Summer Food: The Tastes of Summer: Kegs

Nothing sets a party apart like good beer, and everyone knows draft beer tastes best. But post-college, who thinks of kegs when they entertain? Reconsider: A growing number of premium brews are available in small five-gallon kegs known as “sixtels.” Roughly equivalent to 2.5 cases, sixtels are ideal for home entertaining, since they can easily be maneuvered in and out of a car and into a tub of ice. Check out the stupendous selections at the Beer Yard (218 East Lancaster Avenue, Wayne; 610-688-3431), Kunda (349 South Henderson Road, King of Prussia, 610-265-3113; kundabev.com), Shangy’s (40 East Main Street, Emmaus; 610-967-1701), or Bell’s in South Philly (2809 South Front Street; 215-468-6891). Yards’s rich Extra Special Ale is great with BBQ, while Victory’s snappy Prima Pils flatters grilled seafood. For beer-geek gatherings, go for a sixtel of Dogfish Head’s hyper-hoppy 60 Minute IPA or Lancaster’s creamy Milk Stout.