July is American Beer Month, so I want to look at some of the best American beers available in this part of the country. Some of the most wonderful beers I've tasted are brewed by small breweries in other regions, and we simply can't buy them here.

        With dozens of recognized styles, I can't cover them all, so I've made up a few major categories. We'll just let the beer snobs grumble about it.

        First on my list has to be what I'll call golden lagers — not necessarily because it's my favorite kind of beer, but because most of the world's beer falls in this group — pilsners and their kin.

        You won't find many small breweries offering these lagers, simply because they're difficult to do well. I give very high marks to Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, Pete's Signature Pilsner and BarrelHouse Flying Pig Pilsner. They all have a fine malty base, a crisp hop signature and good body.

        Another category is an English classic that Americans almost reinvented — pale and amber ales. The American twist on this highly drinkable beer style is to push the hops beyond most imported examples.

        Everyone knows Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and it's still an excellent beer, but some of the smaller competitors are doing the style better. Tops in my book is Red Seal Ale from North Coast Brewing. This is a blast of fantastic hop flavor. A good ale like this has a somewhat fruity aroma, medium body and pronounced hop flavor. Burning River Pale Ale from Great Lakes and Cumberland Pale Ale from BarrelHouse also score highly in this group.

        Among India Pale Ales (IPAs), East India Pale Ale from Brooklyn Brewing is my favorite interpretation of this hoppy variation on the style, with Three Floyds Alpha King up there, too. Anchor's Liberty Ale has been around a long time, and it's still an excellent example.

        Many are familiar with dark lager beers, but for some reason they tend to be seasonal favorites, not year-round standards. Bock beers are a springtime standby, with their rich, malty sweetness. Some of the best are found in downtown Cincinnati during and after Bockfest weekend (usually in March). Among bocks, my all-time favorites are German imports, but Samuel Adams Double Bock is close to the original.

        Dark lagers come back every fall, when Oktoberfest tops off the harvest season with its namesake beer — a dark, clean, well balanced lager with the nutty overtones of toasted malt. Once again, the finest Oktoberfest beers are imported, but American icon Samuel Adams comes through with a first-class brew. I've always enjoyed the BarrelHouse version on draft, although it usually sells out within a couple of weeks.

        I'll have to skip a number of popular styles in the interest of space, but let's finish with the dark ales. Generally, I'd include stouts, porters, barleywines and strong ales here. I tend to think of them as winter beers.

        We brew some wonderful dark ales in this country, but I want to spotlight what I consider the finest example of the category. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale is a barleywine-style beer, so beautifully done that I don't know a serious beer drinker who isn't in love with it. Bigfoot is such a massively “big” beer that it displays to perfection about every aspect of the brewer's art: rich, malty sweetness; perfect balance; deep, satisfying hop flavor; complex, fruity aromas and marvelous color.

        To me, Bigfoot epitomizes the strength of American brewing, and it's a beer we proudly can claim was invented here.
        E-mail Ed Westemeier at hopfen@malz.com.

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