Craft Beer

[petes03]

Some tasty sounding stuff you guys are talking about! Right now I'm having a good ole Bud Light! Don't judge me, I know it's 10:00AM, but since I'm working nights, it's my 10:00PM!

 

[yazamitaz]

I like to support local biz, so my faves are Iron Hill, Flying Fish, and Victory. I live in Southern NJ and the Flying Fish brewery is 10 min from my house.

 

[phred]

I had a great experience at the Yardhouse in Denver

Ah, yes - been to the Yardhouse a couple of times. There's now a beer garden in the Lowry neighborhood, with a great selection of local offerings (and some regional/national brews as well).
Favorite local is still New Belgium's 1554, though Odell's 90 Shilling is a close second. I also retain a fondness for the Seattle craft brewers as well - though I really miss Ballard Bitters from Red Hook, which is evidently no longer a regular item...

 

[starcat]

I happen to work at a " successful " microbrewery.

Brewing to larger scale does not necessarily change or compromise anything at all that might be considered an attribute of " small batch " operations.

 

[petes03]

Any brewery we might have heard of Starcat?

 

[homeatsea]

I am truly enjoying Green Man Brewery's (Asheville, North Carolina) Porter. It's a great porter and it holds a special place in my life because of a trip I took to Asheville with some great friends during which we shared a few pints.

 

[petes03]

I've been to Asheville, it's beautiful! My wife and I drove over there while we were staying in Gatlinburg one year. We visited the Biltmore Mansion while we were there. If you've never been to that, I highly suggest you go! It's an amazing house!

 

[homeatsea]

Yes, Biltmore is quite the sight! We were there just as the leaves were turning in the mountains. Talk about breath-taking.

 

[ascarypotato]

I love a decent beer. My local's just started getting some of the Stones beers in (so far just the IPA, but the landlords assured me there's a couple more interesting casks on the way), but we've got plenty of great local brewers.
I've just finished a pint of the Houston Brewery (based about 10 miles from here) 'Peter's Well', and I've now got a pint of Broughton's 'Winter Fire'. Can't beat Saturday lunchtimes....
On Draught, there's also another Houston (Slainte), Otter's Christmas beer and a handful of others that I can't remember the name of.

 

[lochinvar]

Ahh beer, my own true love. I can't get enough Anchor, Steam or Liberty Ale. I also go through a pretty wide assortment of the Sierra Nevada line. Green Man is also a favorite of mine while in Asheville.
While they are archetypal rather than craft, I love Ayinger Altbairsch Dunkel (Germany), Sam Smith Old Brewery Pale Ale & the Winter Warmer(Yorkshire) and Belhaven Wee Heavy (Scotland).

 

[starcat]

Anchor Steam is one of the oldest breweries that uses a " real " quality process that has not been adulterated over the time they have been doing it. In other words they have kept their integrity to doing it well. There are a lot of people that are attempting to break into craft brewing, and many are always looking for ways to cut corners and do things on the cheap so they can seemingly get the doors open and get their ego trip satisfied. I don't see many of those types making the grade, and in fact unless they change their ways and their outlook....they will most likely flop big time. In these times more and more its about walking the talk.
All the best.

 

[mirain]

I was in Seattle recently and was fortunate to have tried Full Sail brewery's Wreck the Halls. Delicious! Asheville has some great brews none of which I can name (I've only been there once).
On the local front I've taken a liking to Lagunitas and Harpoon, both IPA's.

 

[morton]

I work as the Headbrewer for a small group of family owned brew pubs in my part of the world. I rarely drink any beer that I consider Industrial (usually meaning the use of adjuncts instead of malt barley to reduce cost of production) but I have enjoyed many of the beers mentioned by previous posters. Sammy Smith, Red Hook and others are beers that I look forward to. One of my all time favorites is Pilsner Urquel from the Czech Republic and I keep it in my fridge at all times. I'm a hands on headbrewer and I do all the actual mashing etc for my breweries so I have some faves of my own stuff. I'm drinking a wonderful bitter right now called Big Horn Bitter that I usually have on tap at home. Its pairing nicely with a bowl of Jack Knife Plug that I'm enjoying as I write this. If any members find themselves in the Canadian Prairies (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada), PM me and I'll spot you to a bowl and a pint of one of my craft beers.

 

[starcat]

I never had a Redhook product that was bad. Always liked them when I was in an area where they were available.

The ESB and Rye were mainstays then.
SC

 

[bigvan]

LOVE Redhook Rye! It went away for awhile, but now it seems like it's back.

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

+1 Redhook
Their rye beer is great. I just want to state that we are living in a killer era of craft beer and tobacco. It would only make sense to have one and the other. Living in Colorado, we have a huge craft beer community growing wild in our backyard. Award winning craft beers. I have a small local brewery outside my neighborhood that has been around for a bunch of years and in the last four has quadrupled the size of their space and more so their operation. Dry Dock Brewery (Aurora, CO) began as a real small local brew bar with seating for maybe 40 people. Now they brew, can and distribute their beer in our region.
Living in good times my friends. Great beers (if you go beyond the gas station cooler) and great smoke (if you go beyond the drug store/grocery store cabinet).

 

[tamer291]

Right now I'm drinking some Lagunitas Brown Shugga...9.9%....and lovin it!!

 

[petes03]

There's actually on not far from me, in Chattanooga, that I have yet to try. It's called Big River Brewing Co., and I hear it's very good! I need to make a trip down there and sample some. They've actually started canning and distributing locally as well.