Drink Mon Jun 18 2007

Searching for a Summer Ale

I had a beer on a recent trip to Portland that caused me to ponder it the entire time I was drinking it. Upon returning to Chicago, I went by Sam's Wines and Spirits to see if I could find it. Unfortunately, the name escaped me and all I could remember was that it was called Summer Solstice and it was brewed by a company in Mendocino, California. I wan't expecting to be able to find it, especially without much information or recollection of what the bottle looked like.

The guys stocking the beer shelves came to my rescue. I described what I could remember, and one of them said, "Yeah, I think I was just looking at that beer this morning. Let me see if I can find it in the back." A few minutes later, he came out with three cases of the very beer I was searching for, all unopened and not yet shelved.

Although my beer didn't taste as I had remembered it, sweet and creamy, like straight vanilla and caramel, I can't help but appreciate that I have it in my fridge, thanks to those really helpful guys.

By the way, the beer is called Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema and is brewed by Anderson Valley Brewing Company. And you can get it at Sam's Wines and Sprits.

— Meghan Murphy Gill / Comments (2)