Beer Foamy

The initials stand for India Pale Ale, and my loose understanding of the name’s history goes back to the time when India was a British colony, and the English soldiers stationed there suffered through many imports of stale or just plain bad beer before an English exporter figured out how to increase the hops and alcohol content of his brew in order for it to survive the long sea voyage. IPA was born, happily welcomed, and is now a product of microbreweries everywhere. Amaze your guy by ordering an IPA and recounting the tale of its development!

Pilsner—I categorize pilsners and lagers almost identically: usually a light-colored beer with a smooth, easy taste. Pilsners are the most popular and widely sold beers, at least for general consumption. Consider Coors, Miller, Budweiser, Corona, etc.—all your basic lagers. A true beer aficionado would be able to tell you more about the distinction, but that isn’t important for my purposes. These are all great summer beers. Sitting on the beach staring at the water, exhausted from a day in the surf, pop open one of these and it’s instantly refreshing. Actually, I order lagers all year round for that moment of refreshment. Because of their relatively light taste, I think they go really well with meals, too. I wouldn’t order a Guinness to sip over dinner (unless it were shepherd’s pie, perhaps), but I’ll take a Coors Light with a burger any day of the week.

My favorite beer, though, is a hefeweisen. This is a wheat beer (weisen is German for “wheat”), sometimes called a “white” beer, often served with a slice of lemon or orange. Think of it! You get all the taste benefits of a fruity beverage and can still order something without embarrassment that you’re not ashamed to drink in public! I find hefeweisens smooth and tasty—without either the “I’m drinking flavored water” feel some of the lighter lagers have, or the heaviness of a stout or ale.

Obviously, this is by no means a comprehensive list, but I like to think it can provide a beginning. Next time you find yourself bellying up to the bar, don’t go for the tried-and-true. Explore! Be different! Surprise yourself and try something new. If you hate it, at least it’s just a beer, not a $300 bottle of wine. Drinking beers is frugal, too!