And I don’t like crappy beer at any temperature. There is a difference between just crappy beer and what many here in the Midwest call a good “lawnmower beer” – that glass of cold beer that is the perfect refreshment after mowing the lawn in those humid 90+ degree days in August (this year, in MAY).

Mass market American swill is typically made with “adjuncts” like rice and corn. Indeed, the very term “adjuncts” is distorted beyond any of its intended original meaning – “stretchers” to save money on good malted barley or wheat. Many of these beers are ENTIRELY “adjuncts” – no malted grain at all. What’s more, carbonation is not natural but added artificially – because the beer is pasteurized after fermentation, killing the bacteria that produce carbonation naturally, like in a proper beer. And little or no actual hops are used, instead relying on “hop extract” – a chemical concoction tasting like real hops about as much as vanilla flavoring tastes like real vanilla beans.

But it is perfectly possible to produce a light, so-called “drinkable” American-style beer from good ingredients, using good brewing practices. These beers, prior to Prohibition, were the standard American sudsy beverage, similar in style to the classic Central European Pilseners brewed by the immigrant brewmasters who came to the U.S. mostly from what was then called Bohemia – now the modern nations of Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and parts of what are now Poland, Austria and Germany. From this base, recipes from transplanted and hybridized ingredients were adapted to American growing and market conditions.

The result was a new style – an “American” style of beer – and a perfectly valid and respectable one at that. After Prohibition, American palates – ruined by more than a decade of “bathtub” beer – were ready and willing to drink any damned carbonated urine foisted upon them. Breweries – in the pursuit of profits – cut corners mercilessly, and as long as Americans would drink their swill, why not?

Fortunately, American tastes – thanks to the micro-brew “craft” beer movement – have been steadily improving, even on the low end. The end result is that now, even pedestrian beer like Miller brewed today tastes better than it did twenty years ago. Market pressure is forcing even the mass-producers to brew better products using better ingredients.

For myself, in the summer, nothing beats a North German-style wheat beer – served with a twist of lemon or in the Berlin tradition – a shot full of raspberry juice. “Ich hatte gerne ein Berliner Weissbier mit Himbeersaft, bitte!” A variant I found in and around Salzburg, Austria is wheat beer mixed with champagne, served in very large champagne flutes. Sounds awful, right? But I tried it, and found it surprisingly good. Hooda thunk?

I also really, really like English-style India Pale Ale. I totally disagree with one poster who referred to such beers as “hopped to death.” This beer – IPA for short – is typical English top-fermented pale ale (“pale” being a relative term – NOT pale at all compared to most American beer, but VERY pale indeed compared to say, Guinness, which is the color, opacity and consistency of crankcase oil from a ’51 Oldsmobile sitting in a barn under a tarp since Kennedy was president).

Before refrigeration – and before the Suez Canal – kegs of ale shipped from London – The Seat of Empire – to Bombay via the Atlantic route around the Southern Africa Cape of Good Hope – would be spoiled from the long trip by sailing ship – at 12,500 miles, equivalent to half-way around the world. The answer was to not double, or triple, but QUADRUPLE the amount of hops. Hops, besides offering bitterness to counterbalance the sweet malty flavors in beer, serve as a retardant to spoilage. Since top-fermented ales have inherently short shelf lives compared to lagers, this was especially important.

This extra-bitter, herbal “snap” was found to be curiously refreshing by the British colonials serving in hot humid India and what started as a measure of expedience became a taste style of its own, and remains popular today in the era of fast transportation and availability of refrigeration in nearly every part of the world. Analogously, people once smoked meats to keep them from rotting, but in this modern refrigerated age still love their smoked fish, hams and barbecue. So, on a hot day, a pint of IPA – at an icy 40 degrees or at a more traditional English “room temperature” of 60 degrees – is just the ticket!

Quizicat – ha–but remind me not to ask you for any white wine suggestions…

Weston, Yes, Msucadet would be a good way to go.

Btw, I was having a Pacifico, which, I dare say, is quite a bit better than Michelob Ultra!

As to quality beers, yes, there are many that would be appropriate. I love Reissdorf Koelsch (and that from Captain Lawrence is solid domestic alternative), Weihenstephaner is a terrific weissbier that would fit the bill, and a Sixpoint Crisp would have been awesome. But none of these was available and the Pacifico (yes, out of a glass) went down easy.

Dave + Cathy – thanks!

Joe – On the subject of relative value, craft beers are certainly giving many wines a run for their money.

RT @bcurleymbs: @drvino. One of life’s mysteries.

RT @ForzaUnion: @drvino crappy beer can hide behind carbonation and watered down refreshment…bad wine can’t hide behind anything.

RT @Timmyswinecru: @drvino Beer is like sex – it can only be so bad. Wine is like marriage – only the best will do.

RT @invinumveritas: @drvino beer = hydration (and it goes so well with junk food)

RT @swalloda: @drvino because cold beer is generally refreshing — cold wine is white and tends to be white Zinfandel

RT @VintageOrleans: Truth

A.) With a cheap wine I’ll still have varietal typicity and regional character expectations; with a cheap lager or pilsner I don’t think to critique style or sense of place as long as it tastes good. It’s also less daunting to open a 12oz beer than it is to open a 750ml of wine – no matter the price.

B.)Getting to that next point, let’s say I buy a 12 pack of red stripe for $13 or $14 – 1.16/ 12oz bottle round about. The absolute cheapest wine I would buy would be about 4 to 5 a bottle. two 12oz beers is still only be half of that cost.

A beer one doesn’t have to think too much about, that tastes the same as the other 11 beers (or 23 or 29, whatever) gains its charm in being uncomplicated and refreshing.

On a side note, a colleague told me about a Napa winemaker who prefers to drink Vinho Verde or Michelob Ultra after working in the field on a hot day. Vinho Verde’s appeal seems obvious, it’s a near perfect drink after a long day of manual labor in the sun. Michelob Ultra on the other hand, makes me question the winemaker’s palate. Michelob Ultra is practically flavorless and amounts to an alcohol delivery system via carbonated water. It has no good characteristics in terms of taste or aroma.