Prost!

Wheat beers (or Weissebiers) are an excellent accompaniment to hot summer days spent grilling with friends, playing bocce, or cheering your favorite international teams in the World Cup. Here are a few of my favorites, two Hefeweizens, and one Weizen, all for less than $10 for a six pack.

First, a primer on Weissbiers (though if you want a full rundown, be sure to check out wikipedia).

Weissebier is brewed using a quantity of malted wheat, which gives it its pale color (though it's not "weisse," or "white" as the name implies). Hefeweizen is left unfiltered, so the beer appears cloudy from the yeast proteins left in, whereas Weizen beers are filtered. It's traditional to add a wedge of lemon to a Weisse, which adds another dimension of flavor to the beer itself.

Hefeweizens, like those brewed by Widmer Brothers ($10 for a six pack) and Hofbräu München ($8), offer a pleasant freshness with a slightly bitter finish. Depending on the malts used to make the beer, they can have smoky or spicy notes that go well with many foods, from Indian and Thai to your grilled BBQ chicken to a nice piece of fish. Smuttynose Brewing Company's Summer Weizen Ale ($8.50) is an interesting hybrid of wheat beer and ale. It's filtered, so it lacks the cloudy look and soft foamy head of traditional Weissebiers, but it has a great balance of smooth start with a slight bite to finish. Wheat beers are eternally sippable and cooling. So, pick up a few and don't forget the lemon!

Also recommended: Brooklyner Weisse, Hoegaarden, Blue Moon Belgian White.