Dog Days Beers
Fruit cannot drop
through this thick air
—H.D.
Whether Celsius or Centigrade,
It’s damned hot in these late summer days!
Yet you’ll cool (even smile)
When you drink dog days style.
Here are beers that provide liquid shade.
1
You’ll keep cool with this wintry White Beard,
A translucent white ale to keep near.
Beat the heat (and repeat)
With this lemony wheat
Beer that’s poised between tangy and sweet.
2
When you’re doggedly ready to chill,
Try this pilsner, The Crisp, to fulfill
Your requirement for light-
ly refreshing hop bite
That’s not sweet. Its clean taste fits the bill.
3
Are you seared? Here’s a Golden Wheat brew
To imbibe when you’re hot and bedewed.
With its orangey tang,
This NA gives no hang-
Over after you’ve guzzled a few.
4
Seek a diet beer sparkling with zip?
Ease this citrusy brew past your lips.
With a faint bit of haze,
Thirty Minute IPAs
Beat the heat. Take a quaff; don’t just sip.
Tasting Notes:
White Beard White Ale. Green Man Brewing Co., Asheville NC. 5% ABV
You’ll feel some chill as the white-eyed wizard on the can gives winterized Gandalf vibes, and begin cooling off as you pour out this champagne-colored brew with a big foamy head. White Beard eschews the heavy spicing of holiday Belgians for a lemony crispness with notes of orange peel, yielding a mellow tartness. Refreshingly light mouthfeel.
The Crisp Pilz. Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn NY. 5.4% ABV
Pours a translucent straw color with a foamy white head. This beer aims true as it skates across your tongue, leaving a zippy hop finish. A Dog Day lifesaver, The Crisp steers between the light sweetness of a Kölsch and mellow maltiness of a lager. A pitch-perfect pilsner.
Golden Wheat NA. Runner’s High Brewing Co., Atlanta GA. 0.5% ABV
Why have a light orange soda when you can enjoy this lightly carbonated refresher? Pours a translucent pale gold with a bright white head. You’ll taste the sweet citrus notes first, followed by a tangy finish that stops short of tartness. Very light mouthfeel.
30 Minute Light IPA. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE. 4% ABV
Like a diet barley pop with hops, this just-below-session IPA pours a translucent pale yellow. The lively white head has a faintly hoppy aroma and leaves traces of lace your glass. This beer’s carbonation is lively like a seltzer’s; the taste balances tangy citrus and bright malts with a wee bit of zippy hops.
Serve these beers in frosted mugs for maximum heat relief. The last two also make excellent shower beers.
MARSHA BRYANT writes about literature, culture, and craft beer. Her recent essays appear in The Bloomsbury Handbook to Sylvia Plath, the online journal Humanities, and the textbook Impact of Materials on Society. Marsha teaches at the University of Florida. Her Untappd handle is LimerickLady.
