Outside my window, birds are chirping, squirrels are chasing, flowers are blooming, and the grass is green and growing. Spring is here. Amidst the many changes that Spring brings - yard work, flip flops and the like - allow me to draw our attention to one of the more crucial shifts that is often tragically overlooked: beer transition. That’s right…beer transition.

Around the campfire this Winter, you may have enjoyed dark, chocolaty, malty brews that warm both the soul and the body. Beers like stouts, black lagers, and porters are cold-weather favorites, and rightly so. But now that Spring has sprung, let me submit to you this idea: Pale Ales for Springtime!

Pale Ales and India Pale Ales (IPA’s) are tart, hoppy, earthy beers with bright flavors and often a slightly bitter aftertaste. They offer a stark contrast to darker brews, much the way that Spring contrasts Winter. I’ve spent the last few weeks trying many new pale ales and IPA’s with great enjoyment, and I’d like to share a handful that I’ve particularly enjoyed.

Ranger IPA is a super earthy, super tart beer made by New Belgium Brewing Co., the Fat Tire folks. I’ve never really tasted anything quite so complex as Ranger, except probably a few Scotches. It’s sweet and tart and tangy and earthy. The flavor is big, big, big.

Choc Beer, a brewery in Oklahoma that I’ve just recently been introduced to, offers a really nice pale ale called Basement Batch. I recommend this very crisp and hoppy beer, which is most delicious when served ice cold.

Little Rock’s Diamond Bear Brewing Co., the jewel of my hometown, offers their Presidential IPA. It’s a lovely amber beer with a strong aftertaste. I confess that I didn’t wait ’til Spring came to have a few of these, but hey…all the more reason to spread the good word to you! One or two of these babies makes mowing the grass downright pleasant.

Last but certainly not least is Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale. What can I say, this is the beer that really got me going on pale ales in the first place. My curiosity was sparked, and the flame’s still burning bright. I freakin’ love this beer and you can find it just about anywhere. It’s very tart and bursting with flavor. Betcha can’t drink just one.

The truth is that Summer will be here before we know it, and we all know what that means: ice cold, beautifully affordable Bud heavy. So before the seasons change again, make your Springtime beer transition count by trying some new pale ales and IPA’s, and please share your faves with a comment. Cheers!