Sure, There's a Cure for the Summertime Blues - July 2005
Finally! Summer has arrived, and unlike last year in central Canada and the northeast of the United States, and a considerable number of other places, if memory serves, it looks like this is going to be a hot one!
Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Despite my Canadian heritage, I am most definitely not a cold weather kind of guy. For me, the best time of the year is when I can put away the scarves and gloves for good and luxuriate in the heat and humidity of a Toronto summer. Or, for that matter, a summer in New York, Brussels, London or just about anywhere.
Of course, one of the best things about summer is that it presents us innumerable opportunities for the consummate enjoyment of beer. Such as the following
Ten Truly Great Summer Beer Experiences
1. Overheated, sweaty and parched means it's time for a cold glass of the proverbial lawnmower beer. But refreshing needn't mean anemic in flavour, so instead of the ice-cold, flavour-free mainstream lager most people associate with the term, try a crisp, chilled-but-not-iced-out-of-existence German-style pilsner like Jever Pilsner or Victory Prima Pils. You'll be glad you did.
2. Summer is a time for rule-breaking, which may occasionally mean a beer or even two enjoyed before the sun is over the mythical yardarm. Just make them wheat beers, German or Belgian in style, such as Schneider Weisse or Blanche de Chambly, and your indulgence will be amply rewarded.
3. Heat and strong ale typically don't go together well, but once the sun is well-set, dinner begins to fade from memory and the night breeze starts to blow, a lightly chilled barley wine like Anchor's Old Foghorn or Young's Old Nick can make for a surprisingly satisfying nightcap.
4. Summer and the barbecue, on the other hand, go together like ice cream and waffle cones, so it makes sense to hit the 'cue as often as you can for the duration of the warm weather. And when you do, accentuate the experience with a smoked malt beer, popping a smoky lager like Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier when it's chicken or pork on the grill, or a more rounded ale such as Alaskan Smoked Porter for red meat.
5. Grilled fish like the more subtle roastiness of a dry stout like O'Hara's.
6. Patio drinking is something Bavarians have mastered, except they call their terraces biergartens and build them big enough to seat thousands. So when you're drinking on a bar or restaurant patio, do as they do and order either a quality helles, like Spaten Lager, or a splendid dunkel along the lines of the excellent Konig Ludwig.
7. Picnics and fruit beer are naturals. Don't ask me why, just be sure that the fruit beers in question are good ones, such as the Raspberry Tart and Wisconsin Belgian Red of New Glarus Brewing or one of Unibroue's four-fruit Éphémère line.
8. On a scorching day in July or August, there are three drinks I'll generally reach for when venturing onto the eighth floor terrace of my downtown apartment: gin and tonic; the Portuguese wine known as vinho verde; or a Bohemian pilsner like Pilsner Urquell or King Pilsner. Try the last the next time that kind of a mood strikes. For that matter, try all three.
10. Backyard beer tasting parties are great ways to entertain during the summer. Perhaps it's because people feel more at ease and are thus more open to experimentation, but new and unusual beers seem to be more warmly received in the summertime.
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