Courtesy of our dear friend, Becca, we read this story from last week’s New York Times about Belgian beer, specifically the oh-so-elusive category of the Belgian Pale Ale.

There is no category, strictly speaking, of Belgian pale ales. But the Belgians make a lot of beers that defy categorization. We gathered 23 that may not have a whole lot in common except that they are excellent summer quenchers.

Though colors range from a warm gold to copper, all are on the pale side of the spectrum. Some have a provocative spiciness, while others are a mite hoppy, or even a bit sour.

But what unites the best of these beers under our hodgepodge category is that they not only are dry and refreshing, they are stimulating.

Source: NYTimes.com