College of Idiots: Summer, Summer, Summertime!

Since I'm done posting about the Cubs (They won last night in overtime? Really?) I thought I would entertain you today by telling you a little about my weekend. Tonight, Lazy and I (with gf's in tow) will be heading up north to the beautiful city of Flagstaff, Arizona. What's in Flagstaff? Well besides almost perfect weather (a 25 degrees cooler than the Valley, which today will hit 110 degrees) there is a little Festival going on. And that festival my friend is a beer festival, the Made in the Shade Beer Festival to be exact. Over 50 breweries will be showcasing their best, tastiest and often rare selections for tasty drinkers who love to get their drink on at over 7,000 feet above sea level. The greatest part of Made in the Shade is that the beerfest is at the fairgrounds, which also has a campground within walking distance. So camping tonight, beerfest tomorrow followed by more camping and then a hungover drive back to Phoenix on Sunday.

But enough about my life, let's get to the real task at hand: beer. Today I would like to showcase a couple beers that are my favorite summer beers. And away we go:

Bell's Oberon
This refreshing American Wheat Ale with a slight fruity tang doesn't overpower the citrus like some other beers (cough, Blue Moon, cough). A perfect session beer at 5.8%, a couple of these will have you chillaxing. Until recently Bell's did not distribute in Arizona, which sucked because Oberon was always one of my favorite's. Now if we can only get Goose Island and New Glarus to follow suit, we'll be in business. Speaking of which...

New Glarus Totally Naked
Since New Glarus stopped distributing outside of Wisconsin, I think it is one of the most sought after breweries in the Midwest. Most people will go for the Spotted Cow, which is also my favorite, but the Totally Naked is brewed just as the name says: nothing but the purest of ingredients with Noble hops from Germany and the Czech Republic and two-row barley malt. When the heat (and humidity in the midwest) rises, nothing is more refreshing than a crisp, clean beer like Totally Naked to quench your thirst.

Sierra Nevada Summerfest
To be honest, I don't particularly enjoy summer seasonal beers. I'm a hop man myself, big into IPA's. Summer beers usually include wheat ales which is at the bottom of my list as beer selections go. With a more hoppy flavor than most summer seasonal beers, it's still refreshing on a summer day but has the "bite" that I enjoy in the ales that I usually drink. Sierra Nevada rarely puts out a bad beer, and this selection attests to their drive to brewing excellent beer year round.

Kona Brewing Company Longboard Island Ale

Again, I don't particularly enjoy fruity and spicy beers when I'm trying to cool down in the hot AZ sun. Rather, I enjoy a crisp, clean beer that will refresh my palate without leaving a bunch of flavors in my mouth. Does this go against what a craft beer should be? Maybe, but I'm not talking about watered down Miller Lite here, I'm talking about a simple beer made right. Longboard is smooth but you can still taste the malt and hops that other mass produced beers lack.

Miller Chill
FINALLY! they took the unique taste of light beer and lime and made it with only 100 calories. Perfect for keeping my girlish figure all while staying refreshed and not feeling like I have a stomach full of bricks after drinking a sixer. This is by far my go-to beer whether at the beach with the ladies or playing football with the guys. It's like a... I can't keep this charade up. If you enjoy this beer, please refrain from ever reading this blog again. Thanks.

Well, there are a couple of my favorite's for the summer. What are you guys poring?

Go USA!