Victory Summer Love Ale - Available in 6 packs $10.99

Pilsner malt and whole flower German and American hops come together in what has immediately become my favorite summer beer. Light bodied and crisp with a pleasing bitterness that won’t offend; this beer finishes with bright citrus character that will have you wanting to mow the lawn again and again. On top of that, this beer works for ballgames and other events due to its sessionable alcohol content (5.2% by volume.)

Close your eyes and think of all the things that you love about a wheat or summer beer. Summer Love has the brightness and fresh taste without the wheat. For fans of Sam Adams Noble Pils, Bell’s Oberon and summer beers in general, this is a must try.

Monk’s Café - Available in 4 packs, $15.99 and singles $3.99

Monk’s Café is different from anything you’ve tried and will alter your perception of beer forevermore. It will do this by smelling funky and tasting like tart cherries with sour notes akin to vinegar and balanced by a pleasing sweetness that comes together in what will have your palate begging for more.

This is a sour beer. Hang on. Don’t run away screaming. This is a basic introductory sour, nothing that will curl your toes beyond repair. Monk’s is a blend of new and old beer aged in oak barrels. Brewed by Van Steenberge in Belgium, this beer is made special for, surprise, Monk’s Café, in Philadelphia. Still with me? The sour part comes from a wild strain of yeast called lactobacillus. During fermentation the lacto eats the sugar in the beer producing alcohol and carbonation. Another byproduct is the wild fruity flavors which our tongues pick up as sour.

In other beers the aromatics are described as barnyard and horse blanket. Those are for the advanced placement consumers. A bottle of this beer on a hot day isn’t vastly different from fresh lemonade. It is however leaps and bounds from your typical domestic lager. Try one bottle of this stuff and you will be too.

Steven’s Point 2012 Black Ale - Available in 6 and 12 pack cans, $7.99 and $15.99

Go ahead. Drink your pale ales and pilsners and all things light beer. Skip dark beers because you think they are thick and un-refreshing. No one drinks dark beer in July. With the exception of me and tons of other cool people you mean.

Toss out your fearful idea that dark equals heavy. This dark beer is soft and silky on your palate. It tastes like chocolate with subtle hints of coffee and roasted grain. 2012 Black ale is a sexy black dress in a can, not a pair of steel-toed combat boots. No longer will you be un-cool and afraid of the dark… beer that is.

Sit around the bonfire contemplating, binging on s’mores and pontificating the Aztec calendar predicting the World’s end in 2012. You won’t care if the world ends in May or October or even next year.