Seasonal sips to suit summer socialising
by FRITZ KUKUCK and MARIA GRAU - Nelson
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Fritz and Maria's Beer Column
What do you think of when you hear the words "summer" and "beer"? We think of barbecues, socialising, holiday travel, and relaxing after a busy day in the sun.
As the weather fines up we get more active and tend to look towards lighter styles of beer that don't slow us down.
One friend immediately thought of the summer seasonals, like Monteith's Summer Ale and Mac's Sundance. Both of these beers have added ingredients (honey and lemongrass respectively) to create an enticing "festive" vibe, that our friend suggested might be a bit "feminine" but were good on a Saturday afternoon.
Of course, the more traditional flavours of lager beer are synonymous with summertime.
Lagers are a refreshing drink in warm weather, designed to be served colder, and typically lighter in colour, body and flavour.
When it comes to lagers, we prefer the hoppier pilsner style.
One of our favourite beer memories came from a holiday in Canada.
We were sitting on the patio of the Granville Island Hotel on a warm afternoon, looking across the water at the Vancouver central business district, savouring a locally brewed pilsner that matched the fantastic view.
For a Nelson summer equivalent, we would have a bottle of Tuatara Pilsner and a picnic at any of a number of scenic locations.
Of course, there is no reason you have to have a lager.
Wheat beers are lager-like ales with a refreshing spiciness that make them a popular choice in Germany and America. Mac's Great White is an example.
Locally, the American Wheat continues to be a best seller at Golden Bear Brewing in Mapua.
When we asked Kieron Lattimer of the Moutere Inn about his summer beer memories, he recalled "sitting in a beer garden of a pub in York alongside the River Ouse at the height of summertime, drinking one of the many fantastic beers that were available to me".
Those beers would likely have been ales and indeed another light, yet full-flavoured option would be a low-alcohol ale, such as Emerson's Bookbinder or Townshend Breweries Cathcart NTA.
Both are around 4 per cent alc/vol English style ales, with Bookbinder providing a classic sweeter malty profile, and Cathcart NTA giving a more bitter, hoppy bite.
With the summer holidays approaching, it' s the perfect time to fill a rigger with any of these styles and get out and enjoy the season and the beer.
Attention home brewers: We are guessing many of you are preparing for summer beer season by brewing up a special batch. If you feel you have got the latest one just right, it could be an award winner. It's not too late to enter your beer into the wine and beer Section of the Nelson A&P Show. Word has it beer entries have been dropping off, so if you get your two bottles to the showgrounds by 7pm this Friday, you have a good chance of having the novice cup displayed with your beer in the Waimea Lounge. Visit: nelsonaandpassociation.org.nz.
- Fritz Kuckuck and Maria Grau – experienced small-scale brewers and beer judges – write about beer from a Nelson perspective fortnightly in Fresh. They can be contacted via beer.updates+nelson@gmail.com.
