My fondest memories of summer include trips to the beach with my family. Dad would get up early in the morning to pack the trunk of my mom’s sedan with all our things—suitcases, beach floats, and a cooler brimming with drinks, snacks, and sandwiches.
After my dad finished playing Tetris with the trunk, all five of us would pile into the car and make our way down to Florida. Once we made it to the beach, the only place I wanted to be was in the ocean floating on the waves, dipping my head underwater, searching for seashells with my toes, and gazing into the horizon.
Every summer, I try to relive the magic of those days spent on the beach—even if I end up sitting in a kiddie pool in my backyard. While I didn’t fully appreciate snacks as a kid, they have become an essential part of my pool/beach experience along with the newer addition of a refreshing six pack.
I can’t think of a better beach or pool companion than Floating Holiday. The name alone evokes thoughts of relaxation. To make this Blonde Ale ultra refreshing, Allagash brewed it with lemon peel and a pinch of sea salt. Blonde Ales work best with flavors that won’t overwhelm the nuanced notes in the beer. So, with that in mind, I came up with the following options for your Floating Holiday snack tray.
Refreshing Snacks
Every summer, I look forward to all my favorite fruits coming into season—peaches, cherries, and berries galore. They’re bursting with flavor and provide a bit of much-needed hydration after hours spent in the sun. Whether you’re lounging at the pool or at the beach, I recommend grabbing whichever fruits are in season.
Watermelon is an obvious choice, especially if it’s ripe and ice cold. Also, frozen grapes make a delightful snack. Bonus points if you soak them in Floating Holiday for an hour, then drain, and pop into the freezer until frozen solid. Hard fruits like apples are also easy to carry and make easy, mess-free snacks. Whatever fruit you choose, the notes of sea salt and lemon from Floating Holiday will pair nicely.
Crunchy Snacks
There’s something so incredibly satisfying about eating crunchy foods. So, no snack tray would be complete without something to crunch on. Carrots have become one of my favorite snacks, providing a refreshing, snappy bite. I also love snacking on broccoli and sliced cucumbers and bell peppers for similar reasons. Pair these crispy vegetables with hummus, ranch, or your favorite dip. Or go the salty and crunchy route and add trail mix to your snack tray. I recommend both, especially if you choose a spicy trail mix, which will pair beautifully with Floating Holiday.
Hearty Snacks
While this is a snack tray, it’s always good to have something a little heartier on your plate when sitting by the water. No one wants to interrupt a fun day in the sun with a grumbling stomach. A simple sandwich would suffice, but since we have Floating Holiday as our companion, it’s a great time to lean into flavors that pair well with a Blonde Ale like pesto.
Pesto is rich, herbaceous, and has a delicious bite thanks to that fresh garlic. Floating Holiday mellows out the bite of garlic while allowing the flavor of the basil to sing through. Then, the carbonation cleans your palate from the richness of the olive oil.
The best delivery system for these flavors is a chicken pesto wrap. Toast your tortilla in a dry skillet and then add a small amount of pesto—enough to cover the tortilla, but avoid adding to the edges. Layer on crunchy lettuce, tomatoes or sliced red bell peppers, and chicken cold cuts or shredded rotisserie chicken. These wraps hit all my favorite categories—they’re refreshing, crunchy, and hearty.
And there you have it, a snack tray that pairs perfectly with Floating Holiday and a relaxing day at the beach or the pool. Enjoy as-is or make it your own. Just remember to choose snacks with light flavor profiles and add something refreshing, crunchy, and hearty to make the most of your summer relaxation.
STEPHANIE GRANT
Stephanie Grant is a beer journalist, content writer, storyteller, and content creator based in Atlanta (NEVER call it Hotlanta, please). You can find her writing in Good Beer Hunting, Atlanta Magazine, Craftbeer.com, The New Brewer, and across the interwebs. She was one of four recipients of the North American Guild of Beer Writers 2020 Diversity in Beer Writing Grant and recognized in Imbibe Magazine’s 75 People to Watch in 2021. You can also hear her interview people on Good Beer Hunting’s podcast.
