NationStates Jolt Archive

what's your favorite beer?
more importantly for me, is it availiable in america?
Personally, my favs, and feel free to ridicule my tastes, i'm openminded, are corona and heineken. anywho, i'd like to branch out. what would you recommend?

warm Milwaukee's Best in a can.

warm Milwaukee's Best in a can.
uuhhh. thanks. i'll get right on that.

what's your favorite beer?
more importantly for me, is it availiable in america?
Personally, my favs, and feel free to ridicule my tastes, i'm openminded, are corona and heineken. anywho, i'd like to branch out. what would you recommend?

Belgian beer is the best. There probably aren't many belgian brands available over there, perhaps "Stella Artois".

warm Milwaukee's Best in a can.

I haven't had a beer warm or cold for a long-time, but if that is your favorite I have to wonder about your taste buds!!!

My favorite would be Killians.

A local bar has $2.25 25 ounce Killian drafts on Saturdays.

My favorite would be Killians.

A local bar has $2.25 25 ounce Killian drafts on Saturdays.
killians is alright, i dunno tho, it seems like it's trying too hard to be guinness, but doesn't quite get it. maybe it's just not my thing, i don't know.

San Miguel, Corona and Crown.
:)
I like my beer dry.
San Miguel is really well known, so it should be available in the US. It's Filipino. Crown is an Aussie beer, and everyone in the US seemsw to think Fosters is the be all and end all of Aussie beer, so I'm not sure.

San Miguel, Corona and Crown.
:)
i've never had the first or the third. i'll try em.

old style....not really a beer person but thats whats is um "provided" fer me

I've always heard American beer referred to as "piss water." Some European friends of mine have said that drinking beer is more "cultured" there because the beer is so good that it's almost like drinking a fine wine here in the U.S. Dunno if that's really true, but I can see it!

Don't drink myself, by the by. Turns a number of folks into idiots and causes enough grief.

Turns a number of folks into idiots and causes enough grief.

Oh I can definitely testify to that..haha.. :)

Lager - Budvar (the original Czech Budweiser, not the American stuff) is one of the few lagers i can stand
Bitter - So many to choose from... probably Theakston's Best or Black Sheep.

And yes, from my experience European beer is superior to American beer, but then i think bitter is far superior to lager and most would disagree with me :p

Some European friends of mine have said that drinking beer is more "cultured" there because the beer is so good that it's almost like drinking a fine wine here in the U.S.

It's semi-true. First time I tried a French beer, I thought it tasted like a cheap merlot.

Fav beer commonly available in the US is Newcastle Brown Ale.

1664 is good.
In my opinion, California wine is better than French. That's just me though.

Beers? Okay, here are three to try:

Guinness
Newcastle Brown Ale
Kilkenny

Most of the other beers I drink you wouldn't be able to get simply because they're local boutique beers.

Y'know, you could always try Beer Advocate (http://www.beeradvocate.com).

Hobgoblin is a favorite of mine too. It's english.

Beers? Okay, here are three to try:

Guinness
Newcastle Brown Ale
Kilkenny

Most of the other beers I drink you wouldn't be able to get simply because they're local boutique beers.

Y'know, you could always try Beer Advocate (http://www.beeradvocate.com).

Or, if you're english
CAMRA (http://www.camra.org.uk/SHWebClass.ASP?WCI=ShowCat&CatID=1)

Unfortunately I'm neither American or English.

It's a shame there isn't an equivalent website for Aussies (or if there is, that is isn't better known).

Personally, my favs, and feel free to ridicule my tastes, i'm openminded, are corona and heineken.
PWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You have like no taste at all. Giving you Guinness would be a waste

PWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You have like no taste at all. Giving you Guinness would be a waste
funny, cuz i also like guinness. that's just palin odd.

funny, cuz i also like guinness. that's just palin odd.
Ah....But.... I..... You.....


damn :(

Heinken and Corona still suck though

Its usually Tui or some other domestic beer.

Budvar, Stella Artois (if you are prepared for the effects!!), Grolsch (in bottles only), for a strong beer, try Chimay from belgium (trappist monks, the piss heads best friend!), if you are in the UK then Tesco own brand belgian beer in the little stubbie bottles is very good and very cheap, beyond that, Newcastle Brown Ale, Guinness and Boddingtons.

I stick to Tetleys mainly, which you won't get in America. How could I forget Boddingtons, been so long.

So, er, I'm no help.

Heineken and Corona suck though.

And American beers taste like soft drinks.

Lager - Budvar (the original Czech Budweiser, not the American stuff) is one of the few lagers i can stand
Bitter - So many to choose from... probably Theakston's Best or Black Sheep.

And yes, from my experience European beer is superior to American beer, but then i think bitter is far superior to lager and most would disagree with me :p

I love Black Sheep, I visited the brewery in Masham last time I was in England. I'm also fond of Adnams.

In Aus, my fave beers are Coopers.

San Miguel, Corona and Crown.

Mmmmmmm, Crown.
They've started selling that in the walkabout next to my office.
Was costing me heaps to import it over here... got the taste when I was in NSW a few years back.

As for the guy wanting new beers...

Try Stella 'Wife beater' Artois if you can get it.
The Coors light is nice, also... I know you'll be able to get hold of that in the states.

Maybe see if you can get REAL Beer, though.

Bottles of Theakstons Old Perculiar, dark, rich and far too enjoyable to be legal.
Check http://www.theakstons.com/

Czech beer, anyone? Or German beer? ;)

Maybe see if you can get REAL Beer, though.

Bottles of Theakstons Old Perculiar, dark, rich and far too enjoyable to be legal.
Check http://www.theakstons.com/

My Dad drinks that, from those little supermarket glasses. It's nice stuff.

Beers...mmmmmmm...so many to choose from...

Ok for Lagers...Budvar (of course), Rothaus, Grolsch (from bottles only), Stella Artois (but only the stuff brewed in belgium and not the cats piss thats served in the UK). Got to say i like Tiger and Cobra (Import only) beer too.

As for ales (all bottled, don't like draft much), Black sheep (inc Riggwelter and Goldensheep), Waggledance (soooo nice), Theakstons Old Peculiar, Bishops Finger, Spitfire, Badgers, Bombardier...can you tell i used to work on the Booze section at sainsburys? :D

Newcastle Brown of course...Deuchers IPA too and 80 Schilling *drools*

Favorite light beer - Rock. I doubt it is available anywhere but in Estonia though.

Favorite dark beer - Krušoviçe Dark.

Right now I'm drinking a rather interesting Chinese beer : Tsingtao. Anyone else ever try it?

Here are some i like:

Westmalle Triple, belgian
Einbecker Urbock, german
Leffe Bruin, belgian
Abbot Ale, english
Kilkenny, irish
Mühlen Kölsch, german

Right now I'm drinking a rather interesting Chinese beer : Tsingtao. Anyone else ever try it?
Yes. For massbrewed stuff its actually ok. But not worth the price you pay for importing it. I can get two good tasting local beers for one Tsingtao.

Right now I'm drinking a rather interesting Chinese beer : Tsingtao. Anyone else ever try it?
I've been wanting to give it a try.
It figures, the only place in China with German influence and it's famous for a beer.. :p

Singha
Carlsburg
San Miguel
Tsing Tao

In that order

Oranjeboom isn't bad for a cheap beer

Best whiskey is Mekong from Thailand because it is flavoured with opium.

Tsing Tao is expensive even if you live in China!
Singha is from Thailand and is really, really good.


Worst beer that I will actually drink is "Skol" from Belgium.
"Sir your horse has diabetes" is the phrase that comes to mind when I have to drink it in a cheap buffet.

It is pretty damn expensive. A 0,65 l bottle goes for about 22 EEK. For this I can get two 0,5l Rocks. Once the novelty wears off, I doubt I'll be buying it anymore. Great thirst-quencher though.

Hoegaarden is very nice

but due to being a student and tennents being the cheapest beer available at most times, i have developed quite a taste for it

Carlsberg isnt too bad either

Hobgoblin is a favorite of mine too. It's english.
Score one for Wychwood, Hobgoblin rocks.
Others:
Marston's Pedigree
Knockers by Skinner's Brewery
Ossian Ale

Some advice:
Never EVER drink Carlton Draught. Worst.beer.ever. It puts new meaning into the words piss-water.

It seems to be the cheap beer of choice for Victorians. FFS! If you must drink cheap beer drink Tooheys New (NEVER EVER OLD!).
But then apparently New is a New South Wales thing... :p

Favorite dark beer - Krušoviçe Dark.

Yeah, Krusovice is very good. :cool:

seems like someone needs to advertise german beer a bit so here i go.
1. i think germany has the best beer in the world. some other european countries also have some very good brands but in this case im a bit patriotic.
personally i prefer beer with some bitterness so i my absolute favourite is dark wheat beer and the best dark wheat is beer is: Paulaner
Jever is also pretty good.
the little town where i live has its own brewery and produces a beer named "Jäcklein". i didnt know it until i moved here but its also a pretty fine beer.

My favorite beer is strong enough to grow hair on the chest of the Olson twins;

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

If you are a sissy-boy then don't even bother! This beer is meant for grown ups who actually like the taste of beer - not the thinned down sweet flavored watery slush most people call beer; but barley, malt, hops and YUM!

Czech Budvar

Hmmm...Beer...A subject close to my heart!
Ok...Budvar (of course), Grolsh (bottled, though pints are acceptable if you can find somewhere half decent!), Cobra, Tiger and Kingfisher (V nice, especially with curry!), just got into a Dutch import Bavaria. Very smooth and thirst quenching...'tis good!
Ales, would say that Spitfire is best (but I don't think you can get that :( ).
Guinness is good to, but only from Ireland, anywhere else it takes poor!

what's your favorite beer?
more importantly for me, is it availiable in america?
Personally, my favs, and feel free to ridicule my tastes, i'm openminded, are corona and heineken. anywho, i'd like to branch out. what would you recommend?


The best beer I have EVER tasted is 'Egils Gull'. It is an Icelandic beer and is only sold in Iceland but I have no idea if you can order ir from the government store www.vinbud.is. If you can, BUY IT! You will not regret it.

I'm going to sound like a real wuss here, but nothing beats an ice cold Budweiser, especially in a longneck bottle.
God, that sounds good right now--and it is only 8:22 AM . . .

Root.

Black Sheep is indeed very nice. Also Waddington's 6X, and most of the Badger beers. And not, I think, Tesco's own brand beer - isn't that the one that lists as its ingredients: water, alcohol, beer flavouring? :eek:

Belgian beer is the best. There probably aren't many belgian brands available over there, perhaps "Stella Artois".

Not True. I enjoy, Three Philosophers from this Brewery.

http://www.ommegang.com/

Cheers,

Jare Fox

what's your favorite beer?
more importantly for me, is it availiable in america?
Personally, my favs, and feel free to ridicule my tastes, i'm openminded, are corona and heineken. anywho, i'd like to branch out. what would you recommend?

Ughh......... Heinekin (or however you spell it)

I personally love a good Hefeweizen. Come on over to Germany sometime, I'll treat you to one. I wouln't say we have the best beers, but it's a DAMN fine start.

Not True. I enjoy, Three Philosophers from this Brewery.

http://www.ommegang.com/

Cheers,

Jare Fox

Uhm...That's American beer. I'm kind of curious to taste it though.

Root.
:p

yeah, also very good. with a little ice cream...

Favorite light beer - Rock. I doubt it is available anywhere but in Estonia though.

Favorite dark beer - Krušoviçe Dark.

Right now I'm drinking a rather interesting Chinese beer : Tsingtao. Anyone else ever try it?
tsingtao is delicious.

Bah, beer elitism. This is where everyone puts out their beer credentials by listing beers and showing off their cultured attitudes.

If it's beer and I wanna drink, I drink it! Doesn't matter what label or brand. I don't care if you don't think it's good. I don't care how much better the taste is on that one instead of this one. If I wanted something that tasted good, I would be drinking something other than beer.

But, usually, I'll tend towards harder liquor.

My favorite type of beer is a Bavarian Weissbier. I prefer it homebrewed, but if you just want a quick taste, I'm sure you can purchase it at a store somewhere.

Hmmm, so much beer to choose from, I'm from Germany, gives you lots of choices.
Köstritzer, dark beer, saw it in Florida in a Publix
Becks Gold
Schöffehofer Hefeweizen, unsure if you can get it, but try any Hefeweizen
Lausitzer Porter, locally brewed, even seldom around here
Mixery, Cola-Beer mix, not a pure beer, but good, a party drink
Radeberger, a bitter pils, but great
Desperados, a Tequila flavored beer from France (the brewery seems to be in a town with German heritage), might be available in the US

I tried a few American beers, I don't know, especially those light beers are weak. But, I can get German beer in the US, that makes me happy.

:p

yeah, also very good. with a little ice cream...

Or chocolate milk. Seriously. I forget which one to add first though. One way is fine, the other way leads to bubble explosion.

what's your favorite beer?
more importantly for me, is it availiable in america?
Personally, my favs, and feel free to ridicule my tastes, i'm openminded, are corona and heineken. anywho, i'd like to branch out. what would you recommend?
Samuel Smith's Winter Welcom Ale. Yes it's available in America, only seasonaly. It'll cost you about $9 for a four pack though.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Seconded. Anchor Steam is another American beer with character.

If you're crazy about Sierra, you should search out Dogfish Head's IPAs. Not what you might call a session beer, they're awesome in small doses. http://www.dogfish.com/beer/index.cfm.

ANY Belgian beer is better than Corona and Heineken..
As for availability in the US.. perhaps Stella Pils, but you're missing out on some great stuff anyway. Some kinds of eber are only available in a region over here..
Most of all i drink Jupiler, cause that's everywhere, but if i can choose and if i can afford it, i go for Chimay, Grimbergen, Duvel, or Leffe.

Bah, beer elitism. This is where everyone puts out their beer credentials by listing beers and showing off their cultured attitudes.

If it's beer and I wanna drink, I drink it! Doesn't matter what label or brand. I don't care if you don't think it's good. I don't care how much better the taste is on that one instead of this one. If I wanted something that tasted good, I would be drinking something other than beer.

Time for a tour through Great Britain, Belgium and Germany it seems! Show you some really good beers, nowhere else available. :p

Time for a tour through Great Britain, Belgium and Germany it seems! Show you some really good beers, nowhere else available. :p

While I wouldn't be opposed to that... ;) ... beer is still beer. I still think people exagerrate the differences of taste/quality.

While I wouldn't be opposed to that... ;) ... beer is still beer. I still think people exagerrate the differences of taste/quality.Hmm, i have other experiences.. i really can't get some average pilzer through my throat anymore, i really can't..

While I wouldn't be opposed to that... ;) ... beer is still beer. I still think people exagerrate the differences of taste/quality.

The same can be said for wine, for cheeses, for any foods where a culture of connoisseurship develops. Given, there's a certain amount of hobby to it, but line up three glasses and pour a Coors Light, a Guinness, and a Chimay.

You cannot possibly say that the differences in flavor, appearance, and density of these three beers are exaggerated. It's like comparing orange juice and milk. I can quite easily understand how someone could like one of these types but not the others.

Hmm, i have other experiences.. i really can't get some average pilzer through my throat anymore, i really can't..

Elitism! A form of dietary specialization. That means that if the world ends for your high-quality beer types, and nothing is left but homeade brews, I shall be able to easily adapt and survive (survive = drinking) whereas you will have to be sober. Ha ha!

No seriously, you need to dilute the highbrow. Make it a project. Find really bad beer, and drink it. You'll feel more accomplished, I swear. :)

The same can be said for wine, for cheeses, for any foods where a culture of connoisseurship develops. Given, there's a certain amount of hobby to it, but line up three glasses and pour a Coors Light, a Guinness, and a Chimay.

You cannot possibly say that the differences in flavor, appearance, and density of these three beers are exaggerated. It's like comparing orange juice and milk. I can quite easily understand how someone could like one of these types but not the others.

The differences are not only exaggerated but irrelevant to my way of thinking - alcohol is for getting drunk, not being a snob. They are exaggerated when people discuss one beer or another as being objectively good or bad, as so many people do. It's all about personal preferences.

Elitism! A form of dietary specialization. That means that if the world ends for your high-quality beer types, and nothing is left but homeade brews, I shall be able to easily adapt and survive (survive = drinking) whereas you will have to be sober. Ha ha!

No seriously, you need to dilute the highbrow. Make it a project. Find really bad beer, and drink it. You'll feel more accomplished, I swear. :)No thanks! :p
If such a disaster would occur, i wouldn't have to worry:
1) I'll have bought a large reserve to last another couple of years
2) there's still enough quality whisky, gin, jenever, jägermeister, wine, etc.. out there to get wasted :)

Im english, but my favourite beer is advertised as being rly american, but due to the fact i've never been there, i dunno if thats just british advertising or not, but my favoutrite beer is blatently "Bud Ice", followed up by "Woodfords Werry", but you wont get that anywhere exept in Norfolk, in Eastern England.

The differences are not only exaggerated but irrelevant to my way of thinking - alcohol is for getting drunk, not being a snob. They are exaggerated when people discuss one beer or another as being objectively good or bad, as so many people do. It's all about personal preferences.
But surely you want to drink something tasty and interesting!?

If you really just want to get drunk, why not just dilute ethanol? I think that would be a little sad myself, but as you said, personal preference...

But surely you want to drink something tasty and interesting!?

If you really just want to get drunk, why not just dilute ethanol? I think that would be a little sad myself, but as you said, personal preference...

haha, sounds like a great idea, :)

Lager - Budvar (the original Czech Budweiser, not the American stuff) is one of the few lagers i can stand
Bitter - So many to choose from... probably Theakston's Best or Black Sheep.

And yes, from my experience European beer is superior to American beer, but then i think bitter is far superior to lager and most would disagree with me :p

WOO THEAKSTONS, MY DAD HELPED BREW THAT

killians is alright, i dunno tho, it seems like it's trying too hard to be guinness, but doesn't quite get it. maybe it's just not my thing, i don't know.

Killians is a fine Coors product. :D

The differences are not only exaggerated but irrelevant to my way of thinking - alcohol is for getting drunk, not being a snob. They are exaggerated when people discuss one beer or another as being objectively good or bad, as so many people do. It's all about personal preferences.

See. There's the difference. I think there's more to beer than getting drunk. I'm not above kicking a sixer of Pabst at a ballgame or a BBQ and under some circumstances (washing your car), a really cold Bud is hard to beat.

But if I spend an hour cooking something good for dinner, I'm not going to wash it down with warm Natural Ice in a can. And yeah, I will think about what kind of beer matches the food. Cause if you're having an unwind beer after work and you're not drinking to get kneewalking faced, flavor is a big factor.

And I agree, it is all about personal preference, but that means people can have opinions about beers without being labeled elitists or snobs. Cause that's you imposing your preference on them.

But, usually, I'll tend towards harder liquor.

WEll your hard aren't you

[QUOTE=Cuthroatia]

Worst beer that I will actually drink is "Skol" from Belgium.
QUOTE]

Would that be skol the lager that comes in the red and white can?

Killians is a fine Coors product. :D
it's alright, but this is completely opinion based. not a lot of point in arguing.

Many good ones. To add to the previously mentioned:
US upscale massmarket: Sam Addams, Fat Tire, Shiner
US micros: Millstream, Santa Fe
Japanese Mass (you can probably find if you look): Ebisu, Orion
My fave Japanese Micro: Echigo Biru (fat chance of finding it in the states - I can't find it in Osaka! :()

Belgian beer is the best. There probably aren't many belgian brands available over there, perhaps "Stella Artois".

Actually, in the US/Canada, Interbrew (the folks who gave you Labatt's/Rolling Rock/Tecate) you can get Leffe, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Dommelsch and a horde of other kinds without too much trouble.

http://www.inbev.com/brands/2__3__0__globalspecialtybrands.cfm

In bars, though, you're unlikely to find any Belgian beers aside from Stella or Hoegaarden.

But surely you want to drink something tasty and interesting!?

If you really just want to get drunk, why not just dilute ethanol? I think that would be a little sad myself, but as you said, personal preference...

I don't know how to go about that process efficiently and competitively. If it's easier to go and buy a bottle of something than to make homebrew, I choose the former.

No thanks!
If such a disaster would occur, i wouldn't have to worry:
1) I'll have bought a large reserve to last another couple of years
2) there's still enough quality whisky, gin, jenever, jägermeister, wine, etc.. out there to get wasted

It was a hypothetical disaster in which case #2 doesn't apply. #1... well, do you actually have said reserve? It never hurts to prepare. If not, we'll suggest that hypothetically you still haven't accumulated said reserve by the time the hypothetical disaster occurs.

See. There's the difference. I think there's more to beer than getting drunk. I'm not above kicking a sixer of Pabst at a ballgame or a BBQ and under some circumstances (washing your car), a really cold Bud is hard to beat.

But if I spend an hour cooking something good for dinner, I'm not going to wash it down with warm Natural Ice in a can. And yeah, I will think about what kind of beer matches the food. Cause if you're having an unwind beer after work and you're not drinking to get kneewalking faced, flavor is a big factor.

And I agree, it is all about personal preference, but that means people can have opinions about beers without being labeled elitists or snobs. Cause that's you imposing your preference on them.

Well if you're not looking to get drunk why drink alcoholic anything? Don't you know alcohol is a toxin? ;)

IMO the only time alcoholic beverages were not about gaining effects of alcohol intoxication was in the medieval ages when ales were healthier sources of water than rivers or wells.

WOO THEAKSTONS, MY DAD HELPED BREW THAT

Up in Masham or when it was owned by Scottish and Newcastle?

Well if you're not looking to get drunk why drink alcoholic anything? Don't you know alcohol is a toxin? ;)

IMO the only time alcoholic beverages were not about gaining effects of alcohol intoxication was in the medieval ages when ales were healthier sources of water than rivers or wells.

Then why is there a market for Coca-Cola or Gatorade or anything that isn't water? The worldview you're pitching precludes any beverages besides water and Everclear. It's a very ends-justifies-the-means outlook, and I gotta say, given the tremendous variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages out there, one that's not so widespread.

Well if you're not looking to get drunk why drink alcoholic anything?.Erm, i dunno, just to relax after a day's work? To enjoy another flavour during a good meal, just to loosen up, to get warmer in cold days... numerous possibilities

Sapporo premium - very dry
weissbier (sp?) - uncertain what brand, it was many years ago...
Guinness (the proper stuff, not the crap brewed here in Canada)
Boddington's
Newcastle Brown Ale
McEwen's Malt (?)

I find I drink three brands most frequently: Miller Lite, Coors Light, Bud Light.

As far as regular beers go, my favourite is Corona.

I've also tasted Guiness (though I'm not sure if it's the kind brewed in Canada or the real deal).

Well if you're not looking to get drunk why drink alcoholic anything? Don't you know alcohol is a toxin? ;)

IMO the only time alcoholic beverages were not about gaining effects of alcohol intoxication was in the medieval ages when ales were healthier sources of water than rivers or wells.
Beer - it's saved me from prison on so many occasions. :)

I find I drink three brands most frequently: Miller Lite, Coors Light, Bud Light.

As far as regular beers go, my favourite is Corona.

I've also tasted Guiness (though I'm not sure if it's the kind brewed in Canada or the real deal).
i'va also had sveral brands of guinness, and htough i enjoyed both of them, I'm not sure which is the real deal. scratch that, if this bottle is to be believed, then the guinness i can most easily get is brewed in ireland, at the St. James Gate brewery. Huh. that shit is good.

Erm, i dunno, just to relax after a day's work? To enjoy another flavour during a good meal, just to loosen up, to get warmer in cold days... numerous possibilities

Yeah. Drunk. When I say drunk I mean, effects from alcohol intoxication, not automatically staggering drunk.


Then why is there a market for Coca-Cola or Gatorade or anything that isn't water? The worldview you're pitching precludes any beverages besides water and Everclear. It's a very ends-justifies-the-means outlook, and I gotta say, given the tremendous variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages out there, one that's not so widespread.

There is a market for Coca-Cola because there are many caffeine addicts out there, and because people enjoy the physiological and psychological effects of caffeine and sugar. Gatorade, sugar. I'm not sure how my viewpoint precludes all except water and everclear...

The fact that not everyone shares my viewpoint means only that unlike most I don't delude myself on that subject. Or were you implying that a minority viewpoint is somehow less correct, i.e argumentum ad populus?

My favorite kind of beer?

FREE!!!

The fact that not everyone shares my viewpoint means only that unlike most I don't delude myself on that subject. Or were you implying that a minority viewpoint is somehow less correct, i.e argumentum ad populus?
No, but it reminds me of an old American saying, that it's like explaining things to a dog: it just gets you irritated and the dog confused.

The differences are not only exaggerated but irrelevant to my way of thinking - alcohol is for getting drunk, not being a snob.

Have to disagree with you there. I drink good beer because I really like the taste of a good beer. I actually don't like the taste of beers with high alcohol contents as much.

And if I could find a beer with the taste of a Guinness or a good IPA with little or no alcohol, I'd happily drink it.

One of the best pints I ever had was a Tolly Cobbold in the garden of a lovely English pub on a gorgeous summer day.

Anybody had that beer since the company was sold to Ridley's?

Living in California now and there are some very decent beers, but only a handful of places know how to do cask conditioning. Session brews are almost unheard of - too many drinkers in it for the alcohol.
(A session beer is low in alcohol, but not in flavor, thus you can have a decent pub crawl without puking your guts out half way through).

Sierra Nevada is dangerously potable, sweeter and stronger than a UK bitter with a long finish. I believe it won some prestigious UK award for cask beer last year.

Anchor Steam, hoppier, more earthy, another reliable brew.

Northcoast Brewing does a great job with all its beers.

Two San Francisco places I regualrly find great beer at, Magnolia's and the Beach Chalet. Both have traditional hand pumps so you can get more of the English pint experience, if you like that sort of thing.

me personally, i'll drink anythin. but my favourates got to be good old stella artois. definately dont go for fosters. that's as disgustin as you can get.

there are so many better things than beer... Like Absinthe for example :D

But if I have to choose
Stella Artois and Kilkenny would be my fav.

Or were you implying that a minority viewpoint is somehow less correct, i.e argumentum ad populus?
No, you are the one trying to tell the majority that our beer drinking ways are elitism. While there is nothing wrong with being elite, it may be considered a derogatory term. Elite and majority doesnt compute, too.

The fact that not everyone shares my viewpoint means only that unlike most I don't delude myself on that subject. Or were you implying that a minority viewpoint is somehow less correct, i.e argumentum ad populus?

What I'm saying is that there are a large number of people who appreciate the flavor of a beer in addition to, or above, its ABV and this is why the market supports such a broad array of styles. I'm not saying you're wrong because you're in the minority. Instead I'll say you're wrong with the same heavy hand you use to paint a huge slice of the beer-drinking world as "deluded" without substantiation. I'll say you're wrong because you're saying how and why beer is enjoyed, and that ain't how or why I like my beer.

It is a matter of taste. You don't like beer except for the alcohol. This is about the same as saying you don't like food except for the calories. I don't think that's deluded, but I think it's a pretty bleak view that misses out on a lot of good stuff out there. But whatever. Stick to your swill and leave the good taps for the rest of us.

there are so many better things than beer... Like Absinthe for example :D

I'm pretty interested in people's experiences with Absinthe. Is the stuff you drink real Absinthe, or just the green liquid with a high alcohol content named 'Absinthe'?
Readon i ask is that i was under the impression real Absinthe was pretty rare. It's illigal in America, illegal in France, i believe it's illiegal in most of the rest of Europe but i'm not sure. Dispite this, i hear it mentioned a lot and was wondering which of the two most people were drinking.

NB Real Absinthe contains thujone (aka wormwood), that's the difference.

My new favourite these days is Kronenbourg 1664. I think I just like the shape of the bottle.

I'm not really fond of most alcoholic beverages; wine, spirits, stronger beers, etc, and I don't think I really enjoy being drunk that much (although mildly intoxicated is okay).

But, for some reason, I love cold lager.

I'm pretty interested in people's experiences with Absinthe. Is the stuff you drink real Absinthe, or just the green liquid with a high alcohol content named 'Absinthe'?
Readon i ask is that i was under the impression real Absinthe was pretty rare. It's illigal in America, illegal in France, i believe it's illiegal in most of the rest of Europe but i'm not sure. Dispite this, i hear it mentioned a lot and was wondering which of the two most people were drinking.

NB Real Absinthe contains thujone (aka wormwood), that's the difference.

I took a crack at some homemade Absinthe (before there were all the online companies selling the real deal). You can order thujone oil from various health food stores as a "nutritional supplement." I mixed this with tequila and did shots with some friends. The consensus was "a night of drinking in a glass"; "it's like my head is packed with sawdust"; and one dude claimed a lot of auditory hallucinations. We had one puker, though probably because the concoction was capital-F Foul. It wasn't interesting enough to go for a repeat.

Beer - it's saved me from prison on so many occasions. :)Sounds like a story I need to hear. ;)

What I'm saying is that there are a large number of people who appreciate the flavor of a beer in addition to, or above, its ABV and this is why the market supports such a broad array of styles. I'm not saying you're wrong because you're in the minority. Instead I'll say you're wrong with the same heavy hand you use to paint a huge slice of the beer-drinking world as "deluded" without substantiation. I'll say you're wrong because you're saying how and why beer is enjoyed, and that ain't how or why I like my beer.

It is a matter of taste. You don't like beer except for the alcohol. This is about the same as saying you don't like food except for the calories. I don't think that's deluded, but I think it's a pretty bleak view that misses out on a lot of good stuff out there. But whatever. Stick to your swill and leave the good taps for the rest of us.
i'll drink to that.

I heard somewhere that France vineyards were stricken with some disease a long time ago and had to accept vines from California to revamp their production. Man, that must have pissed off the Gauls. hehe

AS FOR BEER, I prefer ales to lagers. To me they are much smoother and hence are easier to drink. While they can display an aggressive aftertaste and lead to a very full feeling in your stomach, i'll take that trade-off because of what I deem to be better taste and said smoothness.

probably my favorite of the ales is the India Pale Ale.

there are so many better things than beer... Like Absinthe for example :D

But if I have to choose
Stella Artois and Kilkenny would be my fav.

:confused: You're going to Prague to score some regularly?

i'va also had sveral brands of guinness, and htough i enjoyed both of them, I'm not sure which is the real deal. scratch that, if this bottle is to be believed, then the guinness i can most easily get is brewed in ireland, at the St. James Gate brewery. Huh. that shit is good.
Bump. ON a side note, i honestly didn't expect this to turn into debate. or at least, polite debate. flame war maybe. :D

i'va also had sveral brands of guinness, and htough i enjoyed both of them, I'm not sure which is the real deal. scratch that, if this bottle is to be believed, then the guinness i can most easily get is brewed in ireland, at the St. James Gate brewery. Huh. that shit is good.

The crucial point with Guinness is that it (allegedly) doesn't travel well. So if you're in America, Guinness from the Dublin factory is actually a bad thing. Now, some people believe this is more a traditional adage which has little real relevance in a modern age where transportation technology has advanced so much, personally i'm not sure.
What definitely is true is that bottle-conditioned Guinness doesn't taste the same as proper cask-conditioned draught Guinness, and bottle-conditioned is far inferior imo. Same with cans, they just don't do it justice.

If you can find Guinness on Draught from the Dublin brewery then the likelihood you'll have what most people would call the "real" Guinness experience, if you want to be a real snob you'll have to go to the factory!

Very slightly offensive Guinness link (http://www.billyandvicki.com/albums/2004-Funny/honest_advert011.jpg) :p

The crucial point with Guinness is that it (allegedly) doesn't travel well. So if you're in America, Guinness from the Dublin factory is actually a bad thing. Now, some people believe this is more a traditional adage which has little real relevance in a modern age where transportation technology has advanced so much, personally i'm not sure.
What definitely is true is that bottle-conditioned Guinness doesn't taste the same as proper cask-conditioned draught Guinness, and bottle-conditioned is far inferior imo. Same with cans, they just don't do it justice.

If you can find Guinness on Draught from the Dublin brewery then the likelihood you'll have what most people would call the "real" Guinness experience, if you want to be a real snob you'll have to go to the factory!

Very slightly offensive Guinness link (http://www.billyandvicki.com/albums/2004-Funny/honest_advert011.jpg) :p
Truer words were never spoken. Guinness over here is just plain bad. The stuff that is imported just doesn't taste the same, and the stuff brewed here tastes even worse. I will admit, I was in Dublin over Christmas and had a pint at St. James Gate, and that was the best thing ever.

But then again, I drank a lot of Guinness that trip. I got to the point where I could tell which pubs had the good stuff and which did not, which was apparantly a great amusement to my Da's Irish co-workers.

For a good Irish Stout, Guinness is pretty good, but I'm partial to Beamish - not available in draught many places in the States. I've never had Guinness at the source, though, and many have told me that it's a great deal better in Ireland.

Lagers - Harp is the very best, in my opinion.

Truer words were never spoken. Guinness over here is just plain bad. The stuff that is imported just doesn't taste the same, and the stuff brewed here tastes even worse. I will admit, I was in Dublin over Christmas and had a pint at St. James Gate, and that was the best thing ever.

But then again, I drank a lot of Guinness that trip. I got to the point where I could tell which pubs had the good stuff and which did not, which was apparantly a great amusement to my Da's Irish co-workers.

Draught Guinness in America is smoke-and-mirrors. You draw any beer through nitrogen-pressurized taps and it'll be just as smooth and creamy. Sure, Guinness is heavy, but the U.S. export version is pretty bland. There are plenty of stouts out there with more character. If you're lucky enough to have a nitrogen-outfit bar in your neighborhood, you get the smoothness and interesting flavor.

I heard somewhere that France vineyards were stricken with some disease a long time ago and had to accept vines from California to revamp their production. Man, that must have pissed off the Gauls. hehe

AS FOR BEER, I prefer ales to lagers. To me they are much smoother and hence are easier to drink. While they can display an aggressive aftertaste and lead to a very full feeling in your stomach, i'll take that trade-off because of what I deem to be better taste and said smoothness.

probably my favorite of the ales is the India Pale Ale.
All the French, pardon me, Freedom sirah vines were killed off. The oldest, and therefore best, sirah vines now grow in Australia. They call them shiraz over there. At least that's what I heard. I'm not a big wine drinker.

I'll say you're wrong because you're saying how and why beer is enjoyed, and that ain't how or why I like my beer.

Would you drink your beer if it tasted exactly the same, but contained no alcohol?

If not, you cannot deny that alcohol is the prime ingredient and prime attractor for any alcoholic beverage. If yes... well, I'm completely skeptical about that, but whatever.

You don't like beer except for the alcohol. This is about the same as saying you don't like food except for the calories

Not really. Food and calories are necessary to human survival. It's impossible to go without them. So, we add variety to make it more interesting. Alcohol however, is not necessary, and of all the varieties of alcoholic beverages, they all give you the effects of intoxication. i.e "winding down." You don't wind-down with nonalcoholic beverages. They're not alcoholic and thefore don't wind down.

And MOST people "don't like beer except for the alcohol." Perhaps YOU would drink beer with no alcohol if taste remained the same, but there is no way in hell the majority of drinkers in the world would. Find ten artsy 'connoiseurs' and I'll find a thousand people just wanting to be one of any degrees of drunk..

Elite and majority doesnt compute, too.

Elitism and majority does, however. You don't have to be elite to be elitist, and you don't have to be a minority to be elitist - what happens when the elitist viewpoint becomes shared by a large number of people.

If not, you cannot deny that alcohol is the prime ingredient and prime attractor for any alcoholic beverage. If yes... well, I'm completely skeptical about that, but whatever.

No. The prime ingredients of beer are malt and water, not alcohol. Alcohol is a component of the finished product, yes, and it's definitely part of the enjoyment. But your assertion that it's the prime or only appeal is ridiculous.

And MOST people "don't like beer except for the alcohol."

Hey, way to speak for the masses. I think this thread demonstrates that a buncha buncha people appreciate beer for more than it's alcohol content. I wouldn't and don't drink non-alcoholic beer, but then I've never claimed that alcohol wasn't part of the appeal.

However, if alcohol was the only appeal, as you initially asserted, I'd be just as happy drinking a Dead Guy as a Coors Light. And I'm not. This thread inspired me to pick up a bottle and a tall boy of those two beers on the way home last night and have a little head-to-head comparison. It did nothing but reinforce my delusions. I challenge you to set those two beers against each other and tell me that they're equal and that the experience is the same.

And, since you're claiming that you can find 1,000 undiscriminating drunks for every 10 people who like beer for more than the buzz, I'm starting a poll to test your claim. Though I'm fairly certain you'll be crying "deluded" in about ten minutes.

Whut I make at home.

Got 6.5 gallons of Indian Pale Ale seasoning right now. So far that is my favorite although I experiment with something new every other batch.

I would like to try a Begian Lambic :eek: someday.

I have not perused this entire thread yet. Please tell me I am not the only one who makes his own beer in this thread?

I brew, though from malt extracts instead of grains. Anda brews from grain.

My three successful recipes are a Sierra clone IPA (slightly different hops), a Russian Imperial, and a Kolsch (-style, for all you sticklers).

No. The prime ingredients of beer are malt and water, not alcohol. Alcohol is a component of the finished product, yes, and it's definitely part of the enjoyment. But your assertion that it's the prime or only appeal is ridiculous.

Ooh, alcohol is PART of the enjoyment. We're making progress!

Maybe you could explain prohibition to me. That time when banning alcoholic drinks caused so much trouble. After all, you could still have malt and water, and you can still have good tasting drinks off of that. Whats the big deal? Oh, maybe, ALCOHOL?

Hey, way to speak for the masses. I think this thread demonstrates that a buncha buncha people appreciate beer for more than it's alcohol content. I wouldn't and don't drink non-alcoholic beer, but then I've never claimed that alcohol wasn't part of the appeal.

Yep. A big part. The main part. Thanks. :)

However, if alcohol was the only appeal, as you initially asserted, I'd be just as happy drinking a Dead Guy as a Coors Light. And I'm not.

Fine. It's not the ONLY appeal. Then again, preventing starvation isn't the only appeal for eating food.... but it's the main reason.


And, since you're claiming that you can find 1,000 undiscriminating drunks for every 10 people who like beer for more than the buzz, I'm starting a poll to test your claim. Though I'm fairly certain you'll be crying "deluded" in about ten minutes.

No, because people lie on polls. Sorry. :( And I didn't say "undiscriminating drunks."

As for crying, you can lick my balls, how about that?

Hey, you can misinterpret what I say however you like if it makes you feel better. By the way, I've almost got my ten, where are your thousand? Or was that another unsupported claim?

Hey, you can misinterpret what I say however you like if it makes you feel better. By the way, I've almost got my ten, where are your thousand? Or was that another unsupported claim?

By the way, people lie on their polls - and yes, people ARE deluded, the TRUTH about what people like is not always what they SAY or VOTE. This was already a given, so your poll means nothing as far as my argument is concerned.

Don't worry, dude. It's an anonymous poll. You can go vote your views and it'll look like one person agrees with you.

Don't worry, dude. It's an anonymous poll. You can go vote your views and it'll look like one person agrees with you.

WOW! you mean I have a MINORITY VIEWPOINT?

It's a good thing you're not just harping on and on with your agumentum ad populus, eh?

Your poll is so OMG amazing! Even though it shows what we ALREADY KNEW. I have a MINORITY viewpoint. (This is assuming your poll choices reflected my viewpoint at all, and they didn't, but I'm coming to expect mediocrity from you.)

No. I'm just disputing your claim that you have a better understanding of people's tastes than the people themselves.

No. I'm just disputing your claim that you have a better understanding of people's tastes than the people themselves.

I have a better understanding of motives.

As for the 1000 people claim... tell you what. Come down to Santa Barbara and we'll hop over to Isla Vista. We'll go to all the parties. You'll be looking for people who admit they would be drinking even if there was no alcohol in it, because taste is their primary concern over alcohol. I'll be looking for people who admit that they wouldn't be out drinking if it wasn't for the alcohol because experiencing the effects of alcohol is their primary concer.

Until that kind of demonstration can be seated upon you you will continue to think everyone is some sort of artsy connoisseur like yourself.

root beer....

There are two major failings with that line. Number one, UCSB is not a representative slice of the population. Number two, I'm from the central valley and about half of my college-bound graduating class dispersed into the UC or California State system, including Santa Barbara. Yes, we all had the hard-drinking, chug anything in a styrofoam cup phase, but by the time we were juniors or, god forbid, legal seniors, even the biggest meathead of my class could express a sentiment such as "You know, I really like Newcastle." And this guy was a UCSB student.

Moreover, you're ascribing the motives for drinking at a college party to all situations where someone would drink. Of course people drink to get blitzed, but this is not "why people drink" generally.