Grizzly Growler

As far as popular craft beer goes, Big Sky Brewing Company’s Summer Honey doesn’t just indicate a change of seasons, it actually introduces a whole way of life. My wife, for one, will be intensely happy to see this beer in growlers in our refrigerator again. Yes, spring is on the way, and this light, dry beer is a favorite of ours for its versatility with food, its structure and its easy drinking enjoyability.

For you craft beer loving men out there, don’t let the name fool you. Yes, this beer might be marketed to women, but it’s not a chick beer by any means. And by chick beer, I don’t mean to offend anyone, but lightly fruit-flavored wheats are typically not consumed by a lot of guys.

Summer Honey is lightly spiced, but not so that you taste a lot of spice. It’s vaguely Belgian in its characteristics, which allows for a lot of food interplay, but it’s a dry beer, and at 4.7 percent alcohol by volume, it’s easy to drink a couple without feeling too full.

If you wanted to compare this to a wine, a big, oaked California chardonnay comes to mind in its complexity and dryness. And when it comes to food, well, much like the wine, this beer was made for food.

I’ve had Summer Honey with robust spring salads, spicy central-Asian noodle dishes, grilled chicken and vegetables and many other dishes, and I haven’t found a bad pairing yet.

The fact that this beer is out so early this year is really nice, but it makes me wonder if we’ll be sipping our Summer Honey inside our air-conditioned homes in mid-August due to the potential for forest fires this year.

Prost,

GG

Big Sky Brewing Company's Summer Honey