by John P. Meyer

It's hot in North Texas. But here's the upside: The beer is cold, and there's a lot of it to choose from.

I learned two things for certain over the last week while "researching" this story on the best beers for summer imbibing:

1) There are more varieties of summer-branded beer, both from small craft brewers and big name bottlers, than I could ever hope to sample -- though, of course, hope springs eternal; and

2) You'd better stock up on Leinenkugel Summer Shandy while you still can. (They only brew and bottle it for two or three months each year, and it's "particularly rare" here in North Texas.)

Watch Beers of Summer - Part 1 in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

What's the big deal with Leinie Shandy? Well, both of the Dallas beer experts I consulted on camera (and several other suds purveyors, to boot) recommended it as one of their favorite seasonal brews.

Which kind of took me aback once I actually tried it, because -- I'll be honest -- at first I thought it tasted really weird: almost "PTUI!" weird, in fact.

Which leads me into a statement that could easily be mistaken for a tippler's mantra, but in this case it's true for a reason (mostly) unrelated to inebriation: This stuff really DOES get better tasting the more of it you drink. The first few swallows are off-putting indeed as one struggles to accommodate the mixed flavors of lemonade and ale. Unlike other summer brews that incorporate "hints" or "touches" of citrus, the Leinie Shandy apparently contains a high-percentage slug of lemonade in the mix.

Watch Beers of Summer: part 2 in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

I ended up personally "researching" six beer varieties, one of which -- Shiner Commemorator -- was included strictly as a "control" beer: It being crafted in the German "stark"-style, I knew that it would be heavier than most beers actually designed for summertime drinking. But I had some in my refrigerator already, and so enthusiastically swigged. RESULT: Yep, too heavy, no doubt about it. Given the fact that I typically enjoy a beer at the end of the work day in a lawn chair under a shade tree in my back yard, a stark beer such as this grows cloying as it gets warmer.

I also tried the following, and I'm assigning them purely subjective 1 - 5 solar orb rankings, with 1 being the least amenable to back-yard lawn-chair quaffing and 5 being orgasmically refreshing.

Abiti Satsuma Harvest Wit - 3.0 solar orbs

While this Abita brew quenched, it did so with little character. Lackluster.

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy - 3.5 solar orbs

As mentioned, this Leinie took some getting used to. An interesting change of pace beverage, for sure.

Samuel Adams Summer Ale - 3.8 solar orbs

A refreshing quaff that displays enough of the expected Sam Adams stoutness to remind us that it's a Sam Adams. Grains of paradise, though? Not tasting 'em.

Rahr Brewery Summertime Wheat - 4.0 solar orbs

I liked this Rahr seasonal quite a lot -- even though it took my taste buds in a totally unexpected direction from all the other beers tasted. Not sure if it was the banana or the rye malt -- probably both. Distinctive without being in any way offputting, which is frankly a miraculous achievement.

Shock Top Belgian White - 4.1 solar orbs

I guess this officially makes me a prole, but I'm being honest here, folks: I liked this Anheuser-Busch brew as much as any of the others I tried, even the craft beers. Its pleasant smoothness and flavors of citrus actually did quench my thirst, which many beers claim to do but few actually succeed at.

Now, I'm no biermeister, and I'll be the first to admit it. So I consulted with a couple of local pros for their expert guidance.

Ben Motley is the resident beer guru at the Central Market store on East Lovers Ln. in Dallas. He remembers "falling in love" with British bitter beer (no, not THAT kind!) during a trip to England. After his return to the states, he started homebrewing. His favorite beer styles for summer consumption include lagers, light ales, and hefeweizens.

To the proprietors of Kindred Spirits, a neighborhood beer and wine emporium at Hillside Village (Abrams and Mockingbird), Vhea Cannon is considered to be a beer goddess. Her knowledge of and appreciation for frothy beverages is astonishing, as you will hear as she describes the correct way to drink wheat beer; kinds of glasses suited to various beer varieties; and ways to mix heavier beers so they can be made into delicious summer dessert drinks.