It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy. Well, except that the June heat in Tucson can suck the life out of you.
The good thing about June is summer beer. When I think of summer beer the first thing that comes to mind is American Hefeweizens.
Hefes came from Germany and have a banana/clove flavor caused by Bavarian yeast. Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland introduced American Hefe in 1986. It almost flopped. Widmer’s Hefe was (and still is) cloudy and nobody wanted to drink cloudy beer. A local bar owner poured the Hefe into tall glasses with a lemon garnish. It caught on and was Widmer’s biggest seller for years.
Pyramid also makes an American Hefe that is a close second to Widmer’s. Locally, Ten Fifty-five produces an American Hefe called Lazy Duck. These Hefes are smooth and the lemon slice or wedge adds a bit of tartness. Great on a hot afternoon or evening.
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There are other good summer brews in Tucson. Barrio Brewing’s Barrio Blonde is available at the brewery and in cans at area stores. Prickly Pear Wheat is at Borderlands and Stronghold Session at Dragoon.
There also is a new twist to session beers.
Sessions have a lower-than-average alcohol content than most craft beers. You can consume more beer during a “session” and maintain sobriety. A number of large craft brewers are brewing session India Pale Ales (IPA). IPAs usually run from six to seven percent alcohol content, while session IPAs are in the three to four percent range.
Some craft brewers making session IPAs sold in Tucson are Stone, Firestone Walker, Lagunitas, Ballast Point and Sierra Nevada’s Nooner.
Because IPAs are the fastest growing segment of the craft-brew market, it makes sense that session IPAs are being brewed.
As long as we have to suffer through summer, we might as well sit back and enjoy a summer brew.
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In other brewing news, the big guys just released the ingredients of their beers. There is no requirement to do so, but there was pressure from consumers. Anheuser Busch uses water, barley malt, rice, yeast and hops. Miller Coors does the same except they use corn instead of rice.
The Brewers Association, made up of craft brewers, define “craft beer” as using “traditional ingredients.” Adjuncts such as rice and corn are not considered traditional ingredients.
