Beers for baseball season

After the first pitch comes beer.

This is the rookie season for two Samuel Adams brews: Samuel Adams Double Agent IPL and Samuel Adams White Lantern. They're additions to the producer's IPA Hopology Pack.

Double Agent IPL is the livelier one, as focused as a base stealer. It has a crisp, citrusy quality plus a little pineapple and litchi, too. Full, fruity and ready for the season. Put extra mustard on the hot dog.

White Lantern is Boston Beer Co.'s update on the Belgian white ale theme. There's citrus here, too, along with an undercurrent of spice. It will remind you of a satisfactory, innings- eating middle reliever. Would be good with grilled food.

The Hopology Pack is $17 to $20. It includes the wheaty, fruity Whitewater IPA; very hoppy and spirited Latitude 48 IPA; and the Dark Depths Baltic porter; line-drive hitting Third Voyage double IPA; Tasman Red IPA; and, batting cleanup, the Belgian-style IPA, Grumpy Monk. Whitewater and Latitude 48 are available in six-packs for $8 to $10.

Magic Hart Brewing Co. comes through with the Magic Hat Spring Fever 12-Pak. The lineup includes Pistil, a golden, malty spring brew; Ticket to Rye, a medium-bodied amber number; and Saint Saltan, tart and crisp in the Gose mode from Germany, with saline and coriander notes. The 12-pack is $18.

Saint Saltan is available only in that pack. A six-pack of either Pistil or Ticket to Rye is $9 to $10.