With the heart of summer arriving this month, it’s appropriate to look at a proven remedy for seasonal heat: an ice-cold beer. Just as there are seasonal winter brews, so too brewmasters look to formulate suds apropos for the steamy season. However, the landscape of summer seasonal brews is reshaping faster than a desert in a sandstorm.

If it’s better to give than to receive, why is gift selection often such a predicament? Sometimes difficulty is inevitable. But in many instances it’s avoidable, especially when gifts are food and beverage related, where size, style, and fashion preferences aren’t part of the equation.

All that glitters is not gold. And all that bubbles is not Champagne. November revolves around Thanksgiving, fall’s centerpiece holiday. And now is the time to commissary for December’s feasts and celebrations. This advice applies especially to holiday wines, because many low-production varietals are likely to be available now. As time progresses, supplies have nowhere to go but down.