The Beer Thread: 2007 – 2008

[colbyjack]

I'm a big fan of the local microbreweries, Lakefront, Sprecher and New Glarus, and sometime Capital. Lakefront's Riverwest Stein will always be my favorite beer, while their Pumpkin beer is a really nice treat this time of year. You can't go wrong with most of their products, although I never cared for their Irish Stout, I believe it is/was called Snake Chaser.

 

The same goes for Sprecher. Their Amber has just been so good for so long, and their seasonals are also quite tasty. Octoberfest is out right now, and Mai Bock might be my favorite beer of all-time. Dopplebock is also very good, but very, very strong and very thick (the label talks about how it was brewed to serve as a meal for the monks during lent way back when).

 

You can't go wrong with Spotted Cow, especially during the summer months, but Fat Squirrel is probably my favorite New Glarus brew.

 

If I have a taste for a Mexican brew, I usually get XX or Pacifico.

 

Elephant is a tasty and strong brew that I get when I have a taste for something more European in texture & flavor. Pilsner Urquell has also been one of my long-time faves.

 

If I get to choose between Irish stouts, I take Murphy's over Guiness. Smithwicks is also a very good Irish brew, although not a stout (I think its an ale, but I'm not sure).

 

Delirium Tremens is a great, great beer, but you can't have too many of them or you'll get bombed in a hurry (unless that's your goal of course).

 

As for the macros, I typically go for Lite or MGD or Leinie's Original. Leinie's Red is good too.

 

I'm thirsty. Time to leave work http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

[brettac1]

I've recently become a huge fan of Sam Adams Light. I love it. The last month or so, I drink either that or Sierra Nevada. I like Guinness, too.

 

On the topic of New Glarus, Dancing Man Wheat is awesome.

[TooLiveBrew]

colby - Smithwick's (fyi, pronounced - "smith-ick's") is indeed an Irish Ale. I like that beer, too - so many good choices.

 

EDIT: Interesting sidenote...Smithwick's is brewed by Guinness (as is the aforementioned Harp, another solid choice)

[colbyjack]

My brother made me aware of the Smithwicks pronunciation before I had the chance to order one for myself. He got teased pretty bad ordering a "Smith-wicks" in Ireland.

 

I forgot to mention Sam Adams. Anytime I'm further away from home I adopt Sam Adams as my beer of choice, because you can find it almost anywhere and it tastes a lot like Riverwest Stein.

 

Not a huge fan of wheats and belgian ales.

[TooLiveBrew]

me neither, though I used to be. I think - in both cases - it's that they're sweet. I will say, though, that they were my "gateway beer" into trying stuff aside from domestics.

 

http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/smile.gif

[jaybird2001wi]

I am broke right now (I get paid tomorrow and will be able to pay my bills, mind you) and I only had 4 bucks until tomorrow morning, so I decided to go to the store and bought two 4-pack cans of 16 oz Old Milwaukee. The beer will taste bad, but after the third beer, it won't even matter anymore.

[NeedMoreFans]

I tend to like wheats (which tend to be sweeter) and beer with a bit more malt, like Lakefront Riverwest Stein. If it gets too hoppy, it gets too bitter for me. Good dark ales are always a great way to go as well.

 

As for specific beer, I will only buy the macrobrews (only Miller) for events where a lot of beer will be consumed, like after softball. Otherwise, I stick to beer brewed in Wisconsin for the most part. I like Leinie's, especially Honey Weiss and Oktoberfest. I'm also a big fan of Capital Island Wheat and Point brews a good product for how cheap it is. But one of my all-time favorite beers is New Glarus Yokel. Outside of beers from Wisconsin, I love German beer. Fraziskaner and Spaten are fantastic.

[TooLiveBrew]

best. avatar. (for this thread) everrrr.

 

EDIT: Mmmm, Full Sail Pale Ale....as good to say as it is to drink...

[logan82]

I drink mostly Leinies or Hacker-Pschorr Weisse. I would compare it to Crop Circle Wheat at The Great Dane.

[Ando Calrissian]

I love beer...and beer of all kinds. I prefer micro-brews and imports but as they can put a serious dent in the wallet, I've usually got a case of High Life in the fridge. I've also recently even started brewing my own beer and have had good success brewing an IPA and Hefeweizen (which I'm drinking as I post this).

 

Currently, my favorite beer is "Alpha King" brewed by Three Floyds in Munster Indiana. It's a double IPA - an absolute hop monster with great citrusy cascade hops flavor, but it's one that you've got to be careful with as it can put you on your keister.

 

TLB - a great beer (that's brewed in Colorado and therefore maybe available to you in OR), I believe is called Big Yeti Stout. I live in PA and have only been able to have it once (due to our draconian liquor laws, it's sometimes hard to get microbrews from far away - I can't get New Glarus or Sprecher out here), but it is like candy for adults. Major coffee and chocolate flavors, fantasically thick and rich.

[TooLiveBrew]

I'll keep my eyes open for Big Yeti - pretty sure the local grocery store (there aren't any liquor stores nearby, and I have no car) doesn't carry that one. Sounds good - even though stout isn't my favorite brew. I'd try it just on your enthusiasm alone.

 

but it's one that you've got to be careful with as it can put you on your keister.

 

Mmmm....beer that puts me on my keeeeeeisterrrr....

[Gormans Gofer]

If you ever get to So. Cal, try Firestone Double Barrel Amber Ale, and Great White by Lost Coast Brewery. Two amazing beers, best I know of.

[BrewCrewForever]

I tend to like wheats (which tend to be sweeter) and beer with a bit more malt, like Lakefront Riverwest Stein. If it gets too hoppy, it gets too bitter for me. Good dark ales are always a great way to go as well.

 

As for specific beer, I will only buy the macrobrews (only Miller) for events where a lot of beer will be consumed, like after softball. Otherwise, I stick to beer brewed in Wisconsin for the most part. I like Leinie's, especially Honey Weiss and Oktoberfest. I'm also a big fan of Capital Island Wheat and Point brews a good product for how cheap it is. But one of my all-time favorite beers is New Glarus Yokel. Outside of beers from Wisconsin, I love German beer. Fraziskaner and Spaten are fantastic.

Yeah wheats to seem to be rather enjoyable.

 

[Beerambassador]

I'm a big fan of the "big beers" that a lot of Wisconsin microbreweries are doing right now. They take a style of beer (Stout, Pale Ale, Bock. etc.) and they blow it up and take it to extremes. Sprecher has their "Premium Reserve," Tyranena does "Brewers Gone Wild" and New Glarus does "Unplugged."

 

I'm a hophead (meaning I love the hoppy, bitter beers like IPA, APA, Pale Ale) so I've been in heaven with some of the beers that have come out in these lines of beer. Tyranena did a stout that brewed with oatmeal and coffee beans that was probably the tastiest beer I've ever had.

 

I probably sound like a beer snob, but I'm not really. I'm just adventurous in my tastes. I like the saying "Life is too short to drink cheap beer," but I always have some Miller Lite or Leinies Light (lawnmower beer) in the fridge for a change or for tailgating.

 

If people want to drink all macrobrews that's fine. But there's so much good beer out there to try.

[GAME05]

nice call on the Hacker-Pschorr. they make an unfiltered wheat that's awesome.

 

Becks makes a great dark beer, but i don't much care for their regular lager. Same goes for St. Paulies.

 

PBR is like THE beer here in Winston-Salem. oddly popular.

[TooLiveBrew]

It's got a sort of hipster-wannabe kitschy appeal, from what I've seen game. It's on tap at every bar I've visited so far in Portland. And it's probably due to the fact that it's cheap (nothing wrong with that) http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/smile.gif

 

I'm a big fan of the "big beers" that a lot of Wisconsin microbreweries are doing right now. They take a style of beer (Stout, Pale Ale, Bock. etc.) and they blow it up and take it to extremes.

 

From the (few) brewers I've talked to, they love being able to brew like this - no rules for what they get to do, just start off the base beer and then get to do what they love to do to the max. I've found these brews are most often home runs (but occasionally whiffs) as long as the hops don't scare you off.

[chuckiehacks]

I live in PA

Mmmm...Yuengling. That is good beer. And America's oldest brewery.

 

I've been on a wheat beer kick all summer. Capitol Island Wheat is my favorite, but Woody's Wheat from the Sand Creek Brewing Co. in Black River Falls is pretty good too.

 

If we're talking macros - nothing but the Champaign of Beers for me.

[RockCoCougars]

Gotta send some props out to the following...

 

Blue Moon (owned by Coors, awesome stuff)

Beck's Octoberfest (should be out now, give it a try)

St. Pauli Girl Dark

Tyranena Chief Black Hawk Porter (best "local" in my opinion)

Huber Bock (gotta give them their props for best "bang for the buck")

 

If I'm not drinking these, usually I stick to Sam Adams... or High Life if I'm in a local bar.

[IslandsAC]

I also have a tender place in my heart for Kul beer out of La Crosse. Lots of that during the college parties as well...

 

Beautiful, Hammer. Were you a screaming eagle too? Kul reminds me a lot of water, but I love water. Also out of City Brewery in La Crosse (although probably not of much help to you out in Portland, TLB - guess you'll just have to come back for a visit):

 

- La Crosse Lager - actually fairly tasty

- La Crosse Light - actually extremely disgusting, but you get what you pay for

- Golden Leaf - wheaty, but delicious

- City Winter Porter (seasonal) - I'm not a porter guy, but I can enjoy it

- Festbier (seasonal) - genuine Oktoberfest style all-malt lager. It's a little rich, but come oktober... when in rome.

 

On a slightly related topic, if any of you get the chance to head up to La Crosse for the Oktoberfest festivities, you won't regret it.

[burniebrewer]

Good to see the love of the High Life around here when it comes to macros.

[Schlitz001]

I just did the Coors brewery tour, and although I'm not a fan of Coors (I do like Blue Moon and Killians though), but they give you a taste of Coors Heavy 3 days after it's been brewed and it's out of this world.

 

I could go on and on, but my favorite beer that you can get anywhere in the US is Pilsner Urquel.

[burniebrewer]

I could go on and on, but my favorite beer that you can get anywhere in the US is Pilsner Urquel.

 

C'mon man, you've got the Schlitz avatar, that should be your favorite.http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/wink.gif

[M Skjellyfetti]

IslandsAC, I didn't know you drank beers other than the champagne.

[IslandsAC]

IslandsAC, I didn't know you drank beers other than the champagne.

Well I didn't say I enjoyed any of those other ones. I'm a high life man at heart.

 

[RockCoCougars]

Kind of off topic, but I've heard from some old timers that the Schlitz and Pabst of today taste nothing like they did back in the old days. Basically, if you buy these beers today, you are just buying the label.