Switch over to lighter pilsners, wheat beers for summer heat

Summer is the perfect time to change out your normal beer for something light, crisp and uber-refreshing. When it’s hot I prefer beers lower in alcohol (less than 6 percent) and not super heavy.

That means goodbye to overpowering, bitter IPAs and hello to slightly tart wheat beers and super-clean pilsners.

Here are a few beers you can enjoy through the hottest summer months:

Brouwerij De Brabandere Bavik Super Pils: Pilsner is the most popular beer style in the world and people drink a lot of it in Hawaii. This summer, change up your everyday pilsner for something with a touch more flavor.

This Belgian-brewed, German-style pilsner is new to the islands, just in time for our hottest weather.

If you enjoy Stella, give Bavik a try. The slightly sweet malt is balanced with a solid hop presence that provides a crisp finish, but not overpowering bitterness.

This beer is a touch thin and very light, which keeps it super drinkable, full of flavor but still simple and unassuming. Chilled, it could become your year-round everyday beer.

Coronado Brewing Co., Berry the Hatchet: At first glance this beer may seem like a gimmick and turn off the average IPA, or India Pale Ale, drinker. It’s pinkish in color and loaded with fresh berry flavors, but you should embrace it because it is really refreshing.

At only 4.6 percent alcohol by volume, Berry the Hatchet is really light and has just a touch of wheat tartness that provides a nice contrast to the berry flavors.

The berries (red raspberry, blackberry and boysenberry) lend a beautiful pink hue, but also hit you with their aroma and flavor. Unlike many fruit-infused beers, the berries are not artificial-tasting. The beer actually tastes like a bowl of berries, not overpowering or sweet at all.

The light wheat base balances well with the tart and vibrant berries to keep this beer clean and easy-drinking. You’ll enjoy this one in the sun all summer long, trust me.

Deschutes Brewing Co. Hop Slice Session IPA: OK, if you can’t give up your hop addiction over the summer, this session IPA from Deschutes is a great way to lighten things up while still getting lots of hop flavors.

With a lower alcohol content (4.5 percent alcohol by volume) and thinner malt base than your regular IPA, a session IPA tends to be a bit more drinkable and the hops won’t wreck your palate after having just one. Hop Slice is crisp and refreshing, still loaded with a ton of hop flavor, but the bitterness is very mellow.

Hop flavors range from lemony to juicy pineapple. Each sip finishes dry with almost no residual sweetness, exactly what you want when it’s hot outside.

Save the bigger IPAs for cooler evenings and enjoy this one in the sun.

Tim Golden, a certified cicerone, shares his obsession with all things craft beer monthly. See his blog, “Beer in Hawaii,” at beerinhawaii.com.