House Beer?

[steveh]

The thought for this thread came to me last evening as I reached into my frig for a Dinkel Acker Pils from the latest 12 pack propped in the usual spot. Ever since my neighborhood store started carrying this beer around a year and a half ago - at quite a reasonable, eye-catching price - I almost always have a half case in my refrigerator as a stand-by to the other styles and flavors I sample.

For those who have never had DA it's a typical German Pilsner brewed in Stuttgart (although, the Spaten brewery has taken over export duties for DA and the beer may now be brewed in Munich under contract). Light and hoppy crisp with a great balance of malt flavor that follows the initial hop hit. Quite the refreshing beer.

A friend of mine usually keeps a case of Paulaner Munchen as his "house beer." And another will always have Harp available - with Guinness on the side in case anyone would like a half n' half.

So that's the question: what is your "House Beer," or maybe more specifically: do you have a "House Brand?" What's that old standby that can always be found behind the door of your frig?

Steve

[batkins]

I can't say we have an single house beer. We do however keep a a supply of at least on of the following at all times:
1) Black Butte Porter
2)Full Sail Amber
3)Bridgeport IPA

[beerinator]

I always have some sort of American Pale Ale/IPA (or something very similar) in my fridge at all times.

Usually either Rogue Dead Guy, North Coast Red Seal, Cottonwood IPA or Flying Dog's Pale Ale.

If you're a big lager fan, you might wanna bring your own. Because it's rare that I will have those in my fridge.

[steveh]

Originally posted by beerinator
If you're a big lager fan, you might wanna bring your own. Because it's rare that I will have those in my fridge.

Why's that?

I like 'em all, mostly. I'll switch back and forth, depending on what I may have a taste for. Lately I've been enjoying single bottles of Young's Special London Ale, but I have the Dinkel available as a session beer.

Sort of burned out on American Pale Ales myself.

S.

[beerinator]

I have never been a huge fan of Lagers. I enjoy them occasionally, but they have never really had a place among the staples in my beer fridge.

I order and drink them in bars, but when I'm buying beers at the store, I usually don't look at lagers and don't feel too compelled to buy them.

Like I said, one or two occasionally, might be perfect for the situation. But ales are where my favorites lay.

[SeaPA]

Depends on the season for me, but I always have Guiness on hand. In the summertime I'll have some lighter stuff, usually some wheat beers. Fall & winter I'll usually have either Hacker or Spaten.

I've loved Dinkel since 1981, when I spent the summer near Stuttgart with my then girlfriend/now wife's family. Her dad was an army guy & they were stationed over there. Dinkel was one of the popular beers at the little tavern just off the base. Sucked down a bunch of them. The other popular beer there was called Schwabenbrau (not sure if I spelled it correctly). It was VERY heavy & very strong. When I came home, drinking the junk here was like drinking dirty water. My thoughts have never changed on that.

[skar]

Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

Very easy to find. Less inexpensive than any other good beer here (Manhattan). Quite hoppy, 40 IBUs, 6.9abv.

[bsardin]

My beer depends on the season also. In the winter I generally have either Mackeson triple Stout or Spaten Optimator. In the spring I lean towards browns, it used to be Newcastle but the distributor here has raised the price so much that it is next to impossible to find a six pack that has not turned skunky from sitting on the shelf so long, so now I am trying different browns until I find one that stands out from the rest. In the summer it Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. And in the I go back and forth between stouts and browns. Those are my mainstays but I do try to put something different in my fridge at least twice a month.

[b3s]

we don't have a house beer. when i go to the purveyor of malty goodness i look for a decent microbrew/craft (style depending on mood). if i don't find something that i like, then one of the popular english pales (bass, london pride, etc.) and an 8-pack of guiness draught cans seems to find its way to the cash register.

[jeffmac]

Goose Island IPA

58 I.B.U. and only $5.99 at my local liqour store.

[rabidbeerjunkie]

Goose Island IPA is always in my fridge. As far as house beers go, I prefer the term "house breweries". As has been discussed, tastes tend to change a bit with the seasons, so there are numerous house beers throughout the year. The most common breweries I keep handy are Goose Island, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Boulevard, and Anchor. There is always an import or two handy as well. I've been accused of making it too hard to decide what to drink when friends come by. The selection is always changing.
Prost!
Todd

[jeffmac]

Yeah, that's a great point on "house breweries". My favorite, or at least what I seem to buy the most of, are the following; Goose Island, Kalamazoo (Bell's), Great Lakes, Anchor, and Sierra Nevada.

[rabidbeerjunkie]

If only I could get Bell's and Great Lakes in KS...they would be regulars in the rotation. Heading to Chicago in a couple days...bringin' a bunch of Bell's back with me.
Prost!
Todd

[blevfamily]

My daily house brew would have to be Redhook or Guinness depending on my mood. I also have been drinking alot of Scuttlebutt Barley Wine & Rogue Dead Guy Ale this winter & my other staple is of course Homebrew...the nectar of the gods.

:cool: Have A Great Day

[Chango]

There always seems to be Tempe's Four Peaks Brewery's Kiltlifter in there. A smoky, peaty Scottish ale that I just haven't been able to burn myself out on yet.
New Belgium's Bier de Mars is giving it a run for it's money right now, I'm on my second case in less than a month.
-C

[guzzler67]

cool weather constant: wild goose oatmeal stout.
warm weather wegular: tuppers hop pocket ale.
but, of course, there is an ever-changing cast of old and new favorites to make ones' beer drinking life more interesting.

[Bryant]

House beer ?

I live in beer hell (Columbus Georgia.) Only a few larger liquor stores have quality micros, so one of my mainstays is Harp Lager, though it's far from my top choice.

I have to stock up on my favorite beer (Sweetwater Exodus Porter from Sweetwater Brewery Atlanta Ga.) when I visit family there. Though it is only 90 miles away, I can't get it here. : /


Bryant

[Bryant]

we don't have a house beer. when i go to the purveyor of malty goodness i look for a decent microbrew/craft (style depending on mood).

-snip-

there are two times in your life when you drink cheap beer...when you're too young to know any better and when your too broke to afford any better.


I like your sig, but I have to say if they made a Keystone Ice in a bottle instead of a "specially lined can" I might buy it once in a while. I have to try new beers, so I tried all of the Keystone stuff when it came out (or was distributed in my area anyway.) I knew I would just hate the Keystone Ice because I don't like the metallic taste cans give beer nor do I care for the ice brewed beers, but considering those factors and the fact they produce millions of gallons of that stuff a minute (well not really>:P~) I actually found it to be easily one of the better lower shelf brews I have tried.


Bryant

[tbrusky]

I perfer Hacker Pschorr Weisse. I just cant stop drinking it. Ive been drinking since I was 19. When a friend of mine I known who I mind you is 54 years old told me about this German beer, I said ok let me try one, It was called Hacker Pschorr Weisse in 1pint .9fl.oz bottles and a dark bottle too, so I drank one. I said this sure gives you a taste in your mouth and makes you want to drink more. And now that Im 28. I still love this beer. One night I had NO LIE, I had 12 of these Hackers. Man I was drunk alright. This is a beer all the time not matter if its sprint, summer, fall or winter I still drink this beer, and keep in the house at all times. But love to make a clone beer of Hacker. And Hacker sure has been around a longtime since 1417. Ive new at brewing beer at home on my 2nd beer. Havent had the chance to drink my first yet because its in the bottleing stage. 2 more weeks and I can drink my Beligian Ale. A 1 month 2 week age processing beer. And Im on the secondary stage in secondary fermenation with a clone Samuel Adams Boston Lager, it sure is coming along good. I will be bottling it Tuesday, then wait 1 month before I can drink it. Then this Wednesday I want to try Hacker clone but I cant find one yet. Well I thought I would put my two cents worth in on which beer I drink.

[Chango]

haaker makes some great stuff... along those lines, check out weistephaner's dunkel weiss, that bad boy is awesome.
anyways, i had to edit and revise my house beer choice this past week... sam's club started carrying the sierra nevada pale for $18.67 a case... new house beer right there, jack. cheap beer just doesn't get any better than that.

[DarkBrew]

Hmmm...

A regular "house beer" doesn't really exist around here. I tend toward the stouts in winter and the pale ales in summer.

I really love the Tadcaster Oatmeal Stout when I can get it, but it is a 40 mile drive to the store that carries it.

I try to find a new beer every chance I get. I've been drinking the IPAs lately, since my first batch of homebrew (pitched about 1-1/2 hours ago) is a John Bull kit for IPA. I think the beer that I have most recently gone out of my way to find and purchase again is Capital Brewery's "Fest". It is a seasonal offering running from May through July. I love it, especially served around 60 degrees.

www.capital-brewery.com/ourbeer.htm

[hops99]

Being in the Midwest, I have a couple of good, semi-local, house beers in the basement most of the time:

Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
Bell's Amber (and Oberon in the Summer)
Goose Island Honker's Ale

It's a good start...

[steveh]

Originally posted by hops99
Being in the Midwest, I have a couple of good, semi-local, house beers in the basement most of the time:

Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
Bell's Amber (and Oberon in the Summer)
Goose Island Honker's Ale

It's a good start...

How is the GL Dortmunder Gold? I found GL beers in a small store in the northern 'burbs of Chicago yesterday, but I passed up the Gold for the Eliot Ness Amber.

Mmmm - O-ber-on! ;)

S.

[hops99]

GL Dort is a terrific "every-day" beer. While the Eliot Ness is wonderfully smoky and malty, the Dort is a clean, slightly hoppy, slightly buttery lager. I consider "house beers" to be those beers that you'd likely have every day - a beer after you get home from work, a beer while you clean out the garage, or a beer you'd have on hand if the guys come over to watch the game.

An example illustrating the anti-house beer would be the New Glarus Belgian Red. I love this beer (and sadly, Sam's in Chicago doesn't carry New Glarus anymore, so my occassional 3 1/2 hour trek to Chicago isn't the same without New Glarus anymore), but it's not something that I'd have every day. I save it for special events; I might pop open a bottle every month or two...


Oh, and Oberon is probably my most-consumed brew between now and Labor Day (it's out, I just saw the new batch at my local store last week).

Bill

[steveh]

Originally posted by hops99
GL Dort is a terrific "every-day" beer. While the Eliot Ness is wonderfully smoky and malty, the Dort is a clean, slightly hoppy, slightly buttery lager. I consider "house beers" to be those beers that you'd likely have every day - a beer after you get home from work, a beer while you clean out the garage, or a beer you'd have on hand if the guys come over to watch the game.

You hit the (my) definition right on the head.

I'm guessing the 3 1/2 hour trek into Chicago must be from the (s)east, south, or west - otherwise you'd be able to find New Glarus in plentiful amounts. Schaffer's in Evanston is where I found the Great Lakes - and they still had a decent supply of the NG beers.

Have you seen the Oberon on tap? The Map Room usually has it - and I may hit Quencher's for some music on Saturday - they may have it. Of course, Oberon with 3 inches of snow and a crusty ice topping on the ground might not be the same - need that 95 degree June in Lansing of last year!

Mmm - OH-ber-on! ;)

S.

[skydiver81]

I've had to begin stockpiling my house beer in the middle of January each year. My house beer is Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Most people think that it is too tough for a hot summer's day, but the level of hops is enough to still be refreshing. I have a keg of it on tap, and I have about 4 cases to cover me until November when it is available again.

[S.F.B.]

My house beer depends on what I have been brewing. It is always my home brew. I always have a keg in the fridge out in the garage. Occasionally, I will pop a six of something in the fridge when I am in the mood for another style. At the present time I have a stout and an IPA in there. On deck is a strong amber and something I am referring to as "Kitchen Sink".

[hnrblbrbrn]

Goose Island is good. They scored points with my kid by offering soda, he likes the root beer.

[hopjack13]

the bastard dominates my fridge! in an arrogant kind of way.
LONG LIVE THE BASTARD!!!.......BELCH!

[threecb]

I also have a hard time declaring a house beer,
but you could always find one of the following in
my fridge at any given time:
SNPA
Victory HopDevil
Dog Fish Head Shelter Pale

...so i'd have to say that a decent APA/IPA would
be the closest i could come to having a house beer.

I wish I could find the Bastard in NJ!

[BluesHarp]

1) New Glarus "Hop Hearty" IPA
2) Three Floyd's "Alpha King"
3) Guiness Stout
4) homebrew of some sort

I always have some of each of those in the fridge.

...and for the ladies, some Bud light, no matter how much it repulses me.

[homebrewaddict]

House beer for me would have to be any of the homebrews that I make on a regular basis. Other than that, brand wise, I really love Bass Ale. (Newcastle as well, but never from bottles, only draught)

[steveh]

Originally posted by homebrewaddict
I really love Bass Ale. (Newcastle as well, but never from bottles, only draught)

Oh gosh...don't let Richard hear you!! ;)

S.

[bhoshour]

Hmmm, beer is like music to me. I always want something different depending on mood, what I'm eating, etc. I tend to heavily dislike most lagers and rarely purchase them. Ales, porters, and stouts make up my alcoholic arsenal. I do, however, find that I have some dunkel in my fridge quite a bit. Warsteiner Dunkel is something like the bastard daughter of an ale and a porter to me and it tends to be pleasing to the palate most times. It is by no means a stellar beer, but, yeah, it probably is the house brand. Great question, by the way......

[b3s]

well, my house beer still remains either my homebrew or guinness draught cans...speaking of...i've gone on a 10 week abstinence of guinness, during which time i've had one can of the draught tormenting me...i swore i would not drink it until i found a job.

i start at sun microsystems next monday. i'm drinking my first guinness in 10 weeks right now...life is looking up :D

[b3s]

Originally posted by steveh
Oh gosh...don't let Richard hear you!! S.

heh...the kind of beer you like is the kind you should drink, regardless of anyone elses opinion.

at least he didn't say bud! :D

[steveh]

Originally posted by b3s
i start at sun microsystems next monday. i'm drinking my first guinness in 10 weeks right now...life is looking up :D

Congratulations and cheers!

S.

[brewmonkey]

I would say the house beer much like my favorite beer is the one I am drinking at that moment. I keep a rather ecclectic supply of beer in the cooler. Runs the range because one never knows what mood you might be in at a particular moment.

I usually have a corny or two of something from the pub, a case or three of something from Boulevard (my wife likes the Pale & Zon) as well as some stuff I have sent from friends stationed in Europe.

[denver brewhoo]

I'd have to say Sierra Nevada Pale Ale--always there. A lot of the beers mentioned above are there from time to time, but always there? Only SNPA though both BridgePort IPA and Odell's Cutthroat Pale Ale have been nearly always in there over the last 2 years or so.

Since my first trip to England in March, and as a result of my entree into homebrewing, there is usually a pint (plus) bottle (or three) of bitter--usually Young's Ramrod, cheaper than the Fuller's ESB or the London Pride. Justification for buying $2.99 pints was I needed pint bottles for homebrew, though SWMBO saw through that pretty quickly, esp. when I bought the corny kegs and the CO2 tank....I'm mostly kegging, but it's a lot easier to bottle, say, 8 17-19 oz bottles w/ the excess, than 12 12 oz bottles....