As the first real snowfall touched down in Syracuse this past weekend, I once again found myself enchanted by the graceful flakes as they fell beautifully onto the fall-colored foliage. The allure quickly faded, however, as the snow turned to gray slush and temperatures dipped so low it was painful to leave my bed.

I found myself longing for summer. I was thoroughly pleased, then, to sample summer via Ellicottville Brewing Company’s Blueberry Wheat beer. This light, refreshing beer will have you wishing for sand in your toes instead of snow under your boots.

The berry-infused beer is a wheat beer, meaning a significant portion of it is made with wheat malt. The wheat contributes very little flavor to the beer, which makes it very light and creates a silky consistency that makes the beer slide across your tongue. Wheat beers are typically moderately to highly carbonated and are thought of as classic summer brews.

The straw-colored drink formed a meringue-like head as I poured it into a glass. I don’t particularly like blueberry-flavored things, so I was nervous when I got a strong whiff of blueberry when I held the glass up to my nose. When I took a sip, though, I discovered that the blueberry smell was 10 times stronger than the fruity flavors that hit my tongue. The taste was so slight, in fact, that it was hardly detectable.

There was no discernable aftertaste — it was almost as if the brew never even passed my lips. This is a 4.2 percent ABV beer, so I was not expecting to be hit with rich, malty liquor flavors. I was expecting a little more out of this beer and was slightly disappointed to discover that it tasted more like a watered down blueberry soda than an alcoholic beverage.

While this dry, bland beer did not live up to its blueberry name or aroma, it was at least refreshing and clean. If nothing else, the Ellicottville Brewing Company Blueberry Wheat beer allows drinkers to mentally escape the Syracuse winter weather and be transported to a warm summer night.