Monday, August 10, 2009

Endless quest for the perfect summer beer - part 1

Crisp, dry, with just enough body and a hint of flavor. Low cal light beers just do not do it for me anymore. Tried a six pack of Landshark Lager over the last week. It is produced (likely more accurately manufactured - it makes me shudder) by the Margaritaville Brewery of Jimmy Buffet fame. It claims to be an original island lager. I find it a bit too creamy to meet my somewhat vague perfect summer beer yardstick, and too creamy to be calling itself an island lager. Otherwise it was acceptable, better suited for a moderately warm island evening than a hot and humid island afternoon. I am suseptable to headaches from some beers even in small quantities (most Anheuser Busch products will give me a headache, 1/2 a bud is the equivalent of driving a rusty iron spike through the top of my skull). A couple of Landsharks at a sitting did not produce a beer reaction headache in me. I'll put this lager on my "I'll buy it again if I can't find anything better" listing. Which, in fact, is not a bad rating since I am quite particular. Cheers.

7 comments:

  1. A quick rundown of summer beers for me...

    Lwinenkugel's Sunset Wheat
    Sam Adams Summer Ale
    Bass Ale
    Dos Equis Lager Especial
    Gila Monster Amber Lager

    Bass and the Gila Amber are a little dark, but if it's not scorching hot out, I think they work fine as summer beers. Dos Equis Lager is my "scorching hot" beer of choice - it's light but flavorful and when it comes out of a cooler or fridge ice-cold it just hits the spot on a really hot day. The Sunset Wheat and the Summer Ale are both very "summer-flavored" beers, go great with a lot of summer "grill foods", and I can easily drink three or four of them in an afternoon with no ill effects.

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  2. Hi Badelaire,

    I don't count Bass as a summer drink, though it is among my favorite medium body ales that go great with light pub fare, along with Newcastle and a local brew Smuttynose Old Brown dog.

    I visited the "Leinie" brewery a few years ago in scenic Chippewa Falls, WI. I must say I didn't care for most of their brews with the exception of the Sunset Wheat which was OK. I have a friend out here who is also quite fond of it.

    Sam's Summer is a good choice, and readily available. I have not seen Gila Monster, I will look for it.

    I like Dos Equis (I had a bunch this weekend) but find it better with food or in the evening of these scorching days. That leads me to the what was going to be the part 2 of the beers of summer: Mexican Beers. However I think that will move to part 3 and I will comment on berry flavored wheat beers first.

    Cheers

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  3. For me, summer beer means Wychwood Breweries Black Witch Ale. I love heavy stuff. However, I found a couple new ones this summer that weren't bad... Lancaster Bomber was pretty decent, as as Innis & Gunn oak cask aged ale. And Samuel Smith Imperial Stout rocked bells. I'm going to see if I can lay up a few bottles before I leave the city and head back home.

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  4. Hey Badger King,

    Thanks for stopping in. When the cooler breezes of autumn roll in I will be back to the medium and dark beers. Most of what you list above I am not familiar, but I have had the Wychwood Hobgoblin though it is not easy to come by here. It was nicely done if my memory serves me correctly.

    Cheers

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  5. Yeah, Hobgoblin is another favorite. I love Wychwood stuff... the Black Wych is a heavy, dark ale, almost a stout. I usually snag a few bottles of Wych and Hobby when I leave town... I always try to taste a few new beers every summer. The Lancaster Bomber is OUTSTANDING.

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  6. I will look for the Lancaster Bomber in one of the specialty pubs or the one little shop which carries hard to find brews. Cheers

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