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[quote] . . . . ,but,if you see a Budweiser display that's pushing "Day Fresh Budweiser",at least but a sixer.The born on date is today . . . "
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Bart185 suggests freshness is important. I agree. Some of the premium beers will sit for weeks before rotating the stock. Micro breweries usually have fresh stuff, but, their recipes can be so exotic as to the point of distraction. The top selling beer by a huge margin is Bud Lite. If Coors has been properly transported and is freshly dated, it is my brew of preference followed by MGD. Regardless, I always check the stale date.

Likewise, I don't by Copenhagen that is over two weeks old; big difference.

For the hard stuff, we normally stock some Knob Creek at our hunting camps. Great whisky and not outrageously priced. Sipping a bit after a hard days hunt is always a treat, especially when its cold and the wall tent wood stove is barely keeping up. Gusano Rojo is another favorite amongst the cognoscenti; its a full bodied mescal that offers unusal dreams. Especially if you eat the worm. We are close enough to Mexico to get the real stuff, instead of the imported crap with the plastic worm.

FRESH COPE "IT SATISFIES"

nothing goes better with hunting than a good dip of snuff........blake

Snuff.....RALPH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I would rather have a 6 month old Newcastle than several "fresh" micros I can think of. Most of the high end import beers have some sort of preservative in them that will allow them to stay stable for much longer periods of time. Many micros also use live yeast, or at least employer lower standards of filtering that can lead to pretty quick deterioration of the product. Couple that with generally lower QC standards and much less stringent shelf life policies, and you are much more likely to get bad quality micro than you are to get a bad quality import or large domestic.

You'd be surprised at what many brewers/suppliers do not want you to know about code dates. There is a reason most are encrypted to keep the average consumer from actually knowing how old the beer is, or how close it is to expiration.

Just for a point of clarification, Bud Light is the largest selling beer in the U.S., but not by a "huge margin" (obviously it depends on the definition of "huge"). Budweiser is still the world's largest selling beer.

While the big 3 may put out amazingly consistent beer, it's like comparing chocolate and saying Hersheys and Nestle make amazingly good chocolate. Yes, it may be good, but it doesn't compare to some of the other small chocolate producers.

The same thing applies to beer. If you go to a good small brewery, you will find some truly impressive ales. You never will at Bud, Miller, or Coors.

Hunting camp rule number 24356.67 sub section c (Larry would be proud)

If and when you take a fine buck - you must then kill a bottle of Jagermeister that night. Provided it does not take you till next morning you are required to get up with the rest of the heathens there and make an attempt at cooking the rest of us breakfast - opening the box of donuts will do.

Green Bay Brewery makes some fine beers IMHO - I am by no means a professional like some here . I may not know art but I know what I like type of thing with me.

I would like to give it a stab at brewing my own even if it is just to say I did once. There are several things every man should be able to say :

I have killed my own food.
I can shoot a weapon.
I know how to use a chainsaw.
I can change my own tire thank you.

I would like to add - I made my own beer once.

Impressive is in the eye of the beholder. Being fascinated by the brewing sciences, I find it impressive that the big brewers can put out as consistent a product as they do considering the changing malt varieties, growing conditions for malts and hops, and the fact that they are dealing with a live "creature" in the yeast.

I don't have much of an argument with you that some of the craft guys put out some amazing beers, (and I sell MANY of them), but from a technical point, they can't compete with the big boys.

Part of the "charm" in craft beers is the variety, and the fact that you can taste mistakes. In fact, many of today's styles are the direct result of "mistakes" (including champagne, thanks Dom Perignon). The big guys don't have the luxury of making any mistakes.

It would also be a mistake to assume that the big breweries cannot make beers every bit as "crafty" as some of the smaller guys. The big brewers have the absolute best and brightest in the brewing industry working for them. They do in fact sometimes make limited runs of specialty beers, but simple economics dictates that large quantities of individual brands be produced in order to achieve the operational efficiencies necessary to make a profit.

Since the industry is darn near at max capacity, there isn't a lot of production time available for the big guys to do much beyond what they are best at.

by the way, I am much less impressed by a good ale than I am by a good lager.

Max capacity - we need to drink more <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Well, I neither drink nor dance. OK, I lied. In fact, sometimes I drink while I'm dancing, so that's really bad. Anyway, for you guys who really like beer, I suggest you try homebrewing. It is so fascinating, and fun, and to drink the ones you loaded youself...its fab.

The neat thing, too, is you learn a lot about beer, when you delve into it. Now, you may not care if you think Lite and PBR, or Falstaff or the "water" beers is all you want out of life.

I'm very pleased to see so many Leinenkugel enthusiasts. That stuff is excellent for a production beer. That is all I've been buying lately (brewery is shut down). A few of the Canadian brands are excellent. Leinie Red is a much better every day beer than I deserve. Pour it into a frozen mug, most choice. (I like to use it at room temp)

The exotic Euro brands are widely available now. The trappist offering, arguably one of the first commercially produced beers, is amazing. It is bottle conditioned, meaning that it gains its carbonation naturally, after its bottled, by adding a bit of sugar at the end to kick the yeast into producing the alky and CO2. You will see a bit of sediment at the bottom as evidence of the process.

If you want to try the first lager (LAGER: light, bubbly, served cold, the forerunner of Amercan beer) ever devised, go and get the stuff sold in the green bottle from Pfilz, Czech Republic (from where the term "pilsener" is derived) Can't remember the name of it right now, but it is my fave, outside of the stuff I have made. Remembered: "Pilsener Urquel"

Enuff, already!!

Regards, sse

Pilsner Urquell is indeed a fine beer, but as you say, even the big boys make mistakes. Next time you drink one of these, see if you can taste the butterscotch flavor. Remnants of a very mild Diacetyl contamination. Still very good stuff though.

As for me, I live close to Chico, so I'm close to the source of one of the nations largest craft brewers. So I drink quite a bit of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, then Celebration Ale in the cool months. Maybe an occasional beer from what is one of the oldest craft brewers in the US - Anchor Brewing. Their Liberty Ale "IPA-like" beer is excellent, and it's very hard to find a Barleywine better than Old Foghorn.

And yes, home zymurgy is fun too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Regards,
Scott

ST - I've tried Sierra a few times. Very hoppy, which I like.

Regards, sse

CAS, I agree with you on the point that the brewmasters at the big boys breweries are some of the best in the world. The trade off in going to the big breweries is just as you stated, the run times and production rates, and operational efficiencies leave little flexibility.

It's not that they couldn't brew outstanding beers, it's the economics involved that tie their hands.

Seems I change favorite beers (most consumed) every month or so. Right now I'm on RedHook (IPA).Next month it might be Corona...Then switch back to Coors Light.
Am getting quite fond of single malt Islay scotch, on the rocks with a wee splash of water. Found one that fits my budget, McClelland's...$20. a pop. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Virgil B.

"... If you go to a good small brewery, you will find some truly impressive ales. You never will at Bud, Miller, or Coors."

That's because Bud, Miller and Coors produce lagers! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Kirt

Dad and I still brew a few batches every year. We gave up bottling and now we just keg it up in syrup kegs. Have a fridge set up and a bar mix of 75% nitrogen and 25% co2 to keep things right. My close friends drink what I drink. If I have to buy my brew I like Alaska Amber Ale, AK Summer Ale, Black Dog ale from Spanish Peaks brewing. For those other occasions Miller MGD does ok. There are lots of pretty decent brews out there but they are mixed in with alot of overpriced piss water.

When I'm out and the selection at the restaurant is limited I usually end up with Corona (or Dos Equis if it is a Mexican restaurant).
At home I don't drink much beer, but my son brings me over some imported German beers once in awhile. His favorites are Krystal and Franciscaner. I'm getting quite a taste for the Franciscaner, but at $2.50 a bottle, I can control my need for it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Guess it is a left over taste for German brews from my time in the Army stationed near Stuttgart. Nothing in the world like Oktoberfest in the Homeland! Even had a beerman that delivered beer right to our door every week just like the milkman used to here! Man, that was living!
The Portland area was just named the "Micro Brew Capitol of the World" by some "knowledgable" editor of a beer brewing magazine. There are so many microbreweries around here that I'll never be able to try all of their wares, but I'm getting pretty partial to a few Hefeweizen's that are a staple of this area. In fact, we served a keg of it for my son's wedding a couple years ago and I still get comments about it.

When I was in Colorado on vacation quite a few years ago, we visited the Coors factory in Golden. That fresh beer right out of the finishing vats was some of the best stuff I ever drank, and I drank plenty of it! Good thing there was a bus to take me back to the campground we were staying in- I surely couldn't walk there unassisted!

Never could get a taste for straight whisky, Bourbon, vodka, or anything hard alcoholic- even though I tried like heck when I was younger (Army days again). However, I really like some blended drinks once in awhile like Mudslides. Yeah, I know, those are sissy drinks- YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

My main drink anymore is wine. We have some of the best wines (dare I say it?) in the world around here these days and I love to stock up with a good vintage to have around when company shows up. Ask Pumpgun about the wines here. I think he took home 4 cases each of the last couple times he came up. He must be about out by now, Tom- time to stock up again, buddy! - Bob 'da Butcher

My uncle used to have a "wine guy". This guy would help them "find" wines he may like and then they would have them shipped to their house. Was some type of service they found on the net.

I think it was a monkey with a marker and a catlog as all the ones I tried tasted the same and really did nothing for me.

Well I just came in from working all day and then working till now on my car, and I am going to open a can of Labatt Blue, and will mix it with Clamato juice.
Don't do it often, but feel like it tonight.
I like quite a few beers, I used to like one called Brador, but they stopped making that quite a while back.
I enjoy a good beer but not a fanatic for it, used to buy a product up here that was just called "beer" it I guess was a generic type and not bad, used to drink Moosehead and heineken and old style.
Most are good when I am thirsty.
"I always say I don't drink anymore, I also don't drink any less." <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Anyone ever have Straubs....brewed in St.Marys, PA? BARF

Can't drink beer. Unfortunate because I do love the taste but something in beer I am alergic to. All beer, of what ever brand swells me up like a poisoned pup. Not worth the price I have to pay.

One word. Gin



BCR