Look. I know the general consensus among beer drinkers is that if it has fruit in it, it is strictly a “girl beer.” But if you stick your nose up at beers with berries because they are “beers for sissies,” you’re living a sad, unadventurous life, my friend.

Case in point: Last month, I went to the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association’s Summer on Tap tasting event at Fratello’s in Manchester. One of the participating breweries was Peak Organic out of Portland, Maine, and they were sampling their newest summer brew, Organic Pomegranate Wheat Ale with Acai. At first, I was sort of put off, since Michelob Ultra has a pomegranate-flavored, low-calorie beer, and well, frankly, it’s awful. And the addition of acai, which is a popular additive to diet drinks because it’s a berry rich in antioxidants, also kind of bugged me out. But I gave Peak’s pomegranate brew a go. And it’s fantastic.

Think Heifenweizen, plus a splash of Pom juice. It’s light and subtly-flavored, and the pomegranate doesn’t upstage the coriander, which gives the beer just a hint of citrus. Unlike some fruit-infused beers I’ve tried, it doesn’t taste like juice mixed with Bud Light. And since it’s organic (and with locally-grown wheat) and has antioxidant-rich berries in it, it’s almost health food! It is a great, flavorful beer that should definitely be enjoyed at many a summer barbecue.

Also at Summer on Tap was Sam Adams. They were offering samples of their Blackberry Witbier, which is one fruit beer that is way too fruity. The sour blackberries really overwhelm the light white ale. To me, it tasted like blackberry Clearly Canadian. However, I think homebrewer and Boston Beer Co. employee Carissa Sweigart did a hell of a job with her Cranberry Wit beer, which was a winner in last year’s Sam Adams’ Long Shot homebrew competition. Whatever Carissa did to keep such a sour fruit as cranberry from destroying that classic light, crisp wit flavor is exactly what Sam Adams needs to do with Blackberry Witbier.

One brewery that does fruit beers right (and that was also at Summer on Tap) is Sea Dog Brewing Co. out of Maine. Most bars around southern New Hampshire carry Sea Dog Blue Paw Wheat Ale, their blueberry-flavored beer, on tap. The best way to drink blueberry beer (including the amazing Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale) is in a Black and Blue, which is combines the blueberry ale with Guinness. Sea Dog also puts out an amazing Apricot Wheat Beer, which is one of my favorite summertime beers. At the grocery and convenient stores, look for sampler 12-packs that have all of Sea Dog’s fruit brews, including their Raspberry Wheat Ale.

So, don’t be a beer snob. Step out of your stout-swigging shoes and into the lighter, fruitier side of beer.

This fall, NH.com is throwing the first ever Wicked Wine and Brew Fest at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield. It’s being held Saturday, Sept. 12, from 2-7 p.m. and will feature wineries and breweries from New Hampshire and around New England. There will also be food, music and cool vendors to check out, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Meals on Wheels.

I’m particularly excited about this festival for two reasons: I don’t have to trek down to Boston, where most beer and wine festivals seem to be held, and it’s the start of fall, which means that hopefully there’ll be some fresh autumn-inspired brews and vintages to sample. I know it’s a bit early for pumpkin-flavored ales, but a girl can dream, right?

Other brewers that will be at Mel’s on Sept. 12 are Shipyard Brewing Co., Smuttynose Brewery and Woodstock Inn Brewery (plus more to be announced). And don’t forget about wineries: attending will be Candia Vineyards, Farnum Hill Ciders, Piscassic Pond Winery and Zorvino Vineyards.

As part of The Telegraph’s Marketing and Events Committee, I’m helping to plan, promote and put on this event. I think this is the event I’m most excited to be involved with, especially since I’m a homebrewer and regularly attend New England beer festivals. My favorite so far? Beer Summit’s Winter Jubilee in Boston. Definitely keep your eye out for when tickets go on sale in late fall.

Tickets for Wicked Wine and Brew Fest for adults 21 and older who will be sampling alcohol can be purchased in advance online or at The Telegraph’s office at 17 Executive Drive in Hudson for $20. For a limited time, when you buy tickets online, enter WWB09 at checkout and get $5 off each sampling ticket. The ticket price includes admission and unlimited sampling of beer and wine. And, the best part, the first 1,000 sampling tickets will receive a super-awesome sampling glass with our Wicked Wine and Brew Fest logo on it. Sweet!

The day of the event you can also purchase tickets for $20. We’ll also be selling tickets for designated drivers and ages 20 and younger for $5. Children 5 and younger are admitted for free.

Though a wine and brew festival isn’t exactly the event most people would bring their children to, this one is being held at Mel’s Funway Park, which has mini golf, battling cages and an arcade, so there’s plenty to do besides imbibe.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.wickedwineandbrewfest.com. Cheers!

Summer beer is nothing new. At this point, no respectable craft brewer would roll into the warm months without a decent entry.

Enter Magic Hat’s Wacko. On the outside, it’s just another bottle covered with splashy graphics promising a crisp, smooth summer beverage.

The Wacko part comes into play when you pour it out. It’s got a pinkish-red hue, thanks to the inclusion of beet sugar in the brewing process. Though Magic Hat doesn’t mention any fruits added to the process, it has a slight fruity note and slighter fruity nose. A unhappy online reviewer compared it to a wine cooler, which is bit of an overstatement, but I’d probably stick with bottles if I find it at a bar - I don’t need the stigma of a pink drink.

I’ll agree with the crisp and smooth description. And because it’s not very hoppy and has an average alcohol content (4.5 percent), it’s something I could imagine drinking a few of on a warm summer night - and I’m not a big fan of fruity beers. It’s a little less fruity than Magic Hat’s #9, and thanks to that, a less fruity aftertaste.

If this is Magic Hat’s move to steal back some summer beer drinkers from Sam Adams Summer Ale, it’s a nice step. Though I’m not entirely sure why they never sought out this guy for the ad campaign.

Wacko’s hard to find on tap, but you can easily find it in stores in Magic Hat’s Summer Scene Variety 12-pack, which also includes #9, Lucky Cat and a new summer version of the Odd Notion beer, a nice Belgian-style ale that will get its own review in this space in the coming week.