212 replies to this topic

[sheffield]

w arstiner from germany is fab budvar good to. but what about staraphramen

[Alex]

Yards ESA from Philadelphia, on the handpump at McMenamin's Tavern in the Mt Airy section of Philly.

Victory Hop Devil, from PA, perhaps the best IPA made in America

Bell's Oberon from Michigan

Tremont Ale from Boston

Sly Fox Pils  and Gang Aftly Scotch Ale from Phoenixville, PA

Troegs Hopback Amber from Harrisburg, PA, on the handpump at The Standard Tap in Philly

Rich, it sounds like you're from the Philly area. Is Bell's sold by you? (I'm in Grand Rapids, MI.)

Bell's Oberon is a great summer brew. I usually drink it after a game, on tap at my most-frequented softball bar. It's $9.50 a pitcher -- twice as much as, but infinitely better than, the Coors Light inexplicably preferred by the rest of my normally rational team.

[dr_memory]

Favorite beer? That's easy, except that you can't get it any more: Thomas Hardy Ale. Unfortunatly, the Thomas Hardy Brewing Company decided a few years back that actually making their own beer was an optional frill, so the 1999 bottling was the last.

Anyone with a line on where any of the last run could be acquired in NYC should contact me immediately. :)

[beerguyjim]

Favorite beer?  That's easy, except that you can't get it any more: Thomas Hardy Ale.  Unfortunatly, the Thomas Hardy Brewing Company decided a few years back that actually making their own beer was an optional frill, so the 1999 bottling was the last.

Anyone with a line on where any of the last run could be acquired in NYC should contact me immediately. :)

Thomas Hardy's Ale will reappear this fall. Visit http://mythbirdbeer.com/whatsnew.shtml for info.

[Arnidor]

Like most people I put my favorite beer in two categories.

1) Anything I can get microbrew and local.

2) Mass distributed beers: Aass (when I lived in Mpls, so I guess its not that mass distributed), Duvel, Red Stripe, Newcastle Brown

But then again I can't actually say there is a beer I don't like, just depends on the mood/setting.

On another note... is it just me or has Boulevard from KC exploded into pubs/bars/restaurants on tap? I can get the Blvd Wheat almost anywhere, and I live in western South Dakota! Don't get me wrong I use it as my starter beer to broaden the horizons of "Domestic" beer drinkers.

[Cathar]

There are probably hundreds of good beers to drink out there, goodness knows it always seems that way when I buy 3-4 different new bottles to try. So everybody above is "right," in a sense.

But one beer I really do miss, which was simply the best, fullest-tasting "light" beer I've ever had, was Nordic Wolf from, I believe, Sweden. Until about 10 years ago you could find it in NJ fairly easily. But now now, alas. It was good, well-developed as a brewing product.

Another brewery whose products I like (mainly, maybe, because I still have 2 bottles left that I brought back from there) is the Valhalla Brewing Co. in the Shetlands, on the isle of Unst, beyond which as you head northwards there's only the Arctic Circle. "Simmer Dim" and "Auld Rock" are both estimable ales. I took 2 ferries to get to the brewery during a bona-fide gale, spent almost an hour chatting with the brewmaster, a 22-year-old grad of the U of Edinburgh, and finally! he shyly asks me, whilst the Atlantic is practically coming in at Force-6 wind speed through the brewery windows, if I'd like to try some beer. You have to love a moment like that. Luckily, too, I drank enough so that the two bumpy ferry rides back to Shetland mainland never affected me one bit.

[Mitch]

If there is anything worst than Bud or Bud Lite I'd like to try it. Actually there is one beer that is worse. Anything brewed in a Mr. Beer homemade beer kit is just as bad. If you want good beer, try Troeggs from PA. They know what they are doing.

Edited by Mitch, 25 August 2003 - 02:50 PM.

[Elissa]

imho Czech beer puts the rest of the world's to shame, but only when consumed in the Czech Republic. The US does not allow the real stuff to be imported

Of US microbrews Bridgeport's Blue Heron is my favorite. Tragically, never have seen it in NY. Alas, a lack.

[beerguyjim]

imho Czech beer puts the rest of the world's to shame, but only when consumed in the Czech Republic. The US does not allow the real stuff to be imported

I really doubt that any laws or regs prevent the importation of 'real' Czech beer.

[cbel964]

my favorite beer is Yeungling. It's brewed in nearby Penn.
Very good taste.

[dr_memory]

Thomas Hardy's Ale will reappear this fall. Visit http://mythbirdbeer.com/whatsnew.shtml for info.

You have just made me an extremely happy man. Now to start petitioning my local beer distributer to carry it.

[sheffield]

I would say german gilde from hanover

[Exotic Mushroom]

I love beer. If I had to compose a list of my top five beers, it would probably take me months to decide between all the contenders.

But I need no time to declare my number 1: Black Butte Porter out of Oregon. It's amazing. I have never tasted a beer I liked more.

I don't know how available it is in most of the country. I used to live in Portland, so it was every then (even at your friendly neighboorhood ghetto-mart). I live in the Bay Area now and have no difficulty finding it anywhere with a decent beer selection. And I've seen it in Houston and Aspen. Other than that, I don't know. But if you ever see it, please try it. You will be amazed.

[Mayhaw Man]

[quote name='beerguyjim' date='Aug 27 2003, 01:46 AM'] [[/QUOTE]
I really doubt that any laws or regs prevent the importation of 'real' Czech beer. [/QUOTE]
You are correct. The laws don't "prevent" importation, but the local (state) laws make it a real pain in the ass.

For example: any beer over 4.0% abv sold in the state of Texas needs to be labeled as a "malt liquor", "barley wine", and a couple of other names connoting strong beer that I cant' remember. For many imports, and micro breweries as well, the labeling costs (and everything that goes along with handling a small amount of product differently than others) is not worth the cost.

Take the time to look at a beer label. Everything on it has been demanded by the ATF. Some of the rules are very sensible (volume of the bottle for example) and some are really dumb (you cannot imply, even in sarcastic gest, that beer is in anyway good for you or that it might be "fun" to drink).

Try to imagine explaining "Turbodog" to an ATF agent. "No sir, we named it because we like dogs. Oh no sir, we would NEVER want anyone to think this beer had more bang for the buck. We just really like dogs"

Most of the laws involving the regulation and importation of beer go back to the repeal of The Volstead Act. And many of these laws were inserted in the regulations to keep organized crime figures from continuing in the liquor business after the end of Prohibition. As a group these are known as the "tied house laws".

In fact, the only significant large group of changes to these laws occurred in the early nineties when the ATF had to figure out what to do with all of these hippies starting breweries (I was one of them). Most of us were (to put it mildly) a little nervous about dealing with "the man" and they were a little suprised to be dealing with us (since many of us, but not neccessarily me, were exactly the kind of people they had spent most of their careers trying to arrest). In defense of the ATF (boy, I never thought I would say that) they have done a pretty good job of making a sensible set of steps to start a commercial operation.

All that being said....I designed and built a brewpub (for someone else) inside of an existing restaurant in Mississippi in the mid nineties. Those people were HARD to deal with. Every step was difficult and the brewpub law had been written very poorly (the beer lobby was against it and made it as diffucult as possible to get it passed) and each ABC agent had his or her own interpretation. I once spent an entire afternoon expaining the history of the beer keg and it's uses as a "serving vessel"

Edited by Mayhaw Man, 01 September 2003 - 06:38 AM.

[Elissa]

I really doubt that any laws or regs prevent the importation of 'real' Czech beer.

You are correct. The laws don't "prevent" importation, but the local (state) laws make it a real pain in the ass.

For example: any beer over 4.0% abv sold in the state of Texas...

If I recall correctly, several Czech beers get up to and over 5% abv

[elmo]

Pilsner Urquell...

[bigbear]

Chimay Bleu

[beerguyjim]

I really doubt that any laws or regs prevent the importation of 'real' Czech beer.

You are correct. The laws don't "prevent" importation, but the local (state) laws make it a real pain in the ass.

For example: any beer over 4.0% abv sold in the state of Texas...

If I recall correctly, several Czech beers get up to and over 5% abv

A typical Czech beer sold in the US is about 5% abv. But this is true of many, many beers that are successfully imported to and sold in the United States. And the 'real' Czech beer of which you speak is probably the same strength, or less. Perhaps you can confirm this.

There is nothing in the laws or regulations of the United States, or of many US states, that prevents or discourages the importation of a 5% abv beer into the US, nor would those laws or regs make it particularly difficult to import it. Yes, there are goofy laws in many states, but nothing that hundreds of other beers haven't already dealt with successfully.

[Elissa]

But Czech beers here little resemble what you find in Bohemia. The tiny pubs in the north, rolling hills of Stara Paka. Pubs' beers distinguish its rolling hills, long without cars or electricity. Bohemian hops like French grapes only travel so well

Edited by Elissa, 03 September 2003 - 09:13 AM.

[kel]

Mmmm, beer. I like beer. Especially dark beer. But I'm not picky. Depending on what I'm having to eat with it, I tend to favor Harp, Killian's, or Corona. But I also really like a lot of the microbrews that are available now. We're lucky, there's a place right here by work called Triumph Brewing, their food is so-so, but the beer they brew is pretty darn good. First time I ever went there, I got a Coffee & Cream Stout, black as tar, and absolutely delicious. Made my father-in-law proud. (Kinda scared my grandfather-in-law though - he made the mistake of ordering the same thing, without realizing I'd just ordered the darkest beer on the menu - he's a light beer kinda guy.)

Man, that sounds good right about now. I could use a good beer.

[beerguyjim]

But Czech beers here little resemble what you find in Bohemia. The tiny pubs in the north, rolling hills of Stara Paka. Pubs' beers distinguish its rolling hills, long without cars or electricity. Bohemian hops like French grapes only travel so well

You said the US doesn't allow their importation. I said it will. I wouldn't argue that it would taste as it does at the source. But that's not the point you were making, until now.

[babyluck]

Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter
I will forever be indebted to the clerk in Shepherdstown, WV, who recommended it when I stumbled in after my last final (biology) -- that kid knew more about beer than anyone working the shops around here.
Shipyard's Old Thumper (ESB)

Guinness, Harp & Brooklyn Lager are everyday standbys, but the two above are truly unique beers. They both rated in their respective categories on the beeradvocate list, a very interesting source. I would have rated my favorites higher, certainly the Taddy Porter above SS's Oatmeal Stout & Brooklyn's Chocolate Stout, but hey, I never said I had common tastes. I am printing it out and will carry it in my purse for the next time I need inspiration at the liquor store.

Edited by babyluck, 04 September 2003 - 03:50 AM.

[Mayhaw Man]

I really doubt that any laws or regs prevent the importation of 'real' Czech beer.

You are correct. The laws don't "prevent" importation, but the local (state) laws make it a real pain in the ass.

For example: any beer over 4.0% abv sold in the state of Texas...

If I recall correctly, several Czech beers get up to and over 5% abv

A typical Czech beer sold in the US is about 5% abv. But this is true of many, many beers that are successfully imported to and sold in the United States. And the 'real' Czech beer of which you speak is probably the same strength, or less. Perhaps you can confirm this.

There is nothing in the laws or regulations of the United States, or of many US states, that prevents or discourages the importation of a 5% abv beer into the US, nor would those laws or regs make it particularly difficult to import it. Yes, there are goofy laws in many states, but nothing that hundreds of other beers haven't already dealt with successfully.

My point (circuitously made, I admit) is that many producers and importers cannot make economic sense to make completely different packages for each state it is sold in . In many cases the label (s) crown and bottle need to be different for different reasons in different state.

These guys don't sell that much beer (let's face it, past Corona, Heineken, Guinness, and a couple of others, we are not talking alot of volume here for any individual product.

The other part of the equation is that many of these products have to be treated differently in order to ship it overseas. The beer is almost always pasteurized or fortified with chemicals (generally small amounts of phamaldehyde) in order to ppreserve it for shipment.

My suggestion is that if you are going to pay premium prices for beer that is likely to be old and/or mistreated you might be better served drinking locally and saving your money for a trip to Prague, Amsterdam, or Munich. At 8 dollars or so a six, you are really only 50 or 60 purchases away from Europe and some really good beer. Though I can make the case all day long that there are many, many, microbrews that can hold their own (and have many times in tastings) against large European Brewers.

[beegew]

Just out for a brewski : anything Yuenling, especially if on tap.

Time to sip and enjoy? Well....
Old Peculiar
Negro Modelo
MacEwan's Tartan Ale
Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
and a newbie ~ Rogue Mocha Porter

Most favoritest beer memory? Both in Guatemala City. The first at a private reception at the Gallo brewery, with the family that owns it. Fresh, ice cold and heavenly. Then a 'mixtas' in a local watering hole, a few blocks from our hotel, that our guide dragged a few adventurous souls to. Glasses the size of a bowling ball, filled a bottle of Gallo lager and a Gallo Negro. Local color all around, and one hell of a fine afternoon into late, late evening...at least they told me I had a good time.

Like the old 'Obsession' commercials; "Ah! The smell of it!"

[liamdc]

Otter Creek Copper Ale from Middlebury, Vermont.

http://www.ottercreekbrewing.com

[timothycdavis]

I'm real late to this posting, but i'm always satisfied with a Highland Oatmeal Porter. It's a perfect winter beer....

http://www.beeradvoc...sults/811/6088/

[WoodleyGrrl]

Edmund Fitzgerald Ale...made by the Great Lakes Brewing company.

[bigwino]

Magic Hat Brewing Company's Ravel (a vanilla porter) and Heart of Darkness (stout). Oh man, are those good beers.

Magic Hat's Website

[dankphishin]

If you ask me, the only way to drink a beer if it's not draft is out of the bottle......i can enjoy my golden monkey and troegenator the best like that. While i know beer is best served not ice cold, fuck that!

[chronoti]

Sierra Nevada wheat best beer ever!!!!!!!1111!1!@!1!!