Welcome back, friends. A rather redundant reminder to the soaring heat and humidity, but Summer is here and with it comes adjustment. No, not like a baseball player’s adjustment. That not-so-subtle move that leaves them athletically on par with Michael Jackson (hee hee). I mean lifestyle adjustment. Simple rules of adaptation for better survival in the changing season. Lighter clothing. Umbrellas. Indoor activities. More water. Extra undies for that unavoidable nether canyon sweat. Even a shift in our “adult beverages” helps stave off the stifling sizzle of Summer. Let’s face it, a paltry few moments in the soul-sucking humidity doesn’t leave one parched for a stout or a porter. Nay, dear drinkers, we seek beery refuge behind lighter brews, or even ones that bring a certain fruity refreshment to the trunk funk of fevered Summer fury.

To fruit or not to fruit? That is the question. Like all good arguments folks fall on both sides. Now, most would not go around all willy-nilly adding fruit to just any beer. The additional citrus is usually added to those Mexican or Central American Brews, and Belgian style wheat beers. Both great choices in warmer climates. Some would argue the flavor injection an enhancement to the naturally occurring citrus flavor or a compliment to the clean, light-bodied Mexican varieties. Others would attest that the fruit overwhelms the pre-existing fruit flavors and throws the beverage out of balance, or is simply a mask to cover an ill-tasting beverage palatable at all. One undeniable fact of beer fruiting is that the acid in the citrus will instantly kill the head on you beer. Not good.

An interesting question posed by John Berry of cureforwhatalesyou.com is “Would you add grapes to a fine wine?” The answer is pretty obvious. Perhaps the problem is that a perception persists that beer is an inferior beverage to others. That is myth, readers. Like UFOs or evolution. A great many beers are painstakingly crafted by masters of their craft. Remember, you can get cheap, crappy wine too.

For those trusting of the brewer’s expertise to lend their beer a fruity flavoring, there are purposefully fruited beers called Lambics or Fruit Beers. According to BeerAdvocate.com these are “In the case of Fruit Lambics, whole fruits are traditionally added after spontaneous fermentation has started. Kriek (cherries), Frambroise (raspberries), Pêche (peach) and Cassis (black currant) are common fruits, all producing subtle to intense fruit characters respectively. Once the fruit is added, the beer is subjected to additional maturation before bottling. Malt and hop characters are generally low to allow the fruit to consume the palate. Alcohol content tends to be low. Some breweries opt to use fruit / sugar syrups vs. whole fruits, producing very untraditional sweet versions of the style.” More and more of these beers are coming on to the scene, and many are worth an opportunity of whetting your whistle.