by John Mizer
June 15, 2005

Summer is upon us. Finally. If the sweltering heat wasn't a a big enough clue, check out the latest developments at your favorite beer store. The summer beers have migrated back in full force. It can be a bit intimidating as it seems that every brewer has a "summer brew" to offer us thirsty consumers. Let's examine some of the styles available in your local cooler for the next few months.

Hefe-Weizens:
Hefe means "yeast" and Weizen means "wheat" in German. This style is typically unfiltered with a straw color and banana-clove (really!) flavor. The unique flavor can be attributed to the special strain of yeast used for fermentation. Many fans of this style will enjoy their brew with a slice of lemon for added flavor. A few nice representatives of this style include: Paulaner, Pyramid, Sudwerk, and if you're lucky you can catch Rocky River Brewing Company's Subchaser on their patio this summer.

Belgian Wits:
This style is a kissing cousin to the Hefe-Weizen. Most of you have probably already imbibed a few Blue Moons which is actually brewed by Coors. Belgian Wits are often brewed with coriander and orange peel to give this style a citrusy flavor. This style is also unfiltered and takes on an almost irredescent glow. Great Lakes Brewing Company's "Holy Moses" is a fine example of this ever growing style.

Pilsners:
Pilsners are the descendents to the mass produced, mass marketed beers that assault our senses everywhere we look. Over time this style mutated due to prohibition, a couple of world wars, and basically..economics. Brewers found it cost effective to add adjunct grains to cut the cost of brewing which also radically changed the character of the pilsner. The original pilsner sprung from the Czech Republic from a city of Pilsen where the water was oh so soft and the acidity of the hops were a beautiful pairing. The pilsner is gold in color with a floral hop note and a crisp finish. Wish I had one right now!

Fruit Beers:
This really isn't a category but moreso a trend that has endured for centuries. Can a trend last for centuries? Probably not but bear with me. Fruit beers are not as gimmicky as one may think. They have been with us for thousands of years. The Sumerians would put fruit in their beer, possibly to aid in fermentation or to mask some imperfection in the brewing process. Now I'm not hypothesizing the Sumerian culture ceased to exist because they put fruit in their beer but I wouldn't be surprised if some "traditionalists" would argue that point. You can find a vast array of different flavors and styles of fruit beers. Different flavors include cherry, rasberry, blueberry, apricot, watermelon, elderberry, and peach. You will find fruit in a variety of wheat beers, some stouts and porters, and lambics. Lambics are not for the faint of heart but offer an alternative to someone who desires something tart in flavor.

Should you chill your glass or put a lemon or orange slice in your beer? Hey, do whatever makes you happy. There really are no rules. It's your beer. Enjoy it.

Cheers!