good thread!
a few friends of mine down here in Melbourne have a brewing competition a couple of times a year. best brew, best newcomer, best this and that. of course, whilst a few are serious brewers the competitions are very friendly (the award for second place is a silver foil covered stubby!).
anyway, I have brewed a few ciders and was happy with the results.
have tried mead but that has not worked, although I believe mead can be difficult.
Cherry beer (brewed by a friend) seems to be a favourite with a few people, even my wife, who does not drink beer.
we have a competition in january, which is not enough time to brew a good cider so will have to resort to brewing a beer, even though I rarely drink it. so, any ideas for a good beer for summer?