Ben Franklin was right when he said, “Beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy. ” With summer months fast approaching you may notice a wide variety of ‘summer’ style ales hitting shelves at local stores. Each brewer wants you to taste the unique flavor of his or her carefully crafted brew, but even your favorite summer beer can taste a little bland after the 40th bottle.
What can I do, you might ask, to help keep summer beer interesting? It is very simple really: next time you’re at the store and pick up a six-pack, grab either a lemon, lime or orange. Nothing cuts the bitterness or adds some zing like freshly squeezed citrus.
Generally heavy wheat ales like hefeweizen or Magic Hat’s Circus Boy do well with a slice of lemon. If you happen to enjoy something imported from south of the border, throw a lime into a bottle of Dos Equis Amber or Bohemia. However, if you’re like me and enjoy Samuel Adam’s Summer Ale, Leinekugel, or Blue Moon’s Honey Moon Summer, you’d do best with a slice of orange. True, lemon compliments those beers, but there is something about an orange that always brings me back for more.
Now if you happen to be in Boston during peak summer months, drop in to the Boston Beer Works and order a Watermelon Ale. Nothing says summer refreshment like a 22-ounce golden ale with a hunk of watermelon floating in it. Think of it as a reward for a job well done.
When it comes to citrus and beer, many people shy away. Don’t! Be daring and experiment- there are probably tons that I’ve never tried, so keep an open mind and glass. Cheers to summer!
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