Sarah's It's Still Summer 6-Pack

By Sarah "The Cheetah" Derylo

It’s early August at Siciliano’s and the pumpkin, Oktoberfest and harvest beers are arriving at a steady rate. No doubt these coveted and “short run” styles are a welcome addition on any beer enthusiast’s shelves, but summer isn’t over already...is it? Can it be true that the pilsner, wheat, session and cream ale styles are in hibernation this early, and that the big, malty, spiced harvest ales are invading without care when I only just picked my first tomato?

Canoeing the Ausable with Vivant Zaison, listening to the Tigers on the radio with growlers of Mitten brew, mushroom hunting with cans of Founder’s All Day IPA, watching fireflies with a Bell’s Oberon in hand—I suppose it’s hard to miss the writing on the label, so to speak, but I’m just not ready to say goodbye to summer in West Michigan.

Here are a few great beer reminders to help keep the season from fading too early:

• Anderson Valley Summer Solstice, $1.99/12oz - "Summer Solstice Seasonal Ale is not just your average summer seasonal. This unique copper colored ale is smooth, malty, and lightly sweet, with a delicate hint of spice for that oh-so-drinkable, extra velvety flavor" (source).
• Brooklyn Summer Ale, $1.69/12oz - "Brooklyn Summer Ale is a modern rendition of the "Light Dinner Ales" brewed in England throughout the 1800's right up until the 1940's. They were also called "luncheon ales" or even "family ales", because they were refreshing and flavorful without being too heavy. We brew our Brooklyn Summer Ale from premium English barley malt, which gives this light-bodied golden beer a fresh bready flavor. German and American hops lend a light, crisp bitterness and a citrus/floral aroma resulting in a beer with a very sunny disposition" (source).
• New Belgium Summer Helles, $1.69/12oz - "Summer Helles carries the pleasant sweetness of pale and German Pils malts, and levels off with the light and noble bitterness of Hallertau and Tettnang hops. It is 5 percent ABV and 21 IBUs, finishing crisp and dry" (source).
• Griffin Claw Norm's Gateway Session IPA, $1.39/12oz - "Consider Norm's Gateway IPA into becoming a hop head. A session IPA that is a combination of full hop flavor and lower alcohol, giving it wonderful drinkability. Crisp, clean, fruity and refreshing" (source). 
• Black Rocks Honey Lav, $1.79/12oz - "An American Wheat Ale with Michigan honey and lavender flowers" (source).
• Abita Seersucker Summer Pils, $1.69/12oz - "This brew will be made with pilsner and carapils malts and hopped with German Tradition and German Spalt hops. It is a straw-colored pilsner beer with a traditional full-bodied malt flavor and hop bitterness. (ABV 4.8% Color 7 lovibond IBU 35) Seeksucker Summer Pils will be available in Summer of 2014 and a test batch will be on tap in the Abita Visitor Center in the next coming weeks" (source).

We’d love to hear YOUR favorite West Michigan summer memory, especially if it involves a Michigan landmark and beer. Pictures are welcome on our Facebook page!