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American Beer: Love It or Hate It?
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For clarification, Fin du Monde, and Trois Pistoles are of course Canadian beers - and great ones at that!
Mais bien sur! I actually knew that, but stuck them in there since they are delicious beers despite where they come from!
Excellent good sir, just wanted to confirm!
They are very good indeed - another favorite of mine from the same brewery is Maudite. I lived off spotted cow during my college years. The local VFW (surprisingly a hot college spot) had dollar taps of spotted cow on Mondays and 1.25 other nights. This is one of the tastiest brew's you're likely to lay your tongue on. Too bad I can't get it since moving to Iowa even, they only distributed in Wisconsin.
Luckly I can still get HoneyWeiss down here, but as good as it is it's a sore replacement for that sweet golden nectar Spotted Cow.
Boulevard Brewing also has a tasty unfiltered wheat.
The USA has a ton of great beers if you drift away from the macroswill.
Well what the hell, let's just do a whole bottle then!
I just realized I still have an unopened bottle of cognac lying around the house.
I guess I just haven't had the same experience with bars here.
I find it's more difficult to walk into a place that only offers Bud, Miller and Coors than one that has at least a Sam Adams tap and some local offering, and usually a couple more good ones.
But tying it back to the point of the thread, I'm not saying the bars here are better than elsewhere, just that there seems to be an undeserved reputation associated with American beer...
Excellent choice.
But that's like asking "Would you rather get kicked in the groin on punched in the face?"
Well what the hell, let's just do a whole bottle then!
Don't know when I'll make it to Chicago, but if I ever do, you're on...
I just realized I still have an unopened bottle of cognac lying around the house.
What are you saving it for? Enjoy!
I consolidated the last two pages worth of recommendations into the first post.
Let me know if I missed something...
Let me know if I missed something...
Wow, no mention of the metro Denver area, king of the microbreweries and home of the Great American Beer Festival!?
Thanks for compiling that list, very helpful for the Americans here no doubt - and good to know too for people like me who visit from time to time! As it was said before, the mass-marketed American beer is all that many people know about, and hence why they bash it but there are always gems to be found thanks to microbreweries and such - the trick is to find them!
but there are always gems to be found thanks to microbreweries and such - the trick is to find them!
I think he would be asking you to provide the mention.
It's a nice list... I ought to save it to my iPhone notes somehow and take it with me shopping.
In terms of other beers missing from the list, Anchor Steam, Anchor Brewing (CA) is frequently recommended here. I wouldn't call it a top beer, but at the level of some of the others on the list so far, Blue Moon, Blue Moon Brewing Company (CO) might deserve a mention (mixed feelings ... I like it better than some of the beers on the list now, but I don't like it as well as my favorite beers; it is however quite readily available; also it's probably the best beer made by a subsidiary of a large American brewing company).
This thread also reminds me of a craving... has anyone been to Grizzly Peak Brewing Company in Ann Arbor, MI? As far as I know, they do not sell their beers in stores, but I would have to say that they're my personal favorite brewpub.
I think he would be asking you to provide the mention.
It's a nice list... I ought to save it to my iPhone notes somehow and take it with me shopping.
In terms of other beers missing from the list, Anchor Steam, Anchor Brewing (CA) is frequently recommended here. I wouldn't call it a top beer, but at the level of some of the others on the list so far, Blue Moon, Blue Moon Brewing Company (CO) might deserve a mention (mixed feelings ... I like it better than some of the beers on the list now, but I don't like it as well as my favorite beers; it is however quite readily available; also it's probably the best beer made by a subsidiary of a large American brewing company).
This thread also reminds me of a craving... has anyone been to Grizzly Peak Brewing Company in Ann Arbor, MI? As far as I know, they do not sell their beers in stores, but I would have to say that they're my personal favorite brewpub.
I could swear I'd added Anchor Steam to the list, but I'll do it right now.
And Blue Moon is brewed by Coors, isn't it?
You are correct, sir. They even serve it in the tasting room in Golden.
Oh, and you should add New Belgium (CO) to your list. Most people know Fat Tire, but they make a number of other good beers (I'm enjoying a 6-pack of 2-Below at the mo').
You know, I'm surprised no one's mentioned Blue Moon before you.
It probably goes hand-in-hand was Sam Adams Lager as being one of the most readily accessible "not-Bud" beers around.
I guess being tied to Molson/Coors has some advantages, huh?
Yeah, sorry... I think (?) that the Blue Moon Brewing Company operates as a more or less independent brewery that uses Coors resources, but I don't really know. Anyway, as far as I can remember Blue Moon from years ago, it's maintained its quality, although they do seem to be adding more and more seasonals, and some of them seem to be less carefully thought out than others.
I don't have the original Blue Moon in my refrigerator right now, but I think I have 1-2 bottles of Harvest Moon.
The seasonals are sort of hit or miss, but I do recall liking the pumpkin one (is that the Harvest Moon?).
Also, I rearranged the list some-what geographically, from East Coast to West Coast, to make it easier to look for things regionally.
Yes, that's the one... I've tried several pumpkin ales this year... Sam's one, Blue Moon's one, New Holland Ichabod Ale, and a couple more. I can't remember if I had Dogfish Head's Punkin' Ale. They're all quite interesting in different ways. I guess the Blue Moon one might actually be among the better of the ones I tried.
I was just surprised nobody else had yet. So, anyways, here goes:I think he would be asking you to provide the mention.
(I'm only going to list breweries. Choosing one of their beers is left as an exercise to the reader.
)New Belgium Brewing Company
Wynkoop Brewing Company
Breckenridge Brewery
Rock Bottom
CB & Potts
Flying Dog Brewery
Left Hand Brewing Company
and my very-local favorite, The Rockyard
to name but a few...
The thing with La fin is that you have to get used to it, I know exactly what you feel. After drinking their Blanche de Chambly for a few years, I started progressing to their other beers, I was too scared until January to try La fin again, but this time I liked it, because I became more accustomed to it.
If I didn't try Blanche de Chambly, I'd still hate la fin!
A great brew but Molsonized that helped me get into Blanche de Chambly is Rickard's White, I love that stuff, but Blanche de Chambly is the "real" Blanche/White beer
I would go pretty much anything from Stone.... love that company.
Rusptian Stout is very good also. Although I don't know if it is brewed in America or not.
Firestone Double Barrel Ale.
Anchor Stout
Flying Dog Beer. The Ale and Lager are good. Not to mention the porter.
Sam Adams: Black Lager
Big Sky, the IPA and Brown Ale
Belmont Brewing Company Long Beach: Ale and Stout are tasty
Rock Bottom Brewing Company Long Beach: Black Seal Stout
That is all I can think of off the top of my head.
Rusptian Stout is very good also. Although I don't know if it is brewed in America or not.
Firestone Double Barrel Ale.
Anchor Stout
Flying Dog Beer. The Ale and Lager are good. Not to mention the porter.
Sam Adams: Black Lager
Big Sky, the IPA and Brown Ale
Belmont Brewing Company Long Beach: Ale and Stout are tasty
Rock Bottom Brewing Company Long Beach: Black Seal Stout
That is all I can think of off the top of my head.
This afternoon I went to Whole Foods and Ralph's (grocery store in CA) and looked at the beers that they had for sale. Unfortunately, neither store had many of the beers that are included on the list from the first post. Ralph's had a Leinenkugels (but not the one listed) and maybe one or two other brands on the list. I at least expected to see The Lost Abbey or Stone Brewing.
I guess I'll really have to look a little harder to find some of these brews.
I guess I'll really have to look a little harder to find some of these brews.