What is your favorite beer?

[Chaldfont]

I can't believe no one has brought up my old stand by yet - Pabst Blue Ribbon. I really like to experiment with different beers, but if you ever want the good, light, American, watered down style beer, PBR is the best you can get.

Of beers that I've tried recently, London Porter was pretty good. Nice and dark with plenty of flavor, but doesn't sit in your stomach like a loaf of bread the way Guinness does.

You're in Waukegon? I'm trying to remember the name of this brewpub in Libertyville that I went to when I interned at Abbott. It was great. They had this wonderful Dopplebock called Scapegoat. That's not too far from you, isn't it?

I think it was Mickey Finns.

 

[ssampier]

Got any of that beer that has candy floating in it? You know, Skittlebrau?

Totally off-topic, but I love your Spider-Pig sig line ssampier. I've been driving my wife nuts singing that ever since I saw the movie a few weeks ago! Every now I'll start singing it. A couple of hours later she'll yell at me from another room in the house because she's still got the song stuck in her head.

I was even so sad as to look up the words online, just so I was singing it right.

Olaf the Stout

[off-topic]

Lookout!

It's spider-pig.

At least your wife sings along (even if it is subconscious).

[/off-topic]

 

[Thunderfoot]

Could anyone suggest a good beer to start with? I don't like the taste of most beers I've tasted, and I'm not sure if there's one for my palette?

Some good suggestions for you so far Ferret...

Things to consider:
Taste (you wouldn't believe how many people drink beer just because and can't really stand it)
Light, Heavy, Hoppy, Nutty, Woody, Fruity... all of these describe the various tastes of beers around the world. If you are looking for something smooth but not bitter Wheat beers (whits, weizens (not heffeweitzen) and various other names) are probably your speed.
Another alternative would be to go Australian, tastes like a beer should, but cold brewed so there is less aftertaste, usually have a nutty flavor, but not always.
If you want something robust, go for the bochs, dubbleboch (double bochs), stouts and heavy malts such as Guinness. These beers have no lack of flavor but can be bitter to the 'untrained' (don't mean that to sound snooty even though it does) pallet.
Another possibility is ale, usually crisp tasting but little in the way of aftertaste (usually). Blondes and IPAs also fall into this category, with each having variations on the theme.

The other route is the 'training beers' of Europe, or flavored beers. In Germany especially they will mix beer with anything, Cola (steeped with a shot of Cognac) or a 50/50 mix with lemonade (good stuff). In the States there have been a lot of microbrews that use non-standard ingredients like cherry, pumpkin, apple and such to hide the bitterness of an otherwise normal pilsner or pump up a wheat brew.

Finally, there is hard cider and lemonade, not really beer per se, but no less tasty. If you find you cannot stomach the taste of hops (and there are quite a few folks that can't) this might be your best route to pints of refreshment. Fruity taste without umbrellas or your best mates telling you you're drinking fru-fru 'girly' drinks (cocktails).

Hope this helps.

 

[JRR_Talking]

'Beer' is often an acquired taste, and because it tastes like a real drink i think a respect for it is gained. Horrendous alcohol culture here in the UK and its mostly down to a 'fizzy, sugary drink with 5% of random alcohol added' so it tastes like 'pop' (I guess you over the pond call it 'soda').

On the cider front, which is what i drink, current resurgence of it in the UK. Both a new breed of 'fizzy' stuff like magners, sirrus, bulmers, etc, which actually mostly taste pretty good as well as more traditional 'flat' scrumpies. I go to a few beer festivals a year and the range is expanding

Tried to acquire a taste for more heavier beers like porters and such but never quite got there. do like some IPA's (and coors a bit but dont tell anyone....its my light beer of choice)

Never been to the USA, but to Canada a few times. Did rather like Rikards Red, though everyone i was wth drank 'grasshopper' whcih had bits of citrus fruit floating in it!!

John

not being snobby*, but to the guy who drinks 'boddingtons'....oh dear!!

*ok, maybe i am.

 

[JRR_Talking]

Lookout!

It's spider-pig.

At least your wife sings along (even if it is subconscious).

currently my ring tone of choice!!

 

[Chaldfont]

I went to a friend's birthday party this weekend. It was a big beer tasting party. Every person had to bring a six-pack of microbrew (as the invitation put it: "no budmilloors allowed"). I must have tried two-dozen beers.

I think I tried most of Founders' (from Grand Rapids, MI) brews. Stone and Rogue were also well represented. Stone's Oaked Arrogant Bastard we nice, but I don't think it was good enough to justify its cost. I was also happy that my Ghost of 30 homebrew recipe stood up well in the American amber/brown category. I finished the night with a wonderful raspberry lambic that would go great with cheesecake.

 

[Eolin]

Lately, Haufbrau munchen. Last was a case of the hefe weizen. Damn good.

I'm in PA, and we've got weird beer laws -- either by the case at a "beer distributor" which supplies the bars, or up to 2 six packs from a bar, at bar prices.

 

[Jesus_marley]

MMMmmm Beer.

I would have to say my current favourites include:

St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. Thick, dark, basically liquid bread.

Maudite (Unibroue Breweries in Quebec) fermented in the bottle so it will actually age like wine. Alcohol content is high (8-10%). very good.

Granville Island Breweries (Vancouver) makes some really nice beers as well. I am currently working on a sampler case which includes an IPA, Lager, Honey Lager, and Maple Cream ale.

 

[werk]

II think I tried most of Founders' (from Grand Rapids, MI) brews. ...I finished the night with a wonderful raspberry lambic that would go great with cheesecake.

Founders has a raspberry called Blushing Monk...it's just incredible. Someone told me it's very expensive to make and that supply is really limited, but if you like raspberry brews at all it's high on my list. It isn't on their website except for in 'now on tap' so it may not be bottled/distributed.

OH MAN!

 

[Chaldfont]

Lately, Haufbrau munchen. Last was a case of the hefe weizen. Damn good.

I'm in PA, and we've got weird beer laws -- either by the case at a "beer distributor" which supplies the bars, or up to 2 six packs from a bar, at bar prices.

Just last week a co-worker who used to live in PA was telling me the same thing. Absolute hell for a beer geek! He said that his buddies would have beer tasting parties all the time since you have to buy beer by the case. That really sucks.

You know, those laws were originally started back in the temperance league days (or sometimes even earlier). Now the liquor industry lobbies to keep those strange laws on the books. Here in Indiana, you can't by alcohol from grocery stores or liquor stores on Sunday. But you sure as heck can drive yourself down to a bar and get hammered... AND THEN DRIVE HOME! Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

It really kills you when you are cooking a nice meal for company and realize you are out of rice wine vinegar, or marsala or some such alcohol-containing ingredient and you can't just go out and pick it up because it's Sunday.