Just as we’re all reaching the edge of sanity with the self quarantines and limited social access, the good news has come and businesses are finally able to reopen, even if it is little by little. I understand that many of the restaurants have stayed open during the past couple of months for take-out or delivery, but it’s just not the same. The thought of being able to actually sit down and eat and drink somewhere other than your own home or in your car is, at this point, exhilarating. Oh, and other people with whom you don’t live are also going to be there? What a time to be alive! I can’t vouch for other restaurants, but the plan for your local Mellow Mushroom is to reopen its doors at the start of the month. That means that if you’re reading this, you could probably cancel whatever other plans you had made and head over there for some pizza and beer and they’d actually let you sit down inside and eat there! In case you haven’t heard, restaurants won’t be reopening fully immediately. Starting out at around a third total capacity, only a certain number of guests will be allowed inside at a time, so if you’re making plans to go out to eat within the first couple of weeks of reopening, you may consider calling ahead to get an idea of how close that particular restaurant is to capacity.
Even though we’ve missed out on a lot of the prime patio-sitting season, there’s still time to get out there before the weather gets too hot. Many of our favorite warm weather beer styles are very much available and Mellow Mushroom has got the hookup. On one end, you’ve got your wheat beers such as Bell’s Oberon, which is a staple for many beer drinkers looking for something light and mildly fruity in the same vein as a Blue Moon. If you’re looking for light and refreshing, but aren’t in the mood for wheaty or pale, ciders are abundant in the summer. Both tart and fruity, ciders are an excellent choice for the outdoor drinker. If you shun apple ciders or just want to explore the cider milieu with different flavors, the options are limitless. If a fruit exists, there’s a good chance someone has made it into a cider. You like pineapples? Ace makes a fantastic pineapple cider because of its crisp flavor with just the right amount of pineapple. Are peaches more your wheelhouse? Ciderboys Peach County is super popular for its juicy fruitiness that takes you right to your grandma’s backyard in the spring of 1992 picking fresh peaches. Your grandma didn’t have peaches? You get the idea, though. If you enjoy fruity flavors but are hoping for a bit more kick or some pucker in your sips, try a sour. Many sours are centered around fruity elements such as the MadTree Shade, which is a Gose-style sour with blackberries and sea salt. At only 4.6 percent ABV, Shade is superbly drinkable and is mild enough for those of you considering getting into sour beers.
There are, of course, also many IPAs available this time of year like El Segundo Steve Austin’s Broken Skull. Yes, that Steve Austin. This beer, with its pine and citrus notes, is an old school West Coast IPA through and through. Another IPA worth mentioning is the Lagunitas Hazy Memory, which is tropical and a little earthy. The fact that the 8 percent ABV is covered up pretty well by the mild bitterness and the array of flavors makes this beer very easy to sip on. If I’m being honest, Lagunitas is one of those breweries that has gone in a specific direction because they know a certain style really well, and for these guys, Pale Ales are their jam. If you’re a fan of IPAs or any kind of Pale Ale, and you haven’t tried one of the beers off of their huge list, I’d give it a shot. Obviously some are more basic than others, but they need to have options for many kinds of beer drinkers, and if you like the style, they do have something for you.
-by Josh Helton
