The Awesome Beer Thread

[Teleku]

[Sky]

Mmm...dunkel and dopplebocks...

[Hawkbit]

Many good, good beers on there.  I still fall back on my old favorite Paulaner, but there's lots of good options.

[Samwise]

Cool to see Anchor Steam getting a category essentially to itself.  I hadn't even heard of the term "California Common" but it's apparently the proper non-trademark name for "steam beer"(tm).

[Teleku]

Yeah, Steam Beer is actually a completely unique beer style invented in California back in the 1800's.  But, since Anchor Steam was the first company to revive the style back in the day, they managed to trademark the name Steam Beer.  So the official beer classification is "California Common".  It's still a fairly rare style, but if you want to try another one, Linden Street Brewery opened up in Oakland about a year ago, and they make some.  Note, I haven't tried it yet (though I hear good things).  However, my workplace just moved to within a few blocks of their brewery, so I'm going to fix that soon!

[Merusk]

Mmm...dunkel and dopplebocks...

I concur.  The Houffbrau house here in Cinci makes a great dunkel, but you have to drink it there.  The stuff they bottle and sell in the local specialty store just doesn't hold up.

I need to find a decent local hefeweizen.  I had one in Pittsburgh 5 years ago that was fantastic but I haven't had it's like anywhere else and can't remember the name of the damn brewery.

[Samwise]

Yeah, Steam Beer is actually a completely unique beer style invented in California back in the 1800's.  But, since Anchor Steam was the first company to revive the style back in the day, they managed to trademark the name Steam Beer.  So the official beer classification is "California Common".  It's still a fairly rare style, but if you want to try another one, Linden Street Brewery opened up in Oakland about a year ago, and they make some.  Note, I haven't tried it yet (though I hear good things).  However, my workplace just moved to within a few blocks of their brewery, so I'm going to fix that soon!

Ah, I think I had some of that in a trendy Berkeley restaurant a little while back.  I didn't even realize it was in the same genre as Anchor; my recollection is that it was way too hoppy for my liking.

Unrelated awesome (hopefully not a bloodworth):

[CharlieMopps]

While we're on the subject of beer in the Awesome pictures thread, here's 12 ounces of pure awesome:



I mean God damn... I've tried literally thousands of different kinds of beers and many were great, but there's nothing compared to a Lion Stout.

[Korachia]

For a sceptic like me, could you tell me what makes it so great?

[Nerf]

You know what goes great with beer?

Guns!



I'm a lucky motherfucker.

[Chimpy]

 

[Der Helm]

American "Kölsch" ? Wtf... I was under the impression you can only brew it here in Cologne and call it "Kölsch"

[MahrinSkel]

American "Kölsch" ? Wtf... I was under the impression you can only brew it here in Cologne and call it "Kölsch"

You can't sell it in Europe and call it Kolsch unless it was brewed in Cologne, just like you can't sell "Champagne" that wasn't made in the Champagne valley.  But in America it's just a label.

--Dave

[Slyfeind]

For a sceptic like me, could you tell me what makes it so great?

I read "sceptic" and looked at your avatar on the left and imagined the caption "skeptic cat is skeptical". K I need more coffee....

[NiX]

I watched Beer Wars last night. Was interesting to learn about how crazy and competitive the beer industry is and makes me feel bad for not trying craft/independent beers.

[Sir T]

If you are ever in Dublin try the Oyster Bar in Temple Bar. They brew their own beer, and even to me it tasted pretty good.

[Der Helm]

[Jimbo]

"Why does sex in a canoe and USA beers have in common?  They are both fucking near water!"  The Canadians used to tease us about our pansy beer we had up until the local beer explosion took off (damned temperament movement!).  Although I've had the worlds strongest from Heidelberg, Germany (Vetta 33 from Heidelberg) and can say it didn't taste that great, the other beer in the town @ the castle that the locals drank was incredible (that and the food!).  I miss the Christmas shopping and festivity that they put on @ their markets.

[Stormwaltz]

One advantage of living in the mid-Atlantic is easy access to Weyerbacher beer out of Easton, PA.

To my knowledge, they don't make any beer under 8% ABV, and their seasonals - uniformly excellent - usually top 11%. "Heresy" is stunningly good. It's an Imperial Stout aged in oak barrels formerly used for Kentucky bourbon.

[Teleku]

"Why does sex in a canoe and USA beers have in common?  They are both fucking near water!"  The Canadians used to tease us about our pansy beer we had up until the local beer explosion took off (damned temperament movement!).  Although I've had the worlds strongest from Heidelberg, Germany (Vetta 33 from Heidelberg) and can say it didn't taste that great, the other beer in the town @ the castle that the locals drank was incredible (that and the food!).  I miss the Christmas shopping and festivity that they put on @ their markets.

And since every major Canadian beer is a watery shit light lager like all the major American beer, I've always found that joke to be extremely hilarious.  For reasons they didn't intend.

[NiX]

And since every major Canadian beer is a watery shit light lager like all the major American beer, I've always found that joke to be extremely hilarious.  For reasons they didn't intend.

I don't know if they intended the likes of Molson or Labatt to be the comparison. But then again, most "Canadian" beers aren't Canadian anymore.

[Sky]

If you're concerned about the alcohol content of beer, you're doing it wrong.

[Chimpy]

If you're concerned about the alcohol content of beer, you're doing it wrong.

This.

[apocrypha]

Many of the molecules that are responsible for tastes are hydrophobic, i.e. they don't dissolve in water. This means that the higher the alcohol content of something the more of these complex molecules can be dissolved in it.

I.e. higher ABV beers are usually tastier than lower ABV beers.

[01101010]

Beer needs its own thread so we can get back to the picture show...

Sadly, I have none at the moment.

[Bunk]

And since every major Canadian beer is a watery shit light lager like all the major American beer, I've always found that joke to be extremely hilarious.  For reasons they didn't intend.

I don't know if they intended the likes of Molson or Labatt to be the comparison. But then again, most "Canadian" beers aren't Canadian anymore.

While I agree that to my palate, Canadian and Blue taste like water - put them side by side to a big American brew and there is no comparison - the higher alcohol content makes a difference in taste.

I find it pretty sad though that Blue was the only Canadian beer I saw on that picture. We have a very diverse microbrewery industry up here, with some exceptional beers.

[Stormwaltz]

I.e. higher ABV beers are usually tastier than lower ABV beers.

Thank you, sir.

[Samwise]

Many of the molecules that are responsible for tastes are hydrophobic, i.e. they don't dissolve in water. This means that the higher the alcohol content of something the more of these complex molecules can be dissolved in it.

I.e. higher ABV beers are usually tastier than lower ABV beers.

If you want the maximum amount of alcohol and flavor in each sip, I don't know why you're messing around with beer.  That's what whisky is for.

"Whoever crams the most hops and alcohol into a bottle wins" seems to be a common mindset among craft brewers, but I've never found that it has a strong correlation with tastiness.

[Ingmar]

Oh hai.

http://www.unibroue.com/

Can't go wrong really, but La Fin du Monde is the flagship.

I find it pretty sad though that Blue was the only Canadian beer I saw on that picture. We have a very diverse microbrewery industry up here, with some exceptional beers.

And is Canadian, and is on the chart (with the other Belgians.)

[Bunk]

Nice find. I was looking primarily under the pale ales and ipa's, as those are amongst our best known.

Alexander Keith's IPA and Okanagan Spring Pale Ale are the two I tend to favor, and have grown to a pretty substantial market up here.


Am I alone here in being a huge Hefeweizen fan? Especially Hoegaarden, which according to this chart is aparently not a Hefeweizen, but rather a "Witbier".
Interesting. And now I want beer.

[Teleku]

Yeah, Hefs and Belgian Witbeers have sort of a similar taste (but different obviously) so the confusion is understandable.

And yes, I too enjoy Hefeweizen's.  My last batch of home brew was a Hef, and it turned out to be the best beer I've managed to home brew yet!

There isn't a very big selection of Canadian craft beers here, even when I got to places with large beer selections.  Unibroue is all over the place, but thats about it.  I'll have to keep looking I guess.

Out of curiosity, how much American craft brew makes its way up there?

I don't know if they intended the likes of Molson or Labatt to be the comparison. But then again, most "Canadian" beers aren't Canadian anymore.

Comically enough, neither are any of the big American brewers.  

Boston Beer Company (guys who make Sam Adams) are now the largest American owned brewing company.

[IainC]

Nice find. I was looking primarily under the pale ales and ipa's, as those are amongst our best known.

Alexander Keith's IPA and Okanagan Spring Pale Ale are the two I tend to favor, and have grown to a pretty substantial market up here.


Am I alone here in being a huge Hefeweizen fan? Especially Hoegaarden, which according to this chart is aparently not a Hefeweizen, but rather a "Witbier".
Interesting. And now I want beer.

When I lived in the UK or Ireland I really couldn't drink beer at all, I just didn't like the taste of the usual stuff that's easily available in pubs (Carling, Fosters, Becks etc). I'd drink the occasional glass of Hoegaarden as it was the only beer I found with any kind of flavour. Now I live in Germany and the ciders I usually ordered aren't available at all so I started trying some of the local beers and I've found pretty much everything I've tried to be entirely drinkable. Fuerstenberg is the most common and my least favourite but it's still better than any random cask beer, Rothaus Tannezapfle is my favourite and that's a very nice drop indeed.

[Johny Cee]

Oh hai.

http://www.unibroue.com/

Can't go wrong really, but La Fin du Monde is the flagship.

I have some Fin du Monde in my fridge right now.  Along with some Saranac, Long Trail, Magic Hat #9, and some leftover Labatt Bleue.

[IainC]

Oh hai.

http://www.unibroue.com/

Can't go wrong really, but La Fin du Monde is the flagship.

The first time I saw this post I was sure you were linking to Irnbru.

[HaemishM]

We don't get a lot of local craft brews around here, but there is one in the state of Mississippi: Lazy Magnolia. Their Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale is actually decent. It's no Newcastle Brown Ale, but it's good.