“Today’s forecast calls for highs around 29C (84F), 70% humidity and the discomfort index at 80. Let’s make the most of it, however we can!” It all starts with the young weather girl on the morning news, cheerfully announcing another filthy hot summer day. I was born in the Tohoku (the northeast) region and am not exactly partial to summer, but I do know a way to comfortably ‘make the most of it.’

When work ends at night, forget overtime—I’m heading to happy hour at some pub. Start me off with some Belgian, a Hoegaarden White. A big size will get the job done. I see one of those thick, hexagonal, 820ml glasses and impulsively grab it with one hand. The cool, quenching kick at the back of my throat and the feeling of fresh release hit me all at once. What do I care about all my hair sticking to the back of my neck and my sweat-stained jacket when I have one of these fruity beers with its coriander and orange peel notes. And I can forget my wallet, too—it’s happy hour, after all.

I use the summer happy hour frenzy to my advantage by trying all kinds of beers. The taste and aroma of a chilled Minoh pale ale strips away my summer fatigue. Fujizakura’s rich weizen is great for those days when the heat takes away my appetite. The natural yeast seems to appease a finicky stomach and pump vitality back into the body. I love Oh!La!Ho Beer’s summery Golden Ale; it has a flavor almost like a pale lager and its lovely golden body reminds me of sunshine. Recently, I’ve been hooked on Yokohama Brewery’s Czech-style beers, notably its pilsner. The pils aside, the challenging styles of beer this young team of brewers is making has been like a fight song, putting the buck back in me.

I used to think that the higher the discomfort index in summer, the happier that beer makes me. But I was wrong. It’s just that great beer makes me happy. And that’s what will enable me to enjoy summer again this year.

by Hanako Hirade

(Hanako is a beer enthusiast sometimes seen serving at beer festivals as a volunteer, but more often seen drinking)

This article was published in Japan Beer Times # () and is among the limited content available online. Order your copy through our online shop or download the digital version from the iTunes store to access the full contents of this issue.