Beer Thread

I imagine American beer is shite in the same way Australian beer is shite - because non-natives think it's just XXXX, Fosters and VB, whereas it's not hard to find any number of very nice local brews, but they're not going to have been heard of in Wales, or the US.

The only US beers I've really heard of are Bud and Miller, and I'm guessing they're the US equivalent of Fosters and VB - I mean if you were lost in the desert and came across a fridge full of Fosters, you'd probably have one, but otherwise, you'd pass.

Oh, is Mickey's Big Mouth beer? I heard that in a Tom Waits song.... :D

This is one of my favourite Australian beers, although I haven't had one for a while... Coopers Sparkling Ale
 
Not a big beer fan. Hate IPAs. I drink beer maybe 3 times a year.. usually stouts or "brown" ales like Newcastle. Every once in a rare while if I'm working outside in the summer I crave a Busch/Bud Lite in a frosted glass.. that's about it. I like ciders more, but again nothing over 5%. Lately for ciders I like McKenzie's seasonal offerings. I just hate getting drunk. Haven't done it intentionally in 4-5 years.
 
Armistice said:
I imagine American beer is shite in the same way Australian beer is shite - because non-natives think it's just XXXX, Fosters and VB, whereas it's not hard to find any number of very nice local brews, but they're not going to have been heard of in Wales, or the US.

The only US beers I've really heard of are Bud and Miller, and I'm guessing they're the US equivalent of Fosters and VB - I mean if you were lost in the desert and came across a fridge full of Fosters, you'd probably have one, but otherwise, you'd pass.

Oh, is Mickey's Big Mouth beer? I heard that in a Tom Waits song.... :D

This is one of my favourite Australian beers, although I haven't had one for a while... Coopers Sparkling Ale
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You're probably right Armistice. I've been to a few bars in America which had stuff I'd never heard of that tasted alright - still tasted American though.
 
Armistice said:
I mean if you were lost in the desert and came across a fridge full of Fosters, you'd probably have one, but otherwise, you'd pass.
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Again, you're right. In this unlikely scenario, Fosters would be acceptable... or when its 50 pence a pint in a Student Union bar - which is probably the last time I drank it by choice.
 
I like Stouts/ Porter type of brews. I used to be strictly Guinness for years. Then what was available here started being brewed in Canada and it just wasn't the same as the stuff from St James Gate. There used to be a Heinekan special dark I was fond of. Now a days I like to go to the store and experiment. I'll say I don't like the "flavored" beers I see (raspberry this, chocolate coffee that).
 
Brooklyn on draught is a very nice, fairly widely available US beer. The bottled version is okay but not a patch to on tap.

I'm the other way round with the Punk Dog IPA - love the bottled stuff, but sometimes you order a pint and it's just too tarry and borderline undrinkable.
 
Sam Adams. Harpoon. Otter Creek. Red Hook. Sea Dog. Just stay away from the mass-produced crap (Bud, Miller, etc).
 
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There are too many fantastic beers being made in the US to even name them all. The craft beer industry has exploded in the last 10 years. Small breweries taking chances, not catering to mass appeal, and making some incredible brews (and some godawful ones as well). Since the recent trend has been towards craft breweries and microbreweries, it's no surprise that they aren't heard of outside of the country. Probably half of them aren't heard of outside of their own state!

Have a Google for brands like Founders, Dog Fish Head, Stone, Russian River, North Coast, New Belgium, Avery, Left Hand, Magic Hat...those are some of the bigger craft breweries, at least by distribution area. There are literally hundreds of others as well.

Personally I hate IPAs and all of the other super hoppy beers. I don't mind hops if they're balanced out with other flavors, but the whole "how bitter and undrinkable can we make a beer and still sell it" approach grosses me out. Stone Brewery's Arrogant Bastard is a favorite of mine. It's a dark, hoppy beer that's actually balanced with other flavors. But things like Green Flash's Palate Wrecker is everything that I hate about craft beer. It's just gross.
 
Two Roads Brewery opened up near us here in Connecticut a few years back. They outclass most microbrews I've had. Their Saison is impressive.

Dogfishhead is also generally very excellent. From my home state!

Abita makes good beer. The Louisiana water seems to be good for brewing.

Otter Creek's Stovepipe Porter is excellent. I homebrew and made 5 gallons of a clone brew of it (from a kit made by Maltose Express a few towns from here) and it was excellent.

I love a good hoppy beer -- Smuttynose Finestkind IPA is a nice big hoppy beer without being silly like palate wrecker, etc.

There are lots and lots of great beers out there!
 
Trouble is, all the really good American beers (and there are many) are local boutique brews so you have to be in the right place to find them.

Of all the easily available anywhere ones, Sam Adams is one I can more than tolerate and actually enjoy--but finding a specialist brew pub is generally the best way to go. In that regard, the US is ahead of Aus by the way.
 
I'm REAL glad we're in that Renaissance. For the longest time the Monty Python quote applied, "American beer is like making love in a canoe, fucking near water".
 
I've been a beer snob for a very long time. Even in high school, my friends and I would always buy a mystery 6 (usually good stuff like Anchor Steam, Carlsburg, etc). After I got married (early 90's) I started brewing beer. Still have the kegs and keg fridge but haven't brewed in about 15 years. My favorite brews are Porters and Belgian Ales. I love the Trappist and Abbey Ales. I cultured the yeast from a Chimay bottle and made a "clone" of Chimay. Tasted like a Trappist but not Chimay. And my buddy lives in Spencer Ma which is the brewery for the only Trappist beer made in America. Still have some in the fridge right next to some Delirium Tremons that brother bought me. Thankfully in my area there's lots of brew pubs and bars with lots to choose from. My biggest issue around here is most bars have too many IPA's and American light lagers (and fruity "beers") and not necessarily a good selection of styles. I actually drink Bud Light at one place I go to every Wednesday night because his selection (and prices) suck big donkey balls.
 
Delerium Trimens is great!
Carlsburg on the other hand is mediocre.
Proper IPA is lovely.
 
Carlsburg, here in the late 80's, was a premium import. I had had Carlsburg while in Greece and I thought the European version tasted much better (much like Heinekin. I can't drink that here but I will in Europe). And I have yet to have an IPA that I like. I just don't like bitter in a beer. Malty is my preference. I drink a lot of Smithwick's and Newcastle because they're relatively cheap around here. But a lot of my friends LOVE those IPA's.
 
Bill L said:
Carlsburg, here in the late 80's, was a premium import. I had had Carlsburg while in Greece and I thought the European version tasted much better (much like Heinekin. I can't drink that here but I will in Europe). And I have yet to have an IPA that I like. I just don't like bitter in a beer. Malty is my preference. I drink a lot of Smithwick's and Newcastle because they're relatively cheap around here. But a lot of my friends LOVE those IPA's.
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Odd, in the UK, Carlsberg is the cheap "curry house" beer and in continental Europe, particularly northern Europe, there's so much good beer (Delerium, Beck's and many other German pils etc) that it wouldn't figure. Saying that, its a lot better than shite like Carling and Fosters and is usually a similar price.

I had a couple of pints of Heinekin (and a Brains SA) last night actually. They were lovely!
 
Well, again, I was brought up on American light largers so anything with flavor, even bad flavor, was different. And like Beck's and St. Paulie Girl it was marketed as an import, therefore better, therefore more expensive. I didn't fall for that for too long ;) But Europe had the best beers up until the micro brew revolution in the US (which started around here in the mid 90's). Now, with some decent ingredients and a little bit of time and care you can make killer homebrew that is miles better than what you can buy. And in many cases is even less expensive than buying it.
 
Bill L said:
Well, again, I was brought up on American light largers so anything with flavor, even bad flavor, was different. And like Beck's and St. Paulie Girl it was marketed as an import, therefore better, therefore more expensive. I didn't fall for that for too long ;) But Europe had the best beers up until the micro brew revolution in the US (which started around here in the mid 90's). Now, with some decent ingredients and a little bit of time and care you can make killer homebrew that is miles better than what you can buy. And in many cases is even less expensive than buying it.
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There was a great little Brewery in Breckenridge in the the 90s. Don't know if its still there.

I was only 16 but my parents were cool with me having a few pints after a day skiing/boarding. The Yank bar staff took a slightly dimmer view, however!
 
Well, Breckenridge Brewery started in 1990 and started expanding into Denver around 1992. They are a national brand in the US selling in 32 states. So they are still there ;)

The reason the staff got nervous was because if a cop or state official is there, and they feel like busting balls, they can make life miserable for the establishment. Not to mention the liability if something should happen to you as a result of the beverage or it's effects. But, yeah, pretty stupid if the parents are right there. I always offer my son (who's almost of age now) a taste if he wants. He usually declines.
 
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