Funky Picnic Beer and Camping
Have you ever wondered what the perfect beer would be to take camping? There is not just one perfect beer, but several! There are plenty of times and occasions to enjoy a beer or two while enjoying the great outdoors. However, the first step is to make sure alcoholic beverages are permitted wherever you do decide to end up.
Canned beer is typically the best for enjoying beer outside. Cans are better than glass bottles because they are lighter, collapsible, and block out 100% of UV light, preventing your beer from being skunked from sunlight. You also don’t want to leave any broken glass behind to potentially harm others. Now with so many breweries canning their beer, the options are nearly unlimited. 32-oz Crowlers are best for sharing a beer with 3 to 4 people but can be bulky to take with you; 16-ounce cans are great to share with one other person, and the widely sold 12-ounce cans are easy to carry but smaller in portions.
While performing more strenuous activities like hiking and mountain biking, primarily drink water to stay hydrated. But if you stop for lunch or an extended scenic view, drink more refreshing beers that are lower in ABV, to keep you more hydrated and able to focus on getting back to your campground. Pale lagers like Pilsners and Helles are always a good choice, as well as their Ale-brethren, Cream Ales and Blonde Ales. Even a tart Berliner Weiss or Gose is perfect to quench that thirst after summiting a mountain or kayaking down some Level 5 rapids.
When you’ve made it back to your campsite and are winding down from the activities of the day, you can then break into those more flavorful and complex beers while you begin to prep dinner. Here you can choose something that will go well with what you are cooking. IPAs, American Pale Ales, and Saisons are great with herbal spice-forward dishes. And Bocks, Porters, and Brown Ales are great if you’re just throwing some meat over the fire. You can even use some of your beer in sauces and marinades to give it that extra little kick.
Sitting around the campfire swapping ghost stories is the best time to break out those more robust, higher abv beers made for sharing and sipping. Break out those bigger, sweeter Barleywines and Imperial Stouts to pair with ooey-gooey S’mores, or big Belgian Quads and Tripels for enjoying by themselves. Crack open a Rauchbier if you want even more smoke than the fire in front of you.
No matter where your adventure takes you outside, there is a beer just perfect for the occasion, and you can find many of them at Funky Picnic. Pack your favorites to bring with you, but also make sure to leave no trace when you are done. Cheers!
Author: Collin Zreet
Collin is a native Texan and is a founding member and co-owner of Funky Picnic Brewery and Café. He is a Certified Cicerone and Certified BJCP Beer Judge, specializing in beer and food pairings. When he is not thinking about beer, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Taylor, son, Alder, and dog, Rocco.