Honey Moon Summer Ale from Blue Moon Brewing Co. Beer Sessions

Beer Details: Honey Moon Summer Ale from Blue Moon Brewing Company, $7.00 for 6 12-ounce bottles and available May through mid-August. (5.2% alcohol by volume)

Appearance: Golden-amber, very clear. The beer had a thick foamy head when first poured, but it quickly dissolved.

Aroma: Light, floral

Taste: With its description of "real clover honey and fresh orange peel," we were expecting to be knocked over with a mead-like brew. Instead, our first impression was that the Honey Moon tasted surprisingly light and mild. It was definitely sweet, almost like drinking fruit juice, but definitely not cloying or sticky. We could taste a little bitterness on the finish, and then a light, lingering aftertaste of honey.

As the beer warmed, more of its flavors came out. We could taste more of the honey flavors throughout, not just on the finish. The bitter hops also became more present, and this was a refreshing counterpoint to the sweetness. We never did taste much orange, though. We knew it was there if we thought about it hard enough, but it never emerged as a strong flavor.

Overall, Honey Moon is a good beer for drinking straight from the bottle on a hot day. It's refreshing and light-bodied, and it goes down ever so smoothly. With the honey flavor dominating, it was a bit one-dimensional for our taste, but sometimes it's nice to have a beer that doesn't try to hit you over the head with a million flavors.

Food Pairings: Try Honey Moon with grilled seafood, fresh salads, and salty snacks. It would also be a good one to bring out after the meal is finished along with some fresh fruit.

What are your thoughts on this beer? Any similar beers to recommend?

(Image: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)

I love this beer. As a matter of fact, we have some bottles chilling in our fridge right now. It's very refreshing and is great on its own or with lighter foods.

posted by rosebud on August 11th 2009 at 3:10pm
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Blue Moon Brewing Company is a paper entity of the Molson Coors Brewing Company. While it's a better quality beer than most other Molson Coors products, that's not saying much. It seems strange for this site to be touting this as a great example of a summer beer when there are so many well-crafted summer brews available from the 1000 craft breweries throughout the US.

posted by BeerLover on August 11th 2009 at 3:44pm
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If you're going to drop by to be sanctimony, you can usually avoid the next comment smacking you around for acting as such by actually recommending one or two of those brews you hold in such high esteem, you tedious pedant.

posted by dantsea on August 11th 2009 at 10:36pm
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I agree with dantsea wholeheartedly.

I love this beer as well and I was purchasing it at the local package store and inquired with the (barely legal) kid behind the counter if he could recommend any other brands that were similir since I knew this was seasonal. He proceeded to insult my purchase saying it was lowbrow and just Molson in disquise and other such mutterances. Yet! he didn't have a single other recommendation.

You've got to back it up when you dish it people.

posted by HelloChloe on August 12th 2009 at 11:24am
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I tried this a while ago and it was nice, but I preferred classic blue moon. however, I recently picked up a pack of long trail hefeweizen and found it perfect for summer, with just a hint of sweetness-- what I had wanted out of the honey moon.

posted by bewarethebaobabs on August 12th 2009 at 11:28am
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My comment was honestly more directed at the site than other readers. Why are we treating our beers unlike the rest of the food and drink on this site? Farmers' Markets, local co-ops, high quality ingredients... and then a recommendation for a beer viewed in the beer community as the healthy option at a fast food chain.

If anybody wants a suggestion, Samuel Adams Summer Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale are solid choices that are available in supermarkets throughout the country. Also, any hefeweizen or wheat beer will be light and aromatic... perfect for summer. Pilsner style beers are also nice and light for a hot summer day or night. They personally are not my favorite type of beer, but I especially enjoy pilsners when it's miserably humid... the beer will feel less thick than the air around you.

But if you really want to enjoy a beer similar to the enjoyment of food espoused on this site, then go to a well-stocked beer store and treat it like a Farmers' Market or local co-op. Ask the attendant if there are any local breweries and what kinds of beer they offer... Tell him/her what you plan on having for dinner, and ask what will pair best with your meal... Ask which breweries they carry are the most environmentally friendly...

I readily admit to being a bit of a beer snob. But that comes from always wanting quality ingredients from respectable companies... the same reasons that draw me to this site. That and i'm a tedious pedant.

posted by BeerLover on August 13th 2009 at 8:50am
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Well said beerlover, I agree.

I would add that I enjoy some of Three Floyds, Anchor, Harpoon, Magic Hat, Rogue and Bell's breweries beers which have been fairly easy for me to obtain in Indiana and Minnesota. They are great for summer, not my all-season choice but then again, I am a woman that loves all beer. If that doesn't float your beer boat, try one of the single serving German wheats that say Hefeweizen which most stores carry in the cooler or on the shelf. I enjoy supporting craft beer makers and if that makes me a beer snob, so be it.

posted by thedabble on August 19th 2009 at 3:38pm
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