The Summer Beers MBAs Are Drinking

MBAs love a good beer. And I love engineering ways to make beer-drinking essential to my job.

So asking MBAs what they liked to drink in the summertime seemed like a no-brainer. When we first reached out to various beer clubs across schools in the CommonBond network, I really didn’t expect to get such overwhelmingly detailed responses.

I thought I knew beer, but I didn’t know what a “sessionable” was and couldn’t have told you that the brewing boom was really ale-driven. But stifle your scoffs, beer aficionados! For it isn’t my (lack of) expertise that we’re here to talk about, but the collective palette of the most beer-savvy MBAs across the country.

West Coast: California Brew Rush

We’ll start out west with UCLA Anderson School of Management’s top recommendations: Anchor Summer Beer and Brooklyn Summer Ale. Michael Peck of the Microbrew Club says “both beers are at the top of their game – refreshing and flavorful – and embody that late 20s/early 30s hipster-cool that MBA interns are likely chasing.”

While these are available nationwide, Michael also offers up some regional selections for those who might be interning in Boston – “Harpoon Summer Beer (a kolsch-style beer)” – or Seattle – “Deschutes River Ale (awesome session beer from Bend, OR).” Shifting over to California sister-school Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, we have a deep dive on Ommegang’s Three Philosophers Quadrupel Ale by the Haas Beer Club’s Peter Trujillo.

A unique blend of a Belgian-style dark ale and Liefmans Kriek, an authentic cherry ale from Belgium. Cherry chestnut in color, it’s opaque but not cloudy with full carbonation topped by a smooth, creamy, tan head. Flavors and aromas of roasted malt, molasses and brown sugar, dark fruits, brandied raisins and chocolate, Three Philosophers has notable sweetness with low hop bitterness (only 19 IBU’s). Pairs well with stews, fatty meats, gooey, stinky cheese, think hearty foods that can stand up to the high alcohol content.

-The taste is complex: Sweet up front, tart wine-like, light bitterness, a little sour, then the flavors and aromas, with a nice warming finish from the alcohol.

-At 9.8% ABV this is best served in a small goblet which helps release the complex aromas.

We’re told this comes from their newsletter. I’d love to find a way onto that distribution list because reading that description was better than any beer I’ve had yet this summer.

If you aren’t beer-crazy but are still looking for a refreshing summer beverage, then Jesse Tao, also from Haas, recommends Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat Beer: “the immediate flavor is that of a cider but quickly transitions to a wheat beer profile.”