Thread: Beer

A recent find of mine while the company had me in Leipzig Germany is Kostritzer Schwarz beir. Its very dark and more of a sweet beer. It was the first beer I ever had with really sweet notes. It shocked me, knowing that being German there could only 4 ingredients, the art of manipulation.

Tough question. Depends on the mood. Light beers are OK for summer time, but I can drink them like water... not very satisfying with a meal. I prefer beers like Heineken or Fosters in this area. I really prefer German beers, Paulaner Oktoberfest, Spaten Optimator... ambers & darks. They're heavy, so you tend to not drink nearly as many. I really dislike beer that is really hoppy. I like a more malty flavor.

I like to make trips to the liquor store (the only place you can buy beer > 3.2% in Oklahoma; yes, it's stupid and it sucks because it's room temp when you buy it) and buy individual pint size or larger individual bottles. I buy a few, the friends buy a few, then we sit around and sample a variety of beers.

Number one:
1. Schumacher. German, brewed by Brauerei Schumacher in Germany. Another plus, comes in a 1 literbottle.

Runnerups:
2. Guinness, close run with number one, taking the place on ocasions.
3. Stella Artois, Belgian beer, one of the few light beers I take with satisfaction.


Nenad

I really enjoy a beer I can chew on. Terminator Stout using nitrogen instead of CO2 goes down smooth as milk. That's a local favourite from McMenamin's (awesome brewery if you're ever in the PDX area). Hell, if any of you are in Portland drop me a line and I'll buy ya a beer If I'm somewhere else, it will invariably be Guinness.

Belgian Chimay and Czech Pilsner Urquell are two af the very best beers in the world, but I have to side with the micro brew lovers for the most part. We've got a pilsner called Steemwhistle in Toronto and Big rock in alberta makes a dozen awesome brews. Many more across the country too.

Joesix, you gotta know we've got you beat in Canada. Why is drinking American beer like making love in a canoe? . . . It's like f***ing close to water!

If I drink a brew, it's usually Ale, such as Rainier. I much prefer the distilled spirits, Like Gentleman Jack or a good single malt whiskey, Bushmills comes to mind.

Originally Posted by xman

Joesix, you gotta know we've got you beat in Canada. Why is drinking American beer like making love in a canoe? . . . It's like f***ing close to water!

I was just in Canada about 3 weeks ago, and I must say, I was not blown away by the local brew, not bad, but nothing to write home about. Except for the Unibroue stuff (La Fin Du Mond, that IS worth writing home about), I'd say it was about the same as most US offerings. I will say that Molson and the other big brewers in Canada tend to have Hoppier beers than the big brewers here in the states, but Bud/Miller/Coors aren't the best examples of US brewing. I know, I know, they're the biggest sellers, but the big sellers in most countries tend to be rather bland. Stella Artois, Heinikin, Becks, Molson, and even Guinnes are pretty poor examples of their countries best brewing. Yeah, They're better than Coors, but I'll take a Sierra Nevada or an Anchor Steam over ANY of those four.

Cool story... Back in '93-'95 I was stationed in Merced with the USAF. Went up to Modesto for an Oktoberfest that the chamber of commerce was putting on. $25 for a pint glass and entry. Once inside, food and all the beer you could stand. Every major brewery had representative tables, and several of the semi-local micros. St. Stans, Sierra Nevada, etc. I spotted the SN table immediately upon strolling in with my empty glass and made a beeline. Standard greetings, etc and he proceeded to fill m glass halfway. I gave him an odd look, he shrugged, and I slammed it. He filled it halfway again. What's the deal? I said. Rules, sir, you know. Ok then, I said, your sore arm, not mine. I came back several more times, then he told me shit man, here you go. Filled me up and then pulled a glass out for himself. I pulled up a chair and stayed there until my wife dragged me out. Turns out the rep for them got sick and he was the only one who could come. According to him, he was the #2 behind the head brewmeister at SN. Told me all kinds of cool stuff, we had a blast. He couldn't leave the table, so I made schnitzel runs for us. Couldn't talk him out of that cool banner he had draped over the table though. You know the one, the creek running down, the colorful label on the pale ale bottle. A bud of mine bartended at a place called Mulligan's in Merced, a sports pub, and they had a rotating plethora of SN's on tap. Didn't take me long to get hooked. By the time I did the 'fest in Modesto, I knew what I was looking for. Now I'm in FL. I can find the odd sixer of pale ale, and now and then find some Bigfoot, but that's about it. The porter is one of my all time favorites, but it's tough to come by. Sometimes I miss the west coast..................Jeff

One of my favorite types of beers are the Belgian styles. Anybody here from Belgium...If so, you are lucky.

Originally Posted by ryan_a

One of my favorite types of beers are the Belgian styles. Anybody here from Belgium...If so, you are lucky.

Belgium is the greatest place on the planet. Greatest food, greatest Beer, nicest people. I wish I were there.