You’re smurt about beer. I like Delirium Tremens, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale and Dead Guy by Rogue.

If you really like wheat beers, I recommend Blue Moon. If you like Arrogant Bastard, the Stone Leviathan is really nice and hoppy, although I’m not a big fan of the Double Bastard. The Anchor Christmas Ales are great, although they’ve probably stopped selling them for the year.

What I really recommend though is home brewing. It’s not like I only drink my own beer now, but thinking about recipes and knowing how beer gets different flavors has really helped me appreciate it more.

Gah. You’re praising a Delaware IPA when you’re so close to the source of Harpoon IPA? My one regret of having moved from Boston to Chicago is that we can’t seem to get Harpoon here.

I mean, we do ok between Goose Island and Third Coast. But I really miss the Harpoon IPA (particularly paired with a burger from Sullivan’s up in Somerville).

Harpoon isn’t bad, but I think Dogfish Head surpasses it.

You should try Chimay.
It’s made by monks, and as everyone knows monks=beer.
What?
You didn’t know that?
Chimay comes in three different flavors.
They’re all excellent, but the Reserve will make you cry with joy.

IPA’s got lots of hops. That’s part of the recipe – bittering hops, flavor hops, and aroma hops.

Homebrewers add hops to the carboy, dry-hopping, for that extra aroma.

My favorite homebrew IPA used lots of Chinook hops – kind of like sticking your face in a grapefruit.

The story of how IPA came to be is an interesting one, for beer geeks, anyway.

As for digfishhead – I only tried the Raison d’etre one time, and it made me ill. I’ve stayed away from the rest of their stuff, in favor of buying the locally-brewed (Boston area) brews…

Coca-Cola for me!

There’s Harpoon already mentioned. There’s Liberty and Anchor Steam, tho I much prefer Liberty.
Then, there’s my hometown Brooklyn Brewery. The Lager is solid, as is pretty much their whole menu, but i’m partial to the Pennant, an IPA first brewed back in 55 in celebration of a Dodgers pennant. There was a time when you could even find Brooklyn Pennant for sale in Yankee Stadium, in the food court behind the seats along the third base line. Recently, too. Now the ‘best’ seems to be hoping you get a fresh Bass.

Good lord, don’t forget Eight Ball Stout from Lost Coast Brewery: the creamiest, deepest, darkest stout on the planet. Ambrosia.

Also: Moylan’s Kiltlifter.

A Different Me:

Brooklyn is outstanding. Ditto Anchor Steam. I think some of the best beer in the world is brewed on the West Coast (Rogue, Anchor Steam, etc.)

Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale is deeelish.

Fuck that shit. Pabst Blue Ribbon!

LOL.

I haven’t tried many of the recently appearing west coast brews, aside from when I was in san diego briefly a few years back. I’ve had an odd problem the last couple years with beer, in that though the delis i frequent have good taste in what they stock it doesn’t move very fast. Meaning there’s a high risk of skunk.
The best beer I’ve ever had was, not surprisingly, in Germany, in a little town on the Rhine. A sweet blonde that wasn’t too sugary, wasn’t at all bitter like belgian whites, which are still excellent, just was effing amazing. It was just a local brew, I forget the town’s name but have it written down when I’m back in the neighborhood again. But German beer in general was just unmatched. I guess a big part of the difference is in shelf life mandates and preservatives.

A handful of thoughts…if you like IPAs, the Victory Hop Wallop is worth a look. Also, Bells is on their second batch of a superhopped ale called Hopslam – tasty. As solid as Blue Moon is, I can’t abide drinking it, since it’s a Coors product. Belgian white ales are good (St Bernardus, Jan de Lichte), as is Unibroue’s white ale out of Canadia. Goose Island Honker’s Ale is still one of the best beers you can get in a 12-pack.

It’s too bad Dogfish Head and Harpoon are unavailable in Minnesota – both can make one teary-eyed with goodness. My favorite IPA of all time is still Town Hall’s, brewed and sold a mere two minute drive east of downtown. If you’re ever up here, don’t miss this brewpub – both the regular line and their seasonals are excellent.

Blue Moon is the only Coors product I can drink, although it only goes down well with a lemon added. But it really ain’t bad.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is really good, I’m enjoying it a lot these days.

When I was in Brooklyn and Saratoga Springs for Phish shows in 2004, people in the lots were selling Magic Hat #9. I had one and was hooked, it’s pretty much all I drank for the rest of the run; they even had it in the beer tents at SPAC. Unfortunately, it’s a New England/Tri-State area thing and I can never get any of my friends who live in their distribution area to send me a case.

I still stick with a lot of the Euro-centric classics: Newcastle Brown Ale, Pilsner Urquell, Stella Artois etc.

Homer Jay Simpson is right, beer is the nectar of the gods.

Left Hand Milk Stout is amazing, and so is New Belgium Triplett (good wheat beer). Colorado microbrews pwn.

Sierra is a godsend insofar as it’s become available almost everywhere. It’s not my fav, but I like it, and practically cried when I started seeing it appear in Florida around where my parents spend the winter. But it’s a little weak, I kind of think of it as a light beer.
Magic Hat is alright I guess, but it’s never done much for me. Stella is a solid fallback option.

Westmalle (Dubel and Tripel) and Rochefort (8 and 10) among Belgian beers.

In wheat beers, I much prefer the German Hefeweizen to the Belgian wits. I recently had a Licher Hefeweizen that was quite nice (tho’ there’s nothing like a really fresh Hefeweizen in Germany).

Some current American faves: lots of beers from North Coast Brewing Co., including Red Seal Ale and Old Stock Ale.

What’s IPA?

I’m glad you asked. This may be apocryphal, but I’m sticking to it:

IPA stands for India Pale Ale. It was brewed for the Brits sailing to, and serving in, India – back in the day.

To best survive the long sea voyage that crossed the Equator, the beer was brewed with a higher alcohol content and extra hops – both of which act as preservatives. The long voyage in oak barrels also imparted a strong wood flavor.

My favorite Boston-area brewed IPA’s include the aforementioned Harpoon, along with Concord IPA, Wachussett IPA, and Ipswich IPA.

I also suggest heading over to Redbone’s in Davis Square, Somerville, to see what IPA’s they’ve got on tap on any particular day.

Because of all the hops, IPA’s are an acquired taste for some, and a never-acquired taste for many.

I go in spurts, drinking IPA’s for a while in the spring and fall. I likes my porters at this cold time of year, and my wheat beers in the hottest of summer. Then there’s Oktoberfest in September/October, and all of the fancy/spicy holiday brews.

Too many beers, not enough time.

Being from Portland, I could go on for a while,

I will admit (reservedly) after a recent trip to Denver, I was suprised by Blue Moon. Its not spectacular, but a beer from Coors that tastes like beer? [gasp]

but a few quick ones at the top of my list atm:

Lagunitas IPA
Deschutes Hop Henge
Hair of the Dog – Fred
Pelican IPA
Lucky Labrador Stumpy Jack

Oh, wait, I forgot Smuttynose IPA! That’s teh most awesome IPA, and coincidentally has the best label.

(scroll down)
http://www.smuttynose.com/pages/beers.html

Have you ever noticed, though, that Blue Moon tastes like Fruity Pebbles?

Sweetwater Blue. Atlanta’s finest.

I suppose if I wanted to pay $4/350 mL for beer, Dogfish and the ilk would be alright. But frankly, and as a guy that loves beer, I just can’t get the taste of those to grow on me. Distinctive, yes; Enduring, eh..

Also, as a guy that lives in Colorado and has tried tons of local beers, only a very tiny minority of them are good enough to buy twice. I find myself drinking Coors at the beerfests when the only alternatives are blueberry-lemon flavored (Blue Moon, etc) and obnoxiously sweet (almost all New Belgium, Left Hand) micros. There are some winners: Blue Paddle and Porch Swing by New Belgium were good until they got rotated out, as is Stone IPA, and Pyramid Heffewiesen is very good. Overall, the largest fault of CO micros is making overly sweet beer. They try to compensate by adding more hops for bitterness, but lots of sweet plus lots of bitter just makes for awful. Regardless, it beats living in PBR town 🙂

If I sound like a snob, fine. I likes my beer and wine how I likes it, and ‘it’ is a pretty wide spectrum. Samuel Smith’s is my favorite maker of thick beer. Pilsner Urquell and Heineken I like when it’s hot out. Paulener is a great Heffe. For straight funkiness, Twisted Pine’s Espresso Stout is completely unique, and not half bad.

Duvel

I have to third or fourth the remarks about Rogue Dead Guy. That stuff is so good it seems somehow unfair.

I know Henry Weinhard’s isn’t really craft beer, Miller owning it and all — but damn, Blue Boar is a nice gentle beer for everyday drinking. Doesn’t cost much and goes down smooth as a bland lager while tasting a lot better.

While we’re on the topic of smooth drinks, Full Sail Amber Ale is genuinely dangerous. It just disappears.

I believe someone mentioned New Belgium’s Trippel. That’s a pretty good beer, although it always tastes kind of musty to me. I poured a glass before passing out once and then drank it upon waking hours later. I barely could tell the difference. 😛

BridgePort Blue Heron is possibly the most drinkable, delicious beer ever. It’s the same niche (pale ale) as Blue Boar, but it’s more flavorful. BridgePort IPA is a nice beer, but only for drinking with good food. You have to be able to enjoy the nuances, which means no being drunk.

On the opposite side of the coin, there are three beers I will generally not drink unless I’ve already had too much to tell the difference. Those are Pyramid Golden Ale, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Hamm’s. In descending order of tolerability. The former is on my shitlist because it always tastes faintly of vomit to me, the second because its only taste is a lousy aftertaste (and it’s 3.5, man), and Hamm’s is just the most vile substance on earth. I’d rather drink a forty of Mickey’s or OE or something before touching that crap.

Finally: Heineken always smells and tastes faintly of marijuana to me.

Mmmmmm…wheat beers. I echo the calls of Blue Moon, and also want to name-check Sunshine from the New Belgium Brewing Co. (all their stuff is pretty nice) and Pyramid, Widmer Bros., and Shiner Hefeweizens. Leinenkugel’s is interesting, but I wouldn’t want to drink it w/ a meal…blueberry beer is a unique taste that must be savored on its own.

As far as stouts go, the best I’ve ever tasted is Tatonka, served at a restaurant/brewery called BJ’s. They have quite a few locations in California and Texas (mostly DFW) and a few scattered elsewhere. That shit is dessert. All their stuff is really good: porter, red and brown ales, and kolsch. They have a pale ale, but I’m not really too fond of the overwhelming florality that that entails.

Sigh. Seattle… Liquid uppers *and* downers, flowing like water – where to start?

There are a fair number of microbreweries in town, but many of them are a touch too hoppy for me to make them regular purchases. I find most of Hale’s Ales overhopped, but I enjoy their Red Menace. I like most of Pike Place Brewery’s offerings, particularly their stout. We have a McMennemin’s or two in town, and their beers are mighty fine.

My personal local fave is probably Scuttlebutt – they make a nice Amber Ale, and a tasty Porter. And while I know Red Hook is tied in to Busch’s distribution system, I don’t know how widely available their seasonal offerings are – their springtime Copper Ale is quite tasty.

Casting a somewhat wider net, I like Oregon’s beer styles a little better than Seattle’s – I find them a little more nuanced. And I’m also a big fan of Alaska Brewing Co.’s various offerings.

Finally: Heineken always smells and tastes faintly of marijuana to me.

When I lived in DC, I went to a beer-tasting at the Brickskeller w/ some friends. One of the beers that night had a pronounced resiny, herbal flavor. As soon as someone described it as being “grassy”, the guy I was there with promptly announced “Nah, it tastes like the first bong hit of the morning.”

Turns out that hemp and hops really are related. Who knew?

Currently drinking a tastyAsahi Prime Time.

protected static said,
When I lived in DC…

Shudder. Best no to speak of that.
Burrp.

mmm beer.

we’ve got a nice little lilikoi beer here in kona, i don’t usually like fruit or sweet beers, but

for hot days sweating in the sun, it’s coronas and corona lights with lime, a bit of stella artois, and a juicy bass or boddingtons when you want more substance

and screw west coast beers
grittiy’s brown ale from maine
and tui from new zealand

and fuck cheney too

As a displaced Portlander longing for real beer:

Black Butte Porter, the holy grail of beers.

Bridgeport’s IPA

Alaskan Winter Ale

Another shout-out for Rogue’s Dead Guy

Walking Man’s Black Cherry Stout

Laughing Dog’s Hot Chihuahua

Widmer’s Hefeweizen and Snow Plough

And from across the border: Pumphouse’s Blueberry Ale

In conclusion: god, I miss the Northwest

Being up in the Pacific NW, there’s a number of good local breweries. My favs would have to be, in no particular order, Bridgeport IPA, Mack & Jacks African Amber, McMinnemans Hammerhead, Hale’s Red Menace, Maritime Flagship Ale. Nice to have such a wide selection of good beer at hand.

and hinano from tahiti, and sam smiths organic lager…

pinkus unfiltered, honest.

Anyone for an Anchor Steam

This thread is making me thirsty. Fortunately it’s Pub O’clock in my time-zone, and Damo Suzuki is performing tonight.

judeanpeoplesfront said,
and screw … tui from new zealand
Can’t argue with that.

Djur:

I know Henry Weinhard’s isn’t really craft beer, Miller owning it and all — but damn, Blue Boar is a nice gentle beer for everyday drinking. Doesn’t cost much and goes down smooth as a bland lager while tasting a lot better.

Henry Weinhard was an Oregon beer icon since he opened the brewery in 1856. Latterly, the brewery really sparked the “microbrew” trend in the Pacific Northwest with the “Henry’s Private Reserve” in 1979 or so. They were, of course, bought out and homogenized in the 1990s, and the “brewery” is now condos (with a hellacious bar, to their credit, though it’s part of a chain and I won’t give a link).

The Henry’s line is mostly brewed now in Los Angeles, although the wheat beer and ale (I think) is now contract brewed by employee-owned Full Sail Brewing in Hood River, Oregon.

Ignore judeanpeoplesfront. He has no clue what he is talking about.

Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown is darn good…

also, their Bitter ain’t bad.

Found some Tetley’s on sale for two dollars a can, on Valentine’s day.

Turned out it was the only beer she likes, so there’s that.

Tusker. Kenyan Tusker.

Sigh

Autumnal Fire by Capital Brewing Co. (An oktoberfest turned up to eleven…a bock-level beer)

Okocim Porter (at 8% ABV, this is a kicker)

Summit Maibock (just wonderful)

Victory Brewing Co.’s Old Horizontal barleywine, also their HopDevil (Old Horiz kicks all forms of ass, HopDevil is only for those who cannot get enough Cascade hops)

Haacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest (just plain yummy)

Frambiose (don’t matter who makes it) (my only fruity drink…and it looks pink too!)

I’ll echo Bradrocket: I like beer.

Propeller Porter comes in Quarts and eats like a meal.

I don’t like Blue Moon, but I did order a black and tan awhile back and thought it tasted different (but good) and after a look at it realized I had gotten a black and blue by mistake. So apparently pouring a ton of guiness into it helps, probably more than lemon. If I have to throw fruit in a beer to drink it, it’s trash.

Boston is the HQ of http://beeradvocate.com/ and you guys should totally go to http://www.nerax.org/ in Somerville in May.

I tend not to go for the hop-bombs. I love a nice rich stout or porter…my favorites these days are Darwin Flag Porter, Breconsire Black Dragon Stout, just had Moor Peat Porter last night which was yummy…

I think my overall favorite beer is Schneider Aventinus or Rodenbach Grand Cru.

If you like the dark stuff, you can’t beat Spaten Optimator. The beer hall down the street actually sells the stuff in pitchers — they should require a designated driver to order one though. Perfect example of a German tripple.

Hennepin and Rare Vos are really good domestic Belgian Abbey Style brews. I like the Rare Vos the best and it gives Chimay et al a run for the money and is half the price, even if you buy it some place like whole paycheck.

Anything from Bells (especially the Two Hearted — great IPA) or Goose Island is going to kick ass.

I like Smithwicks from Ireland and all the different Chimays. The other night I had a pear lambic from Belgium. $12 for a small glass so forget getting fucked up off it but it was fabulous. Michael Medved was there and accused me of being a fag for drinking such a fruity beer but I didn’t care. Or did he call me a fat chick? Can’t remember.

I work 500 yards from the Harpoon Brewery. I need to make a Homer-and-Barney style friday afternoon escape from work to take the tour.

Big ups to Red Hook ESB and Red Oak’s Battlefield Black (from NC).

Splitters!

As a native of Delaware, you get many kudos from me for your choice of brew. I did, however, live in Portland, OR for a spell and totally fell in love with Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Can’t find in in these parts, tho’.

Beer sucks. Drink whiskey, port or bourbon.

At the risk of being a homer (and revealing my super-secret hideout location), I’ve never been disappointed by the brews of Magic Hat, Long Trail or Otter Creek although Magic Hat’s #9 isn’t my favorite (it’s an apricot fruit beer. But Jinx is quite lovely. Otter Creek’s Copper is crisp and solid. And Long Trail, apparent from great beer, has good labels

Deuchars is the king of IPAs.

I look forward to Avalanche Amber draft at the end of a day of skiing, but will echo the favorable comments on Smuttynose and Red Hook ESB (an A/B product, now). If you can find Sam Adams Boston Ale, not the lager, it’s worth a try.

Magic Hat #9: we get Magic Hat down here in NC. i’m working on a mixed 12-pack right now (well, not right now, since it’s 9:15am). ask your local retailer !

i’m awfully fond of Unibrau’s Blanc de Chambly (a Canadian white ale). also Brooklyn’s Pennant Ale ’55, Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Red Oak, Saranac Black Forest (on tap only), Labatt’s Canadian, Weihenstephaner, Pilsener Urquell, Grolsch, Guinness, St Peter’s Golden Ale, Bass…

i could easily list 50. it’s probably easier to list beers i don’t like: most high alcohol content beers (the flavor is just wrong), most fruity beers, etc..

Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted and Legendary Hobgoblin Strong Dark Ale from Wychwood Brewery are two of my all-time favorites.

But it is all about the temperature. Please don’t tell me you are drinking that IPA ice cold. Totally ruins the flavor. Nothing is worse than ordering a really good ale and getting it ice cold.

Other favorites can be found here: http://www.fraoch.com

Their Kelpie Seaweed Ale is heavenly.

Summit Extra Pale ale for everyday drinkin’. I don’t have much to add, having gotten here late. Most of my faves have all been mentioned. Smuttynose IPA, Magic Hat, Hop Devil, Dead Guy, Kona (Lillikoi is really good, but so are their others and I also like Alii). Harpoon, Brooklyn. The only ones I have to add are locals. Surly Furious Ale is like putting a handful of hops in your mouth. Delicious. Wisconsin’s Tyrenena Bitter Woman IPA is a smooth, but well hopped IPA. Lake Superior Brewing Company’s Special Ale, and a variety of New Glarus Brewing’s beers. I love Stella Artois when it’s hot, but it’s almost a shame to drink imports with the huge variety of regionals available. One of my favorite parts of traveling is sampling regional beers. I love beer threads.

If I have to throw fruit in a beer to drink it, it’s trash.

I’ll second that. All you Blue Moon drinkers need to try Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat. It’s the best wheat beer I’ve ever had and I’ve tried oh so many. Anything by Hacker-Pschorr (German) is excellent, too.

If you like the 60 Minute IPA, you might want to try brews made with Simcoe hops, which are all the rage right now among my Lehigh Valley beer-snob friends. I/we’ve been enjoying Weyerbacher Simcoe IPA and Troegs Nugget Nectar, two PA-local brews based on Simcoe. Solid hoppy taste but without the harshness.

saison dupont. mmmm i want one right now!!!

i just split a case of sierra nevada bigfoot, but i havn’t cracked any open … i have too much homebrew i have to get through first.

i do like the dogfish head 60 and 90 minutes … love the simcoe and amarillo hops.

uh…fucking Guinness? The best Guinness is at the Burren, across the street from Redbones in Davis. But you can also get a 32oz bucket of Newcastle at Mike’s down the street for like 4 dollars.

Storm King is my favorite of the Victory Beers. An imperial stout, blacker than the night itself. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have 20 PBR tallboys in my fridge right now.

I don’t drink,but I do grow hops(I use them in bath concoctions). For beer purposes,when does one harvest the hops flowers? I honestly can’t remember the type of hops I have(I’ve had the plant for 7 or 8 yrs now and I forgot,lol),but was thinking of trying my hand at making beer,just to see how I do with it. Any thoughts?

http://www.freshops.com/gardening.html#harvest

if you want to make beer with them, get a simple IPA kit at a local homebrew store (http://beertown.org/homebrewing/shops.asp) and substitute your hops for the flavor and aroma hops–those will be all the hops added in the last 15 minutes of the boil. maybe use about an ounce at 15 minutes, 5 minutes, 0 minutes, and then maybe another ounce a week into the fermentation. you don’t want to use your hops for the bittering addition because without knowing what kidn of hops they are it will be a wild guess how much bittering power (% alpha acids) they have.

Polygamy Porter. Good beer, great advertising.

“Why have just one?”

“Bring some home for the wives!”

I don’t care for IPAs. In the winter I like Belgian Lambic beer; in the summer, since it’s so fucking hot here, Mexican lagers — and I mean really Mexican, not ‘Texan’ like Corona.

Also, anything Boddington’s is delicious.

But honestly I don’t drink much beer anymore.

But I do collect Griesedieck Brothers breweriana — GB used to sponsor the Cardinals in the 50s, and was St. Louis’s most famous beer next to Budweiser. They were absorbed into Falstaff in the 60s and went out altogether soon after, though I hear some of the Griesedieck family has brought it back as a microbrew in a few St. Louis taverns lately. The name, incidentally, is pronounced the filthiest way possible: Greasy Dick. Funny stuff.

I like a lot of stuff, but largely groove on IPAs, imperial and oatmeal stouts, and Narragansett.

‘Gansett is FAR and away the best in its class/price range. It’s also back to what it “used to be” according to the old-timers. If you haven’t swilled this stuff since Nirvana was big and it was only $2 a six, try it again. A major bargain at $4-something for six pint cans.

Better in the can than the bottle, for some reason. I guess I jsut expect cheapo stuff to taste a little metallic. Goes good with uber-greasy pizza, the kind where the ‘roni turns into little bowls of oil.

I was lucky enough to gain an appreciation for beer while living half an hour away from the Weihenstephan brewery, in one direction, and various big Munich breweries, in the other direction. Nowadays I lean toward English bitters, like Fuller’s ESB.

Boddington’s used to be better, I’m told…the company heavily dumbed down the product in the 70s.

And if Ginger Yellow: If you really do think Deuchars is a good IPA, keep an eye out for Worthington White Shield.

(By the way, I’m running the bar at a beer festival next week if any of you want to come 😉 http://www.realales.org.uk/2007festival)

I’m stuck on Dogfish Head: their 90 minute IPA, and their Raison D’Etre are fine.

Oh, yeah I second the Unibrue emotion. They don’t make anything bad. Nothin’s better than getting garbaged on some Trois Pistoles.

Maudite, Sam Smiths Imperial Stout, Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown. Wee Heavy, Atlantic Brewing Coal Porter, Gritty’s Black Fly

i’m a big fan of the maudite. i believe the guy that started unibroue was one of the first lay brewers at chimay.

mmm, beer. Sorry, but you can’t make beer from wheat. Or fruit. Some nice stuff–

Bob’s ’47–a German ale form Boulevard Brewery, Kansas City; only in the fall, but a terrific ale.

Boulevard Dry Stout–also Boulevard (duh), very tasty, super clean finish.

Black Dog Ale–very nice, medium body; wasn’t around for a while, but Spanish Peaks Brewery seems to have revived and it’s back. Bonus: label graced by a Black Lab, with the slogan “No whiners.”

To mix and match responses:

tm wrote:

protected static said,
When I lived in DC…

Shudder. Best no to speak of that.
Burrp.

Hey, it was Clinton-era DC – a totally different place, and not a bad place to be if you were in your early 20s and politically active.

Evan wrote:

uh…fucking Guinness? The best Guinness is at the Burren, across the street from Redbones in Davis. But you can also get a 32oz bucket of Newcastle at Mike’s down the street for like 4 dollars.

Now I’m getting sentimental. Redbones was the site of my first legal beer (a Guinness, as it so happens), and the package store in Davis Square provided me with many hours of entertainment, back in the days when Sam Adams made only one beer and was highly variable from 6-pack to 6-pack.

Hmm.. Favorites..
Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale (though the Pale and the Oberon are wonderful also.. Hell, anything by Bell’s is good.)
Arrogant Bastard
Rogue’s Dead Guy (and just about anything else they make)
Blue Moon (more for being a widely available decent beer than anything else)
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

I don’t know if I believe in the human soul. I don’t know if I believe in ‘true love’ . I believe that beer is good.

My current top five craft beers:

Mirror Pond (Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR)
Red Nectar (originated by Humboldt Brewing, now apparently made by Firestone, but it tastes the same)
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout (North Coast Brewing Co., Fort Bragg, CA)
Bigfoot Barleywine (Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA)
Eye of the Hawk (Mendocino Brewing Co., Hopland, CA)

Great Lakes’ Dortmunder when I’m at school, and at least one Yuengling a day. Did you hear me I said Yuengling. I know it’s not “craft” or whatever but I live in Pennsylvania, it’s like a law or something.

Recently somebody made me try Sierra Nevada Celebration – good stuff.

North Country brewing (Slippery Rock PA) has the Stone House stout, a tasty porter, and good pale ales.

And a lot of people don’t agree but I find the Lagunitas IPA really good.

While this won’t help the easterners, if you like IPA and are ever in Flagstaff, AZ, stop in at Mogollon Brewery (www.mogbrew.com ) for a Horny Toad IPA. Compares quite favorably with the Dogfish Head. Not bottled, so you have to come get it. Damn, it’s still morning here, and y’all got me thinking about a beer already.

man i love redbones. the burren and mike’s, too.

i’ve heard good things about bell’s but we don’t get them out here in boston.

Living in Oregon provides too many opportunities for good beer.
However current Favs are:

Black Butte Porter
Fat Tire
Bridgeport Blue Heron

Yes I like the Rogue Dead Guy Ale too, a trip to the coast and a pint from the brewery tap is a treat! 😉

I see your Duvel and raise you Judas. I’ve never seen it in the USA, but it is definately worth a trip to Antwerp.

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale is good stuff, and how can you not love that name.

Smuttynose’s porter is pretty good too. Sam Smith’s porter is great, but I’m too cheap to plunk down that much cash for a four-pack.

I don’t like wheat beers in general, but Sam Adams Summer brew is a good … summer brew.

I think I need to hit the beverage store on my way home tonight.

I used to live in Prescott, AZ and loved the Ponderosa IPA at the Prescott Brewing Company. I also miss all the western microbrews, particularly Bridgeport IPA and Mirror Pond Pale Ale.

Up here in MN the Summit Maibock is excellent, but is a seasonal brew. Their IPA is pretty good.

I also second the suggestion of Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat – I tried some while passing through Kansas City and thought it was great. And I am not usually a fan of wheat beers.

The guys at Dogfish Head are the Mad Scientists of brewers. I am also partial to the Mendocino Brewing Company. Hop Ottin’!

It is hard to go very far here in Seattle without running into a good local craft brewery. The Elysian, Maritime, Pacific Rim, Diamond Knot, and Point Defiance all hold their own…

I higly recommend the Boundary Bay in Bellingham (Imperial IPA…mmm), and the Water Street Brewery in Port Townsend has the Strange Brewfest every January, which is not to be missed.

Sure, it rains a lot here, but it is hard to care through the stupor of a great beer…

Big Time Brewery in the U-District (Seattle, next to the UofW). Cask conditioned beer available (usually Bhagwan’s Best IPA).

Pike Brewing Company, Pike Place Market (south end). Incredible array of draft beers, including Belgium fruit beers and Celibrator Dopplebok. PBC cask conditioned beer available, usually two at a time.

I’ve always been more into distilled spirits than beer, but having spent an awful lot of my youth in Lake County, I was going through Hopland on 101 with my parents in the sixties and on my bike in the seventies. You could always just stop at one of the little breweries there (Mendocino was the big one, but there were a number of no-names) and you always had a cold beer, even as a kid. It gets brutally hot from 101 east, so cold beer is critical to survival at all times. When I’m feeling like beer, I tend to just go over to the Hops Bar, it’s in the Biltmore in Santa Clara and just start trying different microbrews. Very cool place, and you never know which gazillionaire you’ll be chatting with…

mikey

Everything I like has already been mentioned (Two Hearted, Oberon, Stella). My other favorites are not available out-of-state but if you’re ever in the area, Dragonmead in Warren is great.

http://www.dragonmead.com/

When I was there a few weeks ago, we counted 35 beers on tap. One of the beers I chose for my flight was a pepper beer. It was very spectacular. Next was an apricot; I normally hate fruit beers but I _really, really_ liked this. Even the raspberry was good. About the only thing I didn’t care for was their Kolsch, but I’m pretty particular about my Kolsch.

Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale is good… but not a patch on Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout!

while we may have moved on to delicate micro brews and refined imports, let us never forget the beers of our youth… the PBR’s rolling rocks, genesee’s and ballantine ale. beers chosen not just for their flavor, but for their economy and industry, plus their ability to drown out the taste of the popov 100 proof…

Beer drinkers are pussies.

rob, i fart in your general direction
i scoff at your zima
go get yourself a wine cooler or a mountain dew

js: …at least one Yuengling a day. Did you hear me I said Yuengling.

Yuengling Lager is hella good. They’ve got a bottling plant in Tampa three miles from my house, but I never tried their beer until I saw it on tap at a local pizza place last year. But since then it’s been near the top of my list of favorite beers. I can’t believe I can buy beer that tastes so good for only $10.19 the twelve-pack.

I too like beer, perhaps a bit too much.
Current favorites:
Alaskan Amber, Mirror Pond, Full Sail, Urquell, Fat Tire and Red Hook IPA.
My guilty secret – I sometimes drink Busch.

Smithwicks is good – on tap in Ireland -I did not like it out of a bottle.

Best (IMO) Spanish beer -and they have some good ones – Alhambra Special Reserve – I’ve only ever seen it in Granada. Estrella Damm is also good.

Fuck that Corona shite – Pacifico is the best Mexican beer! Though I once had a very good time drinking mass amounts of warm Tacate from cans.

My favorite beer ever: Ice cold draught Warstiener in Leipzig. It blew my socks off.

There are a couple of good Chinese lagers – but they are like 11% – normally a very good thing – unless your hosts end up ordering 16-18 (I lost count) bottles for a 4 person meal and you’re mixing it with shots of Sorghum liquor (which tates like ass! you need the chaser). Can’t beat the price though: $.20 (that would be twenty cents!) for a 22oz bottle.

I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like beer.

“Think globally, drink locally!”

We’re blessed here in Wisconsin with many a fine craft brewery and brewpub. Here are a few of the bottled beers I particularly enjoy:

New Glarus Brewery makes a line called “Unplugged” where the brewmaster experiments from time to time. He recently produced “Enigma” which truly lived up to its name. It came about when a wild yeast invaded the brewery and was captured and utilized. Described as a Belgian farmhouse ale.

They regularly produce their fine “Wisconsin Belgian Red” made from Wisconsin Door County cherries. Not as sweet as you might think! Keep an eye peeled for their “Uff-da Bock” and “Staghorn Octoberfest.”

Capital Brewery makes some very nice beer and the brewmaster Kirby is a hoot and a helluva brewer. The beer vats are all named after Frank Zappa songs. You really can’t go wrong with any of the seasonals such as “Winter Skal”, “Autumnal Fire” (yum!), “Blonde Dopplebock”, “Maibock”, and so on. “Eisphyre”, an ice-bock, will live on in legend if not in memory… It clocked in at a whopping 11% alcohol.

Tyranena Brewing Company in my father’s old home town comes with an added bonus for me… many of their beers are named after local legends which include people and legends I’ve heard about while (ostensibly!) growing up. They make “Bitter Woman IPA” which I love to sip and and an even more intense version in the “Brewers Gone Wild” series called “Bitter Woman from Hell IPA.” Love their “Rocky’s Revenge” aged in oak bourbon casks.

One more and I’m outta here… Sprecher Brewery makes some fine beer, overall a little sweet for my tastes but well regarded. I do seek out their peat smoked “Piper’s Scotch Ale” which only gets better and better as it warms in glass.

well said gus, i hear cheney will only drink grain alcohol,bats blood and urine

Pacifico is OK, but I much prefer Negra Modelo if I’m eating Mexican food. Dos Equis is not bad either.

I’m glad Karl mentioned Celebrator Doppelbock. One must love any beer that comes with a plastic goat on a string.

Pacifico is absolutely required when frying. You chew up eleven to fifteen hundred mics of clean acid, then pound down ice cold vodka on the way to the peak. As you start to get there, get outdoors and take a couple sixes of Pacifico with you. The beer that made bear owsley famous. Or something. Y’know, they really oughta use that in their marketing…

mikey

I am absolutely jonesin’ for a good beer now. I wanna take a beer based road trip. Mafueller, you’re right, Wisconsin has tons of good beers. My favorite regions for beer tourism (on this continent anyway) are New England and Northwest, though. Some nice regional breweries in N. California in addition to Oregon. Reading this thread is making me drool. I do not have a drinking problem!

Gotta put a shout out for Shiner Bock, made in Shiner texas. Not really a microbrewery anymore, but its all I used to drink in Austin, and it was not expensive.

Beer tourism!
man, it’s way too early for a beer
can we do a pot thread now?

mikey,
If someone was having a bad trip our remedy was to get them as drunk as possible. It worked pretty well. Otherwise I think too much booze fucks with the high. A little beer is great – but too much and you don’t see the Shiva cloud grabbing for the full moon over the Pacific while the breaking waves chant “hush” at you.

Good old country Bear Whiz Beer.

“It’s in the water! That’s why it’s yellow!”

judeanpeoplesfront, as I like to say, it’s noon somewhere. However, I believe my boss might have an issue with me cracking a cold one at my desk. mikey, that brings back some memories.

Man, you folk were hardcore in the day, mikey. I only drank when tripping if I decided I wanted the trip to last a couple hours more. I’ve always thought a quarter or so of good chronic per person was the best companion to acid, for the somewhat duller drawn out hours on the back end.
But I never had Owsley’s stuff. Lucky bastard. I’d have to know a chemist to be willing to drop ever again, but i’d love a couple hundred microdots to throw in the freezer for rainy days. One or two microdots is such a nice, pleasant little trip.

Great Lakes Brewery’s Edmund Fitzgerald porter.
Sprecher Black Bavarian.
Bells Rye Stout (hard to find, snag a sixer if you spot it).

I had an Oscars Chocolate Oatmeal Stout the other night, which was fucking delicious, but it may have just been the bad day = great beer syndrome.

Wow, I guess I’m narbing for some dark beer right now. On the lighter end, Lagunitas IPA and some sourdough bread is a king’s meal.

Also, if you’re ever in or around Baltimore you should try the Resurrection Ale by the Brewer’s Art (warning: divine intervention not included).

I’d be interested if any greater metro area can compete with Seattle for craft beers.

First bout: Seattle vs. Milwaukee

Can any other cities compete with the quality/abundance of micros found in the Emerald City?

Washington State is the world’s largest producer of hops, so it makes sense.

dougie, “edmund fitzgerald porter”, good for sinking ships, drunk by the white house staff and scooter’s legal team..

My favorite beer?

If it makes me walk funny, I’ll take two.

Smithwicks is good – on tap in Ireland -I did not like it out of a bottle.

It does suck out of a bottle compared to on tap but that seems to be true of any Irish/English ales. And speaking of Ireland it’s a shock to me how popular Budweiser has become there. I remember being there about 20 years ago and they had just begun a big marketing campaign including sponsoring some speed boat race on the Liffey. I thought they had no chance but I was wrong.

Ah… Beer! I love it’s frothy, hoppy goodness!

Like Mafueller, I am blessed to live in Wisconsin, Stevens Point to be exact.

We have our own small brewery founded in the 1860s. My faves from them are Point Pale Ale, Point Amber, Belgian White and seasonally their Bock. In nearby Amherst there’s Central Waters Brewery. They do a nice Red, an IPA, and a well regarded Porter. Central Waters also brewed an award winning barley wine a few years back–not my thing though.

Pretty much anything by New Glarus is good. I especially like their Copper Kettle Hefeweizen (reminds me of Maisels Weisse out of Bayreuth Germany). Capitol City Brewery in Madison does a lot great beers too. Washington Island Wheat is made with wheat grown on Washington Island. It’s a little hoppier than average…

Seattle vs Milwaukee would be an interesting challenge…

Labatt Blue when I’m at the baa, Paulaner Hefe Weizen or Tucher Hell when I run across either…

t4toby:

I’d be interested if any greater metro area can compete with Seattle for craft beers.

Come on. Seattle may be good, but Portland, Oregon is Beervana. No comparison. Most breweries of any city in the world, or so I’m told.

And if you can get hold of anything from Hair of the Dog, it’s the pinnacle of beer experience.

Touche’, Stickler.

I stand behind the Imperial IPA from Boundary Bay (I heart hops), but i’m willing to look for some o’ dat good ole Dog Hair.

BTW- you’re not supposed to tell anyone about Portland, dude!

What? Do you want it to become Seattle? 😉

I’m inspired to head down to the beer distributor tonight to see how many of the beers mentioned here I can find but something has me confused. If this is a liberal blog aren’t we all supposed to be debating the best chardonnays and how to drink them in the most effete, elite manner possible?

SIxpack,

The good Point beers are hard to come by down here in the sticks of south central Wisconsin. I’m still jonesin’ for some Lake Louie “Warped Speed Scotch Ale” from over Arena way.

My suggestion for competitions between any two regions or metro areas would be this:

Choose a meeting place geographically smack dab in the middle of the two competitors.

Pack up a van with a trusty designated driver and loads and loads of your area’s finest brew and six discerning area beer drinkers. (Is that last a contradiction in terms? I think not!)

Begin your respective journeys at a predetermined time.

First one to arrive in the middle loses.

If this is a liberal blog aren’t we all supposed to be debating the best chardonnays and how to drink them in the most effete, elite manner possible?

Heh.

lawnguylander, though i always try to drink my beer in the most effete manner possible, i fear you may be right. we may have blown bradrockets chances for working on hillary’s campaign.

i suggest from now on we discuss wine only, and don’t mention the reds

We need to figure out a beer exchange. I want to try some of those Seattle and Portland beers, and I’d love to share the best of the upper Midwest. I swear no Hamm’s.

Pliny teh elder, Hop Rod Rye, Mirror Pond, many, many more.

Mikey: you must recall New Albion…

Boont Amber

My favorite American wheat beer is Widmer Brothers’ Hefeweizen, brewed in Oregon. It’s not quite as good as the Weissbiers I had in Bavaria, but it’s the best American one I’ve had. (The worst that I’ve tried is the Shiner Hefe from Texas–they add all kinds of extra citrus flavors or something, it’s just awful.)

Sam Adams Black Lager is probably my favorite of theirs (I was surprisingly disappointed by their Hefeweizen; maybe it was just a bad batch), though I’ve only been able to find it in those variety packs and never on its own.

An excellent German Weissbier that you can find relatively easy in big cities is Erdinger, though it’s heavy on the carbonation.

Mafueller-

Good idea, but what if one team is just slow at drinking?

Gus-

I think it’d need to be more of an exchange program. The best beer comes striaght from the tap. I’m game if you are…

Anything from Speakeasy Brewery in SF! Their Prohibition Ale is a favorite, but they just came out with a new IPA: Double Daddy. It’s got 9.5%, but still manages to taste like heaven.

For anyone in the area: on Fridays between 4pm and 8pm you can go visit the brewery and have some beer ($10 gets you a pint glass you can keep and three fill-ups). There’s usually a band and some darts, but no fancy schmancy stuff (like chairs or tables – find a case to sit on!).

http://www.goodbeer.com/

I can’t believe none of you assholes has mentioned Westvleteren 12 yet. Best fucking beer in the world, pity it’s near-impossible to get one outside of Flanders.

The other Trappisten (Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Rochefort and Westmalle) are all worth sampling, and much easier to come by – Rochefort 10 and Westmalle Trippel are especially good.

Other than that; Van Steenberge’s Gulden Draak (a self-described “dark trippel”) and Het Anker’s Cuvee van de Keizer (the concept is rather daft, but it is a fine beer, not least if you have the discipline to store it for a few years).

I much prefer dark beer, but if I want something lighter, I usually go for a fairly standard pilsner like Staropramen or Urquell or a Danish brew – although on really hot days, I may go for a Weißbier, usually Paulaner or Franziskaner, though I’ll prefer a Weihenstephan or Prinzregent Luitpold if I can get them.

Hold on now- cool, refreshing Hamms is the best of the shit-beers, I’ve determined. Mostly due to the absence of the sour, bready taste of PBR and similar crapola.

Stickler:

Portlander here myself. I know first-hand many, many, many of the beers and brewpubs that make them, as mentioned on this thread. But, still, looking at your “beervana” map and realizing I live smack in the center of it? Well, it almost made me cry.

I have a hard time adding to the list of special beers because I walk into the brewpubs and simply ask them what their seasonal beers are, and pick one. There are literally hundreds of different microbews available in Portland at any one time.

If I had to pick one, though, it would be Mirror Pond by Deschutes Brewing. The perfect IPA. Very balanced with a clean start and a slightly sweet finish. Gorgeous deep yellow color. Mmmmmmm.

the westmalle tripel is outstanding. there’s a great homebrew recipe out there for a westmalle tripel recipe that is spot on … i’ll be making it again soon.

i’ve never had westvleteren 12, but i can’t imagine it could be better than saison dupont.

now hold on a sec…
bready?!?

is that even a word?
I’ll have you know I still get people drunk thankyouverymuch.

I don’t think Milwaukee will compare to Seattle for craft beers. we’re too much of a blue collar town at heart. crap, You can still get PBR most places round here.

But the bowling alleys will also have 42 beers on tap.

Sprecher is a hometown mainstay. Their Russian Porter is a sharing beer, and made me see God in my backyard last fall. No mean feat, being an atheist.

But….there’s a special seasonal hereabouts, made by Lakefront brewery, http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/meetbeer.asp called Holiday Spice Ale. It’s a sweet, flavored beer, comes out around Thanksgiving, with cinnamon and the other spices of the season. It’s a thick warming beer, appropriate for the holiday get togethers, where the whole family is wearing sweaters and the fireplaces are going.

And it’s strong. Quite strong. Known among the local bartenders as “Rocket Fuel” . I was fortunate to be able to taste one of the test batches (which were brewed too strong for commercial distirbution. Friend of a friend had it at a party) It was a sipping beer, in that configuration.

It’s settled down somewhat, but still varies from year to year. People judge the years like a wine.

It’s my favoritest beer in the whole wide world. MMmmmm. I wish I had one now.

I myself enjoy trying something different whenever possible and my favorite place to do this is palmers place in LaGrange IL

They have a beer menu that is a double sided sheet with 3 or 4 columns small type. They stock beers from around the country and the world, and grill a mean burger to boot.

Rumor has it that the Jolly Roger (this comes from the regulars in the tap room at the Maritime) was around 12% alcohol this year. They just say its 7.9% or something on the label to avoid having the beer taxed as wine.

I had some, and it was very strong. As for the 12% number, I suggest you look into it yourself.

…and what is the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA? 20%?

Anything by the Alchemist in Waterbury, VT is super interesting and only sold there….on the other side of U.S., check out Terminal Gravity’s offerings, if you’re in the area.

The only posts on this blog which contain content original to the blog are about beer or football.

What’s up Brad? Couldn’t find a post on a “wingnut” blog talking about beer that you could get all whiny about?

I’m sure there’s a Republican out there somewhere posting about drinking Bud…try a Nascar fan site maybe.

IPA is old people beer anyway. Old drunk people beer.

Oh come on. Is Pie even a beer?

mikey

Cabernet. Oh, wha?

Sixpak Chopra — Central Waters’ IPA makes me blow my ass out every time. Every bottle yields a surefire bowlgripper. I’d have healthier guts after downing five chilitos at Taco Bell. Extra green onions.

Nice to see all the wisconsinites rep’n our granfalloon on this thread. Are there a ton of Sadly No readers here or is it just the beer culture shining through?

The Onion strikes again!

The Onion said:

“Sure, [Giuliani] has no foreign or national policy experience, and both his personal life and political career are riddled with scandal,” said Hammond. “But in the key area of having been on TV on 9/11, the other candidates simply cannot match him. And as we saw in 2004, that’s what matters most to voters in this post-9/11 world.”

Brilliant! Just fucking brilliant!

Death & Taxes by Moonlight. Anything by Moonlight is pretty good. I also like Mt. Tam Pale Ale.

ahh, San Francisco is a Beer snob paradise.

Lawnlanderguy,
And speaking of Ireland it’s a shock to me how popular Budweiser has become there.
Bud Light even! I was a bit shocked.
Also
beer distributor that is just a crime – my sympathy -Pennsylvania?

sorry – Lawnguylander

Mt. Tam Pale Ale.

In my wild and mis-spent youth in the mid seventies, we would get eleven kinds of crazy and then at three or four in the morning race our bikes from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach over Mount Tamalpais in what shortly came to be known as a “Tam Jam”. The Sheriff knew about it but never even tried to stop us. As far as I can recall, no one ever died…

mikey

annieangel, I always pictured you as a Golden Anniversary Beer or Natural Lite kinda lady…

Dogfish Indian Brown Ale at this moment, with Harpoon IPA in the fridge as a backup. Sitting on the bookshelf above me is a prized possession: a bottle (now empty) of Harpoon’s “Commissioner Pale Ale” signed by Peter Gammons. I live about two miles from the Harpoon Brewery so what I get here is very fresh. I also love Trois Monts when I can get it.

ironicname,

I’m right outside NYC but package stores here don’t sell beer so for obscure beers a big distributor is the only choice.

I’ll be interested to see if this thread sparks an outbreak of brown bottle flu tomorrow.
I know I am now truly thirsty.
Lawnguylander, I had no idea that NY was hostage to the beer distributor. Learn something new everyday.

Wheat beers? bah. Pabst Blue Ribbon!

(actually likes Foster’s Lager (from the can) better than most all craft brews)

I hear annieangel likes it in the can.

BEER, that is.

Little Yeoman is the bizomb.
Boulevard on Tap = Heaven

t4toby:

BTW- you’re not supposed to tell anyone about Portland, dude!

What? Do you want it to become Seattle?

Crap! I forgot.

Never mind about that “Beervana” stuff, people. Portland is rainy and boring. Nothing to see here. People are hostile and snooty. The Oregon Brewer’s Guild even has an “Enthusiast” membership that’s called SNOB.

Please, folks, don’t move here and turn us into another Californicated hellhole like Seattle.

Lagunitas IPA Bridgeport IPA anything made in Portland Oregon.

Ya sure ya betcha

For those New York area real ale fans – my friends hubby is running a beer festival this weekend in Brooklyn
11th Cask Head festival or Brazen Head

oops there should have been a second link
Brazen Head

And of course it should be my friend’s hubby. I don’t have multiple friends with the same husband.

Three Floyds’ (in Chicagoland Indiana) Alpha King pale ale is my go-to beer. It’s got an intense citrus flavor that I’ve never found in any other beer.

More recently, I’ve become a fan of Great Lakes Brewing Co (in Cleveland). Their IPA (“Burning River”) and porter (“Edmund Fitzgerald”) are both really tasty.

Finally, I’m surprised how many people mentioned Goose Island. Pretty much everything they brew is, umm, aftertaste mistaken for flavor, as someone wiser than I put it.

Hey, what does it mean that I read Sadly, No! every day, but this is the subject that gets me to make a comment?

An indication of my priorities, I guess.

We do have excellent microbrews here in Wisconsin–anybody headed to the Running of the Blondes on Saturday to celebrate the unveiling of the Blonde Dopplebock at Capital Brewery? I might be able to take part; only my hairdresser knows for sure.

Brad’s Rogue Chocolate Stout reminded me of a yummy treat I’ve had a few times, courtesy of our clever friends at Barriques Wine Cave. It’s a Mole Black & Tan (pronounced ‘molay’ like the Mexican sauce, not like the blind creature in your lawn) with a carefully layered mixture of Rogue Chocolate Stout and Rogue Chipotle Ale. Holy frijoles.

BUDWEISER! Oh sorry I thought you said crap beer (even though it is my crap beer)

I’m going to go out on a limb and admit that I once drank Watney’s Red Barrel (the brew Monty Python mocked) and LIKED IT.

But that was, like, 30+ years ago, so may be it was good compared to the mass-produced Molson’s crap that was available at that time. Microbreweries sprang up later.

If you’re ever in Vancouver, I recommend Granville Island lagers. Okanagan Springs was pretty good before they sold out to some big-assed beer company.

I only drink beer once in a blue moon so I’m not up on all the local microbrews.

Wake me when you do a single malt thread.

Every European lager I’ve gotten on tap in Europe has been great- fresh, perfectly-balanced, an entirely different experience than over here. It’s especially great when you order it “grande” or “grossa” and the 50-something waiter looks askance at you and says “G-g-grande, senore?” and you give him an exasperated “Si, grande, grande!” and he leaves shaking his head muttering and reappears with a tray of what looks like the beer of the gods, multiple-litre viking-steins for you and your friends to drink with your Napolis. The Napoli pizza at Formula 1 pizzeria in San Lorenzo in Rome is also amazing, by the way. It costs I think 5 euros and comes with maybe three slices of incredibly salty anchovy. Finish with profiterolles, which is basically a cream puff rolled in a layer of chocolate mousse with chocolate sauce, served to the accompaniment of dozens of Italian lunatics doing football chants at the top of their lungs.

tb:

Every European lager I’ve gotten on tap in Europe has been great- fresh, perfectly-balanced, an entirely different experience than over here.

This is pretty important, actually. The things that are done to European beers in transit can be pretty nasty, and worse, if the distributor and publican aren’t keeping their beer cold and the lines clean, you can get a funky beer. Never be afraid to send the beer back and demand another pour. (This applies to domestic beers, too, of course. If you’re in a bar with 45 taps and you just ordered the slowest-moving beer, there’s a chance you’ll get beer that’s been sitting in the tap line for days. Feel free to send it back and get another.)

Green bottles are another boondoggle; they don’t block much UV light and can lead to “skunked” beer pretty quick. This seems to be a frequent problem with Pilsner Urquell, for example. As little as 45 minutes of direct sunlight and the hops are skunked and you know it when you smell it. If you see beer on display in a store and the bottles are in the sun, you can be assured that the store doesn’t care about their product much. Keep moving.

Lesley, never had bleeding Watney’s Red Barrel, but I remember seeing it in 2 liter plastic bottles in the mid-’80s.

Henry Weinhard ….. ah, I drank a lot of Henry’s in Washington. I wouldn’t call it a craft beer, really, but it was good and it was cheap, and I drank many a Henry’s in Seattle and Kent. When I go out there, if I’m driving I always load up a half rack and bring it back to Iowa with me. Can’t get it around here. Just a sentimental journey…

Some of the best beer I’ve ever drank (dranken? drunk? drunken? drinkillated?) was Mickey’s Malt Liquor in the big mouth bottles at “Buck For A Buck”. Buck Owens and the Buckaroos for One Dollar admission at Red Rocks. Sometimes its not the gas in the bottle but the atmosphere that surrounds it that makes it special.

Twenty Bucks, Same as in Town is up, with appearances by Newshounds, Feministe, the General, Get Your War On and a fascinating new project that bombards Republicans with old copies of 1984.

Is February blog sweeps month? The only thing that will attract as many comments as beer is a boomer/gen x-er or Mac/Windows flame war.

I [vaguely] remember drinking lots of Piel’s in New Haven. It’s main virtue was the low price/case available over the border in NY.

Lesley, never had bleeding Watney’s Red Barrel, but I remember seeing it in 2 liter plastic bottles in the mid-’80s.

I feel compelled to state that my Watneys arrived at the table in a respectable glass bottle. I’m thinking 1978/79 or thereabouts.

Now and then I also drink Corona with a slice of lime. I’ve also enjoyed McEwan’s Scotch Ale. Though, who hasn’t heard of these? They’re common as dirt.

Here’s a site that may interest beer lovers.

Add my vote to Yuengling Lager. There are a lot of beers I like, some better known (Killians) than others (Magic Hat #9), but Yuengling will always be my favorite.

Worst shit I’ve ever tasted? Miller High Life at a post-funeral dinner in an old VFW hall. Yeah, memories of my childhood, but damn, that stuff’s worse than Schmidt’s.

Here in Wisconsin we have Spotted Cow Ale from the New Glaurus brewery. My fiancee and I are a going to toast with it at our wedding.

I have tasted of the short-lived Colt 45 Power Master and yea, verily it worked. Every time.

Now that I can’t drink Power Master any more, I go for pitchers of Lagunitas IPA at Zeitgeist (AKA drunkard heaven) and the Two Rivers Pomegranate Cider on tap at the Toronado (AKA beer heaven).

But I miss the wingnuttery. I’m running low on reasons to drink heavily.

Georgetown Brewery here in Seattle is currently my favorite, I love the Red Chopper

SN! seems to be on beer hiatus

this has been fun , but i do yearn for the savaging of some rightoid lunatic

still.. kona brewing’s macnut ale and coffee stout, longboard lager, mehana

and tsing ha and kingfisher

nothing like coming into a thread 200 comments in. I just wanted to represent for the ladies. I like beer. Fat Tire is my favorite. I drank a lot of Blue Moon at a wedding this weekend and thought it was quite tasty.
I went a tour of the Red Hook brewery in Washington, it was fun.

Hope everyoneis doing well.

How ’bout some classics that are no longer with us (*hat over heart*)

Hibernia – brewed in the old Walter’s Beer plant in Eau Claire, WI, back in the 80s. Competed with Anchor Steam at the competitions, damn near beat it. A great amber ale. In college, the owner of the brewery used to show up at our parties and after a few shots of Electric Lemonade, he’d get on the horn and order a few kegs. Damn, that stuff was good.

Eureka – brewed in Lucasfilm’s short-lived experiment in West LA with a restaurant/brewery. Another tasty amber ale, one that had enough bite to make you dream up something like Jar-Jar, apparently.

This blog sucks.

protected static said,
“Nah, it tastes like the first bong hit of the morning.�

I borrowed that line tonight at a beer tasting session, and everyone looked at me like I was a dirty stinking hippie.
Someone has to drag beer tasting down into the gutter where it belongs.

Now I’m looking forward to the hangover thread.

Hehe.. around here, we’re all dirty hippies. My vote is for the Ol’ Rasputin- and if you have the chance to be in N. CA. check out the Boonville Brewing Co.- they have some brews that aren’t commercially distributed- the double Monk, the drunk Monk- it’s all good. Also, Fort Bragg, where Rasputin is from, also puts out a very decent light ale- Scrimshaw.

Looks like the Bradrocket might have consumed a bit too much of the ‘ole suds.

Yoo hoo, anyone home?

About a year ago I moved to Texas from Milwaukee, after living there for eight years. The beers I miss most are Lakefront Riverwest Stein, Point Bock, Spotted Cow, Sprecher Black Bavarian, and Berghoff Dark.
I also drank lots of Huber in the returnable bottles. Here in Texas it’s Shiner, followed by more Shiner, with an occasional Pacifico for variety.

Beer related confession: Last night after a particularly taxing day at work, I drank a Keystone Light. It is amazing what good things a hard day will do to a bad beer.

This is the second comment I have ever written here. The other one was about baseball. I like the snark and political goings-on, but I can’t comment effectively on them. Usually politics just make me want to drink beer.

Just say the word “beer” and the Wisconsinites come out!

I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling beer deprived there in Texas. Berghoff/Huber makes quality stuff, though I have to go to the liquor store for it. BTW, Point Brewery bought the rights and recipe for Augsburger and Augsburger Dark from Berghoff/Huber. I think they started brewing it again sometime last year.

As for beers outside of Wisconsin, I liked Christian Moerlein out of Cinci.

In Austria I drank a lot of the various Stiegel brews. There’s also a monastery in Salzburg run by Augustinians that ages their beer in wood barrels. They do a special beer for Lent that has an extra kick to it. Good Stuff!

And finally…

I once had Taj Mahal at an Indian restaurant and it hit the fucking spot. I discovered I like a slightly sweet beer with Indian food.

Also, in the days of my youth I thought Heineken was the be-all and end-all, and now it tastes thin and sour to me.

I tried Allagash White recently as well, though I wasn’t too into it,

Allagash makes the best Belgian-style beer in the US, hands down. Many will no doubt disagree, and many will be wrong.

You gotta try sterner stuff than their White, though. That’s their wimpy beer. The Dubbel and Tripel are far superior, as is the Grand Cru. The barrel-aged beers are to die for, but quite pricey.

The only better Belgian-style stuff brewed in North America is made by those crazy Quebecois bastards at Unibroue.

Here in the Garden City of Missoula we are blessed with three wonderful microbreweries. Of IPA’s I have to say I thoroughly enjoy the Kettlehouse’s “Double Haul IPA.” But then, you’d expect a good IPA from a microbrewery that also brews both a Fresh AND Old Bongwater Porter.
http://www.kettlehouse.com/ourbrews.htm

Ah, Arrogant bastard ale…

Deependers Dark from AndersonValley
Lunatic Lager and Death and Taxes from Moonlight

“33” from Viet Nam
OB from Korea

How about Ommegang for American Belgian style brews? Oh, and if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Cooperstown, stick with the Ommegang. The Cooperstown Brewing Companies beers are mediocre.

Non-beer, but good on a warm day in Ireland…Bulmers!

Ol’ Rasputin – Good stuff!

Most Yorkshire ales…

Oh man, where do I start.

I like Lindemans Geuze…but there are so many geuze’s that are incredible it’s hard to pick a favorite.

Leaving Belgium and going to the Midwest I like Boulevard’s Unfiltered Wheat (Kansas City).

Trekking over to Colorado we have Lefthand Brewery’s Sawtooth Ale, which is what I call my “favorite beer” if I’m forced to pick one.

Crossing to PA I’ve fallen in love with, and I know it’s all mainstream and uncool, a nice cold Yuengling.

What’s in my fridge right now is Sleeman’s Cream Ale from Canada. I bought this beer once from a bodega close to my apt and fell absolutely in love with it. Two nights ago a Canadian friend was over and I offered her a Sleeman’s and she freaked out (in a good way). Apparently it’s a point of pride for the Canadians. Who knew? I thought it was just a random beer from the corner store.

For gods’ sake don’t buy or drink Blue Moon. Its made by Coors.

90 Shilling by Odells Brewery is my pick tonight.

I’m smashed off Smirnoff Vodka at the moment. I’m a mixed-drinker, so feel free to mock me over that. Whatever. It gets ya drunk!!!

To echo a couple earlier commenters, Kona Brewing Company on the Big Island of Hawaii rocks. I’m a fan of the Lilikoi wheat ale (passion fruit for those not in the know), as well as the Black Sand Porter and Big Wave Golden Ale. I was psyched to find some bars in NYC recently start carrying it — my understanding is that Budweiser is doing some distributing for them. If you get a chance, anything from Kona Brewing is worth a taste.

I’m smashed off Smirnoff Vodka at the moment. I’m a mixed-drinker, so feel free to mock me over that. Whatever. It gets ya drunk!!!

I drink sweet girlie drinks with little umbrellas and stuff. Yum.

*highfives righteous bubba* i am not afraid to admit i like “girlie drinks”. take that, patriarchy!

Terminal Gravity, anything Terminal Gravity!

Chimay.

Victory’s Golden Monkey.

To Five of Diamonds above: looking forward to a Yuengling isn’t uncool. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures. If PA had a state beer, that’d probably be it.

Incidentally and speaking of PA, if you’re in the Philadelphia area you should check out Standard Tap (in Philly itself), or The Drafting Room (out in the boonies of Exton). The former stocks exclusively local micros, while the latter has a massive selection, specializing in Belgian brews.

There is Guinness and everything else.
The acceptable ones are Beamish, Sierra Nevada Porter, Anchor Porter, Yuengling Porter, 8 Ball Stout, Old #38 Stout – well you get the idea.

A good time can be had driving around northern Northern California – North Coast, Lost Coast, Humboldt, Anderson and Sierra Nevada.

Does anyone remeber a beer called Prior Dark? I seem to remember getting it by the pitcher full in college and never seeing it again.

I live in NE Ohio and I think it is a damn shame that I cannot find Yuengling even this close to PA. Every time we head over to PA, I always come back with at least a coupe 6 packs of Yuengling. Draft Yuengling is better though.

You like to drink beer—but isn’t that manufactured by corporations? And aren’t corporations inherently evil? Almost as evil as refusing to have anal sex with a man even though you’re not gay, just to prove your liberal bona fides? Cognitive dissonance in effect!

World largest dating portal…

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AAse Bock (4XXXX) or Xingu are two great beers. I do not like all the fake microbrews coming out.There are many good beers but none are from the US. US beer is pee! Bear Whiz Beer. It’s in the water. That’s why it’s yellow!