Got a few minutes so I'll tell it now.
One of the radiology techs I used to work with about 10-12 years ago told me her husband brewed beer and was pretty good at it. She came home from work one day and heard a popping sound and could not figure out what it was until she went upstairs and it kept getting louder and more frequent. When she opened their closet, she realized what was occurring. His most recently bottled project (a porter or a stout) was sending all the caps all over their clothes closet with beer fountains/explosions. She figured out some way to stop it-I guess she covered his case or two of brews with a blanket-when he returned home, he saw the disaster that had occurred and had the ultimatum from his wife-the beer goes or he goes. They are still happily married to this day. I know that is an extreme, but that, and the time involved has kept me from venturing into the home-brewing arena.
According to my New Belgium Newsletter, their products are now available in North Carolina. No details as to exactly where. Anyone know more?
So, this is probably the right thread to go to for help in this area. I have decided 2009 is the year I start to drink some beer and like it. Ever since I started drinking, I've been hands-off to beer because I thought it was nasty. But, beer is usually the drink that has special deals at bars, not the Jack that I usually drink. So, I figured it's time to start trying some beers to see what I can add to my alcoholic arsenal.
Can anyone recommend any everyday beers that you think I would like? Any sampler 6-packs that I should check out? Here's my limited beer experience so far, but I'm willing to try most:
Shiner Bock - wasn't bad
Raspberry Belgian Lambic - Enjoyed
Some random Cider - Enjoyed
Miller Lite - bleh
Bud Lite - eh
Corona (no lime) - eh
Dos Equis - eh
I hear some stouts are chocolaty or coffee-like in flavor, which I don't enjoy. Usually the fruity beers I have enjoyed more (haven't tried Blue Moon yet, but it's on my list). My goal is to have an everyday type of beer that I can enjoy and not have to ask for the random insert-fruit, insert-nationality beer that 1 bar in 50 may have. 'Preciate the help!
Last edited by blazindw; 03-13-2009 at 05:35 PM.
I do believe you have come to the right place. Start with post #1 and...just kidding. I'll give it some thought, as I am sure a few other residents here will also, and come up with a starter 6er or two so you may commence. I'm working for the next several hours (yes, it does interfere with posting at times), so I'll add my thoughts later this evening.
I'd start off with some mixed 6ers. It's a bit more expensive buying individual beers but if you find one or more you don't like, you are stuck with the whole 6er. If you find several you like, you can go back and buy said 6ers.
Pick one each from Sam Adams pale ale, brown ale, IPA, winter lager, spring lager, Boston Ale, Boston lager or some combo thereof. Why? They brew good stuff, they're readily available almost anywhere, they are not as expensive as some real specialty brews and they represents several styles of beer. Report back next week with your thoughts.
I second devildeac..Sam Adams is a safe bet for a better quality beer that is readily available. Good seasonal options in addition to the standard lager. You probably also can't go wrong with whatever is the biggest "microbrewer" in your area. And since it looks like you are in MD, Dogfish Head may be readily available...I've yet to have a beer of theirs that I don't like..
Well, I'm gonna post it now, because I'm drinking my last one.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. This is just a flat out good beer. Nothing fancy about it, readily available from most any store. The hops dominate the flavor, it finishes with a standing bitterness that lingers until the next sip. I didn't realize until I've read the label on my last little buddy here, but it's a bottle conditioned beer, meaning there is some yeast at the bottom of each. Another sign of a well crafted brew. (And a knowing home brewer can culture this yeast for their own use!)
As stated, it's a pale ale, so not much color, with a nice white head. A little pricey, Food Lion had 12 packs on sale for $13, I think they are about $16 otherwise. Highly recommended brew, great for cookouts in the warmer months. Low ABV, 5.6%.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
Here is my 3rd review of the New Belgium's that are available to me. Already covered Fat Tire and 1554.
Mothership Wit. It's a decent wheat, nothing about it stands head and shoulders over anything else, except for the price. Reasonable at $3.30 for a bomber. A little higher than Blue Moon, which for a taste comparison is about dead even. I'm sure I could distinguish them in a blind test, but not by much. I think the Mothership has a little more body, but they are equal in color and flavor. Brewed with spices, it is a classic wheat, plenty cloudy and very pale, almost white. The flavor is good, I'd buy it again, and maybe will with a Blue Moon for a closer comparison. It's a good brew, not as top class as I hoped. Unfortunately, this has proven true for all of New Belgium's offerings I've tried. Of the three, the 1554 gets the best grade.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
A few other thoughts:
1. I'd stay away from stouts/porters until you've tried several other brews with a bit less "body" than these 2 styles. I hated Guinness in college and I couldn't tolerate an Oregon beer called Haystack Black about 10 years ago when my beer "snobbery" started. Now, I really like the different coffee/espresso or chocolate aromas and flavors in these really dark brews, especially during the fall/winter months.
2. Try the Blue Moon with and without orange slices. Or any wheat beer for that matter. Compare it with a Hooegarden (sp?), the classic Belgian single or wheat ale, which might be $2 more for a 6er.
3. Have a beer-tasting party with 5-10 friends with each one bringing a different 6er. You'd still have beer left at the end of the evening (one would hope) and you could divide up the leftovers and try even more beers over the next week or so.
Sam Adam's was a mixed 6er that I was definitely going to try. I remember trying a Winter Lager and not liking it too much, but then again I tried it in the dead of summer cuz my roommate was trying to get rid of them...and I wasn't in the right frame of mind. I feel that Sam Adam's could be my go-to beer, but I will definitely try it.
I was going to go this route as well...I know a lot of microbrewery restaurants have samplers you can order
Interesting...I'll see if they have it around here and give it a shot
My friends that live down the street from me (all Dukies) usually get a wide variety of beers. I just need to drink beer with them more often!
Great suggestions, people, keep 'em coming! I'm making a list
Earlier in the thread, we came up with brackets for our field of 65 (remember THAT, devildeac?). If you stay away from the porters/stouts initially, and go for the wheats, you will probably be doing the right thing. Also, as it is starting to turn spring (yeah, we had 1.5 inches of snow last night), a number of us shift our palates towards the wheats and summer ales, away from the porters and stouts. The fruit beers become more available.
Several suggestions on the wheats and others:
1) If you have a friend living in Wisconsin, your friend will become your best friend ever. New Glarus ... oooooooh. I'd wait until later in the summer for one of these, after you get more into brews.
2) Leinenkugel is a classic American wheat that comes in a number of solid varieties, including honey weiss, and a number of berry wheats. I believe that CBaB and I discussed this a little earlier this thread. These are inexpensive, and certainly a change of pace for someone who has been sipping a few ... err, well, other beers.
3) If you have a friend in St. Louis, O'Fallon's springtime "Wheach" (peach wheat) is a wonderful brew.
4) I think Chicago's Goose Island Brewery has a number of simple, straightforward ales worth trying, including their Honker's Ale.
5) Great Lakes Brewing Company is a godsend. You can find a lot of potent full-bodied porters, stock ales, later on, but some of their lagers are very pleasant (Dortmunder Lager). I'd definitely try their seasonal Irish Ale and Grassroots Ale.
6) I don't think Sweetwater has made it up to your neck of the woods, but their Blue, summer ale (named after the SUV beginning with "hum"), and 420 would be worth tries.
7) Look at your local store for Brooklyn Brewery, then research the varieties available there.
8) By all means, SEEK OUT LOCAL BREWERIES. Let us know what you find. Contribute to the thread. Local brewers will often times have interesting new varieties for you to try, and most can not only tell you what makes the most sense for you to try, but they can usually tell you what food will pair well with your brew. The friendliness at the brewpub will also enhance your beer experience.
An important stat to get used to would be the IBUs (bitterness measurement). If you're not yet used to bitterness, then I'd be sure to look at the beers you like, and get their IBU score. You can then assess which future beers you'd like to try by looking at this stat.
Cheers,
Lavabe