Craft Beer

[petes03]

Before anyone gets their undergarments in a wad, let me start by saying that I acknowledge the fact that what you can buy at the gas station is NOT real craft beer. That being said, damn it, I like the stuff! My current favorites are; Blue Moon Original, Shock Top Original, Sweet Water Blue, Blue Moon Mountain Abbey Ale ( I happen to be drinking one right now ), and Linenkugels Summer Shandy. Like I said, I realize they're not true small batch brews, but I like em'! What do y'all think about some of them? I know I'm not alone, lol!

 

[petes03]

By the way, I'm not drunk! I'm only on my first one right now!

 

[wingsfan]

I love craft beer too, one if my favorites is Sierra Nevada which is not really a true small batch either. I do enjoy some of the Linenkugels also, I am not a big fan of blue moon though but then again I am not really a wheat beer guy I prefer IPA' s, stouts, and porters.

 

[petes03]

All right, another fan!

Although, I never could get into the IPAs, but then again, I've only tried a couple of them.

 

[petes03]

Did I mention I also like regular old domestic beer? I'm currently enjoying an ICE cold Pabst Blue Ribbon!

 

[tamer291]

I love beer. So much that I began to brew my own. Its another fun hobby of mine. But when I'm not drinking my own beer I enjoy a nice brown or red ale. I enjoy Newcastle and other similar brown or amber ales. I don't care too much for IPAs. I like a perfect balance of hops. Too many is overwhelming.

 

[dryseason91]

I actually think of craft beer and pipes as being kind of analogous with each other in that, once I'd started drinking good, small-batch beer, I just couldn't go back to the mass-produced lagers. Similarly, once I'd tasted good pipe tobacco, cigarettes lost all their appeal to me.

 

[petes03]

In a way I agree Dryseason. But I still drink regular old domestics, and I still occasionally smoke cigarettes. Although I definitely prefer my pipes and craft beers, and enjoy them more often than I do the old stuff!

 

[dryseason91]

Oh yeah Petes, same here, but I can never joy either to quite the same degree now.

 

[barleynbaccy]

I also brew my own, I have been on a Rogue kick and love the Dead Guy Ale. Youngs Double Chocolate stout in cans is my usual go to when there is no home brew laying around.

 

[scrapyardape]

I used to brew my own. I got really burned out on sanitizing bottles and was too lazy to switch to kegging. Perhaps I should renew my old hobby.
On a complete sidetrack. The following is the WORST beer ever made. I'm not kidding.. no bad beer that anyone can mention comes close to the hideousness that was Pride of the South. (I'm still feeling the effects of a six pack consumed back in the mid 80's) 8O

 

[hunterwold1]

Right now the season is right for some very nice craft beers here in Ontario and Quebec. My favourite is called Les Trois Mousquetaires Porter Baltique. Very dark and smooth. Just had a glass full last evening while smoking some SG Squadron Leader in my Peterson Mark Twain. Nice combo.

 

[easygoer]

+1 on the Sierra Nevada. The American IPA has different taste from the IPA's offered by Canadian micro breweries , really like them when I'm looking for something different. A lot a great choices here from Ontario, Quebec and out west.

 

[northernneil]

There have been more and more craft beer pubs opening up around my stompin ground in the past 2 years, and I am tickled pink about it. Me and the girlfriend really enjoy going out and trying the new seasonal brews. Only problem is all the places turn their beer's over so often, if you were to find a favorite, you'd better drink up cause it'll be gone next week.

 

[msandoval858]

I enjoy craft beers and here in Austin we have a lot of good once to choose from. However, nothing will ever replace my beloved Shiner Bock.

 

[phred]

I count myself fortunate to live in Colorado, home of all kinds of beer... from megacorporate brews (Coors, A-B) to industrial-scale craft brewers that went large (New Belgium, Left Hand) to smaller craft breweries making the push (Ska, Odell's, Coopersmith's) to brewpubs that make their own (Pints) to homebrew (myself, though not recently).
As with tobacco, so with beer - drink what you like.

 

[spartan]

I love any beer with flavor. This rules out MOST "Domestics".
Over the last week someone gifted me a seasonal assortment of blue moon beers. I know it's made by the evil big beer guys, but damn were there some tasty ones in there. I buy flavorful beers when I can but when at a bar and options are limited, Blue Moon with an orange is going to have more flavor than Coors Lite.
But in this seasonal pack Blue Moon had a gingerbread beer and holy cow if this isn't some tasty stuff! I'd recommend it if you don't mind giving money to the big guys so they can continue to crush the little guys.
Sadness never tasted so good. ::

 

[escioe]

Want a real treat? Get a Bell's Expedition Stout, a Sierra Nevada Narwhal, a Stone Imperial Russian Stout, or a North Coast Old Rasputin and fire up a bowl of a medium latakia mix to go with it. I sure do love those big imperial stouts, though this time of year I find myself drinking whisky to keep warm while smoking.

 

[latbomber]

I recently went to Munich for the first time and sampled all the breweries/beer halls. The 526 year old Augustinerbrau bowled me over, and I have subsequently driven several cases home. All beers made according to the bavarian purity law and with a capped production each year. They are best drunk fresh as well

 

[dd50]

Phred, I am very envious of your beer options in Colorado, I had a great experience at the Yardhouse in Denver where the bartender took me down the line of local brews. I didn't bother to learn any of the names since they weren't available outside of CO. For what I can buy, Magic Hat #9 is among my favorites. Whenever in real Irish pub, I can't get enough Kilkenny.