As the summer creeps in -or brutally shoves it’s burning face up your butt- staying cool and refreshed is the most important thing to remember as heat exhaustion and dehydration turn imminent. So it’s very important to make sure you are drinking the right beer. There is a time and place for everything and right now Murphy’s is not going to keep you vertical.

Yesterday was a first for me as I finally found Real Ale’s Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale bottled in retail. Not to say it’s hard to find after a booming popularity over the last couple years, but such demand from Texas beer-lovers has brought the perfect summer beer from select draft bars to the house. In no way do I pretend to know everything that goes into the brewing process – I just know what tastes good and what doesn’t weigh me down in 100 degrees. I do know that it has just right amount of hops to bite the back of your palate without putting you to sleep or coming back up. Plus, it’s easy to down a six-er and keep your cool. I’m sure that’s not the only pack size, but that’s what I found at HEB. Go get it and cool off by your kids spraying you with the hose. The brewer’s description: “This refreshing blonde ale strikes a perfect balance between the smoothness of the malt, the subtle fruitiness of our house ale yeast, and zesty citrus notes from Crystal hops. Firemans #4 is a great way to beat the heat – enjoy it on a Texas summer day, or pair it with spicy foods to help put out the fire.”

Real Ale (Blanco, TX) also has other fantastic brews for the summer:

  • Rio Blanco Pale Ale – “Deep golden and malty, with a spicy hop flavor and well balanced hop bitterness, Rio Blanco is a uniquely Texan interpretation of an English-style pale ale. Czech Saaz hops provide a crisp finish and delicate aroma.”
  • Lost Gold IPA – “Massive additions of Cascade, Columbus, Amarillo, and Summit hops make Lost Gold IPA a hop lover’s dream. Vienna malt and pale English crystal malt give Lost Gold its rich golden-orange color.”
  • Roggenbier – “Roggenbier (German for “rye beer”) is a style not commonly found in the U.S. Real Ale Roggenbier is golden in color and similar in flavor to a hefeweizen. Traditional German hefeweizen yeast produces notes of banana, clove, and bubblegum. Forty percent malted rye imparts a hint of bitterness and a crisp, dry finish.”

Some other personal faves (again, I am by no means a connoisseur – I just like them):

  • Shiner Kolsch - “Kölsch Bier is mashed for an extended period of time, then fermented relatively warm and aged cold. The warm, extended fermentation generates a beer with fruity notes and a crisp, clean finish—ideal for hot summer days.”
  • Pacifico - “The perfect summer beer, great with fish tacos - add lime for a refreshing touch, and you have to drink this one straight from the botella”
  • Pyramid Hefeweizen - “Brewed by the original Wheat Beer Pioneers, Pyramid Hefe Weizen is left unfiltered for extra flavor and aroma. Handcrafted with 60% malted wheat (10% more than Bavarian tradition calls for), our award-winning Hefe Weizen is unsurpassed in quality and exceptionally smooth and refreshing for the whole beer experience.”

- Squash
squash@bolognaandsquash.com