Favorite Beer

[jostenmeat]

Anyone here ever have John Smith ale? (not to be confused with John Courage, nor John Powers Irish whisky). I really enjoyed having it when I lived in Europe, and I've never been able to locate it in the US.

I love English and Belgian ales. Samuel Smith is awesome, particularly the seasonal Winter Welcome.

I love Duvel.

I used to enjoy hoppy beers more often, but I now tend towards smoother beers. I also tend towards smoother drinks in general.

Favorite American brand of beer for me might or might not be Anchor. I like their porter quite a bit.

I also discovered Moose Drool and Alaskan Amber during a recent road trip. Now I always buy them when I see them.

I have three friends who are serious brewers. One is a cook at a 5 star hotel and has dreams to open a brewery, another who works for an alcohol ad agency, and yet another who is brewmaster at a local brewery. The latter gave me a sample of 3 y.o. ale! 1 yr to ferment/process, 1 yr in American Oak barrels, one year to mellow. It was incredibly smooth, 13%. He only made 5 gallons, and the rest was finished that night.


edit: I just buy whatever is on sale, yet decent, when I go grocery shopping. Last trip, Bass was cheapest, and so I got a case. I try to get my beers to be as close as possible to $1 per, hehe.

 

[MidnightSensi]

You should try the 120 minute if you can find it. Steep price at $10 a 12 ounce bottle, but it is a serious IPA worth a shot once. There is a new batch coming out soon so if you have a place to get it you should ask.

Yeah that should be out by the end of the month right?

 

[avaserfi]

Yeah that should be out by the end of the month right?

The Dogfish Head site has it brewed in Sept. My local place says they will have it by the end of the month. I will be getting 2 of these. One for immediate drinking and one for aging. Despite these beers huge hops it still makes a great candidate for 2 years in storage...so hard to do though.

 

[MidnightSensi]

I also like 312 from Chi-town.

I love Duvel.

Werd.

 

[nick1000000]

Nothing like a glass of liquid steak.

I love it because you get too full of Guinness before you get drunk

 

[jamie2112]

Nothing like a glass of liquid steak.

I love it because you get too full of Guinness before you get drunk

Round the touring circles we call that "pork chop in a glass".....Love it...

 

[OttoMatic]

You should try the 120 minute if you can find it. Steep price at $10 a 12 ounce bottle, but it is a serious IPA worth a shot once. There is a new batch coming out soon so if you have a place to get it you should ask.

Sure, I'll try at least one. I don't even get a bomber for that price? Damn.

Arrogant Bastard's Stone IPA is very nice.

Oh, "Stone" is the brewery and "Arrogant Bastard" is one of their beers. Good stuff, no doubt. One of these days when I'm in SoCal, I'm going to tour the brewery. It seems I never have enough time while I'm there, though.

The first time I had an IPA I was a wheat beer drinker.

Yeah, wheat beer was what got me into good beers. We used to drink pitchers and pitchers of Widmer Hefeweizen while in college. We were in southern Oregon, and it was on tap. I still love that beer in a nostalgic way, but it's never the same in bottles. I get it every once in a while when I'm visit Oregon, but I usually buy all the local Oregon IPA bombers that I can't get in Colorado -- just to see what's out there. Some are good and some are definitely not-so-good (at least for my palate).

One sip and I was done. Now, I can't believe how much I was missing out on. IPAs have so much more flavor than most beers, but man, they can scare people away quick.

I took a longer path to get to IPAs -- pale ales, bitters, etc., and I like them all; I just like IPAs the best. I don't know what's up with my friends that seem to like good beers but keep High Life on tap, or cases of Coors Light in the fridge. I don't get it.

By the way: Anyone try aging a good high alcohol beer before? Give some of that stuff a couple years in a cool dark (no light at all) place and you will be amazed what happens. It really is just like wine. The hardest part is not drinking the great beer and actually storing it!

I have a friend that brews a lot (and well) and has a closet full of everything. But it's usually aging, so it's not like he's busting it out every time we go over. Sometimes we'll tap into some mead. But you have a good idea, and I have a good place to age beers. I'm going to put some away for a while. Thanks!

 

[jinjuku]

Working on it . Would be easier if I had something more than an apartment. Any recommendations on starting kits etc?

Get the Mr. Beer kit (2.5 U.S. Gallons). Now I am not a big fan of their ingredient kits, but it's the hardware that you are looking for.

The fermenter is $15, and PET bottles (plastic with screw top) is another 14. Pick up 'Clone Brews' and what is considered the bible of brewing 'The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition'

Recipes in the Clone Brew book are formulated for 5 gallon batches, simply half the recipes.

One thing to note: when brewing an Ale your ambient room temp needs to be ~70 degrees. Grab a digital thermometer, grab an empty 2 liter and fill with water. Set it out in a cool/dark place for 24 hours. Take it's temperature. If you are pretty sure that the temp will stay at around that point then you are good to ferment beer.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I am permanently finished with drinking alcohol in any form.
Years ago when I did drink, however, the best beer I ever tasted was Chimay Ale (brewed and bottled in Belgium by Trappist monks.)

 

[jinjuku]

I am permanently finished with drinking alcohol in any form.
Years ago when I did drink, however, the best beer I ever tasted was Chimay Ale (brewed and bottled in Belgium by Trappist monks.)

You can brew non-alcoholic beer... Simply brew as normal. Pitch your yeast in the fermenter, give it about 5 hours and then bottle. The yeast will have enough time to carbonate, but not make it an alcoholic beverage.

 

[zumbo]

Ale

I am an ale guy, and this is my current favorite.

 

[Midcow2]

I guess I am low class on Beer

I like the kind with the blue mountains. it is what I drank in college a long, long time ago.

At 33-34 degrees this is my choice

Cheers!

MidCow2

 

[Adam]

I had a good friend that Coors Light is all that he and his wife would drink. They loved it. Never quite did it for me, but I like MGD Light (well, MGD 64 these days...tastes different, but only 64 calories) if it's cold and I want to quench my thirst.

I used to pick up a pack of 12 or 24 Keystone Lights back in the day when it was actually cheap. I liked to get my buzz on with that stuff. Ice cold, it went down smooth. Anymore, it costs as much as the "real" beers around here, so I don't bother with that stuff. Well, that I don't sit around and get trashed anymore...

 

[Midcow2]

Okay trivia ... guess the year ??

I had a good friend that Coors Light is all that he and his wife would drink. They loved it. Never quite did it for me, but I like MGD Light (well, MGD 64 these days...tastes different, but only 64 calories) if it's cold and I want to quench my thirst.

I used to pick up a pack of 12 or 24 Keystone Lights back in the day when it was actually cheap. I liked to get my buzz on with that stuff. Ice cold, it went down smooth. Anymore, it costs as much as the "real" beers around here, so I don't bother with that stuff. Well, that I don't sit around and get trashed anymore...

Okay this is time Trivia.

Hints: (1) There were no light beers yet!
(2) You could get Coors for $1.35 a 6-pack
(3) At the ice Hockey games they had 10 cent beer nights
(4) The really cheap beer was Brown Derby at 90 cents a 6-pack
(5) Regular prices in a bar for draft were 50 cents and mixed drinks
were 90 cents or a dollar.


Can you guess the year ???

LOL you guys are great when is my SVS sub going to ship ?

Cheers,

MidCow2


P.S. I'll buy the first round for the winner

 

[Adam]

Can you guess the year ???

357 B.C.E.?

 

[zumbo]

I bet this was the #1 beer in that year. Before Bud was the king.

 

[Midcow2]

Once upon a time a long,long time ago there was water, malt, hops and barley

I bet this was the #1 beer in that year. Before Bud was the king.

Oh yes Schiltz, that was before Clydesdales were around!

Adam - B.C.E. is that "Before Coors Evolved" ?

 

[Adam]

Adam - B.C.E. is that "Before Coors Evolved" ?

I was thinking it was "Before the Coors Era", but I was never sure.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Oh, this helps explain why my sub isn't done!

Recently I have been drinking a lot of beer . Of course, being a crazy foodie, I drink nice beer. Here are some of the best in show. For those who can't tell, I have been on a large hop kick...so those who like water in their beer need not apply...

My current all around favorite: Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA

This beer is fairly hoppy, but goes down smooth and goes great with anything. At $9 a six pack it is hard to beat and my standby beer that is always in the house. If you want to up the hops go for the 90 minute or 120 minute. Both are great, but more in your face.


Really interesting beers: Dogfish Head Midas touch

Well, I have yet to have a bad beer from dogfish head. What makes this one so interesting is that it is based on a recipe found in King Midas's tomb, the oldest fermented recipe known to man. Not beer of the typical sorts, but delicious. The saffron and fruit really come through, I like it as dessert, but it goes great with pasta.

Another:
Old Speckled Hen Ale

This was the most interesting ale I have ever had. Smells a little funky and tastes it too. Very smooth with a complex flavor profile. Takes a whole beer to really 'understand'. A good choice if you want something smooth and very different.

Last fun beer and I have nothing to say about it because the company does a good enough job. Their IPA is good and so is their port. I haven't had anything else.

Currently drinking: Flying Dog Double Dog Double Pale Ale

Not a beginners beer (is any IPA?). High alcohol and high IBU so it is very bitter, but fruity and delicious. Not as good as a 90 minute as far as I am concerned, but different enough to have the need for both . Definitely a beer for a spicy meal.

Anyone have some good beer suggestions? I'm probably not listening .

 

[Adam]

Oh, this helps explain why my sub isn't done!

And why it won't work when you get it.