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The brewskis of summer

By Emily Hulme | ehulme@am-ny.com

6:29 PM EDT, May 27, 2008

Drawing a cold one (Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrera)

On a hot summer day, there's nothing more refreshing than grabbing a nice cold beer. But don't just reach for that Bud Lite.

"Most folks want flavor. Budweiser created a beer that has no flavor," says Ray Deter, owner of popular Lower East Side beer bar DBA.

We live in a city of terrific beer bars and well-stocked specialty shops. Why not try something new for your summer brew? And don't be daunted by the selection. There are a few guidelines you can keep in mind to pick out a refreshing quaff. First of all, you want it to be light and dry.

"A dry beer [is] fermented more fully and there's less sugar," says Shane Welch, brewmaster for the local craft beer manufacturer Six Point Ales. "The last thing you want to give someone on a really hot day is a really syrupy beer."

More specifically, the German Hefewiezen or Belgian Witbier have become seasonal staples. Both of those words mean wheat beer, a style that has become quite popular in the last few years. "They're light body beers, low in acohol," Deter says.

What makes them so refreshing is two things. First of all, it's all about the ingredients. The two main grains that go into beer are the hops, which give beer its bitterness, and the malt, which creates sweetness and thickness. For a wheat beer, obviously, you add wheat to the mix, which gives the beer a softer mouth feel.

The second thing that makes wheat beers so refreshing is the spicing. Wheat beers are traditionally spiced with coriander and citrus flavors. That's why you often see your Hoegaarden or Blue Moon garnished with a lemon or an orange. (Although Deter thinks that's overdoing it: "They don't do that in Germany.")

If wheat beer's not your thing, pilsner is another good option. A pilsner is a light, hoppy beer (nominally, Bud and Coors are pilsners, but there are so many better options).

Deter specifically recommends a Pennsylvanian pilsner made by Sly Fox. "They make a great pilsner and they put it in a can. All the beer snobs are like, 'I can't drink beer out of a can,' " he says. "But it's just great for the summertime..."

Another fairly recent trend, according to Deter, is Imperial IPAs -- an India Pale Ale that's been double or triple fermented, giving it a very high alcohol content. As such, this beer might not be for everyone. In addition to the 11% alcohol, an Imperial IPA has a strong and hoppy flavor profile. Habitual Bud drinkers might want to work up to this.

So, this summer, experiment to find your favorite seasonal pint. The great thing about beer is that it's fairly inexpensive (compared to a nice bottle of wine, say) and, let's face it, sampling a new brew is a far from difficult homework assignment.

Local Craft Breweries
Why not start your search for the perfect summer beer locally? Here are some great New York breweries.

Brooklyn Brewery, Williamsburg
Six Point Craft Ales, Red Hook
Greenpoint Beerworks, Greenpoint (They also brew for the Heartland Brewery, which no longer makes its own beer)
Chelsea Brewing Company, Chelsea Piers
Harlem Brewing Company, Harlem