Here is one of my favorite kick-back-and-forget-the-world beers,  Erdinger Pikantus Weizen-Bock. Smooth, dark, rich – this beautiful big brown beer walks softly but wields a hefty pedigree in the very different traditions of Weiss and bock beers.

On the Weiss end, this beer is soft, effervescent and pert on the palate. On the bock end, sweet dark-roasted grains flex their muscles. Together, this is the best of both worlds and an incredible leisurely treat, so treat yourself.

I’m not going to mention a specific beer here. Instead, I want to call attention to the importance of supporting your local brewery, wherever it may be. I can’t think of happier places than my local craft breweries, and I’m sure yours are the same.

And why not? You’re sharing a space with people of likeminded tastes on a holiday weekend and the living is easy.

I met up with a friend at one of my local breweries. It was mid-afternoon and the place was overflowing with shiny, happy people. The tap room was jammed and the crowd spilled out into the parking lot and lawn in front of the brewery – people just digging this particular moment in space and time, and happy to be doing so with delicious craft beer.

My crew arrived after the brewery had run out of three specialties that had been brewed for this weekend, but when smiling brewmaster Danny McMahon saw the tears in my eyes when he told he that I’d missed his first barleywine, man of compassion that he is, he managed to squeeze out a half glass of lovely nectar of the gods. Things like that make you glad to be alive.

Support your local brewery!