The Lagerheads would like to take it one step further and say the best way to celebrate is with American craft beer, meaning beer that is made by breweries that sell less than two million barrels a year. Why should size matter? Small craft beer producers pride themselves in using fresh quality ingredients to make the beer they are passionate about. They don't use flavor-thinning, cost-cutting ingredients like rice and corn.

If you are going to be pounding beer all weekend, it might as well taste like something. Below are a couple high-quality craft substitutes for those American lagers that taste like beer (think Budweiser, PBR, etc.), but miss the mark when compared to authentic versions of the same style. Our list includes versions of Czech Pilsners and gold lagers, which are the styles brewers at the large companies that are now Anheuser Busch-InBev and MillerCoors originally set out to emulate. These beers are light and refreshing but still flavorful, and made with 100% malt instead of a mix of malt and other inferior grains. They are easy to find at local stores and perfect for session drinking on a summer holiday weekend.

• Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils
• Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
• Victory Prima Pils
• Lagunitas PILS
• Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Last year WCP's very own Beerspotter made some excellent suggestions for American craft beers to try in lieu of popular imports like Guinness, Newcastle, and Chimay. Be sure to check out his list for additional guidance on a variety of beer styles.

Photo by uhuru1701 used under a Creative Common license

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Let's assume for a moment that you don't want to grill and that you don't have any friends kind enough to invite you to their barbecue drunk-a-thon on the Fourth. Where do you turn? Well, Y&H has some options, including a couple with smoked meats for those who just can't celebrated America's birthday without an animal sacrifice.

Mmmm, animal sacrifice.

• Jamie Stachowski will be grilling his artisan sausages at Red, White & Bleu in Falls Church from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The charcuterie master will be tending the charcoal grill at the wine and gourmet food shop, cooking up veal bratwurst, kielbasa, merguez, and linguiça for customers to sample. Stachowski will also have some rabbit terrine, country pate, and other "meat surprises" to try. All samples will be free, but the shop is hoping, of course, that you'll be enticed into buying some of Stachowski's meats to take home — and maybe a bottle or two of wine to go with it.
• Mr. P, one of the top 50 performers on Y&H's 2009 Dining Guide, will be working the Fourth at his usual spot: the Safeway parking lot at Rhode Island Ave. NE. Aside from his amazing spare ribs, which are smoked to a charred, crispy, and succulent state, Mr. P will also trot out a new item: barbecued short ribs. He tells me they will be a permanent part of his menu.

• Asia Nine not only has some patriotic rolls available — the red-white-and-blue tinted Firecracker Roll and Independence Roll — but also a special BBQ Grab-n-Go Menu. The latter features such entrees as Thai barbecue chicken and Laos grilled steak, which you can have boxed with sides and ready for transport to the Mall. The specials run through July 9.
• Cashion's Eat Place is not taking any holiday on the Fourth. From 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., chef John Manolatos will be serving up a picnic spread of hamburgers, brisket sandwiches, and Maryland blue crabs. You can also call ahead and order a picnic basket for two for $40. Call (202) 797-1819.

Speaking of picnics, the Post has compiled a list of restaurants that will be packaging their food for carryout on the Fourth. And if you're looking for more Fourth-oriented restaurant specials, the Washingtonian has an authoritative list.

Happy Fourth, everyone.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery