Tips for a refreshing East Tennessee summer

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Mary Ellen Brewington

BM_Summer_12ozB_401Summer is here, and East Tennessee is heating up. With recent daily temperatures in the 90’s, it’s a great time of year to enjoy a refreshing cold beverage.

With some seasonal tips from Cherokee, you’ll be ready to beat the heat:

Celebrate the season. Try some of our seasonal products this summer. With crisp, refreshing flavors for sunny days, they’re a great addition to any pool party or warm weather gathering. You may even want to keep the fridge at home or at the lake stocked with these festive alternatives along with your classic favorites. Our picks for summer include:

  • Highland Brewing Company Cattail Wheat – Brewed with 100% organic grains, a hint of rye and the tang of organic hibiscus, this beer is naturally refreshing and perfect for a day outside in the sun or a summer night sitting by the campfire or on the deck under the stars.
  • Blue Moon Honey Moon – Brewed with clover honey, orange peel, pale malt and malted white wheat, this sweet, crisp summer brew is available May through mid-August. It’s a must-have for a summer picnic or cookout. Try it garnished with a fresh orange slice.
  • Samuel Adams Summer Ale – This bright and citrusy American wheat ale uses malted wheat, lemon zest and Grains of Paradise, a rare pepper from Africa, to create a crisp, spicy flavor with hints of tropical fruit. It’s perfect for hot days out by the water and warm nights surrounded by friends.
  • Sierra Nevada Summerfest – This pilsner-style lager is incredibly smooth and lighter in body but has a complex flavor and tangy hop bite. Is your mouth watering yet? This thirst-quenching lager will satisfy both your thirst and your taste buds on even the hottest of days.

Chill out. Whenever buying chilled products from a grocery or convenience store, be sure to maintain their temperature. Keeping chilled beer cold preserves its crisp flavor and carbonation. If you let cold beers get warm and then try to re-chill them, you may compromise the flavor and freshness of the beer. This rule holds true whether the product is packaged in aluminum cans, glass or plastic bottles.

If traveling to the lake or picnic, you may want to pack a cooler of ice to transport your newly purchased beers. The best way to keep your beer cold is to layer the individual beers across a layer of ice. Spread another layer of ice on top and add another row of beers. Make sure there is enough ice to cover at least three-quarters of the beverage.

Respect the great outdoors. Be sure to choose cans or plastic bottles instead of glass when packing the cooler for the lake or pool. Several beer brands such as Miller and Coors offer products in plastic bottles. Many pools do not allow glass containers, and plastic or aluminum packaging ensures you won’t have any broken glass on the boat, dock or poolside. These are areas where many people are barefoot, and you don’t want to risk littering the water with hazardous shards of glass.

Also, as you enjoy the beautiful outdoors, remember to bring a trash bag with you so you can always be sure to clean up. Never throw beer containers, packaging, bottle tops or can tabs outdoors or in the lake or ocean. Not only are you breaking the law by littering, these items can be harmful to land animals, fish and birds.

Hydrate well. In temperatures this hot, it’s important to remember to stay hydrated. Cherokee recommends some of our favorite non-alcoholic products to add to the cooler this summer:

  • Vidration Waters – These vitamin-enhanced, zero-calorie waters will hit the spot on a hot summer day. Pick up a variety of flavors with unique vitamin offerings including Defense, Recover, Multi-V, Power and Energy.
  • Sweet Leaf teas – This is the perfect season to relax with a delicious, refreshing organic tea. We can’t pick a favorite flavor between Citrus Green Tea, Mint and Honey Green Tea, Raspberry Iced Tea, Peach Iced Tea, Lemon Iced Tea and Original Sweet Tea.
  • Juicy Juice – Keep some boxes of Juicy Juice on hand for the kids, and they’ll love you for it. And, you’ll feel good giving them 100% juice – a tasty and nutritious pick. Kids especially love the new sparkling products – Sparkling Apple, Sparkling Berry and Sparkling Orange. They’re a great alternative to sugary sodas.

Drink responsibly. When enjoying a cold one at the lake or pool, remember to drink moderately and keep water safety in mind. Practice boat safety at the lake. Just as you designate a driver for your vehicle, designate a boat driver. Have fun and be safe!

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