Taking my son and a couple of his pals to a yankee BBQ joint on Sunday. I will need a few beers to get through the experience. I always like to try stuff I haven't before, so woudl appreciate some guidance. Here's the list
Samuel Adams (tried before, but not on tap - remember it being excellent)
Bud, Coors, Moosehead, Grolsch, Corona - not interested in any of these.
Pabst Blue Ribbon - tempted to give this a go in honour of CCR but get the impression it's a pretty crap beer. True?
Brooklyn Lager - ???
Sierra Nevada - love this beer, would be my default choice
Old Dominion Old Barrell Stout - ???
Blue Moon Wheat Beer - ???
I thought Grolsch was Dutch.
PBR is the official hipster beer. It used to be a national megabrew competing with Bud and Miller, then declined to an old man beer until recently resurrrected. I personally think the taste is too sour, but Tricky thought it was OK. You should probably have at least one so you can firm up your opinion of hipster aesthetics.
I've had Old Dominion's lager, and thought it was very good (for a lager). On the other hand I think US stouts can be very hit or miss. The texture is usually off.
Moosehead is not an American beer! :ultra:
I take it you have listed the particular beers available at this joint?
Sam Adams is a fine beer, don't think you'll go wrong there. PBR is, think, considered to be "pretty good for a cheap beer". In the US it has also, somehow, gained a particular hipster following, so you might want to give it a go (or, stay far away from it, depending on your thoughts on hipsters).
I seem to recall having some kind of Brooklyn beer in NYC a decade ago and thought it was good.
BTW, how did your foray into BBQ a while back go?
Quote from: Barrister on January 04, 2013, 12:10:24 PM
Moosehead is not an American beer! :ultra:
I take it you have listed the particular beers available at this joint?
Nor is Corona or Grolsch - not sure why they have them there but as you guessed just listed them all.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 04, 2013, 12:10:57 PM
BTW, how did your foray into BBQ a while back go?
The place we're going to on Sunday is part of the same mini-chain.
It wasn't bad. Wasn't wowed by the burn end but liked the wings and the pulled pork. Had serious indigestion. Went to the Olympics boxing after and me and my mate were farting and burping all the way through - good job it wasn't the dressage, we'd have been kicked out.
I probably wouldn't have gone back but the boy's favourite food at the moment is ribs.
I've had the Brooklyn lager, but it's so long ago that I don't recall much about it. I *expect* it will be fairly hoppy, as American micro- and mini-brewers love their hops.
In any case, I suggest you start of with the Brooklyn lager, follow up with the Blue Moon Hefeweizen, then the Old Dominion stout... after that, you either continue with the Sierra Nevada or return to one of the previous three if you prefer that.
If you don't like hops, start with the PBR instead of the Brooklyn instead.
Once you're done, report back here :cheers:
I'd go for the Sam Adams and/or the Sierra Nevada to get a good representative from both coasts.
Have one of each.
Start with the Blue Moon (with an orange wedge, if you can get one), as it's the lighter of the options presented. From there, I'd go with Brooklyn Lager and then Old Dominion Old Barrell Stout. Leave the PBR off the menu. It's not worth the bar price, imo.
I like Blue Moon, but I prefer a little more teeth to my beer. Of the ones listed above, I prefer the Old Dominion, but you never want to start with a dark beer and then go to a lighter one. You lose too much flavor in the lighter ones that way.
My favorite beer is an open one. :beer:
Of your list, Sam Adams is good stuff.
For a cheap beer I thought PBR was well ahead of the opposition such as Bud and Coors, it is not a great beer though. Beer price differentials are greater in the US than the UK though, so CCR is right to rate this drinkable beer.
Quote from: The Larch on January 04, 2013, 12:50:35 PM
I'd go for the Sam Adams and/or the Sierra Nevada to get a good representative from both coasts.
This. Sam Adams will give you a good example of an Amber Lager, and Sierra Nevada is top notch as far as American Pale Ales are concerned.
Brooklyn Lager is worth considering, maybe in place of Sam Adams since you've already had it and they're the same type of beer. Their brewmaster is Garrett Oliver, a deity in the world of brewing and their Lager and Brown ale are a couple classic American craft-brewed beers.
Blue Moon is a good Belgian-style white, but you might as well just go ahead and get Hoegaarden or another witbier as it's better and probably cheaper in your neck of the woods.
Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout is also a good selection, but if you're bringing it to share it may have the least mass appeal. Has a bit of a smoky, oaky taste to it, which I like but ain't for everyone.
And now I can't stop thinking about beer. The brewery 4 miles from my house opened a tap room and is doing Friday happy hours. There is a Bourbon Orangette Stout calling my name-- hopefully I can get away from work at a decent hour.
Quote from: derspiess on January 04, 2013, 03:08:25 PM
Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout is also a good selection, but if you're bringing it to share it may have the least mass appeal. Has a bit of a smoky, oaky taste to it, which I like but ain't for everyone.
:yes: :wub:
I am very content with the development of the North American craft brew scene in the last decade :cheers:
The brewery I work for (F.X. Matt Brewing Co. of Utica, NY) does the majority of Brooklyn's beers via contract, so I feel obligated to suggest trying that first. It's a nice drinkable lager. The Blue Moon is a Coors beer at its roots, and has gotten steadily less of a traditional Belgian White in style and more watered down and sweetened up in comparison to the taste it should have over the years. Other than that, people seem to be spot on with their suggestions.
Sidenote: Jacob, I'm loving the boom in craft and micro brews within the US, but abhor the industry's obsession with over hopped beers. I convinced it is a by product of people who don't like beer trying to be "cool" and get in on the scene. You can drink shit non-craft beer and be mocked or down a high alcohol content, super hopped IPA, and kill your taste buds by nursing down a beer. After that, it's quicker to get drunk and you can't taste the beer anymore, so it doesn't matter what you're drinking and whether you'd "like" it normally.
Quote from: Benedict Arnold on January 04, 2013, 05:04:07 PM
Sidenote: Jacob, I'm loving the boom in craft and micro brews within the US, but abhor the industry's obsession with over hopped beers. I convinced it is a by product of people who don't like beer trying to be "cool" and get in on the scene.
Depends on what you consider over-hopped, I suppose. I like hops and while there are some beers that are too hoppy (particularly for certain styles), I'm happy with the overall trend-- I've rarely had a beer that was so heavily hopped I couldn't taste anything else.
Tons of West Coast IPA's and Imperial IPA's are way, way overhopped in my opinion. Dogfish 120 is far too much for me as well.
I'm with B.A. - I don't enjoy the taste of hops in my beer, so I've been disappointed when I've ordered, say, lagers that were quite hoppy. I do think some people equate hops with sophistication when it comes to microbrews which I think is silly. Luckily, however, there are plenty of non-hoppy beers being made as well so I'll just leave the hop beers to those who enjoy them.
:cheers: Good man. I don't mind some hops, I just think hops should be a part of one's beer, not the whole beer. I'm definitely more of a malt guy though though between the two.
Quote from: Benedict Arnold on January 04, 2013, 06:15:54 PM
:cheers: Good man. I don't mind some hops, I just think hops should be a part of one's beer, not the whole beer. I'm definitely more of a malt guy though though between the two.
:cheers: You are completely correct here.
I remember having Brooklyn once. it was....drinkable. but not great. sort of budweiseresque uric.
Quote from: Benedict Arnold on January 04, 2013, 06:15:54 PM
:cheers: Good man. I don't mind some hops, I just think hops should be a part of one's beer, not the whole beer. I'm definitely more of a malt guy though though between the two.
You might actually like the IPA I'm having right now. It's got hops of course but there's some strong maltiness that shines through. Great balance, arguably closer to a standard American pale ale.
Quote from: Barrister on January 04, 2013, 12:10:24 PM
Sam Adams is a fine beer, don't think you'll go wrong there.
Yeah, I don't drink beer very much anymore, but when I do, it's almost always Sam Adams. Even their light beer is pretty good--in fact, in some ways, I prefer it to their regular Boston lager. And some of their seasonal/specialty brews are excellent, but a few of them I don't particularly care for.
Quote from: Gups on January 04, 2013, 12:04:15 PM
Taking my son and a couple of his pals to a yankee BBQ joint on Sunday. I will need a few beers to get through the experience. I always like to try stuff I haven't before, so woudl appreciate some guidance. Here's the list
Samuel Adams (tried before, but not on tap - remember it being excellent)
Bud, Coors, Moosehead, Grolsch, Corona - not interested in any of these.
Pabst Blue Ribbon - tempted to give this a go in honour of CCR but get the impression it's a pretty crap beer. True?
Brooklyn Lager - ???
Sierra Nevada - love this beer, would be my default choice
Old Dominion Old Barrell Stout - ???
Blue Moon Wheat Beer - ???
Sierra Nevada has declined slightly in quality.
PBR is novelty. It is a classic example of American pilsner. I would skip it.
Brooklyn Lager is a very nice Vienna lager with an American twist: dry-hopping.
I haven't had the OD Barrel Stout, but I do recall loving OD's beers back in the day.
Skip Blue Moon- it's a poor man's Hoegaarden.
Ultimately, you can't go wrong with Sam Adams.
I like Blue Moon! :mad:
Quote from: merithyn on January 04, 2013, 10:46:56 PM
I like Blue Moon! :mad:
He's a lot closer to Hoegaarden than to where they brew Blue Moon. On balance, I pick closer and fresher. And better.
How about being a real American and having a Bourbon?
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on January 04, 2013, 11:46:01 PM
How about being a real American and having a Bourbon?
Sounds good to me. Unfortunately Gups ain't American :(
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 04, 2013, 12:09:23 PM
I thought Grolsch was Dutch.
PBR is the official hipster beer. It used to be a national megabrew competing with Bud and Miller, then declined to an old man beer until recently resurrrected.
Where does MGD stand now? I seem to recall seeing more white people ordering it in recent years. Has it gone hipster as well?
It barely does.
Quotefrom nov, 2011 report
24/7 Wall Street reported in September that the beer has sank from 7.2 million barrels sold in 1992 to 1.8 million barrels sold in 2010.
Quote from: Scipio on January 04, 2013, 10:45:28 PM
Ultimately, you can't go wrong with Sam Adams.
The ad campaigns with that drop down drunk alcoholic founder/owner inserting himself everywhere is more annoying than anything Spuds McKenzie, mimicking frogs, snarky chameleons or bottles with football helmets ever did.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 05, 2013, 09:40:20 AM
Quote from: Scipio on January 04, 2013, 10:45:28 PM
Ultimately, you can't go wrong with Sam Adams.
The ad campaigns with that drop down drunk alcoholic founder/owner inserting himself everywhere is more annoying than anything Spuds McKenzie, mimicking frogs, snarky chameleons or bottles with football helmets ever did.
I find the one with all their employees boozing it up to be the most laughable.
Agreed that Sam Adams is pretty decent.
Quote from: Benedict Arnold on January 04, 2013, 06:13:17 PM
Tons of West Coast IPA's and Imperial IPA's are way, way overhopped in my opinion. Dogfish 120 is far too much for me as well.
:hug:
Quote from: katmai on January 05, 2013, 09:35:38 AM
It barely does.
Quotefrom nov, 2011 report
24/7 Wall Street reported in September that the beer has sank from 7.2 million barrels sold in 1992 to 1.8 million barrels sold in 2010.
Huh. Meanwhile, Genesee Cream Ale has greatly expanded in geographic distribution. :P
That's because Genesee was bought out by North American Brewers, aka Labatt, who renovated them and then flipped the improved brewery to a line of buyers. I believe they are currently owned by a... Coasta Rican Company? Glad they're doing well these days, but a shame they aren't locally owned anymore.
I want to break a bottle over the head of that stupid fucking lush that runs Sam Adams. Slurring ass drunken motherfucker.
I like Blue Moon and Brooklyn Lager.
Some Sainsbury's have a weirdly amazing selection of US and British craft beers. The Whitechapel one was incredible and they were always on offer :mmm:
Hey Shiv, is it true that the Newcastle Ale they sell here is a totally different brew than the Newcastle Ale made in the UK? I seem to recall hearing that somewhere.
Can we all agree that the best bottom of the barrel beer is Miller High Life?
For macrobrew, it's got some flavor to it. It doesn't taste weird, it's readily available, and you can get a 32oz hog's leg for like $1.25.
My parents used to buy Miller High Life in those little ass 7 ounce pony bottles. Used to sit in the fridge for months on end. :lol:
Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 05, 2013, 11:05:37 PM
My parents used to buy Miller High Life in those little ass 7 ounce pony bottles. Used to sit in the fridge for months on end. :lol:
High Life only tastes good out of the big 32oz cans. It tastes like shit in regular sized cans. You know, considering that Miller calls High Life that "champagne of beers", they should totally sell them in champagne bottles. As long as they sold it a price a low-rung Arkansas civil servant can afford, I'd drink the fuck out of it.
I'm debating what I should drink next: Another hog leg of High Life or a Ranger IPA. :hmm:
I had some fond high school memories of High Life so I gave it a go again a couple years back. Tastes alright, but man that beer gives you some violent barfly breath.
I find Blue Moon pretty nasty, certainly not as good as Hoegaarden and not distinctively American in any way. Definitely skip it.
I like Brooklyn Lager, especially since they have it in tallboy cans here (unlike Sam Adams), but it's probably a draw with Sam Adams.
Quote from: Capetan Mihali on January 06, 2013, 01:03:53 AM
I find Blue Moon pretty nasty, certainly not as good as Hoegaarden and not distinctively American in any way. Definitely skip it.
Blue Moon is what I drink when only the big beer factory brands are available.
These days I drink 512: http://www.512brewing.com/
and Real Ale: http://realalebrewing.com/
Quote from: Valmy on January 06, 2013, 01:35:09 AM
These days I drink 512: http://www.512brewing.com/
and Real Ale: http://realalebrewing.com/
Nice. I dig 512's white and Real Ale's rye. Has Ranger Creek's beers/booze made it up that way yet? I haven't had the whiskey yet (I've only ever seen it in these strangely small bottles for some rather inflated prices), but I can't complain about the beers I've had. Some stuff called their "small batch series" has started showing up now too.
E: Ranger Creek: http://www.drinkrangercreek.com/
E2: Oh. I guess I'm only seeing it in the small bottles because that's all they have right now because the stuff from the large barrels is still maturing. Okay then.
If a big ol' 55 US Gallon drum of Schlitz is good enough for Artie Donovan, it's good enough for youse schmoes.
Quote from: Fireblade on January 05, 2013, 11:02:24 PM
Can we all agree that the best bottom of the barrel beer is Miller High Life?
For macrobrew, it's got some flavor to it. It doesn't taste weird, it's readily available, and you can get a 32oz hog's leg for like $1.25.
No. There is none. Back when Miller made their simple red label "Miller", beer back in the 90s I'd go along with that.
Yuengling is the lowest I can go these days, and I can barely tolerate that sometimes.
Thanks for the suggestions everyne.
In the end I was only managed two beers. I was in charge of three 11 year olds, after all.
First was 2/3 of a pint of Sam Adams. Wow, what a fantastic beer! Quite malty but with hops still coming through. One of the best lagers I've had. They do cases of this in my local wine warehouse and I will definately pick one up next time I go.
Next was a 330ml bottle of Brooklyn lager. Actually tasted more like a pale ale than a lager. I liked this plenty, but was perhaps a little bit hoppy for my taste with a rather flat finish.
Food was very good this time round. Excellent ribs and buffalo wings in particular. Burnt ends pretty good, pulled pork average.
Was it Bodeans?
Not a big fan of American barbecue food, it's all a bit samish, sweet and messy.
Yep, it was Bodeans. I quite like it but wouldn't want to eat it very often.
Would like to try out the Pitt Cue Co which is meant to be fantastic.
Speaking of Brooklyn Lager...
QuoteBrooklyn Brewery to open plant, restaurant in Sweden by end of year
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/brooklyn-brewery-open-plant-sweden-article-1.1234298