Bitter Brewer is not your typical summer seasonal. Where many summer ales ease off the hops and bring in some wheat for extra lushness, this beer from Surly Brewing Co. embraces cracker-dry malts and adds a good smack of bitterness. What results is a one-of-a-kind session ale for summer that takes you from lawnmower to porch swing without missing a beat.

Crisp and a touch lemony, fizzy with bubbles and chilled to ice-cold: this is the kind of beer that hits the spot after a day spent romping in the garden or lounging on the porch. When the summer's seasonal beers start showing up in stores, that's when I know that summer has really started. Here are five to look out for as we head into the long days of sun and heat — what's your favorite?

Most craft beers are made with a blend of hops — each one carefully chosen to add its particular flavor and aroma to the brew. But not this time. No, sir. As one of Danish brewer Mikkeller's Single Hop Series, this IPA was brewed start to finish using only amarillo hops. Don't know what those taste like? You will now.

When I first started brewing beer at home, I was a 5-gallon girl — much like most new homebrewers. It's just what you do. But there were drawbacks almost immediately. Brewing this much beer at once meant clearing out a precious coat closet for storing carboys and bottles, always having a buddy on hand to help lift the heavy (and hot!) pot on and off the stove, and drinking my way through a lot of beer — which may not seem like a bad thing at first, but can get tiresome if your beer proves less than stellar. Trust me. 

And then I discovered 1-gallon batches. Like a lightning strike to my brew pot, my life as a homebrewer was transformed overnight, and I ultimately developed all the recipes in my new book True Brews to be 1 gallon or less. Here's why I may never brew another 5-gallon batch of beer again.

Whether I'm at a trendy restaurant or bringing beer to a backyard party, there is one beer that never lets me down — or rather, one beer style. And that would be the Belgians.

I have been insanely curious to try this gluten-free pale ale from Omission Beer ever since I first heard about it. Gluten-free beers are notoriously mediocre, but this one has been making waves of the omgwow! sort in the beer community. Until very recently, Omission's beers were only available in Oregon and a few select bars outside the state, so when I saw a bottle at my favorite local brew shop, I snatched it up and headed straight home.

Get ready for a sneak attack. This one looks all warm and malty, but with a name like Evil Twin and from a West Coast brewery like Heretic, you know you're going to be in for a tour of Hop Town. My suggestion: just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Don't be scared off by the word "bitter" here. This ESB is a seductive, honey-sweet brew with just enough of a bitter edge to keep things interesting. It's a classic British ale and for a good reason: it's just that good. 

Sunshine. That's all I want right now. Bright golden sunshine — enough to justify a pair of flip flops. And if it comes in liquid form, like this seasonal brew from Sam Adams, I'll totally take it. 

The newest trend in beers is not so much old-school as truly, seriously ancient. That's Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione in the photo above. And the guy next to him? A biomolecular archaeologist who is helping Sam recreate a Danish beer based on analysis of residue from a 3500-year-old birch bark drinking vessel. How crazy is that?! I want some.