beers!

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

So on a similar note, I was told that tipping is not that much the rage there, but the customers buy the bartender drinks. Equalizer is that the bartender makes a great hourly wage. I'd be all over that. I firmly believe that my wage should be dependent upon my service and experience, not upon the type of clientele who happen to walk in the bar that night.

FWIW, I'm glad that you guys don't drink Fosters because the version we get here is total s***, maybe yours is different. They call it an "oilcan" here for a reason, lol.

Tipping widely varies depending upon where you go. Most asian countries consider tipping someone a rude gesture, as it implys I am wealthier and better than the person I am tipping, or that they are poor and need the money.

[David 2]

As an addendum to my first post in this thread, I think Dirty Bastard might be my favorite beer I've tried (thought I haven't had many chances to try a bunch). The flavor and aftertaste go perfectly with a smoke.

Also, Magic Hat Circus Boy is pretty good for a lighter variety.

[Guest Shoreline]

Fosters we get here in the States in brewed/bottled in Canada...I'll agree the lager is nothing special, but their amber (green oil can) is palatable.

When I worked in a pub in Birmingham, England the wages, & tips were rather poor, but overall it was a good experience.

EDIT - if anyone has any recommendations for Lagers/Pilsners/Weiss beers - I'm all ears

Definitely recommend Widmer, and if you can stand Widmer, it wouldn't be too far off to go Newcastle.

Fosters I would say is pretty decent for cheap beer. Certainly beats the heck out of what this company makes..

Anheuser-Busch acquired by Belgian Co for 52 Billion.

I figured this would be a logical addition to this thread.

.. which has been the culprit of most of my hangovers. I can get s***faced on hard liquor and good beer without getting hangovers. Crummy beer like Bud.. easiest hangovers evar.

Edited July 30, 2008 by Shoreline

[Inultus 12]

.. which has been the culprit of most of my hangovers. I can get s***faced on hard liquor and good beer without getting hangovers. Crummy beer like Bud.. easiest hangovers evar.

Yeah, it's because they use a lot of rice in their beer. Crappy ingredients = crappy feeling in the morning.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Drinking my favorite beer right now, and it takes quite good. In my own words, I think Abita Amber is kinda like a Coors Light or Bud Light with a little more zest and sweetness to it, but what is quoted from the Web site will explain it a bit better. Coors/Bud are pretty simple drinks I think in terms of taste, but I'm a simple minded person more often than not. So something with a little more sweet taste is just fine. One of the best-tasting beers down in my neck of the woods. If you have it at your local grocery store, buy a few bottles. It's good stuff. :chug:

http://www.abita.com/brew/amber.html

Abita Amber is a Munich style lager brewed with crystal malt and Perle hops. It has a smooth, malty, slightly caramel flavor and a rich amber color. Abita Amber was the first beer offered by the brewery and continues to be our leading seller.

It has been voted "best beer" in numerous

New Orleans reader polls and is used frequently in recipes of great Louisiana chefs.

[BlakChamber 8]

Tried a couple new beers this weekend.

Flying Dog Tire Bite Golden Ale. Nothing special.

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. It's a weiss beer mixed with a little lemonade. I didn't think I was going to like it, but I found its very refreshing. When I was standing out on my deck in 100 degree weather grilling, it really hit the spot.

[hallelujahlogic 1]

Drinking my favorite beer right now, and it takes quite good. In my own words, I think Abita Amber is kinda like a Coors Light or Bud Light with a little more zest and sweetness to it, but what is quoted from the Web site will explain it a bit better. Coors/Bud are pretty simple drinks I think in terms of taste, but I'm a simple minded person more often than not. So something with a little more sweet taste is just fine. One of the best-tasting beers down in my neck of the woods. If you have it at your local grocery store, buy a few bottles. It's good stuff. :chug:

http://www.abita.com/brew/amber.html

!! it is SO much better than that! it actually tastes like something besides grain and water, which is more than i could say for bud or coors.

but i agree w/your sentiment, for sure. i've been drinking a lot of abita amber lately.

Tried a couple new beers this weekend.

Flying Dog Tire Bite Golden Ale. Nothing special.

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. It's a weiss beer mixed with a little lemonade. I didn't think I was going to like it, but I found its very refreshing. When I was standing out on my deck in 100 degree weather grilling, it really hit the spot.

i was at a party last week, and someone brought a couple six packs of the summer shandy. almost everyone was like..raving about it, but i thought it was like...an abomination. i actually spit it out. to be fair, i don't usually like anything leinenkugel brews, and i definiately don't like lemonade. but..flavour aside...the very concept kinda grosses me out. beer and....lemonade?

i'm probably just an ******* though, because seriously everyone else at that party thought it was great except for me and a buddy of mine who pretty much only drinks killian's.

[stud_defenseman 1]

I don't experiment too much with microbrews or many imports, but I like to change it up a bit.

Out of the bottle: Alexander Keith's IPA, Canadian, Coors Light, Sleeman Original, Miller Genuine Draft, Moosehead.

Out of the can: Canadian, Coors Light.

Draft: Keith's IPA, Canadian, Coors Light.

Can't go wrong with Canadian, Coors Light in any form.

Stuff that sucks: Labatt's Blue, Corona, Heineken, Guiness.

[Doggy 130]

IPA is India Pale Ale over there too right?

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

An IPA is an IPA everywhere that I know.

I've had 2 now where homebrewers have converted water filters to filter their IPA's through hops when serving. No other IPA I've had has compared.

No commercial beer I've ever had has compared to even failed homebrews that I've tasted. Beer is without question better when brewed in small batches. If you really enjoy good properly made and aged beer then I highly suggest you look into homebrewing as a hobby. After one time expenses of about 100$ (can be less, but you'll want to upgrade later), you'll have your own beer for roughly a quarter of the price. The hardest part is initially understanding all the terms/mathematics etc for measuring alcohol content, otherwise it's no more difficult than following a food recipe. A batch of beer can be made in anywhere from 3 weeks to a year (it's up to you!), and unless your aging your new brew in a old whisky barrel the containers to make multiple batches are only about 15$.

Edit: Just thought I'd point out that homebrewing is completely legal. The government will only come after those distilling (hint: or freezing homebrew and removing the ice) or attempting to sell their creations.

The majority of commercial beers I like are from craft brewing companies (as I mentioned in my previous post). Anchor Steam (based in San Fran, CA) is one that I have actually visited (I've been to several large breweries, distilleries, and frequent microbreweries), and can appreciate the work they put into their craft. I just wish their christmas ale two years ago (it changes yearly) didn't taste like drinking the christmas tree.

Edited August 6, 2008 by CaliWingsNut

[BlakChamber 8]

^^^

Yeah, homebrew is the best. I have a buddy who's been doing it probably 8-9 years and he's made some incredible stuff. I was planning on starting doing homebrew myself after the new year, but a possible change in my job may put the homebrew on hold, again.

i was at a party last week, and someone brought a couple six packs of the summer shandy. almost everyone was like..raving about it, but i thought it was like...an abomination. i actually spit it out. to be fair, i don't usually like anything leinenkugel brews, and i definiately don't like lemonade. but..flavour aside...the very concept kinda grosses me out. beer and....lemonade?

I wouldn't rave about it, but on a hot day, it really hit the spot.

[Inultus 12]

I don't experiment too much with microbrews or many imports, but I like to change it up a bit.

Out of the bottle: Alexander Keith's IPA, Canadian, Coors Light, Sleeman Original, Miller Genuine Draft, Moosehead.

Out of the can: Canadian, Coors Light.

Draft: Keith's IPA, Canadian, Coors Light.

Can't go wrong with Canadian, Coors Light in any form.

Stuff that sucks: Labatt's Blue, Corona, Heineken, Guiness.

If you think Sleeman's is good and Guinness sucks we probably aren't going to get along. BTW, when you say "Canadian" do you mean Molson?

Also, in reference to homebrewing it's a lot of fun and it makes you so proud when your beer turns out well and you know that you made it with your own two hands. I highly recommend it to anyone who really likes good beer.

I got very lucky and got about $500 of equipment for half that because one of my friends had to sell his equipment.

[hallelujahlogic 1]

If you think Sleeman's is good and Guinness sucks we probably aren't going to get along. BTW, when you say "Canadian" do you mean Molson?

Also, in reference to homebrewing it's a lot of fun and it makes you so proud when your beer turns out well and you know that you made it with your own two hands. I highly recommend it to anyone who really likes good beer.

I got very lucky and got about $500 of equipment for half that because one of my friends had to sell his equipment.

ah, sleeman's isn't so bad. it's the (presumed) molson and the coors light that i don't get. i agree whole heartedly w/his assesment of corona though. that's the nastiest, pisswateriest beer i have ever tasted in all my life. and this is coming from someone who has tried a beer called "totally dirty cheap premium beer". actually i tried an entire six pack considering it was like two dollars.

[Inultus 12]

ah, sleeman's isn't so bad. it's the (presumed) molson and the coors light that i don't get. i agree whole heartedly w/his assesment of corona though. that's the nastiest, pisswateriest beer i have ever tasted in all my life. and this is coming from someone who has tried a beer called "totally dirty cheap premium beer". actually i tried an entire six pack considering it was like two dollars.

Corona is definitely terrible, as is Heineken (in the US anyway), but I can't agree with you on Sleemans. I had it whilst spending a week in Canada and didn't like it (tried 3 varieties) then I had it at a vendor tasting a few months ago and even the vendor said it was pretty bad and that it would be the last time they would bring it to a tasting because they decided not to carry it in the states anymore. I'll say the Cream Ale isn't terrible. My biggest problem with them (much like Michigan Brewing Co.) is that they are very middle of the road, they don't make anything extreme or branch out. That's all obviously JMO though.

When u coming to town HL? We have half off big bottles Sunday-Tuesday altho I'm sure I can finagle that deal on any night. Oh, and did I mention that we have this on tap:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/founders-breakfast-stout/14956/

Edited August 7, 2008 by Inultus

[hallelujahlogic 1]

Corona is definitely terrible, as is Heineken (in the US anyway), but I can't agree with you on Sleemans. I had it whilst spending a week in Canada and didn't like it (tried 3 varieties) then I had it at a vendor tasting a few months ago and even the vendor said it was pretty bad and that it would be the last time they would bring it to a tasting because they decided not to carry it in the states anymore. I'll say the Cream Ale isn't terrible. My biggest problem with them (much like Michigan Brewing Co.) is that they are very middle of the road, they don't make anything extreme or branch out. That's all obviously JMO though.

When u coming to town HL? We have half off big bottles Sunday-Tuesday altho I'm sure I can finagle that deal on any night. Oh, and did I mention that we have this on tap:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/founders-breakfast-stout/14956/

i've actually only had sleeman's cream ale. actually it was called "cream ale 64" if that makes a difference. it wasn't like...shout it from the rooftops great, but it wasn't bad either.

i'm not a big fan of michigan brewing co. i keep trying different things by them, hoping for something great because i really, really WANT to like them. but i'm always disappointed. and yeah, i understand what you mean by calling them middle of the road.

i tried founders breakfast stout at the beer fest a couple weeks back and it was really really wonderful. i've been on a witbier kick lately though, you guys have anything tasty in the way of that?

i'd like to come out sometime soon. maybe sometime w/in the next couple of weeks? i'll let you know.

[Inultus 12]

i tried founders breakfast stout at the beer fest a couple weeks back and it was really really wonderful. i've been on a witbier kick lately though, you guys have anything tasty in the way of that?

Well, we always have Oberon but you can get that anywhere. We rotate our taps weekly, so you never know what we'll have. We have some good wheats in bottles, but as far as good ones that we've had (and will have in the future as well, just don't know exactly when) the Arbor Tree Fort is a great one, a lot of people like the Goose Island 312 and I sold a lot of Bavarian Bliss to wheat drinkers. Oh, and the Agave Wheat from Breckenridge.

[hallelujahlogic 1]

Well, we always have Oberon but you can get that anywhere. We rotate our taps weekly, so you never know what we'll have. We have some good wheats in bottles, but as far as good ones that we've had (and will have in the future as well, just don't know exactly when) the Arbor Tree Fort is a great one, a lot of people like the Goose Island 312 and I sold a lot of Bavarian Bliss to wheat drinkers. Oh, and the Agave Wheat from Breckenridge.

YOU GUYS HAVE A BEER MADE W/AGAVE?

ok. you have no idea how exciting this is for me.

i became vegan in january, which means no honey. which is fine, normally, because agave nectar tastes/looks very similar, and has a similar consistency. however..i used to like a few beers that were made w/honey, and got to thinking about how cool it would be if someone made a beer w/agave nectar (and figured it would never happen unless i did it myself)..

you just kinda made my day!

[MSUDoubleJ19 0]

I tried the Arcadia Ales summer beer Whitsun the other week. It was ok. I still prefer Oberon.

We went to the Big Buck Brewery on the way up north. I got the ESB and didn't really care for it. Husband got the stout and it was better. Not that impressed though.

[Rivalred 630]

I tried the Arcadia Ales summer beer Whitsun the other week. It was ok. I still prefer Oberon.

We went to the Big Buck Brewery on the way up north. I got the ESB and didn't really care for it. Husband got the stout and it was better. Not that impressed though.

Big Buck is still open up in Gaylord?

Hell, the one in Auburn Hills closed their doors a few years ago, of course their food and service sucked!

[Guest Shoreline]

Since this thread seems to practically always be bumped with the fitness one, is anyone here on a beer diet?

[hallelujahlogic 1]

Since this thread seems to practically always be bumped with the fitness one, is anyone here on a beer diet?

haha...beer is the only beverage w/calories that i imbibe. the only other things i drink are tea, coffee and water.

does that count?

(probably not.)

[BlakChamber 8]

Since this thread seems to practically always be bumped with the fitness one, is anyone here on a beer diet?

I've got a buddy who swears by the light beer diet.

The problem being, you have drink light beer.

[Happy Pancake 6]

I've got a buddy who swears by the light beer diet.

The problem being, you have drink light beer.

Haha I forget who said it but I love the quote that goes something like 'people who drink light beer don't like beer, they just like to pee a lot.'

[Inultus 12]

YOU GUYS HAVE A BEER MADE W/AGAVE?

Yes, we have it and altho it's not currently on tap I have a keg of it in the cooler. Mayhaps I'll have to let you know when we put it on (which should be in the next few weeks), altho if you want to try it you'll have to hurry because it will only be on for a week at most.

http://www.breckbrew.com/beer/agavewheat.html

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

First time trying a different local beer right now, Abita Restoration Ale...

http://www.abita.com/party/restoration_ale.html

http://www.abita.com/brew/restoration.html

RESTORATION ALE

Fleur-de-lis Restoration Ale is made with English Pale, Lager, Crystal and Cara Pils malted barley. It is liberally hopped and dry hopped with American Cascade and fermented with California Ale yeast. Of course the key ingredient in all our brews is the world renowned pristine water of Abita Springs that flows deep below the earths surface. The end result of the hand crafted process is a brilliant gold ale with a rich body, mild bitterness and a snappy fresh citrus hop flavor and aroma.

Not too shabby. Kinda tastes similar to a Lite Beer with a little extra kick and flavor to it. But I am the last person you should take alcohol tasting insight from, since I suck at sensing taste.

It still doesn't come close to my love for Abita Amber.

Edited August 18, 2008 by SouthernWingsFan