Drink This Now: Nite Lite by Night Shift Brewing

Nite Lite, by Night Shift Brewing. / Photo provided.

It’s not fruity. It’s not hazy. It’s not meant to be sipped, and it’s not imported.

We’re talking, of course, about Night Shift Brewing’s newest go-to, Nite Lite pale lager.

You might have thought we were referring to another easy-drinking brew, maybe a national brand that comes in a blue can. Nope, this is an Everett original. Night Shift co-owner Michael Oxton says the new beer isn’t a commentary on what other any other breweries, large or small, are producing. The brewers at Night Shift simply wanted to make a straightforward, crisp, and drinkable beer to complement their current roster.

“We all love our hoppy stuff, and our sour stuff, and really complex brews,” Oxton says. “But it’s sometimes nice to end the day with a beer you don’t have to think too much about.”

There’s no fuss here. The 4.3 percent ABV lager is a light, clean, and 150-calorie glass of modesty. It’s brewed with corn, for that quintessential American-style lager bite after each gulp. Nite Lite is available in pints and growlers at the brewery’s Everett taproom, and there is talk of canning the beer in the coming months.

Night Shift regulars may notice that Nite Lite’s release arrives soon after the brewery’s new zwickelbier, Kehl, and it joins the ranks of less hop-driven brews, like the Pfaffenheck pilsner and Furth hefeweizen. These lagers and weissbiers aren’t something the brewery has leaned heavily on in the past, but that’s beginning to change.

“We’re getting into that territory a bit,” Oxton says. “You’re going to see more of that from us.”

You’ll see it sooner rather than later. Night Shift is perfecting five German-style lagers to pour at the taproom’s Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 24. While Nite Lite isn’t among them, there will be three other new beers: Oldenburg, an Oktoberfest, a doppelbock called Coburg, and a yet-to-be-named Polish-style grätzer beer. Night Shift mainstays like Pfaffenheck, Kehl, and Furth are also on tap for the celebration, with special can releases of Kehl and Oldenburg, too.

Keep an eye out for more details on the upcoming Oktoberfest. Until then, grab a Nite Lite and let the good times roll.

Night Shift Brewing, 87 Santilli Highway, Everett, 617-294-4233, nightshiftbrewing.com.