Coolest Beers: Forbes Magazine

[Gifted Gourmet]

Forbes Magazine article and slideshow

In addition, many American micro-breweries that started out as craft operations have become so big and successful that they have been forced to succumb to the same corner-cutting economies employed by the industrial brewers. Their beer is still better than the national brands, but it’s certainly not microbrew any more. Similarly, just because a beer is “imported” doesn’t mean it’s good. In fact, a lot of it is swill–industrial-scale lager that, though it comes from Germany or India, is just as personality-free as domestic swill....

When choosing beer to taste for the accompanying slide show, I looked for stylistic and geographic diversity....

and do check out the slideshow ...

Agree with some of their "Coolest Beer" choices?

Boddington's Pale Ale from Bury-St. Edmunds, England

Chimay Blanche from Chimay, Belgium

Dinkel Acker CD-Pils from Munich, Germany

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse from Munich, Germany

Grolsch Premium Lager from Holland

Hoegaarden from Hoegaarden, Belgium

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from Chico, CA

Spaten Optimator from Munich, Germany

Spaten Premium from Munich, Germany

The Censored Rich Copper Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA

[lesfen]

Never will I agree that Sierra Nevada is a cool beer. If I wanted to drink Pine Sol, I would. It would be cheaper anyway. Other than that, the list looks pretty good. I haven't had Young's Old Nick yet, but I'm gonna put it on my list of things to drink after I give birth in December.

Edited May 4, 2006 by lesfen (log)

[Bill Poster]

These choices are for beers available in the US?

[BonVivant]

Boddington's Pale Ale from Bury-St. Edmunds, England

*Chimay Blanche from Chimay, Belgium

Dinkel Acker CD-Pils from Munich, Germany

*Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse from Munich, Germany

*Grolsch Premium Lager from Holland

*Hoegaarden from Hoegaarden, Belgium

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from Chico, CA

*Spaten Optimator from Munich, Germany

*Spaten Premium from Munich, Germany

The Censored Rich Copper Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA

ones with stars i've had. must disagree with Hoegaarden however. too many fantastic white beers out there [mostly German] that make Hoegaarden tastes like a teenage girl's drink. even the province next to mine makes good white beers such as Gulpener's Korenwolf and Wieckse Witte. rather Leeuw Valkenburgs Wit than Hoegaarden.

go to Bavaria, my friends. Bavaria.

[cdh]

That list appears to be more an enumeration of beers with a big marketing budget than anything else. That is a list of famous beer brands, which from a Forbes POV might be quite cool... but there are plenty of better beers in the world.

[Susan in FL]

Never will I agree that Sierra Nevada is a cool beer.  If I wanted to drink Pine Sol, I would.  It would be cheaper anyway.  Other than that, the list looks pretty good.  I haven't had Young's Old Nick yet, but I'm gonna put it on my list of things to drink after I give birth in December. 

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I didn't read the article or look at the slideshow, but the only thing on the list I drink with any regularity and really like is the Sierra Nevada. I love SNPA, when it's good and fresh.

Chris, right, there are plenty of better beers in the world.

[Jason Perlow]

That list appears to be more an enumeration of beers with a big marketing budget than anything else.  That is a list of famous beer brands, which from a Forbes POV might be quite cool... but there are plenty of better beers in the world.

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I'm surprised more Czech Bohemian beers didn't make that list in addition to the Pilsner Urquell. Why not, say, Czechvar (Budweiser Budvar)?

[TongoRad]

There will always be issues with lists like this, some of which have already been pointed out, but I can't really say I have much of a problem with this one (this quote stuck out like a sore thumb, though: "Young’s is one of England’s most respected breweries and this sweet, creamy, dark, fruity stout shows why. " emphasis mine). In the end you just have to look at it from the point of view of "are these all good recommendations" rather than "are these the best recommendations", and I'd say that for the most part they are. Like Chris said above, this list is meant for a different audience and, with a few exceptions, perhaps, the selections are readily available.

The thing that struck me was the similarity of a number of recs; with only 20 slots available do we really need to see Franziskaner, Paulaner Hefe, and Schneider? SNPA and Liberty? Paulaner and Spaten Helles? I enjoy all of these beers but jeez, sometimes you just gotta pick one...

[Bill Poster]

If British Ales are included, then Badger first gold and Burton Bridge tickle brain(trappist style) should be on the list..

[BrentKulman]

To read the article and then review the recommendations creates a disconnect in my mind.

Somethink is rotten is the state of Passmore's journalism and I think this article smacks of a PR firm's involvement. As was posted earlier, with the exception of Lagunitas, these are all beers with big budgets for promotion.

Reading the article about microbreweries and comparing the US craft brews with European imports, I was expecting a much more interesting selection. Where are the IPAs and the comparison between English IPAs and American IPAs. Or a comparison between the East and West Coast IPA styles.

What about the extreme brews that we are seeing from breweries like Dogfish Head, Avery and AleSmith.

No Belgians with the exception of Hoegaarden?

Why not compare Victory's Prima Pils with the great Pilsners of Germany.

My conclusion...this was a piece of hack journalism inspired by the PR firm of a major importer.

[Rich Pawlak]

The article shows weak effort and "influenced" choices. And that's all I'm gonna say about this highly questionable piece of "journalism".

[Davydd]

Most of the beers on the list I generally do no or would not drink as a first choice. I usually always seem to be counter to the masses as I have rarely drank a "lite" beer for instance and never buy Bud/Miller/Coors. I think our tastes are acquired and if you have ever brewed your own your taste get all the more fine tuned in looking for a good beer if you have to buy one. So, I doubt you will really ever get a consensus opinion on best because there are so many.

I was heartened to find my favorite, Boddington's Pub (not Pale, BTW) Ale heading the list (OK, OK alphabetical ). Why do I like this ale? After traveling for over a week seeking out the oldest pubs of England in London, Bray-on-Thames, Windsor, Salisbury, Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon, and generally trying to taste the localist of their brews and many times settling for Guinness when I did not find a new one, I ended up at Dolserau Hall, a country inn a couple of miles outside Dolgellau, Wales in the Snowdonia National Park area. The inn keeper offered me a Boddington's, my first, as an apology for having nothing else and that magical moment in a magical place imprinted me to this brew. Whether anyone agrees or not about its merits, it is now my favorite.