Courtesy Vue Weekly (because I really like this photo for some reason)

Summer is (almost) here and that means we can unwrap our BBQs from their wintery cloak. And it also means it is time for Vue Weekly’s BBQ issue. All grilling all the time. I was asked to write a piece for the issue (which you can read here). I could have done the classic beer and grilled food pairing. Or talked about beer marinades and the like. But all that felt overdone. So I went a different direction.

I decided to think about the PROCESS of barbequing. Standing in front of the grill, the sun beating down on your (in my case, thinning) head. That is the essence of summer for me. Not even so much the eating of the grilled food as the opportunity to cook it. Nothing like being on your deck and tending your favourite grilled dish (sausage, burgers, chicken, tofu, whatever). There is a particular existential satisfaction to be in front of the BBQ on a sunny day, when all your stresses and worries shrivel from the heat from the grill and the glowing intensity of the sun. A truly wonderful experience.

What beer goes best with that rare moment?

A number of beer could totally work – and I mention a few in the piece, including Charlie Flint, Yukon Gold and Yellowhead. All are solid candidates for that grilling moment. However, my first choice would be Harviestoun’s Bitter and Twisted. I truly enjoy this blonde ale – soft, light and accented by a sharp citrus and hop bite.

But (apparently I am being particularly difficult this week) that is not what I wrote about in this piece (as I reviewed it last year). Instead I extolled the virtues of Moor Somerland Gold. Also a truly deserving, but lesser known, beer. They call it a Golden Ale, but it could fit the Blonde Ale bill (really that is a really thin dividing line). Soft and refreshing, it offers a grainy malt sweetness and a touch of lemon to add a quenching dimension.

I can’t wait to get back to my grill and tip back either of these beer, as they do perfectly accent that particular moment.