What's Your Favorite Mass-Produced American Macro?

[BigIndieBeerMan]

Even though most of us seem to prefer craft brews or micros, we've all enjoyed our share of mass-produced American Lager-style beers. It's time to own up and admit which ones we really enjoy. You know what I'm talking about...a hot summer day, working in the yard...you need a watery, refreshing brew to bring you back to life. So, what's your favorite? I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but my favorite beer in that occassion has got to be Pabst Blue Ribbon. By the way, Labatt's, Molson and Corona all count here as well.

[toneyc]

Oh, yeah! Corona in a frosty glass with salt and a slice of lime. Mmmm-mm! But mostly, when I'm not drinking home brew, it's usually Guinness. Bottled Guinness (gasp!) not that canned stuff.

I'm new here, glad to find this place. Seems right friendly.

:) Toney.

[Danimal]

I can see when Corona is good (when you have no need for taste, aside from the lime - of course, following a bout with Jose Cuervo) but I tend to sway towards Killians when the need for mass ale ensues - since I can at least taste the stuff....


Dan

[tjthresh]

When I'm out with the guys trying to tie one on, Bud Lite Bottle is what I'm drinking, for budgetary reasons. Most A-B products will do. I don't have mush room for Miller products in my life.

[BigIndieBeerMan]

Dan,

It seems you and I have an uncanny amount in common when it comes to beer. Before retiring to the office to check my email and the message board, I just finished my last sip of a Killian's. It's the first time in months I've had one so it's funny you mention it.

Toney,
Welcome! Stick around, I think you'll find the people here are quite friendly. I myself have been known to enjoy a Corona or a Bud Light once in awhile.

Cheers,
Indie

[kpo]

Originally posted by BigIndieBeerMan
Even though most of us seem to prefer craft brews or micros, we've all enjoyed our share of mass-produced American Lager-style beers. .... You know what I'm talking about...a hot summer day, working in the yard...you need a watery, refreshing brew to bring you back to life.

I love real beer. I'll never have a "favorite" mass-produced american MOCKrobrew. A glass of water should taste watery, beer shouldn't.

After working in the yard I'd love a good, cool Great Lakes: Elliot Ness, or some Pilsner Urquel.

Mass produced? Sierra Nevada mass produces now, but it's still craft beer! Do they make a lager?

Or Guiness served at it's cold temperature - easy "mouthfeel", goes down well, tastes well!

Let hear it for Real Beer!

[BigIndieBeerMan]

Originally posted by kpo
I love real beer. I'll never have a "favorite" mass-produced american MOCKrobrew. A glass of water should taste watery, beer shouldn't.

After working in the yard I'd love a good, cool Great Lakes: Elliot Ness, or some Pilsner Urquel.

Mass produced? Sierra Nevada mass produces now, but it's still craft beer! Do they make a lager?

Or Guiness served at it's cold temperature - easy "mouthfeel", goes down well, tastes well!

Let hear it for Real Beer!

Ouch!!

[Curry]

I agree; when I'm not having a Budweiser draft for budgetary reasons, it's really tough to beat a Guinness (especially in Montana). Although we do have some fine micros in the state, it's not always easy to find them.

[Aleman]

I'm sorry....but life is too short for mediocre beer.

You want cheap...buy Sierra Nevada or Sam Adams on sale
You want a lawn-mower beer....Widmir Hefe-Weizen
You want lite and non-filling...drink water

Beer is all about flavor, flavor and more flavor.

The mass produced brews do NOT (nor ever will they)...have flavor.

[Danimal]

Guys, Guys, Guys.....

Lets face it - most of us do not always have the opportunity to partake in the finest brews, sometimes due to restricted beer selections and other times due to restricted spouses who shop :-)....we all have similar ideals when it comes to the best brews, but even Corvette drivers sometimes take the wheel of the wifes minivan now and then.... so get off your pedestal and into reality, Aleman. I agree with you concerning mass produced brews in the US, but I do not think those of us who occasionally partake in them are at fault, we just have a greater "range of acceptability". Cheeers.

Toney and kpo, Guinness Draught is best served at about 55 degrees (not cold) and from the can, not bottle, if a tap is not available. The little nitrogen widget in the cans makes all the difference in the world to that fine stout. Do a blind can to bottle comparison - you will see the difference.

Dan

[Aleman]

I have reached that pedestal after a loooong climp over bad beer. I search for the interesting and unique. My aim is not elitist, it is a challenge to get adventerious. Bring the significant other with you. Get him/her involved.

Mass produced beer is boring...nuff said.

[BigIndieBeerMan]

Dan,
You hit the nail on the head. That was all I was trying to say in this thread. I unfortunately suffer from both restrictions you mentioned (in varying degrees). As far as Guinness goes, they've recently started putting the widget in the bottle. I think it helps, although it doesn't compare to draft. Risking beer heresy once more, I think Middle Ages Blackheart Stout blows Guiness out of the water. Unfortunately, it's only available on tap. If you ever get to Syracuse I really recommend it.

[brewbob]

Bigindiebeerman,

Put down that swill you are drinking and graduate to the ultimate connoiseur's beer - Miller Highlife!

Besides being "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous", it's complex composition, majestically natural head (read - no widgets!), superb mouth-feel, and awesome hop interaction simply blows away any microbrew you or your cohorts can conjure up!

Remember: It's Miller Time!

Brew Bob

[kpo]

Originally posted by Danimal

Lets face it - most of us do not always have the opportunity to partake in the finest brews, sometimes due to restricted beer selections and other times due to restricted spouses who shop .... so get off your pedestal and into reality, Aleman. I agree with you concerning mass produced brews in the US, but I do not think those of us who occasionally partake in them are at fault, we just have a greater "range of acceptability". Cheeers.


Why partake of mass produced scholck? That "pedestal" Aleman is alleged to be on *IS* reality. Avoid the industrial stuff, and educate your spouse! Isn't that what places like realbeer.com are all about? Sharing and Educating, promoting Real Beer. American MOCKrobrews are not something worth settling for - if you want some good beer and don't see any way to get it through someone else, wait and buy it yourself!
If there's a restrictive beer selection somewhere, wouldn't your palate and your sensibilities would be better off if you went somewhere else or got something other than beer? I guess for me, my range of acceptability stops at anything that not only tastes bad (or doesn't even taste), but also stops at something made by a corporation (like A-Busch) that buys out ball parks and leverages competition out of events purely by $$$.

Support your local brewer and avoid the industrial stuff.

Originally posted by Danimal
Toney and kpo, Guinness Draught is best served at about 55 degrees (not cold) and from the can, not bottle, if a tap is not available.
Dan

Guiness tasted best to me at the 45-or-so degree temperature. At the Guiness Brewery in Dublin they offer Three Serving Temperatures, so naturally I tried all three! They take their Guiness-serving very seriously there, and even have a three year "university" where you learn "The Perfect Pour" and all about the temperatures at which you can serve Guiness Stout, et cetera, ad nauseum.
I was surprised to discover that a stout can still be tasted well that cold, and that, further, the mouthfeel of Guiness had much more "body" at that temperature. But then I was never a big Guiness fan before because of the loose, watery mouthfeel it usually has, so this was a true revelation.
I was even more surprised, though, to see the title of this thread, of all places at realbeer.com! I'm all for comradery, but I couldn't let this subject go by, since it's been a sore spot in my side the last ten years, as I slowly learned about Real Beer and about the corporate grossness in the "beverage industry".

[BigIndieBeerMan]

kpo,
You keep mentioning Guinness along with micros and craft brewed beers, while knocking any "corporate brewery." Guinness seems pretty corporate to me. I understand it has more flavor than "Mockrobrews" as you call them, but it's still pretty mass-produced and corporate. After all, I've NEVER been in a store that sold beer that didn't stock Guinness right along with Bud, but I can't even get Middle Ages Blackheart stout 35 miles from the brewery. If it's flavor you want, then by all means go ahead and drink your Guiness! If you want to avoid corporate beer, best look somewhere else.

Cheers,
Indie

[Danimal]

Indie,

I was thinking the same thing - Guinness is far from a Micro and is up there with the big boys of the US. Take a look at the Guinness advertising machine...

Dan

[kpo]

Originally posted by BigIndieBeerMan
kpo,
You keep mentioning Guinness along with micros and craft brewed beers, while knocking any "corporate brewery." Guinness seems pretty corporate to me.....
If it's flavor you want, then by all means go ahead and drink your Guiness! If you want to avoid corporate beer, best look somewhere else.
Indie

I thought my line about never having been a Guiness fan would have done the job, but hey.

Guiness might qualify as a crafted beer for me, but it's also certainly MACRObrewed. Their brewery in Dublin has all the trappings of corporate gloss, to the point of looking like Disneyland, but they do make a reasonable product, unlike similar American breweries (that advertise such schlock as "less filling" and "never bitter" - C'MON!!??!).

I support local breweries, and in general, Good Beer - I suggested cooler-served Guiness as an alternative for someone who was suggesting yellow water.

[mountain beer]

getting off of the subject of guiness and back to the subject that started this thread, I would prefer a beer here from PA--Yuengling lager and yuengling Black and Tan---both go down pretty smooth and dont taste too massed produced. They also just opened a brewery down in FLorida so I think they are getting to more places in the US---they state that they are the first american brewery

[Danimal]

Mountain,

I agree with your pick - Yuengling makes a fine lager. Had some in the middle of PA last summer because it was everywhere, it was much better than the available local alternatives (Coors, Bud, PBR, etc....).

Another regional Macro alternative, if micro-macro brews are included in this thread, is Christian Morlein Bock from here in Cincinnati. Like Yuengling in PA, it is all over southern OH.

Dan

[tjthresh]

Well sense we are going down that road, I would like the throw Lienenkugel's out there. I got stuck on Lienie's Red when I lived in, of all places, Okinawa, Japan for a year. I believe they are distributed by Miller. I like most of there stuff. My fave is the Red. The Original is good, and they have the Big Butt Dopplebock.

[Danimal]

tj,

What....Sapporo and Kerin not to your liking??? Me niether, especially after 6 weeks in Japan with only Bud and Heiniken as alternatives to these two in the majority of the beer machines. I am not a fan of either of the alternatives, but the Kerin did the trick for me better than the Sapporo. I can say the Japanese have the right idea with the beer machines on the streets, though the selection needs to be tweaked significantly...

Dan

[tjthresh]

I would drink Bud over a Japanese beer any day and twice on Sunday.

[CA Stu]

"What's your favorite macro brew?"

It wasn't "please demonstrate how far above macro brewed beer your taste buds are, you freekin beer snob".

I like Bud Light. Thanks for asking.

CA Stu

[BigIndieBeerMan]

Thanks for posting. I've been known to enjoy a bud light now and again myself.

[Danimal]

Indie,

There is a big difference between "enjoying" a Bud Light and just "drinking" a Bud Light. I have drank many, yet "enjoyed" none. ...think Middle Ages and recalibrate your palate...

My .02,
Dan

[duke7945]

Best mass beer
Only one, Bud, of course, the KING of beers
beechwood aged
can't stand any others
Oh, a real coors (not light) is good occasionally

[cgarri]

We all know you can keep the fridge stocked with whatever you need for mowing the lawn, but at the local pool hall a bottle of Guiness is $5. So, I have a $2 bottle of MGD (because they don't have High Life, or Coors).

The local golf course doesn't have anything but macro beer, and again, no High Life, so it's Coors. Yes, easy to slam, no tasting required.

Just don't offer me light beer.

Craig

[Chris Storey]

Mine is Labbatt's Blue. It goes down easy on a hot summer day. Being a homebrewer, I usually drink my own. But when it's hot out and I'm out of my own, this is it. On the other hand, there is a local brewery in my home town,( Kawartha Lakes
Brewery in Peterborough, Ont., Canada ) that makes a Raspberry Wheat which is very good also on a hot summer day. I guess they aren't mega yet but they should be. There are so many micro-breweries in the US and Canada that you should never have to buy mega-swill again in my opinion.

Chris

[Devljacob]

Sign me up for Rolling Rock !! Almost perfect for that hot summer day when you're working in the yard or just chiiling out on the back deck

[beerman1001001]

After doing yardwork on a hot day, I've been known to pop open a can of Foster's or two (or three). Goes great with anything thrown on the barbie.

[bluesman1645]

Bostonian that I am, for a good lager I gotta say Sam Adams first and foremost, although it pales in comparison to the Boston Ale. Labatts would have to be the next on my list, followed by Michelob. Rolling Rock was once my cheap beer of choice, but I find myself moving away from it over the last couple years...

May I say, to those who have been accused of being up on the high horses: it must be really nice to be able to afford $8+ six packs and $5 drafts everywhere you go. What happens when you go to a bar that doesn't have Bass or Guiness on tap? Or a private party? The ballpark? And god help you if you ever go to the nudie bar! I'm a wicked beer snob, most of the time I will drive an hour or more to go to a store where I haven't tried everything they stock, I've seen dozens of breweries come and go here in New England alone; but even I have my standby choices.

[Claus]

My favorite... Genessee. I like the standard issue, but the Cream Ale is very nice as well. Genessee also makes a Spring Bock, known in this area as the best cheap beer available. In my opinion, Genny is much more tasty than the run of the mill Budwieser.

[kpo]

Originally posted by bluesman1645

May I say, to those who have been accused of being up on the high horses: it must be really nice to be able to afford $8+ six packs and $5 drafts everywhere you go. What happens when you go to a bar that doesn't have Bass or Guiness on tap? Or a private party? The ballpark?

To afford them is no problem - wait until you can! quality before quantity, to turn this thread on its head. At a private party, bring your own!
Perhaps I am encouraged by Roger Baylor, the publican of my local "favorite-place", Rich O's. Imperial pints are 3.25, and that's just the start: Rich O's is a "lite-free zone".
Until recently he felt he had to still sell Bud for those who insisted on it, but he insisted on writing this on his beer menu:

"We offer a ... selection of bland, tasteless, mass-produced industrial swill as a conscientious public service to the terminally flavor-impared. We price these ($8.50 for a 12 oz bottle) in an effort to put them beyond the range of any reasonable drinker."

More reasons I won't stoop to MOCKrobrews:
A-Busch recently leveraged out ANY beer competitors at the Louisville ballpark, where the Cin. Reds and others play their pre-season games. Even after a media blitz, instigated by beer lovers throughout the region, only A-B products are for sale inside the field, *even though there's a local micro-brewery in the same building*! So I'll choose no beers during the game until craft beer is allowed in.

[Aleman]

Bluesman's response reminds me that you should always bug your local bar, restaurant or "nudie bar" for better brews. I go to some restaurant that charge corkage fees for fine wines and ask then to open my home brews. I usally take a six-pack and give one to the waitress. I have rarely been turned down or even charged.

My favorite meal was in a small restaurant that featured a pork tenderloin in a muchroom gravy sauce that I paired with my Dark Belgian Triple and "Wee" Heavy Scottish Ale. Yum!

[Al Besser]

Favorite (?) Macro brew

Several years ago I realized life is too short to drink bad (that's tasteless) beer.

So, if my choice is only Bud, Miller, Coors, Molsons or Labatt (or tasteless imports that should have stayed where they came from-Corona for example). I'll order a Diet Coke, every time. Has more taste, I can drink it all day without getting drunk or a headache the next morning from the chemicals in industrial brew.

If they don't sell real beer, don't encourage them by buying a Miller! Have something you can enjoy. And, if you're going tp a friend's house for party where you know only industrial swill will be available, take a couple of six packs of beer you and others will enjoy and give it away!

[Islesfan]

Lets get back to the subject fellas... Best macro is Yeungling Lager from Pottstown PA. Amber in color, but crisp and refreshing. It has plenty of flavor, plenty of character. It's definatley the beer to have when you're having 12 or so..

[davesarman]

Ahh, isn't America great? All these different opinions! I love it! Well here's my $0.02. I live in MN, and if I'm in a place that only serves macro's, my philosophy is to try and have a local macro. In this area, most places would have Grain Belt or Schmidt. While not great beers they actually do taste better than the big macros (in my opinion) and at least having these helps the local breweries and the men and women who work there instead of feeding the fat corporate pockets of A-B, Miller, Coors. On occaision, someone drinking Bud Light will see my Grain Belt, make a face and say, "You're drinking that swill? I thought you liked great beer?" I usually reply that I would have better beer if they served it, but I'm helping the local guys and when I have them taste my beer side by side with theirs, they usually agree and come to the same conclusion. I realize this may not be an option in some areas and you may be left with no option other than macros. I don't think there's any "sin" with a beer lover having one occaisionally, as long as you voice your opionion to the barkeep, waitstaff, etc. Maybe a seed has been planted to offer something better. (OK, maybe that was more like $0.04.)

[seisinc]

I drank a lot of PBR in college, along with other assorted macros, but didn't truly enjoy their taste as Danimal mentioned. I did it because it was cheap and we were having a good time. So nostalgic wise, I'd say PBR is my favorite. But for real beer that is mass produced, I'd agree with Sam Adams, Guiness, Sierra, etc....the craft brews that are now big.

Does anyone know what a "red beer" or a "tomato beer" is? We drank it all the time with cheap domestics and no one has heard of it outside of MT. With enough clamato, pepper, and tobassco, bud light was almost enjoyable, well, breakfast anyway.

Cheers!

[mountain beer]

My dad used to pour 1/4 can of tomato juice into his beer. I have nevertried that--dont like tomato juice---He also used to put salt in his beer not sure why.

[davesarman]

Red Beer! We used to drink it all the time in college in SD. Especially on Saturday mornings as a hangover cure. Cheapo beer and tomoto juice-that takes me back! In my little hometown in SD, all the old geezers up at the corner bar used to drink it all the time. Ha-thank for the trip down memory lane!

[chillyer]

What most people call "american beer" sucks. Imports from mexico and canada are even better and they are the same post prohibition style. I refused to drink beer when the only thing i had exposer to were A-B and Miller products. They say the taste grows on you and you must drink two or three to not care what they taste like. Until I was introduced to beer with flavor ( my first pint of Newcastle Brown) I drank liquor and nothing else.

If you need a lawnmower beer find a refreshing lager or a wheat beer. If you want water why let them put a bud or light label on it go to the tap and pour yourself a glass of water, it tasts better than whatever A-B or anyone in that class can make anyway.

[Beer Nazi]

My favorite macro would be Shiner Bock.

bluesman, if you dig Shugie Ottis, you can dig this; When they aint got no REAL blues in the joint and all you are left with is, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC or Van Halen..... you just take what they give you and do the best with it!! :D

(pee ess, I like the afore mentioned bands, but for the most part, they aint blues)

[thavey]

One of the greatest statements my wife has ever said was,

"I feel like chuggin' a stubby!"

Olympia consistently wins the blind taste tests among other
macro-beers, at least in our house.

[Richard English]

I live in England (UK, that is - not New England) and we are very fortunate in the choice of beers we have. Estimates vary from a low of around 2,500 to a high of 5,000 different beers that are available here (although many will be very restricted in range and availability).

The most widely sold beers here are the rubbish beers produced by the major manufacturers (I refuse to call them brewers) - just as is the case in the USA. This is simply because of the huge financial muscle that they have and they can outspend the smaller brewers by several orders of magnitude in such areas as promotion and the profit margins they allow to their resellers

Fortunately for our taste buds, the efforts of CAMRA - www.camra.org - stopped the rush into rubbish beers here - hence the choice we now enjoy.

To get to the point of this thread, though, I can say that, in the UK at least, there are some good beers brewed by larger brewers. It is not clear from the introduction just what a "large" brewer is but if it can include those brewers who produce for a number of pubs or other outlets then we have hundreds. If the term is restricted to include only those whose products are available throughout the country, then there are still a few.

Courage Directors; Morland's Speckled hen; Draught Bass are just three fine draught beers available throughout the UK.

If bottled beers are meant, then we also have a fine selection - Worthington White Shield is probably the best one made by a large brewer, although it is not so common as once was the case. My own favourite is Fuller's 1845, a prizewinning strong ale that is sadly not available in the USA, to the best of my knowledge.

Canned beers? There's as little chance of getting a fine canned beer as there would be of getting a fine canned champagne! The nitrogen-filled widgets that some manufacturers use, do create a false head that simulates that obtained on nitrokeg beers. In countries where there are no alternatives, this is a better option than the over-carbonated muck that most of the mega-brewers foist upon their suffering customers!

To finish on the topic of Guinness; this is not, of course, a British beer, although many believe it so to be, It is Irish and is a good drink for those who like a stout. It is no longer "Real Ale" since it does not undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle or barrel. However, notwithstanding this, it is a drink whose flavour and body is so much better than anything that most of the world's brewers can produce that we must surely be grateful to Arthur Guinness and his descendents! In the UK it is but one acceptable choice among thousands; in much of the world it is the only drink worth drinking!

[BigIndieBeerMan]

Originally posted by Richard English
If the term is restricted to include only those whose products are available throughout the country, then there are still a few.

Courage Directors; Morland's Speckled hen; Draught Bass are just three fine draught beers available throughout the UK.

To finish on the topic of Guinness; this is not, of course, a British beer, although many believe it so to be, It is Irish and is a good drink for those who like a stout. It is no longer "Real Ale" since it does not undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle or barrel. However, notwithstanding this, it is a drink whose flavour and body is so much better than anything that most of the world's brewers can produce that we must surely be grateful to Arthur Guinness and his descendents! In the UK it is but one acceptable choice among thousands; in much of the world it is the only drink worth drinking!

Richard,
A little background on myself first. I live in upstate New York, literally in the middle of nowhere. In my small town there are at least 4 or 5 bars within a 10 mile radius. Unfortunately they usually just sell Bud, Gennessee, Miller, Coors and the other mass-produced garbage beers. Remarkably, a couple of friends and I found a bar just around the corner that stocks Bass, Guinness and even Morland's Old Speckled Hen! None of us had ever seen it before and were surprised by its presence alongside the usual beer suspects. Needless to say I've become a fan of Speckled Hen. Due to its fine (for the area at least) beer selection, this bar has become our regular haunt.

[toneyc]

Richard,

Fuller's 1845 is available in the US. I don't know if it is different from the UK version, but I bought a bottle of it here in Austin, Texas, at St. Patrick's of Texas Brewer's Supply.

:) Toney.

[Richard English]

If it is the same then it will be a dark beer of 6.3% abv. It is bottle-conditioned (and says so on the label) and throws a medium sediment.

It is full-bodied and quite bitter (although not so bitter as, say, Goose Island IPA). It does not drink to its strength and therefore needs to be drunk with care since it is too easy for four pints to slip down in a couple of hours and that's well into breathalyser territory!

If it is the same beer, then I feel sure you will agree with me about its quality and recommend it to all your fellow US beer connoisseurs.

[philbertk]

My Favorite is Rainier Ale. It was the first rich in flavor, not just alcohol, macro I tasted.

[deanna]

Though you'll catch grief for drinking it, in Chicagoland you must occasionally partake of an Old Style. Especially at a Cubs game. Plus, I'd much rather have it than the other American lager macrobrews. http://www.oldstylebeer.com/homepage.htm

When I'm stuck at a friends or restaurant with limited beer selection, I usually opt for Corona or choose to drink something other than beer. I think it's just the lime I like -- doubt I would like Corona any better than anything else on it's own.

And if Guinness be a macro brew, well I do love it, but not a big fan of it in cans or bottles. Must have on tap.

[deanna]

Originally posted by tjthresh
Well sense we are going down that road, I would like the throw Lienenkugel's out there. I got stuck on Lienie's Red when I lived in, of all places, Okinawa, Japan for a year. I believe they are distributed by Miller. I like most of there stuff. My fave is the Red. The Original is good, and they have the Big Butt Dopplebock.

Leine's ain't bad. It and Sam Adams were my transition from macro to micro.

[deanna]

Originally posted by davesarman
Ahh, isn't America great? All these different opinions! I love it! Well here's my $0.02. I live in MN, and if I'm in a place that only serves macro's, my philosophy is to try and have a local macro. In this area, most places would have Grain Belt or Schmidt. ...

Grain Belt. I had forgotten. My good friends (St. Louis Park) stocked the fridge with it knowing I'm a bit of a beer snob. They knew it wasn't Miller or Bud or whathaveyou. I was quite touched that they made the effort. Hey, it was new to me, so I tried it. Luckily, their tastes have improved and now I'm usually surprised and pleased to see what's in the fridge when I visit. They tend to try lots of imports that I haven't.

[kpo]

For those who wonder why some people can't stand mass-made "beer" and American low-calorie "light" beer, try reading this four-part article to get a sense for what most beer lovers go through - and discover that journey's natural conclusion, that the author has finally given voice to (for all of us who thought it but couldn't speak it 'til now):


http://www.richos.com/beergospel/beergospel1.htm

[bluesman1645]

<<bluesman, if you dig Shugie Ottis, you can dig this; When they aint got no REAL blues in the joint and all you are left with is, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC or Van Halen..... you just take what they give you and do the best with it!!>>

Right on bro! I cut AC/DC a _little_ slack though, back in the days of the late Bon Scott they made a couple of attempts at the blues before they were completely co-opted by big business and saddled with the screamer vocalist. And not of course that any of that is left on any jukeboxes I've ever seen...

KPO, I may not share your beliefs 100% but I do see your point and I can respect a man of strong principles. I raise a Buzzards Bay Pale Ale to you.... skoal!

www.buzzardsbrew.com

[BigIndieBeerMan]

kpo,
Great article! Very entertaining! As I was reading it I realized I'm making the journey to good beer. I haven't had a macro in many weeks. OK, I had a Killian's Red, but at least it has a little more flavor than Coors Light! Perhaps it's not accurate to say I'm taking the journey to real beer. I feel real beer may be taking ME on the journey. I remember, like the gentleman who wrote the article, that when I began drinking beer I had to keep drinking it until I acquired a taste for it. I hated the taste of beer when I first tried it. Funny... later in life I didn't have to acquire a taste for beers with more flavor.

[bluesman1645]

I read that article too, and it brought me back to when I was 19 and had my first Oregon Originals Nut Brown Ale. Or more accurately, to the locker room at the hockey rink a few days later trying to choke down a can of Natural Ice (if you never had it, you missed out on an E-ticket ride of a near death experience for your taste buds!), and having the nascent realization that there were some depths of (lack of) quality that not even a price of under $4 for a 12 pack could make up for.

Know what's funny BIBM? I absolutely LOVED beer the moment it crossed my lips. I was 14 years old, my uncle Steve fell asleep with half a bottle of Bud in front of him, and curious lad that I was of course I took over. I thought it was amazing: the taste, the mouth feel, the aftertaste, which all at the time summed up in my untutored brain to a giant "oh WOW!" Same thing only better at my first high school drinkin' party later that year when I was dared to drink a whole Fosters Oil Can: beer at the time, ANY beer, was like nothing I'd experienced before, and it was love at first taste. I still have that oil can right here on my desk ya know... For me craft beers were (and still are) an extension of that infatuation, supplanting but never wholly replacing American lager as my palate matured somewhat and sought out more complex things.

So maybe that's why the American lager still has a small place in my life, because it WAS the original epiphanous experience that opened the doors of perception for me. All I can say is I thank the Beer Gods that I wasn't one of the poor saps who could never move beyond it into the great wide world we have all come to know and love so well.

[damole]

I like Yeungling lager, it is one of the best everyday beers around and is still inexpensive. If I was rich the micro Mad Darbarian Ale would win it

[bierman2000]

Wow a difficult question. Maybe Yuengling Lager, if it has to be one.

[kpo]

:eek: warning, intense beer information ahead

If you'd like to escape from Macros, here's your chance, especially if you're within a reasonable drive to New Albany, IN:

....and for those of you into High Gravity beers, you should visit Rich O's Public House the week after March 7th. Rich O's has an annual festival called GRAVITY HEAD where nothing is under 9% .

The link is in my signature.

Here's the skinny:

***Now Drink This:***
Gravity Head 2003 opens Friday, March 7.
Already the Liteweights are running for cover as Gravity Head 2003
approaches. Following is a list of confirmed beers, to which I'll be adding
selections as the weeks slowly pass. Those with a "-" before them are new
additions since the last update.

BBC Bearded Pat's Barley Wine 2001
-Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock
Bell's Sparkling Ale
-Browning's Doppelbock
Corsendonk Christmas Ale
De Dolle Mad Bitch
Delirium Noel
Gale's Prize Old Ale 1998
-J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale cask-conditioned (sherry-primed cask)
-J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale cask-conditioned (port-primed cask)
-Kasteel "K-8"
-Kwak
NABC Solidarity (Baltic-style porter)
Rogue Old Crustacean (date to be revealed)
Rogue Oregon Brewers Festival 2002
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2002
-Triple Karmeliet
Upland Winter Warmer

[Danimal]

KPO,

Sounds like a hophead haven, though it does not actually fit in this thread. BBC, Kalamazoo Brewing, Rogue, and Sierra Nevada specials? All my favorites - though you forgot Two Hearted Ale from Kalamzoo - awesome choices....How far from Cincinnati is this anyway.....

D

[kpo]

Originally posted by Danimal
...BBC, Kalamazoo Brewing, Rogue, and Sierra Nevada specials? All my favorites...How far from Cincinnati is this anyway...

It's just two hours, even from as far north as Blue Ash. Take 71 South to Louisville, and hook into 64 West. After you cross the River, take a right onto 265 North. Take a right onto highway 111 (Grant Line Road), and follow the directions from the Web site. (www.richos.com)

[mbritojr]

Yuengling rules. There is no doubt about it. If I have to drink something mass produced then that is it. Although Sam Adams (any variety) is fine too.

[kpo]

 composed on feb 20, 2003, by the same Publican who wrote the "beer gospel" I posted earlier:


Roger Baylor, Publican of Rich O's Public House, writes:
THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON: YOUR COZY RUT IS SHOWING.

Editor's note: In the past, my columns under the banner of the Potable
Curmudgeon always originated in the Not Dog On-Line, the official newsletter
of FOSSILS, and occasionally were reprinted in Publicanista! Henceforth,
original columns will appear in both newsletters.

Like the Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky before me, I am a "permanent
revolution" theorist.

In beer drinking terms, the revolution is the ongoing process of opting out
of the prevailing Swillocracy and rejecting the stifling uniformity of its
pale, tasteless lagers.

Having thus elected to eschew the monotony of the mainstream, the
discerning, liberated beer drinker finds numerous options available, and it
is his or her response to the multiplicity of choices that determines the
ultimate success of the revolution, in both personal and collective terms.

One among many.
As a means of illuminating this point, we must consider the example of a
particular beer style, one of many in the multitudinous worldwide pantheon
of brewing interpretations: German-style wheat ale.

Beer style guidelines - or to some, beer style "commandments" - provide
understandable parameters for German-style wheat ale, or as it usually is
presented, "Hefe-Weizen." Half (or more) wheat and half (or less) barley,
Hefe-Weizen is fermented with a special ale yeast that imparts flavor
characteristics often associated with apples, bananas and cloves, although
none of these actually are present in the recipe.

In fact, "Hefe" is the German word for yeast, and "Weizen" means wheat.
"Weisse," or white, is often used somewhat synonymously, as the cloudy
appearance of wheat ale prompts descriptions of it as "white."

This same phenomenon is to be found in Belgium, where "Wit" beer is referred
to as white, and is made with wheat, but bears no further resemblance to the
German variety. The Belgians use orange peel and coriander to spice their
wheat ale, and these ingredients are forbidden by the beer purity laws in
Germany.

(American-style wheat ales generally are tasteless and dreadful, barely
suffice as lawnmower beers, and are best forgotten. Their makers will
someday be punished, but that's another story.)

Occasionally, German-style wheat ale can be found in its filtered
incarnation ("Kristall"), but most often it is not. Most are golden, but
"Dunkel" indicates a variety with dark malts. Schneider's famous
Hefe-Weizen, certainly Germany's finest example of the style, is as dark as
Franziskaner's Dunkel, but Schneider sees no need to tout this on the label,
reminding us that beer style groupings aren't always exact. Most of the
world's classic beers were conceived and brewed before the advent of
stylistic guidelines, and the glove doesn't always fit tightly.

Traditionally, Hefe-Weizen was a warm weather libation, and admittedly an
ideal one at that. It often wasn't available year-round, even on its home
turf in Bavaria, where the style staged a remarkable comeback in the 1980's
after very nearly dying out. Now, German-style wheat ale can be consumed
every day if so desired, in many parts of Germany and abroad as a result of
aggressive export strategies.

To me, that's a big, big problem.

"See Spot run" was just the beginning, right? RIGHT?
There was a time when I defended Hefe-Weizen as the ideal starter beer, the
sort of authentic style that didn't stand to overtly threaten Liteweights,
but retained an integrity that made it helpful in luring converts. I liked
it as an example of an unfiltered beer, one that would help move beginners
past their fear of cloudiness. Likewise, Dunkel Weizen eased the timid when
it came time to experience darkness.

Nowadays, I'm not so sure whether it's good or bad. Whereas Hefe-Weizen
quite possibly remains the best "starter beer" for many beer drinkers, far
too often it is the "finishing" beer as well, in the sense of it
constituting a comfort zone that the consumer clings to as though dangling
from the edge of a cliff, and subsequently has no intention of vacating any
time soon.

Even worse, the comfort zone often doesn't even comprise the many different
varieties of Hefe-Weizen that are available for sampling; rather, it is
reduced to one word: Franziskaner.

It will come as a surprise to some readers, but Franziskaner is not "German
for wheat beer." There are other wheat ales brewed in Germany, many of
which are better examples of the style than Franziskaner (see "Schneider"
above).

Moreover, thanks to the transforming ethos of the American microbrewing
revolution, it is possible that better examples of Hefe-Weizen than
Franziskaner are brewed right here in the United States. Brewmaster Ed
Herrmann of Upland Brewing Company in Bloomington, Indiana, brews an
authentic German-style wheat ale that cannot be distinguished from its
German cousins.

Last year, a 20-ounce pint of Upland's Dunkel Weizen was being sold at Rich
O's for $3.00, and still the majority of Franziskaner drinkers opted for
16.9-ounce bottles of their "finishing" beer for $4.75. I grimaced,
shrugged, stuffed their money in my pocket, and took consolation that at
least we've been able to wean most of them (but not all) from ruining their
Franziskaner with a lemon.

I suppose you pour ketchup on filet mignon, too?
And while we're at it, let's be clear about the use of citrus fruit in beer.

There is no use for citrus fruit in beer. Period.

If lemons were intended for use in German-style wheat ale, then lemons would
grow in Germany. They don't. Do oranges grow in Belgium? They don't grow
in Golden, Colorado, either, so they have no place in a glass of Coors's
mock Belgian Wit ale, Blue Moon.

When you place a slice of citrus fruit in a beer, whether it is a
competently conceived and brewed wheat ale or the wretched beer-flavored and
carbonated Mexican urine Corona, you are mindlessly following the marketing
dictates of someone you'll never know, and who makes more money deceiving
you than you will in your life in your own chosen career.

Is that clear? Training wheels are just that, and at some point, it's time
to learn how to ride the bike.

The customer is always ... huh?
My career in the beer business, and as a leader of the beer revolution, can
be viewed as a constant struggle to resolve certain nagging elemental,
cosmological problems.

Does one survey the world's teeming diversity with a view toward finding the
"one," or the "many"? Does one find the perfect song and listen to it to
the exclusion of all others, or listen to many songs, finding the pleasure
in each?

Does the beer drinker find one brand or style of beer, lavishing it with the
personal and social implications of brand loyalty, or does he regard the
whole world of beer as a vast puzzle, with the right beer for the right
season, activity, meal or even time of day?

My business objective as Publican and my private imperative as a beer
aficionado in the vanguard of the revolution are one and the same: To have
access to as many different styles and interpretations of beer as possible,
and to encourage their uses in a broad, sweeping, infinitely changing
fashion.

Life is too short to drink the same beer every time.
Slavish brand loyalty negates revolutionary consciousness. There is a
certain utility in knowing that particular breweries can do no wrong, or
that a particular brewery produces a beer that is the yardstick for its
style. However, once the beer drinker has demonstrated an ability to see
past mainstream brand loyalty to the bright and sunny paradise outside, it
is no more conducive to further personal development to drink only
Franziskaner (or Guinness, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) than it was to drink
only Budweiser or Miller Lite.

FDR wasn't talking about beer when he warned against fear itself, but his
uplifting words are perfectly applicable to the beer menu you hold in your
hands when you visit Rich O's or any other establishment where a premium is
placed on stylistic choice.

Years ago, the beer writer Michael Jackson said that the pursuit of the
perfect pint should last a lifetime. He meant that there's always another
great beer around the corner, somewhere over the next hill, down the street
in the brewpub, and we just have to revel in the unfettered joy that derives
from searching for it. In this way, the beer drinker's tastes constantly
undergo reinvention, and the ensuing revolution truly remains a permanent
one.

Those seated cautiously on the sideline, fondling their lemons and gazing at
their monks, are indeed comfortable. They're safe, cozy, and risking
nothing. But they're missing out on the game, and I genuinely feel sorry
for them - even as I profusely thank them, take their money and indulge in
fevered speculation as to whether they'll pay even more for their trouble.

After all, even revolutionaries gotta make some profit, eh, Leon?

[mbritojr]

My finger is tired from scrolling!:confused:

[hnrblbrbrn]

Originally posted by tjthresh
Well sense we are going down that road, I would like the throw Lienenkugel's out there. I got stuck on Lienie's Red when I lived in, of all places, Okinawa, Japan for a year. I believe they are distributed by Miller. I like most of there stuff. My fave is the Red. The Original is good, and they have the Big Butt Dopplebock.


I tried Lienie's after seeing the truck at a gas station. The problem was the gas station stocked the other beer (Miller) he delivered only, so I went to the liquor store down the street. The Dopplebock and Red were the only one's I've had.

[hnrblbrbrn]

Originally posted by deanna
Though you'll catch grief for drinking it, in Chicagoland you must occasionally partake of an Old Style. Especially at a Cubs game.

Oldstyle makes me think of my granddad and uncles sitting around the kitchen table playing penny ante when I was I kid. I remember every time he'd pour a fresh glass I got to have the first sip.

[tavernjef]

Samual Adams and Sierra Nevada are my hands down favorites. Both mass produce but have the great hand crafted styles available that blow any Bud, Miller, Coors out of their watery depths. Buy Sam Adams on sale and its just as cheap as the others. As for those you feel the need for somrthing light, either drink water or drink the good stuff and exercise your palette as well as your body to keep those carbos from attaching to your
sides and gut. I drink good heavy stuff all the time, and have for years and I weigh the same, high metabolism runs in the family.
Good for me, ha,ha. I drink the good stuff.:p

[warmstorage]

Originally posted by tavernjef:
Samual Adams and Sierra Nevada are my hands down favorites. Both mass produce but have the great hand crafted styles available that blow any Bud, Miller, Coors out of their watery depths. Buy Sam Adams on sale and its just as cheap as the others.

with all due respect to my friend from other forums, tavernjef, i'm going to offer a couple of thoughts:

1) Scam Adams is no Sierra Nevada. take it back -- now! if you do, i'll call off the Beer Police, who are on their way as i write to wash your driveway with Spam Adams Boston Slaughter.

2) there's mass produced, and there's MASS produced: i'd LOVE it if Sierra Nevada was as widely available as Sambo, but it's just not, in any of the six states i've lived in.

3) agreed, both blow the nasty big boys out of the water, but... a lot of Sammy just sucks: the Boston Lager, the Boston Ale, all the seasonals... they are weak and sad excuses for craft beer, macro or micro.

4) Tavernjef, you make an excellent point which is often overlooked: when buying by the 6er, the nasty stuff often isn't particularly cheap, especially in bottles: a standard gorcery store will sell a 6er of Bud Slight longnecks for about $5, and a 6er of the local micro for about $6.49 to $7. sales at a decent liquor store almost always get this price down to comparable. sure, you can buy a 30 pack of Genny Ice for less per capita than any craft brew, but who would want to?

your pal,
Warmstorage

[jbrooks]

Enough already! I happened upon this question accidently (hey, it was the top thread) and this question always gets my blood going. No offense to the instigator of this, but this is a stupid question. It's like asking which is your favorite dogshit. Now personally, I like Golden Retriever poop, but that's just me. In the initial query, it is stated that we've all done it from time to time, so which is your favorite. NO, NO, NO, NO. I don't do it, and neither should you. This is IMHO one of the biggest problems facing better beer today. If you claim to love beer and are faced with a choice of nothing decent, and I can't stress this strongly enough, DO NOT ORDER ANY BEER. Every time you cave and order the best of what's available you're actually harming the craft beer world you claim to love so much. Why would you do that? I've actually seen brewers do this. I just want to pummel them. The only way bar owners will ever stock good beer is if their customers demand it. If they just pick from whatever's available then there's no incentive for the owner to change his selection. And if you're really hot and all they have is a macro, order water for chrissakes - you're so close already you might as well go all the way to H2O. Bad beer accounts for 95-97% of all beer sold in the U.S. It's not going to get any better unless you (and by you I mean all of us) do something about it. So put down that swill beer right now.

[tavernjef]

Ya, I actually do order water or just a soda if all some small bar/restaurant out in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska has just the usaul macro choices. Water all the way, it just tastes better.

[Bryant]

My favorite American Macro....


I think Michelob Amber Bock is ok. I would say that's the only one I really somewhat like.....
I typically hate light beers, but Mic Light also has some character considering it's volume produced. If I am at some outdoor event that serves beer (like a concert) where there is no selection but the big stuff I will look for that or a Killian's Red.


Bryant

[Bryant]

[Enough already! I happened upon this question accidently (hey, it was the top thread) and this question always gets my blood going. No offense to the instigator of this, but this is a stupid question. It's like asking which is your favorite dogshit.

I like quality beer and will choose it 100 out of 100 times (with the exception of trying new beers, micro, macro, imported, or whatever...) but your reply was flat out rude. There are events (like music concerts etc.) when there is no choice but the big stuff and I will proudly sip on a Budweiser if that's the only choice I have. If you want to stick your proud nose up at it, suit yourself. To me Bud, etc. beats the hell out of Coca-Cola, unless it comes with the sides of of a Wendy's double and fries.
I won't even pretend like I am the most educated beer enthusiast here, as I am here simply because I love quality beers. Having said that, I love beer period. I think Budweiser is about as mediocre and tasteless as it can be.... hell, in fact I shouldn't even pick at Bud. Coors Light tastes like club soda. Bud does somewhat resemble beer...... Anyway I can tell you I would much rather drink any beer as opposed to eating dog shit.
To cool things off just a bit, I actually do admire the fact you are opinionated (much like me) and stand by your beliefs, but there probably are some people here that don't agree with this sentiment. I choose to support the craft brewers whenever I can because I like them, but I'll happily throw down a couple of bucks to A-B or the other ones when I have no other choice.

Bryant

[Bryant]

[i]Does anyone know what a "red beer" or a "tomato beer" is? We drank it all the time with cheap domestics and no one has heard of it outside of MT. With enough clamato, pepper, and tobassco, bud light was almost enjoyable, well, breakfast anyway.

Cheers! [/B]


My brother likes them. He is a real connissiuer, nothing but Natural Light for him. >:P~ Actually, he mixes 1/2 tomato juice with 1/2 beer and adds Texas Pete hot sauce. It's not horrible by any means and sounds like a good hangover cure, but it's not my thing.
I don't really care for tomato juice but I like V8. I wonder if I should try sacrificing 1/2 of my Sweetwater ESB to make a "good" red beer. Hmmmm........


Bryant

[jbrooks]

I too appreciate that you're opinionated and I'll even accept that you think I was rude in my post. If being rude is what it takes, I'm more than willing to be the bad guy here. Unfortunately, I must take issue with part of what you said

1) you claim to "like quality beer and will choose it 100 out of 100 times" with some added exceptions. Well, if there are exceptions then it's not 100 out of 100 times now is it?

2) You state that there "are events (like music concerts etc.) when there is no choice but the big stuff and [you] will proudly sip on a Budweiser if that's the only choice [you] have." I think you may have missed my point entirely here. The point is you always DO have a choice, and that choice is to drink what you perceive is the only choice or drink water, nothing, etc. Nobody's forcing you to order your Bud at a concert, are they? Like it or not, not drinking beer is a choice and in my opinion the only valid choice if nothing good is available. Everytime you choose the bad beer because that's all there is, you damage the craft and import beer business you claim to love. That's not my opinion, that's what actually happens. How much one person such as yourself harms the industry is likely negiglible (assuming you don't do it often enough) but if enough people take your way of thinking then that's how the macro beers end up accounting for 95-97% of the total US beer market. There are great brewers hanging on by a thread and you're getting out the scissors every time you order a macro. If my pointing that out is rude, so be it. I love the craft beer industry too much to see is killed by such apathy.

3) "To me Bud, etc. beats the hell out of Coca-Cola, unless it comes with the sides of of a Wendy's double and fries." OK, I never suggested Coke as alternative. I hate soda-pop more than I hate macro beer. Coke is nothing but sugar water and terrible for your health. Hell, Coke is directly responsible for dismantling the pre-cursor to the FDA in the 1920s or so, the federal agency responsible for looking after the health of US citizens. And if you think a fast food lunch is better for you, I recommend you read the book "Fast Food Nation."

4) "I would much rather drink any beer as opposed to eating dog shit." Again, some point missing going on here. It was an analogy, I didn't mean to suggest you should actually eat dog shit. But I think we can agree that all dog shit is bad and should not be eaten. Yes? Still with me? Well that's how I feel about macro beers (and macro imports like Heineken and Corona). They're all uniformly bad and should never be consumed under any circumstances.

5) "I'll happily throw down a couple of bucks to A-B or the other ones when I have no other choice." And this brings us back to the issue at hand. You DO have a choice. You can happily give your money to A-B, actively harming the craft beer industry, or you can refuse to fall victim to their relentless marketing and advertising and support the beer you love by insisting that if a business wants your patronage then they must carry decent beer or you'll go elsewhere. If you don't, then the craft beer industry may simply vanish (as it did in effect after prohibition) and then you really will have no choice left.

I'll apologize in advance with what I'm sure will be perceived as more rudeness on my part. That is not my intent. My intent is to wake up as many people as possible to the idea that the power vests with the people. If you want better beer, you must insist on it 24/7. It will be a long, hard struggle with periodic sacrifices that must be made. But if in the end, every bar, stadium, restaurant, concert hall, etc. carries good beer, won't it have been worthwhile? Sure sounds like a better world then the one we live in now. I'm certainly not happy about a world where people will happily and proudly give their money to a giant, soulless, multi-national corporation that makes a product we can all agree is not great simply because it's convenient.

[paul84043]

I'll have to admit that drinking my own homebrewed beer has opened my eyes immensely to what watered down horse swill the Macros are pawning off on us and I have found that it typically only takes one good beer to turn a macro addict away from the dark side.

I realize that I have a choice, and if I don't have a "good" beer available, I'll dring water thank you very much.

[kruez969]

people who think that everyone can drink anything other than macro brews are wrong.. what about us college kids?? sure i love to go to the small grocery store here with 550 kinda of beer at hand, and i love to go try out a new one, but when i buy beer in the masses there is no way that either i or any other college kid i know can afford to..

[hops99]

To the post above:

Being only 10 years or so removed from college myself, I remember struggling with the distinction between quality and quantity. I appreciate the fact that not every person (college kid or otherwise) can afford to drink craft beer all the time - however, that shouldn't be an excuse to go out and buy a case of Busch Light. The question is: what motivates you to drink? If you're drinking just to get plastered, culminating in a 2:30am trip to Taco Bell, don't lament the fact that your favorite micro is $8 a six-pack.

The bottom line: It's much better to drink a six-pack of your favorite craft beer than it is to finish off a case of Milwaukee's Best....

[warmstorage]

Originally posted by kruez969
people who think that everyone can drink anything other than macro brews are wrong.. what about us college kids?? sure i love to go to the small grocery store here with 550 kinda of beer at hand, and i love to go try out a new one, but when i buy beer in the masses there is no way that either i or any other college kid i know can afford to..

ummm, well, no: that's part of the point that several people have made: if you can't buy good beer, don't bother. (and i'll restate the point made many moons above: usually a twelve pack of Spam Adams or other macros masquerading as micros costs only marginally more per bottle than FizzySwill. and even Spam is better, in numerous ways, than Spud or Spewers.)

for the record, i started drinking good beer in college (starting with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale). and lest you think that i was a trust fund baby, let me assure you i wasn't (i received a bunch of financial aid, took out a bunch of loans, and worked several jobs at a time.) i just chose then, as now, to only buy beer that i actually wanted the taste of in my mouth, and from companies that i actually wanted to put my precious pennies in their pockets.

kruez969, several serious questions: where do you go to school? what are the local breweries? brewpubs? how close is your nearest decent liquor store (or grocery store, depending on your state) that has sales? any of these options, if explored, can get some good beer in your mouth, without taking too much more out of your pocket than FizzySwill. try especially happy hours at brewpubs and breweries, and party pigs or pony kegs from any local brewer. besides, buying local has all sorts of other feel good value.

now, this is assuming you buy Fizzy Swill by the six pack or twelve pack. if you are talking about getting free or $5/night beer from a keg at a party, i suppose that's one thing (though i'd still personally go for cheap red wine, or mixed drinks, or water, than Spewers Slight.)

love,
warmstorage

[jbrooks]

Don't take this the wrong way, but shouldn't you be studying? I worked full-time all the way through college paying for it myself with a wife to support, as well, so you're not going to get a lot of sympathy from me if you can't drink as much while mommy & daddy foot the bill. The main point I'd like to make on a more serious note is that it's about quality, not quantity anyway. I realize that at your age you probably think getting as drunk as possible is the goal but that will (or should) pass as you mature. And even with that as a goal, most ales (almost all macros are lagers) are higher in alcohol than lagers so spending a little more will get you more bang for your buck anyway. Or buy a nice barleywine. Now that's value, alcohol-wise. But it comes down to choices. You could buy a pair of converse all-stars instead of $100+ Nikes and use the difference for better beer. It's what's most important to you. In or out of college you can't buy everything you want anyway. You have to decide what to buy and how much to spend on it. I realize that waiting for something, doing more with less, or not buying whatever is cheapest is almost un-American in a consumer-based society run amok such as ours, but you could build yourself some character, you never know. Stranger things have happened. When I was in college, I didn't buy craft beers, but I had a good excuse. There weren't any. But I still bought local beers, at least (Yuengling, Reading Beer and Genessee Cream Ale - I grew up in Pennsylvania). At the end of the day, the difference in price between a good and bad beer is pretty small when compared the best and worst of may other items, like wine, for example. Besides, life's too short to drink bad beer, eat bad food, or do practically anything badly. So drink less beer but better beer. You'll never look back on your life wishing you'd spent more time drinking bad beer. i guarantee it.

[kpo]

Originally posted by kruez969
people who think that everyone can drink anything other than macro brews are wrong.. what about us college kids?? sure i love to go to the small grocery store here with 550 kinda of beer at hand, and i love to go try out a new one, but when i buy beer in the masses there is no way that either i or any other college kid i know can afford to..

What?!? C'Mon!
__College is *where* I learned about Good Beer! And I'm a musician, so I've always had even less spending $ than the average kid...
__If you give-in to drinking bland crap, then you just don't care enough. When you start to care, you'll find a way, whether you're strapped or you're a millionaire.
__You have to *want* to drink good beer, then you will. Simple as that. For heaven's sake, I'm in greater debt now than when I was in school two years ago, yet I still seek out the places that serve Good Beer. Actually if you look carefully, it's usually the-same-or-cheaper for a draft of Good Beer at a Pub That Cares, than for a draft of Crap from any old bar.

[b3s]

Originally posted by jbrooks
So drink less beer but better beer. You'll never look back on your life wishing you'd spent more time drinking bad beer. i guarantee it.

you, sir, are my new hero!

[paul84043]

Good point.
I'm still amazed at the quality of beer I can make myself for the same price as the on sale bud light at the corner gas station.

[kruez969]

Hops99 -- its not an excuse, its what has to be done. I don’t mind buying a 10$ case and drinking with my friends instead of buying much more expensive craft beers.. im not saying I never buy those beers, but on a fri or sat night, im goin cheap. I don’t think I ever said my favorite beer was a $8 six pack, but for that price I could actually get some quality beers. Bottom line --- if I want to get drunk, ill down a six pack of craft beer and be left wanting more for the rest of the night while my friends continue to have a good time

Warmstorage -- if I cant buy good beer don’t bother??? Why not?? So If I want to get drunk I should limit myself to everclear?? Whats wrong with buying a case of bud?? I am no trust fund kid either… none of you know me and if you do you would know that ive spent the last year working full time and going to school part time so that I can get instate tuition and continue my education.
I go to university of iowa. Local brewery is stone city, in north liberty iowa, and brewpub is fitzpatricks, here in beautiful iowa city, who recently won a medal in the world cup of beers for their stout. Best place to buy beer is johns grocery you can see them at www.johnsgrocery.com There are nights where you can drink quality beer all night for cheap, however they are few and far between, and never at the prime drinking times. I do buy local, and enjoy good beer at home watching a movie or something, but when it comes to grtting drunk and enjoying the thousands of ladies in town, I don’t have the money to buy the craft beers.

Jbrooks -- you have some major aggression built up.. I think you need to go get a beer, or jerkoff, or whatever you do to get rid of all that hate. I do study, however I also have a social life. And if mommy and daddy were footing the bill, I could drink as much as I wanted of anything, couldn’t I?? Because they would be paying?? Which is kinda my point… yes sometimes I am out for nothing but to get drunk, which are those times when I buy cheap beer. There are also those times when I buy several craft beers and enjoy them. Ales do have more alcohol, but almost never twice as much, and almost always more than twice the price of a cheap domestic.. you do the math. Nike? 100$$? Your talking to the kid who just bought a 5$ pair of Anchor Bay Classics at walmart. After reading your post I don’t know how you are saying maybe someday I will build character. Read your post again.. maybe your character is just not one many people enjoy, I dunno….

Kpo – I agree with your post, however I do want to drink good beer, I do drink good beer, just not all the time, and not most of the time. . I cant afford it.. I need to drink too much to get drunk. Sometimes I wish I was a 90 pound girl so I could get drunk on 3 beers on those nights I want to.


As for anyone else who cares, my fav beer is most likely the Belgian triple bornum ale, but ive sampled so many that im sure there are others that rank up there with it.

[warmstorage]

Originally posted by kruez969

Warmstorage -- if I cant buy good beer don’t bother??? Why not?? So If I want to get drunk I should limit myself to everclear??



ummmm, no. i'm not recommending intentional alcohol poisoning. actually, i was trying to avoid sounding self-righteous in my other post, but since you bring it up, i tend to agree with some others in these forums that drinking for the sake of getting drunk isn't a real hot idea.

in college, where i also worked more than full-time (having as many as four jobs at once), one of them was as an EMT, on the college campus. i spent too much time holding people's heads out of toilets to recommend that you go get a bottle of everclear, ever.

and for the record, i'm not morally opposed to getting drunk. i do so myself on occasion. frankly, i hate hangovers and i'm more prone to them every year, so it's usually just not worth it. but i don't drink to get drunk -- and if i were gong to, i'd still drink something that i like the taste of in my mouth.


Whats wrong with buying a case of bud??

that is a different question. and i think a bunch of us have responded to it in different ways. i'll try the straightforward way: bud sucks. it tastes bad.



I am no trust fund kid either… none of you know me and if you do you would know that ive spent the last year working full time and going to school part time so that I can get instate tuition and continue my education.


whoa! who has "some major aggression built up"? i never pretended to know you, and you're right, i don't. that's why i asked the questions about where you live. good for you (sincerely) for paying your way -- lots of us have done it, including me. if i used the words "trust fund baby", it wasn't meant as an accusation, and i'm sorry if it came across that way.



I go to university of iowa. Local brewery is stone city, in north liberty iowa, and brewpub is fitzpatricks, here in beautiful iowa city, who recently won a medal in the world cup of beers for their stout. Best place to buy beer is johns grocery you can see them at www.johnsgrocery.com



okay -- thanks. i asked because i was genuinely curious. and because there are lots of people who like quality beer, but genuinely don't have hardly any access to it (lots of folks in the rural deep south, and Utah, where Stone Age beer laws rule out stronger brews.) it sounds from the above like you do have access to it, if you choose to pursue it, with even a little effort.



...but when it comes to grtting drunk and enjoying the thousands of ladies in town, I don’t have the money to buy the craft beers.



ahhhhh. okay. do any of these thousands of ladies like good beer? maybe you should try to "enjoy" ladies at Stone City, when you see them order a good-looking house beer, by bringing up this whole debate, and laughing about it.



Jbrooks -- you have some major aggression built up.. I think you need to go get a beer, or jerkoff, or whatever you do to get rid of all that hate.



nasty, ad hominem attacks like this just make you look like a troll. nobody has been particularly out of line so far. self-righteous or preachy, maybe, but this little attack is unnecessary. relax, and have a brew.



...and almost always more than twice the price of a cheap domestic.. you do the math.



i do, all the time, and having lived in six states in the last decade [CA, MA, AZ, WI, AK, and CO], i find this to rarely be the situation, unless you're buying fizzy by the case or more. i regularly look in the cold case at theocal convenience store, and supermarket, where thin nasty stuff is often $5.49 a six-pack, and better to good micros usually $6.49 to $7.49.



I need to drink too much to get drunk. Sometimes I wish I was a 90 pound girl so I could get drunk on 3 beers on those nights I want to.



maybe this is the rub: i think that many, if not most, of the people posting comments on realbeer.com, about "real" beer, aren't out to get blitzed on the real beers being discussed. if it floats your boat to buy a rack of coors light and get hammered and enjoy the ladies, well, cool. enjoy. it doesn't sound very enjoyable to me (especially the likely hangover), but to each their own.

kruez969, i hope you enjoy your next good beer, and get what you need to out of your next 24 shitty beers.

respectfully,
warmstorage

[Bryant]

Originally posted by jbrooks
I too appreciate that you're opinionated and I'll even accept that you think I was rude in my post. If being rude is what it takes, I'm more than willing to be the bad guy here. Unfortunately, I must take issue with part of what you said

1) you claim to "like quality beer and will choose it 100 out of 100 times" with some added exceptions. Well, if there are exceptions then it's not 100 out of 100 times now is it?

I suppose you are correct. I should have said, when I have the choice (unlike at a concert etc.) and barring a "new" beer I haven't tried, I will buy craft beer or some imports.

2) You state that there "are events (like music concerts etc.) when there is no choice but the big stuff and [you] will proudly sip on a Budweiser if that's the only choice [you] have." I think you may have missed my point entirely here. The point is you always DO have a choice, and that choice is to drink what you perceive is the only choice or drink water, nothing, etc.

I prefer Budweiser over water.

Nobody's forcing you to order your Bud at a concert, are they? Like it or not, not drinking beer is a choice and in my opinion the only valid choice if nothing good is available.

Well that is your choice and I respect that decision if that is what you choose, but I like to drink beer and watch/listen to live music. What I usually try to do is talk to a manger at the event and ask them about more choices. I know Center Stage (I think the name for it now is Earthlink Live) in Atlanta offered Shiner Bock on tap the last time I was there. While not my top choice, it beats the macro stuff easily.

Everytime you choose the bad beer because that's all there is, you damage the craft and import beer business you claim to love.

That might be true, but you can bet it's not very often that happens. As I say, it is only when it is a new product or my only choice.

That's not my opinion, that's what actually happens. How much one person such as yourself harms the industry is likely negiglible (assuming you don't do it often enough) but if enough people take your way of thinking then that's how the macro beers end up accounting for 95-97% of the total US beer market.

If you want to look at it like that, I suppose I can accept that opinon, but I support the craft and import industry 50 fold of what I do the big boys.

There are great brewers hanging on by a thread and you're getting out the scissors every time you order a macro. If my pointing that out is rude, so be it. I love the craft beer industry too much to see is killed by such apathy.

It is not apathy, but ignorance of "typical Americans" that feel that Coors, Bud Miller Lite, etc. is the only stuff worth drinking. They buy the snot out of it, so that is what gets offered. As I said, whenever I don't have the choice of a micro or import (aside from Corona or Heineken) I try and talk to a mgr. about the lack of such a choice.

3) "To me Bud, etc. beats the hell out of Coca-Cola, unless it comes with the sides of of a Wendy's double and fries." OK, I never suggested Coke as alternative. I hate soda-pop more than I hate macro beer. Coke is nothing but sugar water and terrible for your health. Hell, Coke is directly responsible for dismantling the pre-cursor to the FDA in the 1920s or so, the federal agency responsible for looking after the health of US citizens. And if you think a fast food lunch is better for you, I recommend you read the book "Fast Food Nation."

I am a little partial to Wendy's hamburgers, but I actually keep away from fast food typically unless it is necessary.

4) "I would much rather drink any beer as opposed to eating dog shit." Again, some point missing going on here. It was an analogy, I didn't mean to suggest you should actually eat dog shit. But I think we can agree that all dog shit is bad and should not be eaten. Yes? Still with me? Well that's how I feel about macro beers (and macro imports like Heineken and Corona). They're all uniformly bad and should never be consumed under any circumstances.

Ha ha ha, well at least we agree on the two big imports.

5) "I'll happily throw down a couple of bucks to A-B or the other ones when I have no other choice." And this brings us back to the issue at hand. You DO have a choice. You can happily give your money to A-B, actively harming the craft beer industry, or you can refuse to fall victim to their relentless marketing and advertising and support the beer you love by insisting that if a business wants your patronage then they must carry decent beer or you'll go elsewhere. If you don't, then the craft beer industry may simply vanish (as it did in effect after prohibition) and then you really will have no choice left.

As I said earlier, I am trying to do my part in helping the craft industry, not tear it down. Maybe my way is a bit different than your but I think we have the same goal in mind.

I'll apologize in advance with what I'm sure will be perceived as more rudeness on my part. That is not my intent. My intent is to wake up as many people as possible to the idea that the power vests with the people. If you want better beer, you must insist on it 24/7. It will be a long, hard struggle with periodic sacrifices that must be made. But if in the end, every bar, stadium, restaurant, concert hall, etc. carries good beer, won't it have been worthwhile?


I don't typically go to bars. When I do it is a special event that is offering special live music with a band that plays original music. The few bars in my area that have those events do have a few micros and a few smaller imports.

Sure sounds like a better world then the one we live in now. I'm certainly not happy about a world where people will happily and proudly give their money to a giant, soulless, multi-national corporation that makes a product we can all agree is not great simply because it's convenient.

It is people like those here that make America a great country. This is a consumer society, but unfortunately this society is also based on neighbors and friends to most people. So many people will drink what their friends drink, drive the same kind of cars their friends drive etc. In fact, some people can't afford to drink craft beers because they have a house and cars they can't afford. The "average" American under 40 is no more than two or three paychecks away from disaster. While this may be a different topic, it is the truth and quite relevant. Until the mindset of the said "typical" AMerican is changed, I don't think things are going to change dramatically anytime soon.

Bryant

[kpo]

Originally posted by kruez969
Which is kinda my point… yes sometimes I am out for nothing but to get drunk, which are those times when I buy cheap beer. There are also those times when I buy several craft beers and enjoy them. Ales do have more alcohol, but almost never twice as much, and almost always more than twice the price of a cheap domestic.. you do the math.

__Two important points:
__1. If you really want only to get drunk, you're still better off with Good Beer, the beer that's maybe $1.00 more per 6 pack. It's higher quality and by being un-filtered you get all the nutrients that will keep you from getting a nasty headache/hangover. Mass produced "MOCKRObrew" will just get you drunk and feeling nasty. You're less likely to feel bad from Too Much Good Beer.
__2. If you're out on the town and not buying bottles, you should definitely be able to find draft Good Beer that's the same or even less than draft Crap. (See "warmstorage's" 6-state rebuttal on this point, above).

[hopjack13]

i've never bought or dank any beer with adjuncts in it " thats my storie and i'm sticking to it!" in 1516 the duke of bavaria passed the first consumer law "german beer purity law"(a law that should still hold true today!) only barley , hops and pure water were to be used to brew beer (they didn't know about yeast back then) most quality beers have only four ingedients..hops, barly malts, yeast and water. how many ingredients does bud use? don't quote me but i think it's around 50 ingredients... rice, corn or cereal grains are a cheap way to extract alcohol , and i dont want that sh#@ in my beer!why would you? it shouldn't even be an issue. i drink beer because i love beer, the buzz is just a little bounus you get when you've had too much. drinking cheap beer to get drunk kind of defeats the purpose of having a beer in my book. if i want to get drunk i'll have a shot or 10.

[Redbird Fan]

Coors (original) - the light beer before there was light beer. My inspiration to first try a Coors?? Smokey and the Bandit! Now they had the right idea!

My favorite of the "lesser quality" mass produced beers - I'm going with Old Style.

Enjoy! 10-4!

[threecb]

I love the passion with which some in this thread defended real beer!

Since i'm a newer poster, i didn't see this thread until today and I have to agree with those defenders of the faith. Although i've never really considered some of the regionals like SN and Yeungling in the same class as the World-Domination "Brewers' (pronounced AY - BEE). Maybe i'm just being naive, but Yeungling would be my choice if nothing else was available.

And one last note. I think the biggest current criminal in the beer world is Corona. This swill gets passed off as trendy, hip imported beer when it is the worst thing out there. It breaks my heart when I glance around a bar and see how many people are drinking this as if it was THEE best beer in the world.

I'm not looking to start up this whole debate again. Just wanted to add my 2/100 of a buck.

[paul84043]

Three months ago, I would have cried sacrilege! at the Corona comments....yes..we thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
It's amazing how quickly a few good beers can ruin you for commercially produced brews. 9 times out of ten, the skunk smell is overpowering when you pop one open. I had never noticed it before, and now, it's all I can smell when I attempt to drink anything other than my homebrew.

Ironically, I bought some Grolsch at the liquor store, the good stuff, since I have about 10,000 flip top bottles in my house and I had no idea what Grolsch tasted like, I figured I'd give it a shot.

As a pale ale, It's probably not too bad when fresh, but the skunk smell was enough to kill...well...a skunk...

[threecb]

In college (15ish years ago) I was fond of the green bottled euros (except Heiny-kin, could never dig that one), with the preference being St. Pauli Girl. A couple of years ago a college buddy of mine and I got together and he bought a six of SPG. Man, it sucked!

[JakeB]

For thos eof you on the West Coast you can't beat Henry Weinhard's. Henrys is the best mass produced beer out there. They have it all from their super cheap Blitz-Weinhard (still $3.99 a 12 -pack bottles) to their line of great Ales including a decent Hazelnut Stout. The best beer for the price. Now if you aren't on the west coast and want cheap but good, Schlitz is the way to go (PBR comes in second) it comes in bottles so you don't have to taste aluminum with your beer. Higher end of course is Guiness, Beck's dark, Bass, Newcastle, Red Stripe. Tough question.

[S.F.B.]

If I got to pick an American Macro, Sam Adams would be one of them. They mass produce as good as anyone. A bit pricey for what it is but good beer.

JakeB, I was a Henry's fan for a long time. That is, until Miller took it over. Now it is just another beer.

[Drinkman]

Miller High Life. Although I really prefer Irish stout and English ale, Miller is my everyday beer because of the price. It's really not bad. However, I cannot stand any sort of lite or reduced calorie beer.

[JakeB]

Full Sail is now going to be doing a lot of the contract brewing for Henry Weinhard's. Miller will still be producing most of it in CA, but a lot of the specialty styles will be brewed back in Oregon. Just an FYI.

[Brewdepest]

I'm gritting my teeth, trying desperately to not respond in a rash manner...

I don't have respect for pedestals. I like good beer. My purchases are based on three things:

a) What do I feel like drinking?

b) What are my choices at the moment?

c) What can I afford?

I like good beer, but guess what? I like Pabst Blue Ribbon. I really, really like it. And there have been and will be times where I will have had ample and plentiful choices with ample and plentiful cash...but I feel like drinking PBR.

There is nothing wrong with that. Turn up your nose at me if you must, but I drink the beer that I drink because I like it, not because it fits into some lofty cause or some notion I have about my personal sense of coolness.

The argument that if you can't have good beer, don't drink any at all just doesn't fly with me.
Snobbery: "Stop! Put down that cheeseburger!"
Me: "Um, why?"
Snobbery: "You should be eating filet mignon!"
Me: "I don't have the cash for a tenderloin. I want ground beef."
Snobbery: "It's quality over quantity! If you don't have the money for a black angus tenderloin today, then you just shouldn't eat!"

And I don't see how anyone can get up on a high horse and preach to me or anyone else about restricting myself to "good" beer. You don't like cheap beer, fine. Why are you so offended if I do?

[fretlessman71]

Of course! I agree with Brewdepest. It's as idiotic as saying, "YOU like NIRVANA over FOO FIGHTERS???" Jeez! I happen to like Huber Beer (which I can't get in TN and I miss terribly), and nobody is going to nominate THEM for any brewing awards anytime soon (but maybe an honorable mention for the cool boxes the cases come in). I even like AMSTEL LIGHT because there's at least some sembelance of flavor there. I also like McDonald's cheeseburgers, greasy fries, cheap crummy chocolate, Kool-aid, and Flamin' Hot Cheetos, though probably not all at the same time. I've never had a PBR, and don't think I'll ever choose to buy it, but after reading these posts I might take one now if offered it. Just to see if I find anything appealing about it. I'm more of an ale guy, but come August I think I'll be more ready for something a little more quenching than the usual beers that I have to chew. (Actually, I LOVE beers that I have to chew... my idea of a good beer is something that if I happen to knock over my glass, I have at least 3 seconds to grab it and set it upright before any spills out.)

Maybe I'll start a NEW thread, just to see what happens: What's the best light lager you've ever had? Points should be awarded for taste, drinkability, AND lightness. For example, if you found beer-flavored water, but the beer taste was WONDERFUL and didn't taste watered down, that might win.

I have a friend of mine who puts ice cubes in his Bud Light. That's what he likes, and repeated attempts to change his mind have all failed. He just likes beer flavored water, and those are his words. I dare you to condemn a man who drinks what he likes and doesn't hurt anybody with his choice.

[S.F.B.]

Originally posted by JakeB
Full Sail is now going to be doing a lot of the contract brewing for Henry Weinhard's. Miller will still be producing most of it in CA, but a lot of the specialty styles will be brewed back in Oregon. Just an FYI.

This is good news. I wasn't aware of this. I hope the quality comes back up.

Brewdepest: Wow. I hope i don't come across like a snob. I have never turned down a beer at someones house when offered because of what kind it is. I don't judge you by the beer you drink. Drink what you like no matter what you like.

[hops99]

Is the issue "cheap" beer, or is it mega-brewers' beer? 99% of the time, I'm an aggressive craft beer drinker - to the point where I feel like it's missionary work. While I NEVER drink a Bud, Miller, or Coors, I'll admit that some smaller, regional cheap brews quench my thirst from time to time.

For example, if I happen to be at a Cubs game at Wrigley on a hot summer day, a couple of Old Style drafts hit the spot. Or, if I'm golfing in Northern Wisconsin, I might stuff my bag with several cans of Point Bock. If I travel out west to stay at the family cabin in Montana, I might buy a case of Rainier to keep cold in the creek, or Shiner Bock might suffice if I'm visiting friends in Dallas. Straub in Central Pa. is a wonderful, yet fairly tasteless lager that is also great on a warm day.

I'd likely rather be quaffing Goose Island in Chicago, sipping New Glarus in Wisconsin, enjoying an Alaskan Amber in Montana, or downing a couple of St. Arnold's brown ales in Texas - but, I have little problem (and sometimes downright enjoy) drinking the cheap stuff, if appropriate.

[chazwicke]

I guess I must be an elitist snob because I will not drink macro swill and I do not eat McDonalds either. I have been on the good beer quest for over 25 years traveling the world visiting breweries and beer bars. Fortunately In the Washington DC area where I live we have many, many good beer options. I have a fridge that is dedicated only to beer and I keep it well stocked with a good variety. I will go to great lengths to sample Real Ales and cask conditioned beers which are my favorites along with Belgian lambics. Beer is a way of life for me. I will be traveling to Stoudts next month for their fest and to the great British beer fest in London in August. I am a collector of brews and breweriana. I am lucky to have an income that allows me to follow this dream and an understanding spouse. I guess that it is an obsession with me. I do like some mass produced brews such as Guinness. The widget cans and nitro tapped not the bottles. I really believe in the "Quality not Quantity" moniker. So put me on that pedistal but this is a love affair for me.

[Brewdepest]

Why bother posting on this thread if you're not going to answer the question for which it's intended?
The title of the thread is "What's your favorite mass-produced American macro."
The title of the thread is not "Why I don't drink cheap beer" or "Why you should not drink cheap beer" or "Why I like Guiness cans with the widgets."

If you want, start a thread that says that stuff, and we can discuss the pros and cons of being beer snobs.

That said, I obviously have a preference for Pabst Blue Ribbon as above stated.
I don't eat McDonalds or any other fast food either, though if that's the only place I'm going to be able to aqcuire food, don't look at me too harshly for not waiting for that Angus to come along.

[chazwicke]

You are exactly correct. I did sway from the topic. I apologize. And I also am sorry for getting up on my soap box. I sometimes get carried away. I guess the closest I have come to a mass market brew is Sierra Nevada. I was in Las Vegas for a week recently and most of the casinos offer mass market stuff and Sierra Nevada or Sam Adams. The usual Imports are Heineken, Amstel Light, and Corona. Occasionally you can find Newcastle or Guinness. There are several brewpubs in Vegas though. I live near Old Dominion Brewing Company and they are large enough to be called a regional brewer rather than a micro. They make very good beers. With regard to PBR, I read an article recently that says it is becomming increasingly popular with the college crowd. That market share is growing. I have not had it in years. Anyway, sorry again for not sticking to the thread topic.

[kpo]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Maybe I'll start a NEW thread, just to see what happens: What's the best light lager you've ever had? Points should be awarded for taste, drinkability, AND lightness.



HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!
That's hilarious!
Taste in a Light beer?!?!?! The whole point of Light beers is that they're watering them down and engineering OUT the very things that are supposed to "TASTE"!

Light beers are an offense against the notion of Quality Beer. And for those of us interested in REAL BEER (as this web site is titled), Quality Beer is more than a notion; more like a hobby, or love, or passion, or a basic part of who we are and what we do.

So if you're not condemning a guy who likes "beer flavored water", go stick with him. That's fine; that's his and your choice. Don't condemn authors at REALBEER.com for talking about Real Beer, and don't condemn Real Beer lovers for not putting up with aluminum-clad, mass-produced industrial swill.

[paul84043]

Interesting idea for a thread, and I'm afraid that I would have to agree with the previous post!!

As for sticking to the subject on this thread...well, I post on alot of forums and if you really expect people to stick to the subject line, you're in for a big dissapointment, it doesnt', won't and never will happen...that's part of the whole "forum" attraction...to see what different people like to say.

If I were forced to actually answer the question and not deviate off on some bizarre tack, it would be..

None, I like None of the Mass produced Mega's. They all taste like crap, no, like watered down crap.
I will still drink one when all else fails and I'm 1000 miles away from any decent beer. But I don't like it.

[ExPat]

Well, where I come from drinking beer has as much to do with socialising as with the taste. If the choice is between going out with friends to a bar that doesn't serve micros and staying at home on my own to drink higher quality stuff I'll almost always choose the first option. I suppose I could go out with friends and be the only one not drinking beer and be snooty about the whole thing but I think I'll pass on that.

As to the question...most big beers from the Czech Republic are drinkable. Here in Canada Sleeman Breweries have become the third largest in Canada but most people consider them to be a micro brewery. Their Silver Creek Lager is pretty good but it is not as widely available as some of their other brews so it might also be a "craft" beer. Lowenbrau - the brewed in Germany stuff - is also half decent.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by kpo

Taste in a Light beer?!?!?! The whole point of Light beers is that they're watering them down and engineering OUT the very things that are supposed to "TASTE"!



You missed the point. Let me try again...

I just finished a Pilsner Urquell, and although I can't understand why they insist on using a green bottle and destroying the aroma, I enjoyed the taste very much. You won't call this a "heavy" beer by any means, either. THAT'S what I'm talking about when I say "light." I'm not going to let the macrobrewers take that word out of my vocabulary just because they plaster it all over their products, and I don't think any of you should, either. So, here's a challenge to you: Can you find a beer with a lighter body, lighter color and so on and so forth, that you'd buy on a regular basis? When August comes around here with 100 degree heat and 99 percent humidity, and all I"m stuck with is a barelywine, I'm not going to be a happy camper.....

Beer doesn't have to look like root beer in order to have any flavor. This is one of the triumphs of a true pils.

[steveh]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Beer doesn't have to look like root beer in order to have any flavor. This is one of the triumphs of a true pils.

Here, here on the bastardization of vocabulary. The Germans have always had light and dark beers - and refer to low-calorie beer as "diet" beer. So much for marketing strategies.

Green bottles? I don't know why so many good beer makers still insist on using them - or even clear bottles (Samuel Smith). But if you can keep them out of the sunlight they'll be okay. If you're still getting skunkiness, you could be serving your beer too cold.

In answer to your challenge, I've been keeping a 12 pack of Dinkel Acker CD Pils from Stuttgart, Germany in my fridge ever since my local store started carrying it and selling it at decent prices. Its color and body is very light, but it has the best malt to hop balance in its flavor that I've ever enjoyed.

Many of the Czech and German Pils are great summertime quenchers - a tall glass of draft Golden Pheasant is refreshing just in thought! And the Munich Helles styles are light colored, light bodied beers that the U.S. macros *wish* they could be. Spaten, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr (yes, they make more than weiss), even Lowenbrau which is now being imported from Germany. Many of these are also being priced to sell these days too, trying to overcome the "expensive import" stygma.

S.

[paul84043]

A couple of the true micro breweries around here make fantastic "light colored" beers in the form of Pilseners and a Kolsch, they are both very tasty. I'd buy them on a regular basis if I didn't have my own supply.

[fretlessman71]

NOW we're headed in the right direction! Thanks guys! I'm starting a new thread on this very subject, and I'm going to try to make it clear that I'm NOT talking about Bud Light, Miller Lite, or the Silver Bullet. Summer's afoot - let's get quenched!

[steveh]

Originally posted by paul84043
A couple of the true micro breweries around here make fantastic "light colored" beers...

I didn't mean to ignore the Micros, just thought I'd droned on long enough! ;)
I've praised Bell's Oberon many times on this forum and love Goose Island's Kolsch - among other Summer labeled beers.

S.

[paul84043]

Fretlessman had the right idea, I think that the vast majority or people here, if given a choice would pick a Micro or a homebrew.

"Like" and "favorite" are very subjective terms...

[BluesHarp]

Steveh...you speak the truth. Nothing more refreshing than a good pils or helles. Dinkel-Acker is indeed good, we used to get it the little 5 litre "mini-kegs". A buddy worked for a beer distributer, so we got our hands on one of the little pump/taps.
As for Hacker-Pschorr, we got a keg of their Okctoberfest beer years ago for a family Oktoberfest party...Oh, My God! Talk about a sweet, nutty, malty lager!!! Absolute nectar (better have been for what it cost!)
Anybody can make a decent dark beer, it's balancing the lighter ones, especially lagers, that is a true art!

I'm thirsty now...have to go.

[hnrblbrbrn]

Now that the weather's warming up I'm trying to ease away from the stouts, porters and bocks. So far the beer I like for everyday drinking as the weather warms is Boddington's and Flying Dog's Road Dog . The Pilsner Urquel and the various wheats are ok but not quite what I'm looking for. I'm just kinda partial to 30 weight (oil reference) or higher.

[b3s]

interesting...after mowing the grass (which i no longer have to do with an apartment and all) i can think of nothing more refreshing than guiness (actually, what i really meant was a good afternoons wrenching on the jeep, but whatever)...i must be the odd duck here, but to me nothing tastes better after some physical summer labor than guiness. ironically enough, guiness has fewer calories than most lite beers :)

[steveh]

Originally posted by BluesHarp
Anybody can make a decent dark beer, it's balancing the lighter ones, especially lagers, that is a true art!

I'm thirsty now...have to go.

Have you seen the new 5 liter kegs being sold by some of the German breweries? They're great for camping and small gatherings - no extra equipment needed! It's all gravity and venting. If the Real Ale brewers of England find a good way to use these we'll all be in trouble!

Okay - don't get started on Oktoberfest - let me get through the Summer and when the temp starts to dip a little in the Autumn, I'll be jonesin' for an Oktoberfest! BTW - Paulaner offers their OF in the 5 liter keg - D'oh!

S.

[paul84043]

The only drawback to the mini kegs is that once tapped, they need to be consumed in a fairly short period of time due to oxygen being drawn into the keg.

Hey...maybe that's not a drawback!!

[steveh]

Originally posted by paul84043
Hey...maybe that's not a drawback!!

I was gonna ask if you were thinking that through! ;)

S.

[BluesHarp]

hmmm...it's never come up.

[b3s]

just saw mini-kegs at the local paint store...but i still went with bottles. i don't view immediate consumption as a draw-back, just that with bottles i can recycle them with my own beer :)

[paul84043]

You can recycle the mini kegs can't you?

My Party pig is carbonating very nicely...I tend to lean towards the natural carbonation, I don't know why...maybe I've been reading too many of Richard's posts?

[fretlessman71]

HEY... just thought of something... are there kegs of any kind that can fit inside a standard "dorm room size" fridge? I keep seeing these for really cheap around here used....

[hnrblbrbrn]

hmm If it were 6 liters it could be an Oktoberfest 6-pack :D