The Great Beer Thread

[tortswon]

Kriek

To show you the "high" regard in which Americans are held in Brussels, when I ordered a kriek at a very famous beer bar, the server felt constrained to ask, "Do you know that beer has cherries in it?" :rage:

 

[John in Covina]

Money, plain and simple. A lot of people buy it. A better question would be, "Why do a lot of people want to drink mediocre beer?" Brad

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It is related to why do Americans eat white bread like Wonderbread?
Beer and bread are made for the lowest common denominator. By lightening the contents and balancing any semblance of hops the beer is fizzy yet bland as all get out and is the least offensive to people who have been taught that beer should be nearly flavorless. It is an offshoot of the post prohibition idea of a nationally available premium beer that should appeal to the widest base.

When national brands attempt to make some sort of specialty beer they can't make it the way it is supposed to be, they tame (make bland) the flavors for a nation of people that in reality don't like beer or ale. It's the same reason why non wine drinkers are attracted to "White ZinfandeL" it is as inoffensive to untutored taste buds as possible.

When you go to Europe and have Heineken (Pilsner) on tap you know why people like it, but come back to the US and you say: why did they screw with it and change the flavor? It's for dumbed down taste buds. Same thing happened when Coors started to make Killians Red, their first release was dead nuts on like the original, but polling told them it tasted too much like a real beer (which was why they wanted to make it here in the first place) but it was too aggresive a flavor profile for the light beer crowd.

As Michael Jackson (RIP) the bard of beer (not the gloved one) said: "When Coors announced they were going to make a "Light" beer it was akin to Volkwagen making an announcement they were going to start making small cars."

Meanwhile I'll drink the wild and wooly beers and ales while the great unwashed have lite beer and Wonderbread.

 

[rumblefish]

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Same thing happened when Coors started to make Killians Red, their first release was dead nuts on like the original, .

I thought I used to like Killian's Red.
I first tried it at a restaurant in the Florida keys. I was in my mid twenties and my newly refined taste for beer led me to ask the waiter "what do have that isn't bud?" he suggested I try something new, Killian's. He told me I should have it with a squeeze of lemon to take the edge off. I declined the lemon and thoroughly enjoyed it. It then wound up, figuratively, in the back of the shelf because I was finding and trying all kinds of new beers. Then some years later tried it again and was completely unimpressed. I just assumed it was because I was regularly drinking much bolder beers, and it's flavor was no longer anything special.

What you said above, John, I think also accounts for beers like Stella Artois having some success these days. Some folks want to distinguish themselves as being appreciative of beer other than Coors, Bud, and the like, so they do it with the least offensive, but somewhat obscure foreign beer. My litmus test; let someone who normally drinks one of the American Blands try it first. If there is an "ugh", a frown, or a wrinkle of the nose and a shake of the head- "pass it over here".

You ought to see the disappointment on my face when there's good beer at a party, and a "lesser" beer drinker wants to try something I brought. After I pour the glass for them, they take a sip then, "hmmm", tilt of the head and a pause,,,,"It's....mmm?...good". Not that I'm worried about wasting it on someone who doesn't appreciate it or never will, but I know when they are out of sight it's headed for the sink, toilet, or bushes, or I'll find it sitting somewhere at the end of the party. (Naturally I'll try it and see if it's still any good )

 

[ET]

Today I tried a nice beer from Capital Brewing in Madison Wisconsin. Fairly hoppy with a very clean finish.

US Pale Ale

 

[St.Ignatz]

Left Hand(ed) milk stout has recently become available at my local. Tastes more like a porter than a stout but either way it's mighty fine. Round, carmel sweetness and roasty. Goes with everything but driving home.

 

[Irish4]

Just tried a Mythos.It's really smooth and not to hard on the wallet.It's a Greek beer.

 

[rumblefish]

I'm going to The Great Beer Expo at the Nassau Coliseum on November, 22.
http://www.greatbeerexpo.com/beer.html
When my friend got tickets about a month ago the list of brewers wasn't that long,,,but now! Sam Smith will be there,:eusa_clap ... will you?

 

[John in Covina]

I'm going to The Great Beer Expo at the Nassau Coliseum on November, 22.
http://www.greatbeerexpo.com/beer.html
When my friend got tickets about a month ago the list of brewers wasn't that long,,,but now! Sam Smith will be there,:eusa_clap ... will you?

**********
Looks like a great line up, I hope you'll have a DD! Designated Driver.

 

[rumblefish]

Yes, thanks John. My friends wife drives a mini van. She'll drive the the seven of us, like she has at the last Coliseum Beer events. Reminds me of when I was kid and needed someones mom to pick us up there after Ozzy Osbourne concerts.

 

[Luke 42]

Hey Folks!

Another Beer-Lover here I just love how different beers can be although they're all made from the same ingredients. (except for more exotic beers of course..but being used to the "Deutsches Reinheitsgebot" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot , I have a hard time considering them real beer ) Nevertheless I do love Kriek for example

Recently I am in Scotland..gee, some good beers around here. My absolute favorite around here is Belhaven's Best..soo smooth, rich caramel colour and lovely taste..yummy. What I recognized here is that there seems to be no real proud about scottish beers, for whatever reason[huh] Most times you find only foreign beers around here..Heineken, Stella Artois, Becks and so on. One of the most popular beers here is Tennents, which is cheap..but that's it..imo it tastes awful.

My favorite beers in Germany are several sorts of "Kölsch", which is local beer in Cologne. Very light beer, served in very tiny glasses..but nevertheless I love it, tastes like home I also like bavarian "Hefeweizen".

One of my best holidays regarding beer was in the Czech Republic..in a little town called Krumlov, very near to Budweis. They have really good beers over there..of course Budweiser (the real one ) and some local beers, of which one very dark stays in my memory. I love malty beers from time to time.

Cheers

Lukas

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Bottled beer: Miller High Life

Canned beer: Blatz

 

[John in Covina]

Speaking of Miller-

Sometime back in the late 80's or early 90's Miller made a couple of runs of real lagers that were brewed to the German Purity law. It was in the same bottle and the label design was nearly the same but with a red background. Because they used the same hops and ingredients it tasted like a bit more malty Miller Highlife, not bad but not great. Pre-prohibiton lagers and pilsners in the US tended to be more malty but also more hoppy.

The local Miller Brewery is in Irwindale about a 15 minute ride from my house, their control center was used as the Nuclear plant control center in the movie "The China Syndrome" about a million years ago.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Oh, and here in Chicago you can occasionally find Pabst on tap. Not bad at all . . . much better than canned.

I also enjoy the occasional Erdinger and Dixie beer.

 

[tortswon]

Beer in the British Isles

Lukas, there is an organization in Britain called CAMRA which is devoted to promoting real ales. I suggest you pick up one of their guide books and start touring! If you decide to do that, I hope you will keep us apprised of your experiences.

And welcome to the Lounge! Enjoy your stay. Best, Sam

 

[rumblefish]

I like Kölsch too! The only one I've had was Reissdorf Kölsch, and I keep looking for Küppers with no luck. I've tried one from Saranac (a New York brewer) That wasn't bad.

My favorite beers in Germany are several sorts of "Kölsch", which is local beer in Cologne. Very light beer, served in very tiny glasses..but nevertheless I love it, tastes like home

Check these guys out! Mikkeller

http://www.mikkeller.dk/index.php?id=3&land=1

Interesting, they brew their beers in Ørbæk Denmark, Lochristi-Hijfte Belgium, Munster Indiana USA, Woesten-Vleteren Belgium, and Grimstad Norway (at Nøgne Ø brewery)

I'm real happy to have found these. I'll give a report after they're sampled.

 

[donCarlos]

I did one of my few foreign beers experiment today.
I was in IKEA and they had something called Spendrups Julbrygd, quite cheap, so I bought some.
As far as I can decode swedish, it shall be something like a special christmas beer, maybe some of our nordic fellows can explain that exactly.

I can say, it was quite good beer. Dark, very sweet, more like some lemonade... It vapoured quite quickyly

 

[dnjan]

I like Kölsch too! The only one I've had was Reissdorf Kölsch, and I keep looking for Küppers with no luck. I've tried one from Saranac (a New York brewer) That wasn't bad.

If you make it out to Seattle sometime, head over to Hales brewpub. They make a very good Kolsch-style beer. Started as a summer seasonal a few years ago, but was so popular they decided to keep it on year-round.

Though I do have a problem drinking it if the sun wasn't shining that day ...

 

[rumblefish]

^ yet another reason I'd like to visit Seattle.
Thanks Don.

 

[Luke 42]

I like Kölsch too! The only one I've had was Reissdorf Kölsch, and I keep looking for Küppers with no luck. I've tried one from Saranac (a New York brewer) That wasn't bad.





Check these guys out! Mikkeller

http://www.mikkeller.dk/index.php?id=3&land=1

Interesting, they brew their beers in Ørbæk Denmark, Lochristi-Hijfte Belgium, Munster Indiana USA, Woesten-Vleteren Belgium, and Grimstad Norway (at Nøgne Ø brewery)

I'm real happy to have found these. I'll give a report after they're sampled.

Hey Rumblefish! Reissdorf is one of my favourite Kölsch beers Glad you liked it! :eusa_clap The other one would be Malzmühle, but i think it will be nearly impossible to get that other than in the region of Cologne. Küppers will probably also be hard to find..but if I dare say that: Küppers is regard by most people around here not one of the good Kölsch beers

You might try looking for Gaffel or Früh Kölsch, these are the most famous ones I think, maybe you get them in the USA.

And yes, that danish brewery looks amazing. I'd love to try some of their beers.

Cheers, Lukas

 

[JohnnyL]

I don't have what you would call a favorite beer as my tastes seem to differ depending on season, mood etc. My favorite always seems to be what I'm drinking now. Here's a short list in no particular order:

Sam Adams (almost any variety except for the fruitier seasonal beers). I really like their Black Lager.

Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale

Brooklyn Brewery Dark Chocolate Stout

Guinness (on tap)

Stella (A better tasting Bud. I like this one when I want to down 2 or 3 in quick succession)

Bass ale

Dos Equis
Negro Modelo
Tecate (Try this one from a can with a little lime juice and Tabasco floating on the top. Sorta like a beer margarita. The concierge at the La Posada in Laredo, Tx. had me try this back in the late 80's and I still like it.)

Ballantine IPA (No Longer available but a true classic)