Ale, lager, and specialty strains are available for any style of brew you desire. You really should increase the amount of yeast by pitching the pouch into a starter. While it isn't hard to make a starter , it requires you to plan a week or so ahead of your brewing day. Plan on the yeast pouch taking a couple of days to puff up and another couple of days to consume the starter. For me, that means pitching the pouch mid-week for a weekend brewing session.
Liquid yeast has a much shorter shelf life than dry yeast.
The pouches are stamped with a packaging date. I'd recommend using them within four months of that date. Finally, these pouches should be kept cold, which makes summer shipping a logistical problem. This is perhaps the best of all possible worlds. The most widely know products are those produced by White Labs of San Diego, California.