Here we are, at the halfway point of July, and I’m sipping on a beer that’s truly a midsummer night’s dream — although I will admit that it comes from an unlikely source. The New Belgium Brewing Company has never been one of my favorites, and honestly “summer beers” usually leave me wanting. Pardon the baseball metaphor, but they’re like the check swing of the brewing world: too light to be memorable, too half-hearted to be satisfying. But with the Skinny Dip, New Belgium brewmaster Peter Bouckaert pulled off a rare feat — a full-bodied, flavorful beer that weighs in at just 108 calories and 4.2 percent alcohol by volume. That’s as close to a Michelob Ultra as I’ve ever reviewed in this space, yet unlike that glorified liquid cardboard, the Skinny Dip has a thirst-quenching yet hard to pin down flavor that keeps me coming back for more. It’s enough to make me drop trou’ and cannonball into the ol’ swimming hole.

The Skinny Dip pours a darker than expected amber color with a foamy white head with fair retention. The aroma is also hoppier than expected (at least compared to other summer ales), with heavy notes of lime on top of a sourdough base. Lifting a glass, the Skinny Dip bursts on the tongue with a lightly hopped but heavily carbonated body. The lime flavor seeps in next with trace elements of orange and grapefruit and an uncertain spiciness that’s masked by carbonation. The taste is largely sweet with a finish that is only mildly bitter and actually evokes peanut butter in an unexpected flourish. But while the taste is more interesting than your average light beer, the Skinny Dip isn’t brewed to be overanalyzed. It’s a thirst-quenching beer that makes taste buds tingle. The mouthfeel is surprisingly full-bodied, albeit overly bubbly, but it lives up to its billing with drinkability. This is a beer that would treat anyone after a softball game, and Miller Lite sippers would be pleasantly surprised if you passed them one around a campfire. Also, this is the only time I could recommend a Skinny Dip at a family reunion.

— Adam Bissen