What Beers Did You Drink Today? Or Yesterday? (Part 1)

[Blair P. Houghton]

Watching a ballgame, digesting a chili burger, swilling a Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter.

Don't get no better, bra.

[NYC Mike]

Best thing about the weather getting warmer in NYC is that it makes me wanna drink beer!

This weekend it was Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen, frosted glass and a few lemon slices.

-Mike

[Susan in FL]

With brunch this morning, Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout and Lancaster Milk Stout.

Even though I have no Stone Brewing Co. beers to drink , today I am wearing my Arrogant Bastard t-shirt that says "Fizzy yellow beer is for wussies".

[JAZ]

I picked up some Pete's Wicked Ale on sale a few days ago, and I have to admit I'm disappointed. I used to drink it pretty regularly, and remember liking it. I'm not sure if it's changed or I have, but I'm finding it pretty boring and one-dimensional. Not bad, but not great.

[Davydd]

The Wall St. Journal writer who searched the US for the perfect beer bar made a comment something along the lines of ... "the tougher the bar crowd, the wimpier the beer."

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Oh yeah, I have witnessed that. A biker gang of middle-aged guys bedecked in the leathery traditional garb came rolling in on their Harleys and to a T were all drinking Miller and Bud light beer. If they were drinking it to keep the calories down it didn't show.

[Davydd]

Yesterday I bought a 12 pack of Summit IPA just for a change. The India Pale Ales are a rather hoppy brew. Summit is a St. Paul, MN micro brewer. I don't know how far they extend beyond Minnesota. Their Pale Ale is by far their most popular brew and is in many Twin City pubs on tap. My favorite of their brands is the Grand, a Bohemian Pilsner.

[BrentKulman]

I've been on a sweet stout kick lately and tried Mackesons Triple Stout, Lancaster Milk Stout and the nitro can and bottled versions of Young's Double Chocolate.

[markovitch]

molsons.

normally I wouldn't mention such drivel in here, but I just lost my job, and the back label on my bottle said

'my schedule just cleared up'

[jesskidden]

The Wall St. Journal writer who searched the US for the perfect beer bar made a comment something along the lines of ... "the tougher the bar crowd, the wimpier the beer."

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Oh yeah, I have witnessed that. A biker gang of middle-aged guys bedecked in the leathery traditional garb came rolling in on their Harleys and to a T were all drinking Miller and Bud light beer. If they were drinking it to keep the calories down it didn't show.

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The common wisdom in beer marketing used to have it that "20% of the beer drinkers drink 80% of the beer" (well, percentages varied, but you get the idea), so most beer advertising by the big brewers used to try to appeal to those guys. (Think: "Schaefer is the one beer to have when you're having more than one.") When Miller got ahold of Lite beer and found out there was a small industrial area where the beer was popular due to it's "drinkability", they capitalized on that concept with the "Less Filling, Great Taste" campaign. "Less Filling", of course, meant "You can drink MORE of this beer" and, to some, "quantity beer drinking" is more important than "quality beer drinking".

And it's not just among the drinkers of "Industrial Light Lager" than this is a popular conception, since it also works with hopping rates and ever increasing alcohol levels of micros, the latter to the point where beer with 5% alcohol is considered "low" rather than "normal" or "usual".

[Jim]

Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel to see what a Belgian's interpretation of the totally American Brewing Style of a Double IPA. Although it's reputed to be on draught around the Seattle area, I decided to get it in the .75 L bottle, since it has a monster head and takes a long time to get a draught. Who wants to wait?

It's a lovely golden color with a prodigious head, likely from the late hop additions as well as the normal big head for tripples. Uses Tomahawk, Amarillo and Saaz hops and weighs in with 59 IBU's, low for a double IPA. The aroma is at once the typical candy sweet tripel with the added luxury of aromatic, flowery hops, but all quite subtle. Extremely creamy and mouth filling, with slight Belgian phenolics as well as grassy citrus floral hop flavors, again quite subtle. Hides its 9% alcohol well. Quite enjoyable, neither a session beer nor a thirst quencher, rather it's a beer to contemplate and wonder...Particularly about why it's called a double IPA since its character is enormously different from that style, which is characterized by "in your face" malt and hops, mostly hops, aroma, bitterness and taste. Houblon is a tripel influenced by the Double IPA style, it is; in short, sui generis.

Style designations aside, how good is it? Very. It's a bit pricey, $9.99 for the bottle, but assuredly worth it as an exploration of a combining American and Belgian brewing cultures.

[TongoRad]

I think I may have a new favorite thing. Yesterday I finally managed to snag a few bottles of the Helles Lagerbier made by the legendary Bamberg rauchbier (smoked beer) label Schlenkerla. This one isn't technically a smoked beer, but it is made with the same equipment (mill, mash tun) and fermented and stored in the same tanks as the rauchbiers so it has a definite but gentle smoky quality. The beauty of the Schlenkerla beers is that the base beers are all supremely crafted regardless of the smoke, and this one is no exception. Too bad the price tag is a bit steep (over $3 a bottle)- I guess I'll have to start playing the lottery now

[JetLag]

Bellhaven Ale is a lovely thing on a hot Houston afternoon.

[cjs]

STELLAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

[BonVivant]

Tongorad, is it this Helles?

the liquid prosciuyto is very nice indeed.

i'm mad about beers from Bamberg the ur bock costs me 4.6 euro each but i can't let it slip through my fingers every time i'm in Amsterdam, which is every fortnight for "pub therapy".

[TongoRad]

Tongorad, is it this Helles?

the liquid prosciuyto is very nice indeed.

i'm mad about beers from Bamberg     the ur bock costs me 4.6 euro each but i can't let it slip through my fingers every time i'm in Amsterdam, which is every fortnight for "pub therapy".

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That's the stuff! Keep an eye out for it, folks, it's wonderful (you do have to like smoked beers, though. This one may even make converts of some people ).

That UrBock is one of my favorite beers as well. I recently took some notes as a matter of fact:

"Aroma is amazing- very straightforward and taughtly composed at first glance yet underneath is a sumptuous complexity. The smoke hits you first and it is definitely omnipresent but that soon gives way to spicy elements (black pepper, nutmeg), creamy malt, dark caramel, figs, sawdust, cheese and stone ground mustard. (It's much better than that makes it sound.)

Take the palate of the perfect bock beer- residual maltiness, alcohol, bitterness, and toasted malt all in perfect harmony- and add that evocative smokiness and spiciness to add up to this experience. It is almost too good to be true. The finish is long lasting smoke and malt."

From what I hear it is even more amazing at the source. One of these days...

Edited May 18, 2006 by TongoRad (log)

[M.X.Hassett]

Blue Moon Belgium White with a splash of cassis. Yeasty, frothy, cassisy goodness.

[nakji]

I had (four) Halidas, each drunk very quickly before they got warm.

When it's this hot, any beer tastes good, as long as it's cold.

[Gruzia]

an array of New Holland Brewery beers..Zoomer Wit, Black Tulip Trippel Ale, Mad Hatter IPA, and Pilgrim's Dole Barleywine Ale

the Zoomer Wit is the sort of beer a nice sunny day with blue skies and a breeze cals for - wheat, a bit of acidity, incredibly refreshing...followed the suggestion on the the bottle and had it with a squeeze of lemon.

The Black Tulip is amazing - fist off, the thing is 9%alc but tastes like its 4 or 5percent - incredibly smooth. Then, it has this tart note initially that mellows into a lactic kind of creamyness and a clean aftertaste...i could buy a case of this and not get bored...like two or three different kinds of beer seamlessly melded into one...i know i'm waxing poetic but try the beer and you'll see what i mean

Mad Hatter IPA - really nice nose...like a bouquet of flowers, nice and hoppy, a good kind of bitter on the finish

The Pilgrim's Dole was the only one that was just ok...compared with Stone Old Guardian, it was a bit rough

all in all, it was a very tasty beer night

[BonVivant]

today i'll have the following:

Hummel's Maibock 7% [love everything by Hummel!]

Hirshbraeu's Maibock 6.5%

Kerkom's Bloesom Bink 7%

St Sylvestre's Biere Nouvelle 7.5% [supposed to be excellent]

St Feullien's Paasbier 7.5% [supposed to be excellent]

Silly's Springtemps 6.5% [maybe. i can get it elsewhere]

Proefbrouwerij's Bloemenbier 7% [sounds pretty nice]

Klein Dumpje's Springbok 6.5% [maybe. but i can get this from bottleshop]

i have tried most everything on the list. the rest can [easily] be obtained from bottleshops.

here's the full list

cheers!

it's going to be a nice day....even though the weather proves otherwise.

[Brad Ballinger]

With the advent of summer, I've happily dived into sever glasses of Bell's Oberon Ale, easily my favorite wheat ale. And there's a place here that has it on tap, so that's bonus.

Additionally, there is a locally produced product (if this Minnesota boy can call a Western Wisconsin product local) from Rush River Brewing Company in Maiden Rock, Wisconsin. I've recently enjoyed the BubbleJack IPA and the Unforgiven Amber. Currently their product is only distributed in kegs, and there's a local place (same one where I had the Oberon) that has Rush River on tap.

Finally, I've recently hit upon the two products of Surly Brewing Company, a Brooklyn Center (Minneapolis suburb), Minnesota, company. I say two products because that is all they have. The Bender is sort of a porter, and the Furious is one hell of a hoppy brew (and I love hoppy).

Well, that's the latest and greatest beer quaffs for now...

[raxelita]

Paulaner on draft with a lemon slice in a proper cylinder glass. So delicious.

[markovitch]

deschutes new Inversion IPA while watching my suns, and my frenchman Boris Diaw, pull one off in Dallas.

honestly, it's not that great, but the game was

[naguere]

Two bottles of Becks, sat in the garden the late afternoon sun on me . Dolly, my Siamese cat prowling the shrubbery as my Jersey Royal spuds simmered.

[sadistick]

Almost 40 degrees here in Toronto...Stopped by the Beer Store on the way home today and got a 6'er of Creemore Springs Lager...not sure if you Yanks can get this stuff, but it sure is tastey!

[Audiofan2]

deschutes new Inversion IPA while watching my suns, and my frenchman Boris Diaw, pull one off in Dallas.

honestly, it's not that great, but the game was

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I really didn't care for the Inversion IPA either, not Deschutes best effort. Their limited edition Hop Henge IPA was better.