With platters of salmon, noodles and wok-charred beef all about him, Anheuser-Busch brewmaster George Reisch talked beer pairings, and there wasn't a Budweiser in sight.

I'm sure he'd be delighted if you chose to pair the crispness of a Bud Light with something like a spicy shrimp salad from the menu at P.F. Chang's in LoDo. But for this particular event, he was showing off a couple of the brewer's Asian imports - Harbin and Tiger - along with the more familiar Kirin Ichiban, a Japanese lager that Anheuser-Busch has permission to brew in Los Angeles for American consumption.

Harbin's most notable feature is its packaging, thanks to a mysterious rice paper sheath wrapping the green bottle; what's inside is a decent lager, but nothing special. Tiger, on the other hand, has some character to it: a lager with just a hint of hops and a sweet - but not too sweet - note of honey. Long popular in Singapore, it deserves more exposure to import drinkers here.

Both beers are at better-stocked stores, and they'll be on P.F. Chang's new menu next month. The restaurant also offers its own beer cocktail, a bistro ginger beer - Kirin with a jolt of ginger syrup. Too sweet for me, but an admirable attempt at a uniquely Asian taste.

Reisch did select a less exotic beer to pair with a rich dessert: Michelob Amber Bock. You'd be surprised how well a sip or two can complement the chocolatey conclusion to your meal.

• August means another summer month of events where beer doesn't stay in the background - it's one of the major drawing cards.

At Keystone's River Run, the 11th annual Bluegrass and Beer Festival offers free music on two stages and samplings of beers from 30 of the region's microbreweries. A ticket for unlimited samples runs $30, but full-size servings for $4 each are offered in the beer garden. The fest runs noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Details: 970-496-4386, keystoneneighbourhood.com.

Later this month, the Wildlife Experience in Parker adds beer to its mix of artwork and nature exhibits. From 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 24, the fourth annual Art and Ale Festival includes live music and 40 food and beverage vendors, including microbrews from Bristol Brewing, Flying Dog Brewery, Odell Brewing and Redstone Meadery. Tickets are $35 each or $60 per couple, with discounts for museum members, and are available online at thewildlifeexperience.com. For details, call 720-488-3300.

• If you and your buddy's typical guy's night out has a cost cap limiting you to a microwave pizza shared at a convenience store counter, this may not be for you. But if you have some bills burning a hole in your pocket, you could do worse than the Brown Palace hotel's "Boys of the Brown" package. For $335 (and up), you and a friend get a tour of the Great Divide Brewery - where you leave with a six-pack and a pair of pint glasses - plus a tour of Coors Field, two 25-minute massages and accommodations at the Brown. The offer lasts through December. Details: 1-800-321-2599, brownpalace.com.

• Five summer beers you should try by Labor Day:

New Belgium Skinny Dip: So good you'll forget it's a light beer.

Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale: Sweet and citrusy.

Beach Bum Blonde Ale: Smooth and refreshing.

Samuel Adams Summer Ale: A wheat beer with a kiss of spice.

Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat: Citrus meets . . . blueberry?

Beer of the month

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen

• The story: A classic, Bavarian-style, unfiltered wheat beer from the Munich, Germany, brewer.

• The taste: A perfect beer for the transition from summer to fall. Refreshing, with complex flavors: citrus and mild hints of clove and banana. Adding a squeeze of lemon or orange makes for even bigger flavor.

• Food pairings: Salads, salmon, tuna, cheese

• On sale: In six-packs of bottles, $7.99, and on tap at bars and restaurants

• Alcohol by volume: 5.5 percent

What's on Tap appears the first Wednesday of the month. dedrickj@RockyMountainNews.com