Let's talk about Beer, man!

I started brewing beer so I could spend more money on guitars... Costs me about $2 for a 750ml bottle as opposed to $7 I would have to pay from a bottle shop (we get ripped off over here on our booze). Even a pint (570ml) at a pub is $10+ now and sometimes $15+. Crazy.
 
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Well all this has done is renewed my envy for the choice of beer your guys have in the States!

Had a Sixpoint Resin and a couple of New Belgian Rampants last night, both very good!
Ive been to Australia back in the 80s when I was in the Navy and I didn't have any problem drinking a lot of you guys beer.
 
This is actually quite a good English Ale. And the label rocks!
This beer is Terrible ..... Literally.

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...but Incredible !!
I was born in Montreal, not too far from Chambly. Unibroue is one of my favorite breweries, and Maudite is my "favorite" beer - favorite not because it is the best tasting beer (which varies based on my mood, the season, and my previous beer!), but because it is a great beer, from a great brewery, and I have some very fond memories drinking this with friends.

Ive been to Australia back in the 80s when I was in the Navy and I didn't have any problem drinking a lot of you guys beer.

Keep in mind back in the 80s the craft-brewing scene in the US was just getting started (only five brewpubs opened by 1986!), and wasn't anything like today. So the regular Australian beers were quite exotic compared to the Bud, Coors, and Miller that was the mainstream of US beer drinking.

There are a few really good Aussie beers (I really liked Bluetongue when I visited Newcastle many times about a decade ago), and a bunch of good drinking-with-your-mates beers (VB, Tooheys, Coopers, etc, based on taste and what city/state you're from, it seems), but the US has really exploded with craft beers, and I'm sure all other beer-loving countries are a little envious of the massive range of product available now. Canada has got a huge number too, for the population, and hopefully the rest of the world will join in - it must be hard to open a new brewery somewhere like England or Ireland, where there is a huge history of established beers, compounded by the productization of the pubs and the mass-market beers that seem to get served (because the global corp owns both the breweries and the pubs now) - although the Campaign for Real Ale is very nice to see (my buddy just got back from the CAMRA beer festival in Yaxley).
 
I have been on a long quest for Saranac Black And Tan, but to no avail ... I have been settling for Yuengling Black and Tan lately...
Blue Point Toasted Lager, And there are quite a few tasty selections from Cigar City out of Tampa...
 
Ive been to Australia back in the 80s when I was in the Navy and I didn't have any problem drinking a lot of you guys beer.

To be fair, anything cold, amber and liquidy tastes pretty darn good when you've been at sea for a couple of months. I know when I was doing the Navy thing I wasn't very choosy... ;)

Australia is definitely getting there with the craft beer scene but it's a little hit and miss I reckon and a lot of marketing guff. I'll read a label and think "that sounds awesome", only to find it pretty tasteless. I do wonder if low turnover/storage/freshness have something to do with it sometimes.
 
I'm an IPA fan myself - my favorite breweries are Southern Tier (love the 2XONE and 2XRye, Old Man Winter), Great Lakes, Laguintas (Sucks is amazing), Dogfish Head (90 Minute and Burton Baton are always in the house) and Victory's Dirt Wolf and Hop Devil. When my buddy in NY makes a seasonal drive up to Vermont, I get spoiled by some Heady Topper (best IPA I've ever had). I do like some of the coffee stouts in the winter. I've recently found that Straub's in St. Mary's, PA is turning out some fine no-fuss crafts - great lagers, a kolsch and a neat IPL.
 
I've been digging on Noda Brewing and Olde Mecklenburg Brewery from here in Charlotte. Good stuff! I'm a big fan of a good witbier but also enjoy a good ale.
 
I've just come back from a beer weekend in Brussels. I'm a big fan of trappist and abbey ales, as well as lambic style. One of my favorite beers is Tripel Karmeliet.

There are too many beer pubs in Brussels, but I'd like to recommend Le Poechenellekelder. Great selection of beers and good atmosphere, far from the crowded Delirium Tremens.
 
Im not a fan of IPA's and absolutely hate typical lagers, so i drink:

Winter - Guinness Draft (must be draft!) or... any draft stout in a bar I'm willing to try.
Summer- Wheat or Weissbeirs - my fav's are Franziskaner, Hoegaarden, Weihanstephaner and Ommegong Witte.
 
I like to have a beer every once in a while and I enjoy all types of brews. Sometimes I just want a refreshing beer on a hot summer day like Maryland's own Natty Boh, but sometimes I want a more elegant brew like Chimay Rouge.

What are some of your favorit
es and why?


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I've six bottles my entire life and don't dig it.
 
I've six bottles my entire life and don't dig it.
And you know what? That's OK. I'm not one to say you should like beer, so if you don't like it, you don't like it!

But...I am one to suggest that if all you have ever had is Miller (lite or regular), Bud, PBR, and maybe a Heineken or Stella Artois, then you owe it to yourself to try some other types like Belgian Dubbels/Tripels, Quads, or Stouts/Porters (Guinness is a good entry point there), and something like an American-style IPA (Dogfish Head 60 min might be a good starter). Or any of the other styles like Saisons, Flemish Sours, Amber or Brown Ales, Scotch Ales, wheat beers like Hoegaarden (or even the US mass market equivalents like Blue Moon or Shock Top), and on and on. There are so many taste profiles out there that if you can like beer, you find your way. I have successfully introduced craft beers to so many people who thought all beer tasted like Bud or Corona, and they really liked that Fat Tire or Hoegaarden or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. And then discovered all the other great tastes, or sometimes stayed with what they liked - one of my co-workers really likes wheat beers, and not much else, and good for him!

But if you honestly don't like any kind of malty-hoppy beery taste, then none of those are going to appeal to you, and as I said, that's OK!
 
...I don't know how I missed this thread!

More a fan of wheat beers. Glad to say some fellow Chimay lovers here. Another great favorite is Delirium. Good lord is it good. My all-time favorite has to be Due South's Caramel Cream Ale. They're a local brewwery that wins best brewery in Fl. every year. You can get this specific beer, as well as a few others, category 5 IPA at places like World of Beer, and even canned at ABC, Total Wine and Crown. If you see a sixer of Caramely Cream Ale I highly suggest taking the plunge. It has to be the smoothest, tastiest beer I've ever had. Last Saturday Due South had their 3 year anniversary and had some special limited uncaskings for the day at certain times (so yes, we were there for 6 hours, haha) - Kevins Bacon (Amber Ale with Bacon), Orange Belgian Blonde (Belgian Blonde with Orange), Grapefruit Category 5 IPA (Imdia Pale Ale with Grapefruit), Passionfruit Belgian Blonde (Belgian Blonde Ale with Passionfruit), Coconut Bay Breeze (Lager with Pineapple, Coconut, and Cranberry - very tasty), Apple Brandy Caramel Cream Ale (Amber cream Ale with Vanilla aged in Brandy Barrels), Bourbon Mexican Standoff (porter with Chocolate, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Chili Peppers aged in Bourbon Barrels), and Chocolate peanut Butter Stout (they ran out in 6 minutes).
A lot of their regulars besides the caramel Cream Ale that are great are the Cafe Ole Espresso Porter and Honey vanilla Wheat. I feel like an alcoholic typing all of that, haha
 
I believe ShockJock is miles ahead in that regard. My sense of humour is beta when im drunk. Bring on the Stela.
 
One of my favorite local beers just won gold at the US Beer Open. As popular as IPAs are these days, to be rated the best in the US is kind of a big deal. Next up is for the beer to collect leather bound books and get an apartment that smells of rich mahogany.


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One of my favorite local beers just won gold at the US Beer Open. As popular as IPAs are these days, to be rated the best in the US is kind of a big deal. Next up is for the beer to collect leather bound books and get an apartment that smells of rich mahogany.


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Want! Send me some :p
 
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