its a cruel, cruel summer

With memorial day behind us, its time to put on your fresh white kicks, sundresses, swim trunks and go ahead and pop those shirts off. Along with that, its time to put all those stouts, porters, and winter warmers in the cellar and start picking up some thirst quenching porch beers. But just because you aren't waxing poetic about the complexities of the malt profile of the latest gigantic barleywine or doppelbock doesn't mean that you can't drink a beer with flavor. There are plenty of flavorful and complex beers that range from hoppy pale ales to a delicate pear cider. I'll show you some tasty porch pounders (thanks alan).

Let's start with something that most people are familiar with, a Belgian style wit (white, wheat, whatever). Some great examples would be Hoegaarden, New Belgium Mothership Organic Wit, and probably most familiarly, Blue Moon. My personal favorite for a hot, humid day, though, would have to be Unibroue's Blanch de Chambly.

This beer is very light in body, which is a nice change of pace. This is accentuated by the fact that, like many of Unibroue's beers, Blanche is exceedingly efervescent. The sweet/bitter balance of the corriander and bitter orange peel make this complex enough for the most discerning palate, but accessable enough for someone who wouldn't normally venture into the 'scary' realm of belgians.

Next, something familiar, but different. A summer wheat ale. Locally, for me, that means Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat. It comes in a variety of formats, from aluminum 16 oz bottles, to 20 packs of stubby bottles, to full 16 gallon kegs. Let me just stop right here. Almost every city has a local microbrewer that produces a wheat ale or hefeweizen. I am a firm supporter of being a patron of your local brewery, even better if they're locally owned/distributed. I suggest finding a local brewery or brewpub that produces a beer that you like (or love) and give them your support.

However, sometimes a change of pace is needed. For me, that comes in the form of Bell's Oberon. Simple, quenching, and for a lack of better words, just plain good. A very modest hop profile, hints of citrus, and bready goodness abound in this guy, and a 6 pack will go quick on a hot night. Good thing it comes in 5l mini kegs, huh?

Hoppy beer can be overwhelming in the heat, at times. So if you must drink something with a high hop profile, might I suggest a very interesting blend from Southern Tier called Gemini. It is a blend of their IPA, un*earthly, and their extra pale ale, hoppe. Refreshing, complex, and very different from what most people would think of as a summer beer. You probably aren't going to pound these 22oz bottles, but they do make a very nice addition to your summer palate.

Finally, adventure with beers when its hot. Sometimes you'll find something that surprises you. For me, that was sour beer. Lactic and acedic acid don't sound very refreshing, but in beers like New Belgium's Eric's Ale and Duchesse de Bourgogne it can be a mouth puckering, but quenching characteristic.

Have fun, remember to stay hydrated, and enjoy!