I just opened up a bottle La Chouffe, my favourite type of beer, and I was wondering:

What is your personal favourite type of beer?

Cheers,


P.S. you can search your beer and its reviews on this nice website:
http://www.ratebeer.com/default.asp

Fat Tire I also enjoy Estes Park Gold.

What is your personal favourite type of beer?

I'm not trying to be facetious but I really love ROOT BEER.
It's delicious by itself, or in a root beer float. You can drink it
while driving, and it's something even children can enjoy.
Excessive amounts will not cause you to say or do stupid things,
and it's less fattening than alcoholic beer.

So many moods so many beers.

My favourites for different moods and budgets include

Guinness Stout
Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
Newcastle Brown Ale
Blue Moon Pale Ale
Pacifico


and Bud Light


and for the less than $2 at a bar category

PBR

DP got any scientific proof of that less fattening root beer thing.
I've enjoyed some great root beers. Some places have awesomw Rootbeer on tap.
I like IBC as a bottled rootbeer. But is has NEVER felt non-fattening.

The kind of root beer that I buy is made by Hansen's.
It's got 160 calories per serving, and 43 grams of carbs/sugars. I'm not sure
how that compares with the average beer. The main reason I'm saying that root
beer is less fattening than alcoholic beer is because most people who consume
root beer, drink one or two. With alcoholic beer, people consume much greater
quantities, on the average. That's why root beer is less fattening.

Think seriously for a moment: All across America, thousands of men are lying
at home this Sunday afternoon, watching football with their massive guts spilling
over the side of the sofa. They didn't get those bloated bellies from root
beer.

I have to jump on the band wagon with this. I hate the smell and taste of beer. The closest thing to beer that I can tolerate is hard cider. Woodchuck brand Granny Smith hard cider is quite tasty.

The best root beer in the world is Virgil's. It's made with real sugar, not corn syrup, and all the other ingredients are natural. It also tastes superb. It truly is a gourmet root beer, and has won "fancy food" awards. Here is some more information:

Link

I'll try to go local (US brands) and international here:

US:
Budweiser
Shiner Bock (#1)
Blue Moon (with orange of course)
Honey Brown
New Castle

International:
Harp (Irish)
Killians (Irish)
Hoegaarden (Belgian)
XXXX (Aussie)
Toohey's Pils (Aussie)
Beez Neez (Aussie)
Pacifico (Mexican)
Carona (Mexican, with lemon/lime)
Carlton Draught (Aussie)

Hmmm, guess if I had to pick just one beer it would be Shiner Bock (a true Texas beer, made and brewed in Shiner, Texas; y'all.)

Go Shiner!

Stella Artois, the only beer in the world. Then maybe Carlsberg or Beck's.

If I had to drink an American "beer", it'd be Samuel Adams Boston Lager - the only commerical beer in the country brewed with nothing but hops, barley, yeast, and water instead of adjuncts like rice and corn.

I like beer and root beer. I have certain basic requirements that if the beer or root beer fits, it's fine.

beer: good head, more malty than bitter, not more than $1.15 USD (adjusted for inflation) per 12 oz. bottle.

root beer: good head, not too sweet, bite or cream character, plays well with vanilla ice cream.

But if either one is free, then it's fine too.

Very worst beer ever: Staghorn.
Very best beer: Sam Adams triple bock. Don't think they make it any longer. Otherwise, the one on sale.

Very worst root beer: Canned A&W.
Very best root beer: Tap A&W in chilled glass mug on hot August day.

It is unbelievable how many beers there in the world. For me beer is one of the nicest drinks in the world and I have the convenience of living really close to Belgium, without any doubt the best beer producing country in the world.

I found it funny that Wertz mentioned Stella Artois. In my opinion, this is like the crappiest beer from Belgium.

Please, please (I am on my knees here ) go to a good liquor shop, buy some nice Belgian Abbey beers or maybe a Duvel and enjoy. Don't benchdrink the stuff goes you will be drunk in about half an hour (alcohol percentage between 8 - 11 %!!) And do NOT, I repeat do NOT, drink the yeast that is laying on the bottom. It will make you run to the bathroom quicker than you can say: "I'll have another one!" Just sit back and relax.

If you don't like the "real" stuff, you can always try different lagers like: Palm Speciale, Hoegaerden (good pick Devils Advocate; a nice cold class of white beer like Hoegaerden, on a really hot summer day... mmmmhhh ) or maybe something like Hertog Jan, a really nice Dutch lager.

I must admit that I am not an expert on U.S.-Canadian beers. Budweiser is nothing special. Like Heineken or Amstel beer it is just party-beer. ( I always find it strange that Heineken is such a big hit in other parts of the world: in Holland it is like the cheapest beer, that lacks real taste) But when I was in Canada (Vancouver Island) I drank a really nice Indian Pale Ale. It was really robust, with a strong after bite. I liked it so much that I bought some when I went back home.

Renger,

Seems that it's darn near impossible to get overly strong beer in the US due to laws that regulate beer alcohol percentage. Boulder Brewery left the sediments in their brews in the 1980s, but now it's all filtered. I drank the sediment back then with no gastral problems, go figger. But then, little gives me problems in that area except some authentic Mexican places. Sometimes green chili goes bad, but who can tell?

The only way to get beer as you've described around here is to make your own. I'm not that ambitious, nor do I care to stink up the place. However, just sitting back and relaxing is still available.

CAN I GET AN AMEN?!?!?!?!?!?...

Shiner is hands down one of the best beers that I can ever say that I've had.

I do enjoy a good Bass, or even Stella when I can find it (they have it at the Idle Rich Pub in uptown-Dallas if y'all are in the area).

However, Shiner, Shiner light, and Shiner Blonde are some of the finest beers that I've had my hands on. Far less after taste but w/ full flavor. (Oh, and the winter ale isn't bad....)

Negra Modelo
Cuzqueña Negra (if you happen to be in Peru)
Shiner Bock
Schlitz Dark (on draft at The Billy Goat under Michigan Avenue)
Sam Adams Winter Lager
Guinness Draft (extra cold in the UK)
Goose Island Honker's Ale
Sam Adams
Hacker-Pschorr Weisse on a hot day

PBR, Schlitz or Old Style as a backup

It is a pity Americans have difficulties obtaining these traditional Belgian beers. You are missing the real beer experience.

You know what you could do, if you really like those traditional Belgium beers: go to Belgium for a holiday and visit all those beautiful old abbeys were they still brew traditionally. You can enjoy your beer, while at the same time learn more about the rich history of Belgium. Its a win-win situations!

OR... you can write your representative and asks to make an exception. It is a crime that so many Americans have never experienced a "real" beer.

AuthorMusician, I hate to interject, but you are mistaken. If you head into Colorado Springs, you will find several retailers that sell real Belgian Ales (Chimay, Lambic, Liefmans, Orval, etc.) I know for a fact that Coaltrain's in Co Springs sells these ales, and I'm pretty sure that Cheers and Vintage's do as well. If you're all the way out in Denver, you can find these ales at bigger stores like Argonaut or Applejack.

You are right about the weird beer & alcohol laws, but in Colorado you should find just about every kind of beer and ale at a good liquor store.

But I second Renger - go to Belgium for a holiday anyway

I am a beer drinker...looks like I am alone in representing the women of

I love Chimay and we get it here at like 15%. I am really loving this new one we found from US Allagash I think? It is a weiss beer. I like weiss beer too.

I seems like it, but maybe thats because originally you were from Europe, Suisse if I am not mistaken. Maybe you brought the European love of quality beers to the U.S. Chimay is indeed a really tasty beer. I prefer to drink it when it is a bit colder outside. And weiss beer ... a nice warm day ... sitting outside .... mmmhhh perfect.

Have you ever tried La Chouffe? It is some sort of mix between weiss beer and the traditional beers. It tastes really fresh, almost like champagn-beer. But drink with care, 9.5 % alcohol can hit you really hard.

Let's see, first off I don't get holiday, I get Christmas! This is the US after all.

B, I don't drive down the hill unless it involves making good money or getting something I can't get up here, usually a type of food like Margo's Chicago Dogs and curly fries. Going down for ale isn't exactly enough reward. Going to Belgium is definately out of the question. I'd need another reason. How's the green chili?

Hey, I have something to say about Shiners Bock -- few beers have too much head, and that's one of them. But, it's relatively inexpensive if hard to pour. Maybe it's designed to be drunk from the bottle. I know Coors Light goes flat just like that if you pour it.

You are absolutely right ... Sorry about that! And a Merry Happy to you too, sir.



Look out with that, before you know it your bottle transforms into an erupting volcano!

I'd have to say this: I've never had it out of the bottle unless it's been from the tap. I would say just drink it from the bottle.

My personal favorites are:

Guinness Stout
Bodingtons (UK-Manchester)

I actually much prefer the beers found in the UK and Europe to anything produced over here. I flat refuse to touch things like Bud, Coors, etc these days. I drank plenty of that in college but those days are long gone.

I'm primarily a wine drinker though.

I know this is a casual conversation debate but I thought you might find these links interesting: beer calories vs. Barq's root beer AND ice cream. To sum up: beer = 135 to 175 calories vs. root beer = 167 calories AND with a scoop of ice cream = 130-180 calories. As far as calories are concerned, I think you're better off drinking the beer and there's not as much sugar to boot.

What is your personal favourite type of beer?

So, I'm gonna agree with Renger and say I have a high bias towards Belgian ales. Give me a Trappist ale like Chimay Blue or La Trappe Tripel or an Abbey beer like Saint-Feuillian and I'm a happy man. Of course, I enjoy a good British-style pint of ale and love the Bavarian-style Dunkelweisse beers. But, Renger, you're probably missing out on all the lovely American micro-brews that exist. If you ever make it out San Francisco way, I'll take you to one of my favorite pubs: Toronado.

With all due respect, Logopage, did you read this post that I wrote
shortly after my original post?








Yes, and when most people drink beer they do not stop at just one. So they
end up drinking more alcoholic beer than us root beer lovers. The proof is
at all the AA meetings and all the people who lost their licenses for driving
drunk, etc, etc. I've never heard of a 12-step Root Beer recovery program
(I guess there's no need for one). Cheers!

Missed that post . Hansen's does make a good product.


Yeah, that's true. Not too many binge root beer drinkers. Of course, there ought to be an AA equivalent for refined food consumption (including soft drinks). It's the leading cause of obesity and Type II diabetes in the US. Not sure what's worse: dead liver or dead pancreas.

Touche'!

Thanks to Amity Wine and Spirits in New Haven, CT I have no problems getting any kind of beer I want - they even carry Russian beers (they're not as bad as their reputation - most of the brands are owned by Heineken, Becks and other European brands - but they still lack the quality of fine German beers.)

As for my favorites I would have to name

"Maudite" by Unibroue - a Quebec brewery which is not very well known in the States;
Aecht Schlenkerla - German smoked beer - a bit strong for my taste, but the flavor is just unbelievable;
Sam Adams Seasonal brews, and Boston Lager,
"Celebrator", a premium Bavarian brand (only if I have $12 to spend on a 6-pack...)

I like my humble Honey Brown Lager.

No! ack! I am not Suisse..I lived there tho but not in Suisse in der Schweiz I am originally from England.

And for those who believe Americans make some of the worst beer in the world believe me the Swiss most certainly give them some hard competition...along with the Australians.

The only beer that I can get through is Guinness. Everything else I've tried is either too bitter or too sour.

And the best root beer in the world is Henry Weinhard's, made with honey. Most of those foo-foo micro-brew high-end root beers are made with way too much spice (usually anise) for my taste. I was a professional taster for about a year, and I got to sample at least eighty different kinds of root beer. Though no one told us any brand names, they did let us know which ones were made by large bottlers and which ones were made by smaller companies. Invariably, the smaller companies' were too spicy (for me), and the large guys' were too tasteless.

Boy, this thread is making me thirsty.

But not for an American beer. God, the last time I had a Miller Lite, I thought it might work better to clear tar marks off my tires or to clean paint brushes. Either option seemed preferable than drinking that swill.

I discovered Sapporo beer at a jazz club and it was soooo much better than the typical bladder busters Americans have to call beer. It's pricey, but quality costs.

But when the money's funny and I've got to have a tall cool one to pound while I'm watching the 49ers being pummelled into submission I'll weaken and choke down a PBR.

And if you don't know what a "PBR" stands for you're probably better off not knowing.

What is your personal favourite type of beer?
I'm probably going to be scorned and ridiculed by all you beer snobs (relax, I'm kidding), but I like Samuel Adams. If I have a choice, that's what I would order. I also like Harp and Red Tail Ale. Can't stand Guinness, too "chewy" for me.

nighttimer....from the land of sky-blue waaaa-ters.....right?(my dad drank that stuff! When we were kids, my brother and I used to sneak sips of it. )

Brains Brewery

(Make sure cookies are allowed, and you input a birthdate that makes you over 18. )

Brains Dark Mild Ale. In the Llandaff Institute. On match day, so you can watch the TV replay of the international match that Wales have just won that afternoon in front of you at the Millennium Stadium.

WIth those conditions, the best beer in the world. Ever.

Under other conditions, a pleasant-tasting hoppy dark session beer with a clean finish.

Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness

Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness

Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness
Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness

any questions?

I just like Coors Light. I don't really do the fancy pants kinda beers cause they tend to taste nasty, especially if you drink them warm like in English Pubs.

I usually drink higher end Whiskeys and I find that Coors is a very light tasting beer to clear the palet with after a taste, it still leaves the taste of the Whiskey in your buds and nostrils.

I have no doubt that you're right. I should probably have mentioned that I am not much of a beer drinker (and far from a connoisseur) - probably due to the fact that I grew up in the US, surrounded by American mass market beers (this was a few decades before micro-breweries began springing up) which are so wretched that they defy description. I should maybe have said that Stella is one of the few beers in the world that I can tolerate at all. I only ever buy beer from a bar - I'd never bring the stuff home - so, of the mass market beers that I've come across, Stella is the most palatable (and has a pretty clean finish, which I like).

Despite having lived in Ireland for nearly two decades, I've never taken to Guinness - though, oddly perhaps, I don't mind Boddington's. I should mention to those who may think they like Harp that, if you are ever in Ireland itself, you should avoid it like the plague. Harp Export is a vastly different creature from the local stuff, whose taste I couldn't describe without violating several profanity rules.

In general, though, give me bourbon - ideally, George T. Stagg or Pappy Van Winkle (Maker's Mark in a pinch) - or a good Irish whiskey like Crested Ten. Beer's for girly-men.

Think globally, drink locally, I say. Here in San Francisco, I like to get Speakeasy's Prohibition Ale and Lagunitas IPA. (I likes the hops.) I'm heading back to Virginia for Christmas, and I plan to drink some Dominion beers when I'm there. Let a thousand (hop) flowers bloom.

I've also got a 5-gallon batch of porter mellowing in the carboy right now, ready for bottling around New Year's. It's about two feet from my right shoulder, in fact. Local production doesn't get much more local than that...

Moi, I don't like the taste of beer, so I can't add my "favorite" to the list. I use beer in cooking, which generally means dark beers. What's annoying is the inability to get good single bottles of dark beer. Hereabouts, the bars cannot sell unopened alcohol.

As for root beer, some of the very best root beers in the world are brewed in Utah. Few of them are commercially available, but if you get the opportunity to crash a Utah summer picnic, you'll be amazed.

Regarding the widespread disdain for American mass market beers being voiced, methinks y'all should seriously consider the environment in question. American beers are too weak, watery, bitter, etc. Well, all successful beers from warmer climes share these characteristics. Anybody ever hear about Mexican dark beers, Phillipino doublebocks, etc? No, because the heavy North European beers so beloved by most folks on this board simply don't deliver in warmer climates.

Those who diss American beers are missing out! Some of the best beers in the world are American, though they're all microbrews.

My special favorite style of beer is IPA, and my favorite IPA is Deschutes Quail Springs IPA, brewed in Oregon.

Currently in the fridge: Winterhook, a pleasant and reliable Christmas ale by Seattle's own Redhook brewery.

Some other favorites of mine:

Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Brewing Co., CA
Ruination IPA, Stone Brewing Co., CA
Both of the above are extremely hoppy and assertive, not to everyone's taste, but they work for me.

Full Sail Imperial Porter, Oregon
Deschutes Obsidian Stout, Oregon

Pilsner Urquell, Czech import

I agree with Henry Weinhard's being one of the best root beers, though I also like Thomas Kemper for root beer and other soft drinks.

I found this nice link that helps you find imported beers in the US.

For all you beer snobs (Wertz are you paying attention?? )
http://bergsman.org/jeremy/beerstuff/importers.html


Cheers,

I had to chuckle about Izz's comments about IPA's.. those are hoppy indeed... In fact I have some bottles right here. Let me quote you from the label of Arrogant Bastard Ale. "This is an aggressive beer. You probably won't like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth"

IPAs are a little too hoppy for me. I like something along the lines of:

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
Rogue: Hazel Nut Brown(Comes from a small micro brew in California called Rogue)
Burgerbrau