Brewed.

More evidence that the class of 1997 is the best class ever? Witness, if you will, our cocktail hour on Saturday night. We assembled in the art gallery (where I was reminded of how incredibly sorry I am that I never took any studio art classes in high school), where our classmate, Craig, had arranged for a beer tasting.

Why, you ask? Because Craig (whose last name is Theisen, you should know) is one of the co-founders of Peak Organic Brewery in Portland, Maine. And Peak? They make some pretty awesome beer. (Organic beer, by the way, is organic because of its ingredients. When it comes to brewing, the methodology is akin to that followed by other craft brewers, like Brooklyn and Sam Adams.)

A huge array was available, but my two favorites were the Summer Session Ale, which was a pale gold color and tasted lightly of oranges, and the Pomegranate Wheat, which was a bit sweeter, rounder in the mouth, and altogether too drinkable.

Thanks again for the awesome beer, Craig - you are one talented and generous dude.

Refreshments.

One of the delights I've discovered during my trips to Austin over the last 18 months or so is the Michelada, a sort of Bloody Mary, but with beer. It's a savory daytime cocktail, and Wikipedia claims that - not unlike the Bloody Mary - Micheladas are good for hangovers. I happen to agree.

Last year, we paid a visit to SXSJ, the Hotel San José's annual music fest, held in their parking lot. The Micheladas we had there were really, really freaking good. So this year, when we had to skip SXSJ (it was rainy and gloomy and blah), we made sure to pick up supplies for a batch of our own when we went to Central Market for dinner groceries.

I did a bit of research beforehand, and discovered that the Hotel San José's recipe was published in Garden & Gun. Its genius element? A dash of soy alongside the Worcestershire and Tobasco.

We tinkered with it a bit; I added a salt & pepper rim, and added a bit of tomato juice for umami and body. The result? An altogether satisfying cocktail that sticks to your bones, cures what ails you, and goes marvelously with breakfast tacos.

Queenie's Michelada
Adapted from the Hotel San José

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges, for garnish
2 oz. lime juice
2 oz. tomato juice
1/4 oz. soy sauce
A couple of dashes of Worcestershire
A couple of dashes of Tobasco
1 12-ounce beer of your choosing

Mix the salt and pepper on a plate. Slit one of the lime wedges and run it around the rim of a 20-ounce glass to coat it with lime juice. Place the glass, rim-down, in the salt mixture and twirl to coat evenly.

Fill the glass 1/3 full of ice, then add all the ingredients (except for the beer). Stir to mix well, garnish with a lime wedge, and serve with an open beer. Folks can mix their own as they go, you see.

Serves one.

Cool down.

Reader, we recently discussed my love of Micheladas. I'm here today to sing the praises of another beer-based cocktail, the Shandy. In the UK, they make these with carbonated lemonade. This weekend, though, inspired by a bottle of IPA standing next to a jug of fresh lemonade, I decided to go low-fi.

The IPA was a bit bitter, which I figured would make a nice foil to the sweetened lemonade. I filled two glasses halfway with the lemonade, then popped open the beer and topped the glasses off. The technique is similar to what you'd do to make a Bellini or Mimosa - and just as easy.

The result? A refreshing, awfully pretty drink perfectly suited to afternoon drinking, especially for those of us who aren't terribly good day drinkers. (I tend to dive headfirst into a nap by 5 PM if booze enters my system before 4.) Not that you shouldn't have it with dinner. Or after dinner. Or whenever you like.

It's summer; live a little!