Four peach beers to toast the end of summer

Summer in Los Angeles has a tendency to slip by all too quickly. Recapture some of the spirit of summer’s potential with a glass of beer infused with the essence the most summer-y of fruit: peaches.

Fruit in beer, in America at least, has long been ridiculed, ridiculously branded as “girly” or heretical to beer’s “purity.” However, fruited brews form not only the historical foundation of fermented beverages (and an important aspect of Belgian brewing culture), but fruit-flavored craft beers are some of the more popular recent trends in American craft brewing. Just count the number of IPAs featuring some fruit or fruit-flavor additions. Beer made with peaches is particularly popular with brewers both traditional and innovative, and sipping on a peachy brew is a tasty way to hold on to that fleeting summer feeling.

Some of the best peach-infused brews are made in the Seine Valley in Belgium, where traditional lambic brewers age tart and funky brews with the stone fruit to create “peche.” American craft brewers adept at producing sour wood-aged beers of their own have also turned to peaches for their tart and earthy flavors (and the wild yeasts harbored in the peach fuzz is another bonus that adds more complexity), but peaches also find their way into other styles of craft beer, from IPAs to wheat beers. While much of the best examples of American peach brews are made on a very small scale — the kinds of beers that the dedicated beer geeks will line up to purchase — there are more widely available peachy brews to try. Here are a few examples that shouldn’t require you to camp out to find.

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Avery Brewing — Perzik Saison

This farmhouse-style ale from Colorado’s Avery Brewing pairs a subtly tart and juicy peach essence with the dry and spicy flavors of saison yeast. A bit of wheat adds a brisk snap to the finish, and the peach flavor is well balanced. It’s a great match for a cheese-and-charcuterie board, and 12-ounce cans are widely available at BevMo stores and Whole Foods locations.

Dogfish Head Brewing — Festina Peche Berliner Weisse

Berliner Weisse, the light-and-tart German wheat beer style, has threatened to be the best “it” style in craft beer for a couple of years, and the sharp acidity and refreshing effervescence of the beer is a natural match for peach flavor. Delaware’s Dogfish Head was one of the first major craft breweries to offer a peachy Berliner back in 2007, and it’s still a highlight of their lineup. The sometimes aggressive sour bite of the style is tempered by peach sweetness, and the brewery keeps the alcohol level at an all-afternoon friendly 4.5%. Find four-packs at Total Wines or even the supermarket, and try the brisk bubbly brew with a summery burrata salad.

Angel City Brewery — Harvest Peach Berliner Weisse

Locally, downtown Los Angeles’ Angel City Brewing recently released a special peach-infused Berliner Weisse that’s worth seeking out. Well balanced between bright acidity, earth peach aroma and subtle funk, the Warehouse Series (brewed once then gone) beer is made with freshly harvested California peaches. You can score a bottle at the brewery’s retail shop, or at Craft Beer Cellar in Eagle Rock and Buzz Wine Beer Shop downtown (or use the brewery’s beer finder). 216 S. Alameda St., Los Angeles, (213) 622-1261, www.angelcitybrewery.com.

The Dudes Brewing — JuiceBox: Peach Berliner Weisse

The Torrance brewery better known for it’s potent Double Trunk canned imperial IPA added a peach entry to the Blood Orange Amber ale in its JuiceBox series. Peach Berliner is a touch sweeter but just as tart and refreshing, and with a restrained alcohol content so you won’t have to think twice about reaching for a second can. Stocks of four-packs seem limited, but you can try the brew at both of the Dude’s tasting rooms. 1840 W. 208th St., Torrance, (424) 271-2915, and now| 173 N. Moorpark Road, Suite D, Thousand Oaks, (424) 271-2915, www.thedudesbrew.com.

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