The Beer Thread (What's your go-to?)

[AngryOldBrewer]

Now more than ever, is a great time to seek out your local craft brewery! 3 Floyd's, Bells, Brooklyn,  Drakes, Bear Republic man there are so many better options IMO vs. macro beers. Lagers, Pilsners, Scotch Strong, Gruits, English mild, Hazy IPA, juicy IPA, West Coast IPA the list goes on and fair to say that if you enjoy a specific style it's probably brewed at your local spot. My place carries several lagers that typically match sales with our IPA's pint for pint. My go to at this point is either Bells 2 hearted, Trumer pils or our my own California Lager. Craft breweries aren't just for IPA's anymore (but IPA pays the bills for sure lol)

[UltraBudgie]

Beer is rotten bread that gets you drunk. Anyone who has a "sophisticated palette" for it is kidding themselves and wouldn't care at all if it were non-alcoholic. Non-alcoholic beer is just social camouflage for sober people. It's as unfulfilling as decaf coffee. Personally I prefer seltzer.

Change my mind.



Edit to add: Old Rasputin.

[Ray1990]

Beer is rotten bread that gets you drunk. Anyone who has a "sophisticated palette" for it is kidding themselves and wouldn't care at all if it were non-alcoholic. Non-alcoholic beer is just social camouflage for sober people. It's as unfulfilling as decaf coffee. Personally I prefer seltzer.

Change my mind.



Edit to add: Old Rasputin.

It's a magnificent work of chemistry that can take a lifetime to master but a moment to appreciate, maybe you've just never had a quality brew at the correct temperature.

Some of the best beers and ales I've had have been around 2.7% to 3.4% because I really like a good malty brew, the sweetness of good malts comes through amazingly when it's done properly and if it's served at the right temperature it's just heavenly and much more preferable than a cold soft drink, I've always been a fan of a really good shandy too and nobody is drinking those to get pissed. Then there's the choices that can be made with brewing beer, from different water profiles which completely change flavours to sugar choices or yeasts, then there's the hops... Change one part of a recipe and you could have a drastically different beer. Yeast choice alone can make a dry or sweet beer since some convert 96% of sugars to make a completely dry beer to ones that convert very little and make a sweet beer, mastering all the different things that can change the palette of a beer really is an art form.

I could happily go on but from the bit experience I've had brewing there's obviously a very sophisticated palette going on, I've made multiple batches of 1 recipe with slight changes such as changing the steeping time of hops or using a slightly different yeast, people who didn't know thought they were completely different beers, even the clueless can pick up tiny variations in beer.

My go to these days varies a lot... I love a good cider but if it's a beer I usually go for something dark and malty, stouts and ruby beers or a decent brown ale. So Guinness, Hobgoblin or Newcastle Brown if I'm picking stuff pretty much every store has, if I can I'll go for something not so mass produced.

[argentus]

I can't recall having ever belted down an IPA that I didn't like.    I sampled Mastic Pale Ale once or twice in the airport, and true to its name, it tasted somewhat how a Mastic tree smells.    I wouldn't refuse one, but it's not my favourite.    I very much enjoy the sharp, nutty aroma and bite of an IPA or Pale Ale.   Where I live, they are rare, so me being somewhat of an elderly primate, I don't have a favorite.  I want a beer with flavour.   I don't care for stouts.  Too sweet.  

50 years ago when I hitched around Europe for six weeks, I was overwhelmed with the choices, in every way, and loved them all for their unique and heady flavours.

[SteamyAmerican]

A solid, burly high-octane IPA. Either Voodoo Ranger by New Belgium, or Lizards Mouth by Figueroa Mountain Brewery.

otherwise Anchor Steam Amber or Pacifico when you could find them on tap.

Nowadays Modelo has taken the market share of Corona and Pacifico, and for a West Coast day at the playa, I’m just fine with that.

cool thread. Thanks for sharing.

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

Greetings DI,

I'm starting this as to not derail a different thread.  As the title says, what's your go-to?  I've got a few...

Year round it's La Chouffe.  This is an 8% Belgian blonde ale.

Winter it's Troeggs Mad Elf, or the Mad Elf Grand Cru.  Both are Belgian style brewed with cherries and honey and check in about 11%.

Spring usually brings out the good IPAs and my fav is/was Troeggs First Cut.  It's an IPA brewed with mango and it's outstanding.  Unfortunately, you can only get it at the brewery in Hershey, PA now.

Summer it's Sam Adams Porch Rocker.  I call it lemonade for grown ups.  Their Summer Ale is good too.

Fall it's Pauler Octoberfest. Yeah, the real stuff.  Sam Adams also makes a very good Octoberfest too.

So, bring it on!  What are some good suggestions?

Cheers.

Well...

I dislike most beer. Especially anything domestic and in a can. Pretty much all mass production beer not named Modelo.

Micro brew-wise I'm in the Double IPA Capital of the World, and I loathe that bitter hoppy shit. I blame Stone Brewing. I dont care how much over 8% they are. They are bitter and have a horrible aftertaste.

But there are good beers. Mostly the dessert beers.

Genesee Cream Ale
Newcastle Brown
Honey Brown
Guinness
Mother Earth's California Creamin'

But beer that tastes good is fattening, so I enjoy flavored seltzer like Topo Chico, Cutwater, and High Noon way more.

[UltraBudgie]

Genesee Cream Ale
Newcastle Brown
Honey Brown
Guinness
Mother Earth's California Creamin'

Recommendation:



Their Taddy Porter is pretty good too.

[DBCowboy]

Greetings DI,

I'm starting this as to not derail a different thread.  As the title says, what's your go-to?  I've got a few...

Year round it's La Chouffe.  This is an 8% Belgian blonde ale.

Winter it's Troeggs Mad Elf, or the Mad Elf Grand Cru.  Both are Belgian style brewed with cherries and honey and check in about 11%.

Spring usually brings out the good IPAs and my fav is/was Troeggs First Cut.  It's an IPA brewed with mango and it's outstanding.  Unfortunately, you can only get it at the brewery in Hershey, PA now.

Summer it's Sam Adams Porch Rocker.  I call it lemonade for grown ups.  Their Summer Ale is good too.

Fall it's Pauler Octoberfest. Yeah, the real stuff.  Sam Adams also makes a very good Octoberfest too.

So, bring it on!  What are some good suggestions?

Cheers.

Beak Breaker IPA.

[argentus]

A solid, burly high-octane IPA. Either Voodoo Ranger by New Belgium, or Lizards Mouth by Figueroa Mountain Brewery.

otherwise Anchor Steam Amber or Pacifico when you could find them on tap.

Nowadays Modelo has taken the market share of Corona and Pacifico, and for a West Coast day at the playa, I’m just fine with that.

cool thread. Thanks for sharing.

I like how some of the interesting IPAs have radical names!    I used to make a bit of beer for my family.   We had labels printed and called it Amberjack Pale Ale.   Where I live, the Amberjack is often poisonous with ciguatera;  the larger fish eat more of the reef fish which feed on the critters that cause it in the first place.   Same goes for barracuda.  

If I make beer again I will call it Funky Dumpster IPA.

[argentus]

Well...

I dislike most beer. Especially anything domestic and in a can. Pretty much all mass production beer not named Modelo.

Micro brew-wise I'm in the Double IPA Capital of the World, and I loathe that bitter hoppy shit. I blame Stone Brewing. I dont care how much over 8% they are. They are bitter and have a horrible aftertaste.

But there are good beers. Mostly the dessert beers.

Genesee Cream Ale
Newcastle Brown
Honey Brown
Guinness
Mother Earth's California Creamin'

But beer that tastes good is fattening, so I enjoy flavored seltzer like Topo Chico, Cutwater, and High Noon way more.

Agree about Guiness and Newcastle Brown.    I could drink either of those any day for a long time at a sleepy, but moderately noise pub  and enjoy myself thoroughly.