July is the most patriotic of months with July 4 headlining the festivities.

This July is particularly special with the homecoming of a sister-in-law from duty in Iraq and the imminent return of friends deployed with the National Guard. We had planned to celebrate in patriotic fashion with my brother and family, welcoming his wife back, but that fell through when her return was delayed. We stayed home instead and celebrated the holiday, as I'm sure the founding fathers did, picking gallons of black raspberries, lightheaded with blood loss from razor-sharp thorns and DEET-addled mosquitoes. As consolation, I drank the beer I was going to bring to the celebration.

What better beer for such a celebration than Liberty Ale, an eagle-labeled testament to one of the founding fathers of craft beer, Anchor Brewing Co., in San Francisco. The brewery traces its roots all the way back to 1854, but became Anchor in 1896. It has endured wars, Prohibition, the Great Depression, fire, financial woes, changes in ownership, even sudden death of owners. Closure was imminent by 1965, when Fritz Maytag, great-grandson of the founder of Maytag Appliance, bought the struggling brewery and slowly began to turn it around. By 1975, Anchor was a craft beer movement unto itself producing, in addition to the flagship Anchor Steam Beer, a range of beers, including their excellent American pale ale, Liberty Ale.

Popping one open on a hot July evening is a gift from the brewing gods. A steady pour builds one of those densely packed heads that guarantees a foam mustache to the bottom of the glass. Streams of tiny carbonation bubbles rise steadily through liquid the color of fresh clover honey. Hops are present but more tangy than bitter, with soft notes of grapefruit and sweet pineapple mingling with a bite of carbonation before yielding gracefully to the sturdy malt body. Dry cocoa and light toasted biscotti sweetness round out a refreshing, nicely balanced package. Six percent ABV stays enough in the background to make it refreshingly drinkable. Individually, no part of this brew stands out, but the whole is outstanding, paradoxically nuanced yet uncomplicated, perfectly suited to a summer dinner of grilled steak and potatoes, sweet corn and fresh strawberries.

Liberty Ale is a year-round offering, so you can experience a bit of that July spirit long after the boom and sparkle of fireworks fade away. I'll keep some in the fridge to welcome back family and friends, and toast the safe return of all those still serving in far-away places.

Prost!