City Paper is not for tourists
Sierra Nevada Summerfest
Where Spotted: Samber Food, 3243 Mount Pleasant St. NW
Price: $7.99/six-pack
Take Back the Bite “Crisp summer beer,” proclaims this seasonal label from Sierra Nevada. Ordinarily I avoid “crisp” beers as I do “lite” ranch dressing and “authentic” frozen burritos. But Summerfest reclaims the word for beer lovers with a full lager that finishes with a sharp touch of hops. It’s a reminder that “crisp” can also mean a clean ending to a flavorful sip.
Tote Sweet: A dilemma arises when I walk to an adjacent hood for an afternoon barbecue. Do I shlep nice beer, in malarial humidity, all the way from home or hope I can find some near my destination? In Mount Pleasant, sandwiched between Heller’s Bakery and a place that probably sells phone cards, there’s the unassuming Samber Food, which stocks beer from Victory, Brooklyn, Bells, and more to go with your Vienna sausages.