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| Photo: Jenene Chesbrough |
Joshua M. Bernstein, Gourmet.com's beer columnist, has written about brews, bars and booze for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, ForbesTraveler.com and The New York Times.
Classically, wheat beers are as cloudy as a late-March afternoon, with a tart, yeasty edge that lends itself well to a squeeze of lemon. These easy drinkers are ideal for sipping by the pool or beneath a leafy canopy, as summertime sweat trickles down your cheek.
Unsurprisingly, Munster, Indiana's Three Floyds Brewing didn't get the message. Since 1996, these rule-breaking brewers have attracted a ferocious following with gonzo beers like the mango-y Dreadnaught IPA and the culty Dark Lord, a monstrous Russian imperial stout brewed with honey, molasses and coffee. (It's only sold once a year at the brewery, bringing out crowds before dawn).
Naturally, Three Floyds dared not design a wimpy wheat. Summer seasonal Gumballhead is crafted with gobs of red wheat, then infused with oodles of Amarillo hops, creating an intoxicating nose that recalls strolling through a grove of grapefruit and lemon trees. And though the scent is more in line with a mouth-puckering IPA, Gumballhead hardly drinks like a hop monster.
At just 4.8 percent, the summer-friendly ABV is no threat to your ability to operate heavy machinery. Gumballhead pours straw-red with a puffy crown (careful -- the brew's bottle-conditioned, so there's sediment), which you should let settle before taking your first smooth, creamy sip. The fragrant hops (pineapple, citrus) balance the lightly sweet malt like a teeter-totter, creating a refresher that's fab for summer's waning days. This is one Gum that'll never lose its flavor.
What wheat beers do you adore? Spill it in the comments.
