Summer is winding down now and with Labor Day weekend set to kick off, what better time to crack a beer and think back to the beers we drank over the past few months. While finding some of our favorite summer beers may be difficult as a slew of fall seasonals are taking over shelf space, I thought sharing my favorite summer beer story from the last few months would be the best way to go. Thanks to Better Beer Blog for hosting this month’s Session: Summer Beers.
For those not familiar with the Santa Rosa area, summer here is pretty hot. While we’re not the hottest place in the Bay Area, we are generally in the discussion.
It was on one of these rather hot days that I set out for the Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol on my bike. Hopmonk is conveniently located only a few feet from the end of the Joe Rodota Trail that connects downtown Santa Rosa and Sebastopol and proves to be a perfect rest stop for a long bike ride. Even better, they have an excellent grilled cheese sandwich that make for a nice snack for dad and Kaleigh who would be my copilot from her trailer behind the bike.
Setting out on the ride, the air was warm but still had a bit of the morning chill present. Unfortunately, that chill was gone about 10 minutes into the ride and turned into pure heat long before I arrived in Sebastopol. Being a trooper, I finished the first half of my ride and rushed into the Tavern for a little relief from the summer sun.
With Kaleigh set up with ice water and crayons it was time to rehydrate my body. Immediately my thoughts turned to the Hopmonk Kellerbier. This is an extremely sessionable unfiltered Pilsner brewed by Gordon Biersch specifically for the Hopmonk. Not only is the price right for the house pils, but its served in a generous 22 ounce glass, perfect for thirsty athletes such as myself.
The first gulp was lost immediately to the heat while the second dealt with the fatigue. It was then that the crisp hop finish told me that this beer was exactly what I needed and encouraged me to continue. While light as a pilsner should be, the unfiltered aspect of this beer provided a body that convinced my palate that this was more than beverage but also nourishment.
And continue I did, each mouthful cooling my core and relaxing my tired muscles. It came as quite a surprise when I had to tip the glass back a little further than before and found nothing left to greet my thirst. With no lunch on the table and a content toddler across the table from me, I knew what I had to do; order another. Only this time I was going to take my time and make sure I wouldn’t be met with the same disappointment as before when I reached the bottom of the glass.
This story doesn’t really tell you much about the beer. In fact, I couldn’t tell you a lot about the beer because all of the notes that could have been scribbled on a pad of paper would have been secondary to the moment I found the right beer for the right moment. In addition, these two beers sent me on a hunt for the remainder of the summer, like a junkie chasing that first high, I was looking for that refreshing pilsner experience. I even went back and had another Kellerbier and took the picture shown above, but I couldn’t reproduce that same sensation.
I hope you all had a great summer and had as good an experience with your beer as I did that afternoon. Whatever the season, a good beer can always make the day that much better. In fact, the ride back to Santa Rosa that summer afternoon seemed a little cooler than the ride out, if even a little longer.
Sidenote: Friday is usually my link day. I figure with The Session you have plenty to keep you busy, but how about a link to something Pete at Better Beer Blog turned me on to: a map! I love informative maps. Have a good weekend.
