The Summer Brew Tour, Act One...

Last summer at my friend's wedding I bumped into Samuel Adams' Summer Ale. Aside from the 21 year old single malt scotch later that evening it was all I drank. Yeah, it's that good. So this year, with the advent of The Tuna Melt, I decided I was gonna go on a "Summer Brew Tour". Now I know it ain't summer yet, but the early bird gets the worm, right? Right. So I started my tour off with Sam Adams' summer ale which, as I already explained is an excellent wheat ale brewed with lemon and a mysterious old school brewing spice called grains of paradise. I dunno what the hell those grains are, but I will not refute their claim of heritage. I can't keep enough of this stuff around and come September, I'll be sad to see it go.


The next summer brew I tried was Magic Hat Brewing Co.'s Hocus Pocus. Magic Hat is a Vermont based brewer who specializes in unique and clever flavor blends and the Hocus Pocus is no exception. It's a very light ale that doesn't rough up the palate and goes down easy. Not on the same level as Sam's summer ale, but there's definitely room for a lil Vermont Magic on my summer tour. Currently I rank it a strong third on my lil list. Give this brew a shot if ya see it in your freezer or supermarket.


The final brew in Act One of The Tuna Melt Summer Brew Tour is Brooklyn Brewery's Summer Ale. I have to admit, I was kinda disappointed in this summer offering from this great NYC brewer. The flavor just didn't do it for me. Admittedly, it's MUCH better when it's ice cold, but brews tend to warm as you drink them unless you're a guzzling fool, then it's easy to love. I prefer a brew that maintains its taste and flavor as it warms. Brooklyn Brewery's summer ale just doesn't do that.

That's it for Act One. Act Two is just around the corner, so stay tuned and keep 'em cold!