According to the Capital Weather Gang, the high temperature in Washington, D.C. on June 9 was 102 degrees, tying a record that was set in 1874. It also tied the record for the hottest day ever in the month of June since record-keeping began in 1871. Although the first official day of summer is still a week away, summer weather is in full force — which calls for summer beer!

The 2011 edition of the Harpoon Brewery Summer Vacation 12-pack offers a nice variety of drinkable summer thirst-quenchers, including:

• IPA (5.9%), one of my favorite session IPAs
• UFO White (4.8%), a light, crisp, Belgian-style White Ale brewed with orange peel and a unique blend of spices
• Summer Beer (5.0%), a Kölsch style ale that is light and refreshing, and perfect for summer
• Bohemian Pilsner (4.7%), another summer session beer that is surprisingly tasty and delicious for a Pilsner. This brew is only available in the Summer Vacation mix pack.

I’ve enjoyed a case of the Harpoon summer 12-pack already this summer and I’m looking for more. But now that pool season is upon us, what I would really love to find is Harpoon beer in a can. The brewery announced in May 2010 that it was introducing IPA and Summer Beer in cans, but I haven’t seen them.

Follow @boabeerblog