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Plenty of variety and taste to help cool off after a long day

BY JOHN HOLL

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Head to the cooler at your local liquor store around this time of year and you will likely see a lot of beers with the word "Summer" on their labels. Most are quite good, like Samuel Adams Summer Ale or the Summer Blonde from Lambertville's River Horse Brewing.

But, as the mercury climbs towards the top of the thermometer, there are other beers available that can help beat the heat and compliment food straight off the grill.

There are, of course, the year-round offerings from large breweries that are typically associated with this time of year, including Corona and the beers ending in "Lite" but there are others to be considered as well.

Pale ales, for example, offer a crisp brew with a not-so-overwhelming finish of hops. Or a wheat beer, brewed with yeast, that gives the beer a highly carbonated and cloudy appearance, but can be a perfect thirst quencher.

For those looking for a change, the saison style beer should add to summer's enjoyment. Typically brewed during the cooler months, it's usually released around this time of year.

So, before the summer ends and the brewing world turns its full attention to autumn and Octoberfest, take a look around the display case and give one of these styles a swirl in the glass.

SIERRA NEVADA: Kellerweis

Introduced earlier this year, the Kellerweis is a light and refreshing beer with deep complexity of flavor. The yeast provides hints of fruit flavors and spices, including ripe banana and clove. This hazy-golden beer glows with suspended yeast creating a velvety texture. The brewery says it's perfect for a sunny day, but members of a recent NewJerseyNewsroom.com tasting panel said this beer is perfect for any day and is among the finest new large scale releases from an American craft brewery in quite a while.

That sound you hear? Beer lovers cheering the fact that Sierra Nevada plans to make the Kellerweis available year round.

SAMUEL SMITH: ORGANIC FRUIT BEERS

Long known for making exceptional beers, the small and historical Melbourn Bros. Brewery has introduced three wonderful fruit beers, in cherry, raspberry and strawberry. The complex multiple yeast strains used to ferment these beers lead to a beautiful marriage with pure, rich certified organic fruit.

FULL SAIL BREWING: LTD 03 and Session Black Premium Dark Lager

Summer is made for pilsners. Crisp and served cold, they're the beer most Americans think of during this time of year. Full Sail Brewing in Oregon released a limited edition pilsner, simply named 03, just in time for the warm weather.

Pale golden in color, it features a spicy floral hop aroma, a malty medium body and a smooth thirst-quenching finish. For after hours, Full Sail also offers its Session Black Premium Dark Lager, which is short, dark and totally drinkable. The initial tastes are a subtle pairing of caramel and chocolate malt flavors with precise hopping to provide an elegant citrus background to the delicate finish of dark cocoa.

FLYING FISH: Farmhouse Summer Ale

In the saison tradition, this New Jersey brewery delivers its tribute to the highly drinkable "every day" beers from French-speaking Belgium. The brewery in Cherry Hill is proud of the lightly filtered appearance with an earthy, spicy hop character. Pour it into a glass and enjoy the beautiful rich creamy head from the wheat, just before you sip it down.

With so many choices out there, these are just a few suggestions. The best advice is to experiment. Even if you don't love the beer you choose, at least you had the experience of trying something new. You might also wind up finding a new summer favorite.

John Holl covers beer, spirits and the culture of drinking. He may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it