Beer of the Week: New Belgium Skinny Dip

June 26, 9:33 AMSeattle Craft Beer ExaminerHelen Pitlick

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With the Washington Brewers Festival this past weekend, many of us drank a lot of beer. Having sampled 25 beers from 19 breweries in the past week and a half due to the WABF, my trip to Alaska, and life in general, I was looking to give my liver a rest with something light, refreshing and uncomplicated. Therefore, when I saw New Belgium's Skinny Dip on sale at QFC, I knew I had found this week's Beer of the Week.

According to legend, the founder of New Belgium approached the head brewer with a special request: create a light beer that would still match his stringent taste standards. As the story goes, the brewer, a Belgian, had the following to say: “Only in America would I be asked to brew a beer with no calories and less alcohol.” Thus, Skinny Dip was born.

Skinny Dip pours with an amber body and a thick, off-white head. It has a floral hop aroma, and from all appearances doesn't seem like a light beer. As expected, it isn't a flavor powerhouse, though it offers much more than the average light beer; it feels less like an ale and more like a refreshing summer lager. There is a slight taste of citrus (presumably from the kaffir lime leaves used in the brewing process), and the hops become more evident as the beer warms. Skinny Dip is one of the few beers that would respectably benefit from a slice of lemon.

At 4.2% alcohol, this beer won't get you buzzed, and at 114 calories a bottle, it's a decent diet alternative to any of New Belgium's stronger offerings. Skinny Dip is a light beer I would be seen drinking in public.