For me, this past Sunday was the perfect way to ring in the summer months. Although May and June have been unseasonably cool and rainy here on the east coast, Sunday was a good reminder that the best months of summer are still yet to come.

It was sunny and 75 with no noticeable humidity, and a couple friends and I chose to spend the afternoon on a grassy pier that extends out into the Hudson River with a killer view of middle and lower Manhattan.

Within minutes we had made friends with some people hanging out on an adjacent blanket, and before long we had combined groups. We shared some laughs and tossed around the football, and then came the beer. But not just any beer—the beer that is quickly becoming a staple summer beer among my group of friends: Bud Lite Lime.

I consider myself a bit of a beer aficionado… not quite a connoisseur, but a passionate and opinionated indulger in the fine nectar that is beer. I do not always go with the herd, and I had my share of doubts about the new trend towards lime-flavored beer. I’ve never been much a fan of Corona. I think Miller Chill is awful. But god damn do I love Bud Lite Lime.

My classic summer brews of the past have included the following:

-    Sam Adams Summer Ale:  Truly a classic, Sam Summer has a taste that to me is unmistakably summer.

-    Moosehead Lager:  This is undoubtedly due to the fact that I drank it constantly in April and May during college.

-    Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat:  For those of you who have never had this, you’re missing out. Think Blue Moon with even more of a blueberry twist.

-    Magic Hat Circus Boy:  My personal favorite, Circus Boy is by far the best white beer I’ve ever had.

Now, I’m not ashamed to say, Bud Lite Lime has climbed onto this list.

As the afternoon wore on, a couple more friends showed up and a trip for more Bud Lite Lime quickly followed. We spent the rest of the day laughing and drinking and enjoying all the reasons we love the summer months.

When it was time to leave, everyone agreed that we had started a new summer tradition. We’ll all be back next Sunday, Bud Lite Lime in tow.

So for all you beer drinkers out there, what is your favorite summer beer? In your mind, what are the classics? And if it’s not a beer you’re enjoying, what else are you drinking to stay cool during the hot summer months?

This entry was posted on Friday, June 19th, 2009 at 10:21 am and is filed under altered states, beer just makes it better, city life, guilty pleasures. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.