I absolutely love this time of year…because I get to start making a lot of summer brews! I am a fan of the wheat style and am still amazed at the diversity of this particular type of beer. Easy drinking and slightly lower in alcohol content, there is nothing better on a warm summer day (or any day). This style takes fruit flavoring well and varies remarkably from brewery to brewery.
Honestly, this is also definitely a style that most people like….non-beer drinkers, occasional drinkers and women…yes, I said it. Women, in my experience, really like wheat beers. I will end up brewing three out of five times a month, a delicious and refreshing wheat beer.
No matter what your tastes are, the time is coming to think about lighter and crisper beers. Harpoon and Blue Point summer seasonals have not missed in years. Sixpoint makes a very solid summer brew as does Red Hook. I have brewed clones of Pyramid and Allagash but tend to tweak every recipe to make it my own.