Beers...

[Metaldrumz]

Not really big on Belgians. I do like an ice cold Wheat Beer but am not knowledged in them at all (UFO is good). Im quite the opposite of the Belgian lovers tastes and am a Hop Fanatic. IPA's and DIPA's is what I love.

Current favs are Avery IPA, West Coast IPA, and Racer 5 IPA. Also been enjoying the stuff released by Troegs Brewery which is finally available in MA. Their Wheat Beer is quite good too.

As for Canadian Beers. Meh. The fact they bottle everything in green bottles should tell you all you need to know lol. Actually I can drink Molson golden or Molson ice if its ice cold but after 2 I need my hop fix. Most other Canadian beers I find to be skunky (geeee green bottles have anything to do with this lol).

Right now I'm drinkin the Sam Adams Boston Ale (not the more popular Boston Lager) and its goin down smooth. Once I switch to Harpoon IPA I will get my taste buds dancing with hops!

Here in NH the seclection sucks. Good thing I live on the MA border. Theres a place 40 minutes from me that sells close to 1,000 microbrew beers!

 

[mëtålspëd]

As for Canadian Beers. Meh. The fact they bottle everything in green bottles should tell you all you need to know lol. Actually I can drink Molson golden or Molson ice if its ice cold but after 2 I need my hop fix. Most other Canadian beers I find to be skunky (geeee green bottles have anything to do with this lol).

Molson Canadian = brown bottle. Green bottle beer FTMFL

 

[Jibrille]

Here in NH the seclection sucks. Good thing I live on the MA border. Theres a place 40 minutes from me that sells close to 1,000 microbrew beers!

That's kind of weird since our local place actually sells a number of NH Microbreweries. Smuttynose, Nutfield, Redhook, etc. You'd think in general New England states would stock a lot of the great Microbrews that come from the area.

 

[mëtålspëd]

I have access to most all of the regional micros at my local packie. Im partial to the BBC offerings.

 

[Metaldrumz]

That's kind of weird since our local place actually sells a number of NH Microbreweries. Smuttynose, Nutfield, Redhook, etc. You'd think in general New England states would stock a lot of the great Microbrews that come from the area.

Let me guess. The Brew Crew on Colvin Ave, and Western Ave? Know the places good. Hit them everytime I'm in town visiting my family and old hometown (Schenectady). My old guitar player has an awesome chocolate store right up the Street from Brew Crew on Colvin avenue.

http://www.chocolategecko.com/

Yea we get the ME, and NH beers but most of them suck. Smuttynose is decent....Redhook is total crap. Shipyard is ok but nothing special.

Sad to see the brewery in Latham Circle Mall go bye bye (forget the name last time I was there they just had other local brews on tap Davidsons IPA was ok nothing great)

We also get Dogfish Head and Magic Hat but I am not a fan of either. Don't like Amarillo Hops at all (also why I'm not a fan of Rogue ales). More into Cascade, Chinook, and Centennial hops.

Only other more popular beer I can easily obtain, and really like is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

I have access to most all of the regional micros at my local packie. Im partial to the BBC offerings.

Whats the name of your local package store? I usually go to Westboro MA. Julios Liquors is fucking awesome.

http://www.juliosliquors.com/beer.htm

 

[Jibrille]

Let me guess. The Brew Crew on Colvin Ave, and Western Ave? Know the places good. Hit them everytime I'm in town visiting my family and old hometown (Schenectady). My old guitar player has an awesome chocolate store right up the Street from Brew Crew on Colvin avenue.

http://www.chocolategecko.com/

Yea we get the ME, and NH beers but most of them suck. Smuttynose is decent....Redhook is total crap. Shipyard is ok but nothing special.

Sad to see the brewery in Latham Circle Mall go bye bye (forget the name last time I was there they just had other local brews on tap Davidsons IPA was ok nothing great)

I usually visit Savemore Discount Beverage Center in Clifton Park since it's only 2 minutes from my house but my brother goes to Brew Crew all the time. It doesn't have as huge a variety but enough of one to keep us trying new stuff regularly.
I would probably suggest Brown's in Troy if you want a decent brewery (great food too) next time you're in the area but I'd be surprised if you hadn't heard of the place. It was once called Troy Pub & Brewery and I think it's actual "legit" name is Brown's Taproom.

 

[Bryant]

I am pretty much a hophead. I want my beers hoppy and bitter (in a good way) so I am probably not the best to recommend beers to you. Having said that, I have a few suggestions:

Anchor "Steam" beer. Anchor is one of the "originators" of the micro-brewing industry. The "Steam" beer is odd in that it uses lager yeasts and ingredients, but is brewed at ale temperatures. The beer is a little thick to be drank outside in the summer temperatures for refreshment though.

Harp lager. This is made by Guinness Brewing, but is a lager, not a stout. It is hoppier than the typical American style lager, but it won't overwhelm people that don't care for IPAs etc.

Schlitz...... not a joke. Buy a lowly Schlitz and treat it like a king by pouring it into a pilsner glass and it actually transforms into probably my favorite of the yellow fizzy stuff that is the American macro offerings.

Lastly, try the micros available to you. What is available to you and I are different. I am in Eastern Alabama and am able to get wonderful Atlanta brews from Atlanta Breing Co. and Sweetwater etc. Those probably aren't available to you, but you have access to many that I do not, I am sure. Give them a try.


Bryant

Ok so I heard about this beer on a radio show - they sampled and raved about it - and I was lucky enough to find it in a Wegman's (greatest grocery store on earth) by me..

It's called Delirium Nocturnum (I've also sampled the Delirium Tremons) and it's a not so heavy, not hoppy, smooth Belgian Ale that I LOVE... And at 8.5% how can you NOT like it??? Highly recommend.. I've tried a wheat ale, didn't do much for me; an Indian Pale - had a bit of bite and I don't care for that; but I'm looking to try others..

I don't like heavy, hoppy, or spicy... Anyone got any recommendations?? The Sam Adams Summer Ale sounds intriguing, but I don't know of anyone who's had it...

 

[J-Man]

I have to admit I have tried HARP lager and really liked it. Now here in the Sun City, we have this place called "Buddy's Beer Barn", and yes it is a barn, you drive into on end of the barn and drive out the other. On both sides as you drive thru are hundreds maybe thousands of brands of beers, from the mainstream classics(Bud, Miller, Coors) down to some micro imports, and in range from $2.99 a 6 pack(PBR) to around $10 a 4 pack(some Danish Brand). What i like to do is park outside and walk thru and just look, plus he has the widest selection of New Mexico, Texas, Chiliean, and California wines I have seen. Then there is the Tequilla Shack(a room inside the barn with 478 diffrent brands of tequilla. It is a great place.

 

[johan68]

I am pretty much a hophead. I want my beers hoppy and bitter (in a good way) so I am probably not the best to recommend beers to you. Having said that, I have a few suggestions:

Anchor "Steam" beer. Anchor is one of the "originators" of the micro-brewing industry. The "Steam" beer is odd in that it uses lager yeasts and ingredients, but is brewed at ale temperatures. The beer is a little thick to be drank outside in the summer temperatures for refreshment though.

Harp lager. This is made by Guinness Brewing, but is a lager, not a stout. It is hoppier than the typical American style lager, but it won't overwhelm people that don't care for IPAs etc.

Schlitz...... not a joke. Buy a lowly Schlitz and treat it like a king by pouring it into a pilsner glass and it actually transforms into probably my favorite of the yellow fizzy stuff that is the American macro offerings.

Lastly, try the micros available to you. What is available to you and I are different. I am in Eastern Alabama and am able to get wonderful Atlanta brews from Atlanta Breing Co. and Sweetwater etc. Those probably aren't available to you, but you have access to many that I do not, I am sure. Give them a try.


Bryant

Bryant!
you seem to have the same taste in beer as me. As you live in Alabama, can you get the excellent beers from the Dunedin Brewery there? If you can and if you are unfamiliar with them, try some. They have some brilliant "hoppy" selections to choose from.

Dunedin is in Florida by the way... Not too far from eastern Alabama.

 

[KingsGene]

Unibroue from Chambly, Quebec. Mmmmm....good! Nice variety

http://www.unibroue.com/our_beers_eng.html

 

[SharkBlack]

The Sam Summer is a wheat, best I recall. I try to drink stuff from local breweries, that certainly don't make it into your neck of the woods Jennifer. I get flack for it, but I like drinking Molson Canadian in the summer months. Its light, and tasty enough.

/waits for the eventual beer snobs to come romping in

I catch grief for enjoying Landshark or even going back to my old faithfuls Coors or Budweiser... I mean come on... it just taste good when the beer's extremely refreshing and really cold in the summer!

Otherwise give me a tasty Porter... or a Racer 5 IPA

 

[J-Dubya 777]

Then there is the Tequilla Shack(a room inside the barn with 478 diffrent brands of tequilla. It is a great place.

I need to be buried there!

 

[Sumeet]

Ok so I heard about this beer on a radio show - they sampled and raved about it - and I was lucky enough to find it in a Wegman's (greatest grocery store on earth) by me..

It's called Delirium Nocturnum (I've also sampled the Delirium Tremons) and it's a not so heavy, not hoppy, smooth Belgian Ale that I LOVE... And at 8.5% how can you NOT like it??? Highly recommend.. I've tried a wheat ale, didn't do much for me; an Indian Pale - had a bit of bite and I don't care for that; but I'm looking to try others..

I don't like heavy, hoppy, or spicy... Anyone got any recommendations?? The Sam Adams Summer Ale sounds intriguing, but I don't know of anyone who's had it...

I also prefer a smoother, maltier, not too hoppy beer, and the belgian trappist beers are some of my favorites. They can often be hard to find on this side of the Atlantic, but Chimay is probably the easiest one to find, followed by Delirium. As far as more conventional beers, I think the Sam Adams Summer Ale is pretty solid.

 

[nailz]

I catch grief for enjoying ... Budweiser... I mean come on... it just taste good when the beer's extremely refreshing and really cold in the summer!

I would rather swallow broken glass than drink budweiser anything. I don't know how your body doesn't punch you in the throat for subjecting it to that swill.

 

[SharkBlack]

I would rather swallow broken glass than drink budweiser anything. I don't know how your body doesn't punch you in the throat for subjecting it to that swill.

It's delicious and extremely refreshing to me at 22 degrees... But only the King, not their other products... OMG Bud Light and that American ale crap is just undrinkable...

Sometimes I want a Swithwick's sometimes I want something light and guzzleable!

 

[MysticX9]

I need to investigate some of these recommendations. I quite enjoyed Skol Lager when I had it in England many moons ago, but have never been able to find it in the States...

 

[shreddy]

Summer Ales usually fall in to the Session beer or lawnmower beer categories, that means that they're intentionally brewed with lower alcohol so you can drink more of them on a hot Summer day. Lots of the Summer ales on the market incorporate lemon flavors, not to be confused with the citrus flavors from certain American hops. I'm not the biggest fan of Summer Ales so I cant tell you which ones are the best, Sam Adams has a slight lemon flavor to it and its not overly hoppy, its a preference thing most microbreweries make a Summer Ale in some form or another it depends on your liking of the adjuncts in the beer (fruit or spices). You should give wheat beers another chance, they're typically lighter body, and less hopped than an American Ale. Weiss beers are wheat beers in essence but they will use yeast that can impart fruit and spicy flavors in the fermentation, typically in a heffe weiss you'll have banana and clove flavors all produced by the yeast. Belgium Blonde ales are awesome but in some cases I think they can be a bit spicy for some people.

Some beers that you might like:
Goose Island 312 - if avail in your area its a very light and refreshing beer.
Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat - its a witbier like Blue Moon and others its a darker beer slightly amber in color and has some blueberry flavors to it. This is a very solid beer.
Alagash White - brilliant micro brew made in the style of the Belgium wits
Hoegaarden - a true Belgium wit
Leffe - another great example from Belgium
The last 2 are both excellent beers, if your a fan of the American wit beers like Blue Moon, Shocktop you owe it to yourself to see what those breweries are trying to copy.

Here just look at this site and pick a style of beer and see what the experts say.

http://beeradvocate.com

 

[Dragongrrrl]

I'm a big fan of wits...I really liked the Allagash White and Hoegaarden. I'm also a fan of Leffe Blond, especially since I can get it at the local grocery store.

 

[7thSaviour]

On a side note, every time I go to PPUSA, I see my good old pal ChickenKiller carrying around a never-ending can of Pabst. Anybody else here ever notice this cultural phenomenon?

 

[The Invisible Guest]

Shreddy nailed some of my favorites in his post .... I'll also add Konig Ludwig, Paulaner, Erdinger, and Franziskaner. I like the weiss beers the best .. then the belgium wheats.

I just had some of that Alagash during a visit to Kuma's in Chicago ... very good.


Britt