Let's talk Beer (1 Viewer)

[Clinton McClure]

Currently enjoying a Newcastle brown ale with my thin crust chicken and spinach pizza

 

[Zen Butler]

There was a time years ago that I really enjoyed Newcastle. It's become quite sugary and watered down since its' sale. I enjoy that style too. Samuel Smith has a decent nut brown

 

[Clinton McClure]

There a beer called Honey Brown that I really like which tastes a lot like Newcastle.

 

[bmasters9]

I'm in the same boat. I just wish my grocery store carried it. They carry almost every damn flavor but that. I'd have to drive a ways to BevMo to get it.

BevMo?

 

[Clinton McClure]

In truth, I haven't had many beers I don't like. The worst ones I've ever had are most of the Sam Adams lineup, Red Stripe, and anything with agave... that stuff is absolutely nasty. It tastes like it has gone bad and generally makes me nauseous.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

BevMo?

Beverages & More, a liquor store chain in California. www.bevmo.com

 

[Chris Strnad]

(Wow, the beer thread hasn't been touched in 2 months, sad!)

Funny thing is that beer is one of the reasons why I'd been away from this forum for so long. A few friends turned me on to a local chain called the Winking Lizard Tavern, where I had my eyes opened and palate educated as to what real beer is. Not long after, I caught the other "expensive hobby" bug, and occasionally brew my own.

First time in a while that all the taps were active:

...as you can see I'm also on Untappd. Feel free to drop me a friend request (major_error).

Back on-topic, currently sipping on The Sour Bridgeporter from Marz Community Brewing.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

During our recent visit to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina we checked out the brew pub Gordon Biersch. They have a little over 30 locations throughout the country. The beer is brewed onsite -- I had a porter, and my wife had a pumpkin ale -- and the food was also quite good. We will definitely go back. I didn't think they had a restaurant in Michigan, but according to Google there is one at Detroit Metro Airport -- not that we would ever frequent the airport for a night out, though (and we couldn't get through airport security without a plane ticket anyway).

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Is anyone ready for IHOP's own beer, sold as "IHOPS"?

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ihops-ihop-beer-now-thing-150816621.html

The full name of the drink is IHOPS Pumpkin Pancake Stout. It combines pumpkin, vanilla and pancake batter with Keegan Ales’ stout.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I've been playing with a very cool app on my Android phone called "Untapped". It allows you to keep track of the beers you try, including where you have them and also rate the beer. The app has yet to fail to find a beer I've bought, including quite a few obscure microbrews from local establishments. It even found "7000 Steps to High Hrothgar", a double IPA from Canton Brew Works, a very small local brewer with a constantly rotating tap list of seven beers brewed onsite and no local distribution.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

It's KBS season! Otherwise known as Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. A couple of the local establishments have it on draft, and I picked up a 4-pack (quite expensive at $25). Friends brought another 4-pack to our house last weekend for the Kentucky Derby (we had them over for a cookout). If you are an imperial stout lover and have the opportunity to try one, I highly recommend the brew.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

For beer lovers visiting Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I highly recommend checking out New South Brewing. We have a condo in North Myrtle Beach, and try to visit the brewery on each of our visits. They have some great stuff -- I have some Big Wooly Mammoth imperial stout in cans in our fridge from our last visit. Their Dirty Myrtle double IPA is also quite tasty if you are an IPA fan.

 

[Sam Posten]

It's KBS season! Otherwise known as Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. A couple of the local establishments have it on draft, and I picked up a 4-pack (quite expensive at $25). Friends brought another 4-pack to our house last weekend for the Kentucky Derby (we had them over for a cookout). If you are an imperial stout lover and have the opportunity to try one, I highly recommend the brew.

I love stouts but no way am I spending $6 a can for anything =p

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I love stouts but no way am I spending $6 a can for anything =p

Yes, it's quite pricey, which is why I only bought a single four-pack of bottles as a special treat. The Irish pub in town charges $12 for a 13 ounce draft, so $6 a bottle seems like a bargain in comparison.

BTW, the original Founders Brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan is a pretty cool place. They have this beer on draft all year round (along with all their other beers), and their food is very good. We have been there a couple of times when visiting the west part of the state.

 

[Sam Posten]

In case you guys missed it Sam Adams just bought out Dogfishead. Can’t say I saw that coming

 

[Scott Merryfield]

In case you guys missed it Sam Adams just bought out Dogfishead. Can’t say I saw that coming

Dogfish Head makes some pretty good IPAs -- something Sam Adams isn't great at.

 

[Bryan^H]

my favorites:

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I have traveled all over the world drinking beer in many countries. I can say without a doubt the countries you must visit on your journey would be the following:

Belgium
Germany
United Kingdom (yes, you should do them all)
Canada
United States

Someone once said that you can only get a good beer in a Christian country, because they are more serious about drinking due to their fear of God, but I would add that in general the best beers are found in countries and places where it gets cold because they are very serious about being inside by a warm fire and having a beer.

Personally, I think the countries above have basically wrote the book on beer and each of them takes it very, very seriously.

Sadly, I never bothered to track all the beers I have had in my travels but I've drank an ocean's worth I think. So, it would be a somewhat embarrassing list due to the length which would make me appear an alcoholic. The countries I listed above though all have a hardcore beer culture...basically, it seems like it is in the blood.

Don't get me wrong, I have had some great beer in other countries too. I have had micro brews in both Italy and France and been to brew pubs in those countries that were fantastic. Honestly, this surprised me because like everybody else I thought I would be drinking wine in these countries...and I did of course...but sitting in a hidden seafood restaurant in Venice, wandering around Rome, or even after a movie in Paris I have had great beer moments.

However, Italy and France are obviously not beer obsessed countries.

It's funny because the United States was not always a great beer country. That basically happened over the last 30 years. We were known for our mass produced beers that to people from other countries seemed vaguely even related to beer. However, now the rest of the planet would struggle to keep up. We have such a variety and new micro brews appearing so often that you could drink a beer every day for the next decade and never have the same brew twice. It's actually kind of ridiculous...or a paradise for a beer drinker.

I mean now when I go to the store to purchase some beer I am confronted by hundreds of choices that rotate out depending on the season. It takes me a good half hour to even browse the selection. Or if I want to go sit somewhere there are micro breweries and brew pubs all over the place.

This tends to be my problem. So much choice I can't decide what I want. Hilariously, my wife insisted on getting a beer refrigerator, which I don't know you would think would be a guy thing, but she harassed me for dragging my feet getting one. Now we have one and she insists I keep it fully stocked, I literally get a note left for me if we drink a few of the beers to make sure I restock.

All this to get to the point that I am so overwhelmed by beer choices that I don't know where to start talking about them.

Here's a list of what is currently in the beer fridge:

Cape Cod Beer - Shucker's Reward Oyster Stout
Barnstable Brewing- Vanilla Milkshake IPA
Left Hand Brewing Company - Flamingo Dreams Nitro Ale
Elysian Brewing Company - Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale Ale
Devil's Purse Brewing -Intertidal Stout
Leffe - Brown/Brune Belgian Ale
Blue Point Brewing Company - Blueberry Ale
Jack's Abby - Blood Orange Wheat
Vanished Valley Brewing Co. - Peaches and Juniper Berry Milkshake IPA
Harpoon - UFO Wheat in Blueberry Lemonade, Blood Orange Lemonade, Watermelon Lemonade, and Mango Limeade flavors

If anybody is interested in any of these let me know and I will describe what they are like.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Anybody here try any of the brews from Victory?
Several locations west of Philadelphia. An intense brew they have is Storm King Stout-
Pours into a glass like used motor oil, 9% alcohol, very strong taste. I can’t have more than 2 in one sitting- I get too buzzed. Another flavor they had is Scarlet Fire Rauch- awesome smoky taste. They brew this for limited runs now, and every time I go back to visit, they aren’t brewing it

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Anybody here try any of the brews from Victory?

Yes, I have had several of them...I mean different beers not that I just drank a bunch as I was composing this reply. They have some tasty brews, I have had the Storm King and a variety of others. I'd have to go over to the Beer Advocate site to sort out which ones.

Generally, I drink a lot of the darker styles in the fall and winter months and then head toward lighter colored stuff in spring and summer. Although because I love the darker styles I return to them and keep them in the mix but by spring I tend to have some burnout on them and am ready for other stuff.

I have a list of favorite or go to beers that I return to a lot because they seem to be so reliably wonderful or the remind me of a place or time like a song might...I can drink a Triple Karmeliet or Straffe Hendrick and be back sitting outside next to canal in Bruge watching the boats go by. Or an Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel with a plate of German food or Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen and be back in a Munich beer hall or outdoor beer garden.

I think I return to beers like those because they take me back to places.