To beer or not to beer, that is the question...

[96firephoenix]

Killian's Irish Red and Blue Moon are pretty good, most microbrewery beers I've had have been better than any mass-brewed beer.

 

[tuoder]

Beer is one of my favorite things. I homebrew beer with my dad. It's a great hobby. On to the question at hand.


I love Three Floyds Alpha King (Pale Ale), Gumballhead (American Wheat Beer), Moloko Plus (Milk Stout), Behemoth Blonde Barleywine, and Dreadnaught (Double India Pale Ale). I like Robert the Bruce (Scottish Ale). I don't care for Pride and Joy. They also made a Helles Lager that I don't remember the name of that I didn't care for. I'm biased, however. I haven't found a light-colored lager I cared for. In fact, when American Adjunct Lager was all I'd ever had (think Budweiser, MGD, etc.) I was under the sincere impression that I did not care for beer.

I love Stone's Ruination IPA and their regular IPA. I like their Imperial Russian Stout. I love Arrogant Bastard (American Strong Ale). I want to try Double Bastard and Levitation.

I love Rogue's Chocolate Stout. It was amazing. I have bought it so many times. If I had to select a favorite beer, this is it. Their Hazlenut Brown and Espresso Stout are good. These guys know stout.

I've yet to find a Samuel Adam's beer I didn't like, including Sam Adams Light (the only light beer worth drinking, in my less than humble opinion). But I've also never loved one. They're great at making a good example of a style of beer. They're bad at innovating on those styles, or at least their beers that make it to the liquor stores by me are.

I loved Founder's Breakfast Stout. I love North Coast's Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. I love Unibrew's Trois Pistoles and La Fin Du Monde (Three Pistols and The End of the World, in French [They're out of Québec.], respectively.) I liked The Framboise Lambic you see everywhere.

I loved Goose Island's Nut Brown Ale. I like their India Pale Ale (a bit tame, however). Their Bourbon County Stout is very good. It's darn near flammable. It's my Dad's favorite, but at $20 a four pack, he doesn't get it often. Father's Day will be a good occasion for it. Goose Island's Matilda is bizarre. It was cool to try, but I won't be coming back. Their Honker's Ale is good.

New Belgium's Fat Tire is a great Amber Ale. It's a gateway beer. You drink it, get curious about craft beer, and then won't tolerate anything bland again. Be careful. You can even get it in cans! Their Ranger is a good IPA. Skinny Dip is good as well. 1554 I found disgusting. I don't know why. I jsut hated it. Maybe I was in a weird mood.

Anything by Samuel Smith is at least good. Their Oatmeal Stout is the first and last word in that style.

Dogfish Head's 60 and 90 minute are both great. I recently had a Peach Wheat Beer from them that wasn't bad, but I won't be coming back for more. I can't remember what it was called. I want to try 120 minute.

There's so much more that I can't remember. I love beer. If you are ever in Lake County for the Cabela's or the Bass Pro Shop or whatever, visit Three Floyds Brewpub. They make some of the best beers in the world. That is not an exaggeration. They are world-renowned. Check BeerAdvocate or RateBeer out if you don't believe me. Some of the best beer in America and in the world is brewed not 100 miles from some of your homes.

Man, I just can't seem to get a good taste for IPA's. I've had some decent ones, but a few that were just too harsh for me.

I like the wheat beers in the summer...


I'm a big fan of (right now):

Yuengling
Boulevard Wheat
Hoegaarden
Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss

There's no shame in it. Some people just don't care for the crazy bitter beers. I love some Stone Ruination or some Three Floyds Dreadnaught. Perhaps you appreciate something with a more malty character, such as Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale or Rouge Dead Guy Ale. Coffee Stouts or Chocolate Stouts may be in order.

If you like Weissbeer, you might like Weihenstephan Hefeweizen. They're nice, light wheat beers brewed with a special hefe yeast that gives it a clove or banana taste and character. Erdinger Hefeweizen was the beer that made me discover beer. I still love the style.

Its good to see the IPA love! I'm a big fan of GumballHead and Alpha King - super hoppy each.

Alpha King is a beautiful pale ale that is hoppier than the style would suggest. I think it would make a great IPA. Gumballhead is my go-to beer. If I could only have one for the rest of my life it would be that. I'm not aware of anyone who has made that level of bitterness work in an American Wheat beer besides Three Floyds.

Might have to try those IPA's....just had some that are so hoppy with such a bite that it is hard to really enjoy one on a hot day without that instant " this will give me a headache in the morning" feeling.

I'd suggest starting off with an American Pale Ale, which is a somewhat less bitter style that is otherwise similar. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is widely available and is a great example of the style.

 

[fyrefyter101]

C'mon guys, no one will turn down an ice cold Budweiser.

 

[lawrra]

C'mon guys, no one will turn down an ice cold Budweiser.

If it isn't free I will

 

[tuoder]

C'mon guys, no one will turn down an ice cold Budweiser.

Budweiser is better than nothing, but it really pushes the envelope in that regard. It is one of the best of similar beers, but I don't care for anything like it. PBR (Don't judge me) and Schlitz are comparable and tolerable. Honestly, I drink Budweiser for one major reason: I don't want to be that guy. You know, the one who is too good for your free beer.

 

[Hoosier Gun Coat]

Fat tire beer is my current #1

+1 for Fat Tire. My wife and I were out at the New Belgium Brewery a few weeks back. Very nice brewery and a really cool company. If you like dark beer try 1554 or the Abbey. They have a nice flavor and isn't heavy like a Guiness.

 

[slacker]

I love the local beers

3 Floyds - Robert the Bruce
3 Floyds - Pride and Joy
3 Floyds - Alpha King
Upland - Komodo Dragon Black IPA
Upland - Dragonfly IPA
Upland - Bad Elmer's Porter
Sunking: Wee Mac
Sunking: Bitter Druid ESB
Barley Island: Blind Tiger
Barley Island: barfly

I also like BlueMoon, just about anything from Sam Adams, Guinness, and dog fish head.

For just getting drunk its Bud Light and PBR.

 

[Shadowbeach]

.

 

[DocBoCook]

Like Tuoder, I love Arrogant Bastard.

But for a regular day thing, I drink the Dirty Thirty of Keystone light

 

[Eddie]

I like Guiness and Belhaven. Red Stripe is also good in the summertime.

 

[seamusalaska]

Guinness and either Harp or Bass ale mixed half and half.

 

[lawrra]

Like Tuoder, I love Arrogant Bastard.

But for a regular day thing, I drink the Dirty Thirty of Keystone light

Ahhh, a good ol' case of 'stones.

 

[Rob377]

Depends on the day

In no particular order

Erdinger Weiss (probably my favorite in any season)
Paulaner Weiss
Guinness
Just about any of the Sam Adams varieties, with Imperial series at the top of the list
Modelo Especial
Chimay Blu
Dogfish head 60 or 90


I like craft beers, but I'm a bit disappointed in the lack of balance in a some of them. Seems like the recent trend is to forget about taste and just see how much hops you can cram in there, especially with the fad for IPAs. Blech.

 

[RacineDKringle]

I'm getting pretty snobby about beers - People's Brewing Company (run by the guy what left Lafayette Brewing Company) is open and we've been getting the majority of our beer from them.

I'm loving their IPA's (they have 3 editions, all excellent), and their Maltster. (I made a killer beer bread with some of the last of the Maltster. Actually I made them bread and brought it to them one time. I have to really like you to give you a loaf of my bread, and they and only a few friends have been offered the Sacred Bread(TM))

Mr Brown was their offering for homebrew week, and I probably could have stayed there for hours drinking, but my waistline said that I should just take some gulps off of hubby's pint!

The only thing they don't do that I love is a Belgian - so Chimay Blue satisfies that craving.

 

[theweakerbrother]

You dudes who learned to like IPAs must have learned it from kissing old lady's perfumed necks. That stuff is gross and smells/tastes like cheap flowers and jasmine.

Favorite beers? Too hard to say to which is my absolute favorite beer. If I did, it might have to be

 

[RacineDKringle]

You dudes who learned to like IPAs must have learned it from kissing old lady's perfumed necks.

Well, I was awfully close to my grandmother, so that *must* indeed explain why I enjoy bitter beers.

*is really glad she learned something new today!*

 

[Jon Craig]

C'mon guys, no one will turn down an ice cold Budweiser.

Look at it this way - Bud and Keystone are cheaper than water. Just let that roll around in your head for a while. They took water, and made it into something worse, such that they have to sell it cheaper.

 

[loony1]

robert the bruce, with left hand milk stout in close second, all draft of course.

 

[lyric911]

All of you Blue Moon drinkers owe it to yourself to try Bell's Oberon. Vastly superior. You can thank me later.

 

[Jon Craig]

All of you Blue Moon drinkers owe it to yourself to try Bell's Oberon. Vastly superior. You can thank me later.

Anything by Bell's is better than nearly anything else by any similarly sized or larger brewery. The only way to get better is to brew it yourself, or find a local micro like People's Brewing Company.