Summertime Brews

And the sippin's easy

by James Saul

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Published: Jun 12, 2007

So what if the host of the BBQ you're attending thinks that Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" is appropriate mood music? This local summer ale makes everything alright. The light-bodied quaff performs a hoppy jig on the tongue before finishing crisp and clear. Farmhouse is best from the tap, so go to your local watering holes and demand the Fish.

A lambic vibe without the lambic price tag is the biggest selling point for Saranac's Pomegranate Wheat. This beer is fermented with real pomegranates harvested from, as the label explains, "a grove protected by ferocious bears." While that tale is beary intimidating indeed, the actual brew is quite tame, with not too much bitterness and pleasantly strong fruit flavors.

If a malted milkshake gave birth to a love child infused with alcohol, it would taste like Cerveza Crema. The summer variety from left-coastin' Anderson Valley is a cousin to their heavier Winter Solstice. The Crema is delightfully sweet, with a light-spiced flavor that pairs extremely well with desserts. It's so creamy, in fact, that you could probably pour it on your oatmeal. You know, if you rolled like that.

A rosy color and hop-free berry finish make Framboise a perfect non-beer-drinker's beer, so it wasn't hard for this classic raspberry lambic to edge its way into the top five. Framboise goes down smooth, like a giant bottle of classy Kool-Aid for big kids only. It ain't cheap, but if you have the extra cash, it's well worth the investment.

We have to mention Brooklyn Brewery's Summer Ale for violently accosting our palates. Brooklyn's take on summer comes off a little too heavy, with a strong, bitter bite that's reminiscent of their Brown Ale. This is definitely the brew with the most attitude � what else would you expect from a Brooklyn native?

 

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