell of freshly picked tart cherries with sweet notes of wild blueberries and a slight lingering aroma of Willamette hops that create the base of this delicious blend. The tart cherry flavour dances with the sweetness of fresh blueberries, while the malt and hops give a balanced foundation, which is why was our favourite Radler of the summer, dethroned last year’s favourite, and the OG of the Radlers Pump House Brewery’s Grapefruit & Tangerine Crafty Radler.
Jitney | Dry Hopped Sour | 4.50% alc/vol
Tatamagouche Brewing Company | Tatamagouche, NS, Canada | https://tatabrew.com/
The Jitney was a self-propelled train, that made a lot of smoke, noise, and steam, travelling the short line between Oxford and Stellarton, passing through Tatamagouche. Just a hint of Tart, and juicy, Jitney is dry hopped with El Dorado adding tropical fruit flavours including pineapple and mango, and then fermented with Foggy London Yeast that is typically used in New England-style IPAs. This beer is going to make a lot of noise and that is includes the summer team fighting over the last one in the cooler. Don’t worry guys we can get more!
Fetch Lime | Lager | 4.00% alc/vol
Trailway Brewing Company | Fredericton, NB, Canada | https://www.trailwaybrewing.com/
Brewed with 100% New Brunswick-grown hops and Canadian pilsner malt. This one is filtered to achieve a brilliantly clear beer. Smooth, and clean with subtle notes of honey, balanced by floral undertones and a soft bitterness. The lime comes through, in both taste and aroma. This beer is good to drink by the pool on a really hot day, or to take on ice to the beach. It is also a beer we were happy to reach for in the Chilly Moose Cooler all summer.
CRAFT READY-TO-DRINK CANNED COCKTAILS
Canned cocktails, once dismissed as a sub-par novelty, were introduced to the industry in 1993. Since then, Ready-to-Drink Craft Canned Cocktails have transformed the adult beverage industry, emphasizing craft distilling innovation as much as customer convenience. The global ready-to-drink cocktails market size was estimated at USD 853.2 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.0% from 2023 to 2030.
Given that Ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails have become one of the craft brewing and distilling industry’s biggest industry success stories in recent years as mainstream industry players, craft brands, and even bartenders created premium RTD cocktails and put them in single-serve cans for the convenience of their customers. This growth also means that the quality of canned cocktails continually improving and the best companies providing cocktails with fresher, 100% real ingredients, more premium tastes, and bar-quality measurements for the perfect canned cocktail, meticulously crafted, ready-made, and waiting in your refrigerator or our case, Chilly Moose Cooler.
Of course, the journey of canned cocktails from fringe alternative to mainstream favorite isn’t accidental. It’s a fascinating story of evolution, driven by our contemporary need for portability and the persistent hunger for high-quality convenience. It’s a tale mirroring our own collective shift towards a lifestyle that insists on convenience without compromising on quality. Let’s embark on a journey that explores what RTDs were in our Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler.
World’s Largest Ceasar | Vodka | 5.00% alc/vol
Black Diamond Distillery| St. Albert, AB, Canada | https://www.blackdiamonddistillery.com/
The award-winning Black Diamond Distillery is located in St. Albert, Alberta, believes that true craft spirits can’t be produced using shortcuts like flavour additives or mass-produced spirits. While certainly not the most profitable or efficient means of production, they have strived to stay true to the quality and authenticity of what they produce, using natural, pure, organic (when possible) ingredients.
Well, you get to taste a piece of history with Black Diamond Distillery’s (unofficial) World’s largest Caesar. This canned cocktail was created as a 1000L Caesar, making it [unofficially] The World’s Largest Caesar, to celebrate ‘Canada’s favourite cocktail’ at the 2023 YYC Caesarfest. Made with their award-winning vodka and Lucky’s Speed sauce blend of spices this ready-to-drink canned cocktail is perfect for Caesar lovers everywhere. If you like Caesars as much as we do then this is a must-have in your cooler, trust us you will not be disappointed.
Fruit Punch Iced Tea | Vodka | 5.00% alc/vol
Coldstream Clear Distillery | Stewiacke, NS, Canada | https://www.coldstreamclear.com
A nostalgic blend of all natural flavours. Crafted with real cold brewed Tetley tea and Coldstream Clear vodka, this non-carbonated beverage offers an irresistibly smooth taste that’s perfect for any occasion.
Fruit Punch Iced Tea is a delicious combo of PUNCHY natural flavours, REAL brewed Tetley tea, and Coldstream Clear vodka, in this non-carbonated ready-to-enjoy cocktail that offers an irresistibly smooth taste that’s perfect for any occasion. Crack open the can and get a wave of nostalgia: aroma of your favourite childhood fruit punch! The taste is sweet, but not too sweet. The real tea perfectly balances out the fruity flavours for a smooth and refreshing taste. If you’re an Iced Tea lover, this is a blast from the past that packs a PUNCH right out of the cooler!
Gin Twist | Gin | 5.00% alc/vol
Colliding Tides | Charlottetown, PE, Canada | https://collidingtides.com
Colliding Tides is a division of PEI Brewing Company out of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island that was established in 2013. However, the Colliding Tides brand came on the market in 2019 and it’s been making waves ever since. The brand’s name and inspiration come from a wild phenomenon that happens off PEI’s East Point and North Cape where twice a day when two tides mix.
Colliding Tides Gin Twist is made with a touch of PEI gin and water with just a hint of lemon and then carbonated to perfection. Nobody on our team is a Gin fan, but these just hit right with the perfect mixture of PEI gin and citrus, it has just the right amount of sweetness and carbonation. Colliding Tides Gin Twist is definitely a ready-to-drink canned cocktail that needs to be a must-have in your cooler, and we have a feeling that it will always be go-to in our Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler.
POG | Hard Seltzers | 5.00% alc/vol
Maui Hard Seltzer | Kihei, HI, USA | https://www.mauihardseltzer.com
Maui Hard Seltzer is a division of Maui Brewing Company out of Hihie, Maui, Hawaii, that offers flavors that will be more tropical focus than traditional hard seltzers. Their POG Hard Seltzer offers the perfect mix of spiked sparkling water with a hint of natural passion fruit, orange, and guava flavors, thus the name POG, making it a must-have and one that we are putting on ice for our Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler.
Blue Lobster Raspberry-Lemon | Vodka | 5.00% alc/vol
Nova Scotia Spirit Company | New Glasgow, NS, Canada | https://novascotiaspirits.com
The Nova Scotia Spirit Co., located in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, believes that everybody deserves to pour premium quality spirits in their glass and have been delivering just that since 2015. Whether it is their award winning, small batch spirits, their amazing lineup of ready-to-drink canned cocktails, or their Painted Boat Beer Co. Lager, they have something to keep you refreshed all year long while spending time with friends and family.
Nova Scotia Spirit Company’s Blue Lobster Raspberry-Lemonade is a vibrant fusion of juicy raspberries and fresh lemon zest, presenting a light pink hue that’s as enticing to the eye as it is to the palate. Blue Lobster Vodka Raspberry Lemon is a non-carbonated crusher with a perfect balance of ripe raspberries and the bright, citrusy quench of lemonade. Made with award-winning Blue Lobster Vodka, experience sun-kissed summer afternoons anytime with this fresh lemonade. It is a fun flavored canned cocktail that you can enjoy all year long and that is why it is in our Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler for 2024
REAL Vodka Water Pineapple Papaya | Vodka | 4.50% alc/vol
Pump House Brewing | Moncton, NB, Canada | https://pumphousebrewery.ca
REAL Vodka Water is a division of Pump House Brewing out of Moncton, NB. REAL Vodka Water is a Bubble-Free refreshingly fruit-forward vodka beverage that is Vegan, Gluten-Free,
with No Added Sugar, under 3g of carbs, and only 100 Calories per can.
The Pineapple Papaya Vodka Water is a thirst-quenching, refreshingly satisfying fruity drink with the sweetness of ripe pineapple and the freshness of juicy papaya, making for a flavourful and fun fruit experience. All the REAL Vodka Waters were team favourites, but it seems that the Pineapple Papaya ones were the first to disappear out of our Chilly Moose Cooler.
CRAFT CANNED CIDERS & MEADS
Most will know what Ciders are but Mead is less understood. Mead is simply honey, yeast, and water. It is one of mankind’s oldest alcoholic beverages. Every society, worldwide, developed some sort of mead. Most likely, because it was readily available, all-natural and bee populations span the globe. Thinning down honey with water and letting it sit may have surprised early humans as wild yeasts turned the sugar into alcohol. Little to no science was needed for the reaction to occur, ferment three ingredients for about a month, and pow! You have mead. Today’s mead is a rich culture of variety and like ciders and wines, every mead can be a unique experience. These are the ciders, means and wines that we were reaching for this summer in the Chilly Moose cooler.
The Classic | Hard Cider | 5.60% alc/vol
Annapolis Cider Company | Wolfville, NS, Canada | https://drinkannapolis.ca/
Annapolis Cider Company is a division of the Nova Scotia Spirit Company, located in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. This classic hard cider is juicy and sweet, combining a base dry-fermented cider with freshly pressed apple juice. This is a super clean, elegant, fresh cider with pleasant, pure apple flavours. Fresh, clean, and tasty. No wonder it was a team favourite this summer as it is perfect anytime and at any event for a nice change of pace.
Wild Blackberry | Hard Cider | 4.50% alc/vol
Bulwark Handcrafted Cider | New Ross, NS, Canada | https://bulwarkcider.com/
Bulwark Handcrafted Cider is a Muwin Estate Wines brand from New Ross, Nova Scotia. Cider begins and ends with the apple. Their famous five-apple blend of 100% Scotian Gold apples, comprising a carefully selected blend of Macintosh, Golden Russet, Cortland, Honey Crisp, and Northern Spy from the Annapolis Valley are juiced onsite and slowly fermented, resulting in a natural cider that’s never made from concentrate. The result is a premium balanced blend of sweetness, acid, and tannins that’s low in sugar, made from real apple juice and bottled onsite.
Bulwark Wild Blackberry has an unmistakable fresh taste of sun-ripened wild blackberries perfectly balanced with their famous five-apple blend for a refreshing relentlessly crisp drink and always refreshing right out of the ice cooler.
Orchard Cranberry Hard Cider | Hard Cider | 6.00% alc/vol
Eventide Mead & Cider Company | Dartmouth, NS, Canada | https://www.facebook.com/eventidemead
The Eventide Mead and Cider Company provides a modern, premium craft mead and cider to a growing Nova Scotia market, never sacrificing our high-quality standards. No grain, no gluten, all flavour. Eventide’s Orchard Cranberry Hard Cider uses their light and crisp dry Traditional Cider with the addition of fresh pressed cranberry juice, nice and tart for this one and great with friends and family, at the cottage, or the backyard bonfire.
Cherry Infused Mead | Mead | 6.00% alc/vol
Eventide Mead & Cider Company | Dartmouth, NS, Canada | https://www.facebook.com/eventidemead
Eventide Cherry Infused Mead is one of the fan favourites of the team. If you like something a little sweeter, with no grain, no gluten, and all flavour then this beverage is perfect for you! With freshly pressed cherry juice from Terra Beata in Lunenburg this cherry-infused mead has the perfect natural cherry flavour you won’t be able to get enough of and want in your cooler all year long.
The Great Pineapple | Hard Cider | 6.00% alc/vol
Fox Hills Cidery | Ardrossan, AB, Canada | https://www.foxhillscidery.com/
Fox Hills Cidery is nestled in the heart of Strathcona County Strathcona County in the small town of Ardrossan, Alberta, and prides itself on producing craft, non-carbonated ciders using only the finest top-end ingredients. Each batch is carefully handcrafted, ensuring a premium and authentic taste. By meticulously selecting top-quality fruits and following traditional production methods, what is left is a deliciously light and crisp craft cider.
Fox Hills Cidery’s the Great Pineapple Cider offers a refreshing twist on the traditional apple cider. Made from a blend of crisp apples and tropical pineapples, this beverage boasts a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavours. With its smooth finish and fruity aroma, pineapple cider is a delightful choice for those seeking a unique and delicious drink option. Enjoy it on its own right out of the cooler or pair it with your favourite meal on the BBQ for a truly satisfying experience.
The Persistence of Blackberry Lemonade | Hard Cider | 6.00% alc/vol
Fox Hills Cidery | Ardrossan, AB, Canada | https://www.foxhillscidery.com/
Fox Hills Cidery’s The Persistence of Blackberry Lemonade Cider combines the sweetness of ripe blackberries with the tartness of fresh lemonade, creating a perfect blend that tantalizes the taste buds as it is refreshing and bold. Enjoy the crisp and fruity notes in every sip of this popular choice with the team and they savour the unique flavours of summer with every can of Blackberry Lemonade they pull from the Chilly Moose Cooler.
We hope you find that you find of few of your craft favorites in our Chilly Moose Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler for 2024 and maybe even a few new ones that you want to get on ice and try for yourself. If your favorite craft beverage is not on ice in our cooler, let us know and we will get it on the potential list of nominees for next year’s Ultimate Summer Craft Cooler project.
Please remember to always drink responsibly!
by Ryan Myson