Let's talk about world class beers again.
 

Another forum I post in once in a while got talking about good beer places in Phoenix. Lots of us lamented there are few, and then some folks chimed in about how craft beers are so great and ours are the world's envy. Kidding me? If you like craft beer, that's fine. But I do plenty of int'l. travel and the only American beer I've ever seen in Europe is in some American-themed novelty diner or saloon, usually having to do with Route 66 nostalgia. I've seen Pabst and Budwesier in China, but all American stuff there is fashionable.


IMHO, Pilsner Urquell and Budvar (the original Budweiser from CZ) are the best. If you're into that kind of beer, then Germany and CZ are hard to beat in that area. I spent a week in the Czech Republic in May and don't recall seeing anything other than PU, Budvar and Staropramen. And I drank a LOT there every day. In Germany I tend to stay away from the big national brands and drink the local stuff. Though some of it has recently become nationally popular, so it's no longer just local.

I have never had a craft beer in the US I cared for. To me they all taste like an IPA, no matter what they call it. And I hate IPA. My default beer in the US is Stella when they don't serve anything I know is better. And I don't really love Stella, but it's ok.

As for Chinese beers in the US, I like Tsing Tao and Harbin. The few others that are available here I think are pretty light. As I type this I'm drinking Krombacher, which is pretty big in northern Germany. Last night I had two bottles of Steigl, a pilsner from Salzburg, Austria. I'm very lucky to have a huge beer dist. nearby with many great European beers for reasonable money.

Well Rick, I'm an IPA fan. But there is something to say for a good lager or pilsner. IN between IPA's, of course. Like a glass of water. Just teasin'. I like St. Pauli Girl. And Heineken. I draw the line at wheat beers, though. Abomination.

St. Bernardus Abt 12. The sheeeeat..

This is a pretty decent website for ratings, types of beer, etc..

BeerAdvocate - Respect Beer.


I had a Grolsh on the weekend. Not bad...ever have one? I think it really depends what you're eating. I prefer different beers depending on what I'm eating or snacking on.

What?! The hell you say! Boulevard Wheat, brewed just up the road in KC, is one of my favorites.

I had a beer sent down by our very own Nynor not too long ago... Definitely towards the top of my list....


And I'm sure you all will say its water, but when I can get it I like the Lazy Magnolia, Southern Pecan beer....

Spaten Optimator ... if I want to get trashed.... Chimay

Chimay, Duvel, Okochim

Love me my stouts and brown ales - newcastle, guinness, sam smith's oatmeal stout

If I'm drinking beer for taste, IPA it is. Double IPA even better. Go to beer is Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Some of my favs.

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Hands down the best beer in Austria, but not easy to find there.
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I'm sure I'll be burned at the stake for being an unsophisticated beer heathen, but after mowing the lawn, sitting on the lake when 100 F, or similar outside hot activity there's nothing that hits the spot like a good cheap Miller Lite.

Nothing at all wrong with that!! Man..that first sip after mowing the lawn..is there anything better in the world?? :)

All I drink at the lake house is Miller Light or Budweiser.

IIRC, Miller and Budweiser are primarily rice adjunct beers now...as is Coors.

My favorite Japanese style rice beer is Sapporo.

Cask ale. Any I dont care.

My favorite used to be a black & tan made with Newcastle and Guinness, until I realized that I could order a pint of each, and be ambidextrous.

Drinking in pubs can be very inspirational.

_

I like all kinds of beer, my weakness. However, when the dust settles, my absolute favorite is Coors Banquet. Not the beer that's sat around in grocery stores in 30 paks, I buy the 16oz Talls at the small liquor stores.

Steve

73 911 T MFI Coupe, Aubergine

I learned to really like Foster's when we would come into the Australian bases in Vietnam.

Everyone needs one of these in their house. $6K. Same system Dogfish used.

http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/wp...Magic-Main.jpg

The real one from the Czech Republic.

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This smoke beer was pretty different, got it in Bamberg.

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My pilgrimage to the holy land of beer.

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Most American lagers will use up to about 30% rice as an adjunct. It provides fermentable sugars and contributes to '"mouth feel" without adding any flavor. The primary ingredient is still malted barley.

Many currently use more.

"Coors Brewing Co. quietly changed the recipe of its Original Coors beer as part of a marketing strategy emphasizing the brand's heritage. The company confirmed that it returned to a 100% rice- based adjunct recipe - the recipe that the company abandoned in the mid-1970s. Coors began using corn starch in the mid-70s because of "volatility" in the rice market, causing concerns about price, quality and availability. Taste-test panels determined that the company could employ corn starch without "affecting the taste," said Dave Taylor, the brewer's corporate communications manager. Hoping to reverse the brand's 20-year sales decline, the Golden brewer announced in the spring that it redesigned the packaging, devised a fresh advertising campaign and improved the quality. Coors debated the wisdom of publicizing the formula change in the spring, deciding to de-emphasize it with the help of the "improved quality" euphemism. "We didn't want to create the perception that we were making radical changes," Taylor said. "Consumers might not notice the difference in the recipe." (Source: Steve Caulk, Rocky Mountain News, August 29, Thursday, Business; Pg. 1B)"

No.
What that article is saying is that the adjunct they are using is 100% rice, no more corn.
Malted barley is the main ingredient.
Adjuncts add no flavors, ideally.
I have duplicated both Bud and Coors recipes.

I understood what you said. You quoted some recipes use 30% rice as an adjunct. I merely replied that some are using a 100% rice adjunct.


When I refer to "rice beer" in a general term, I'm referring to beers that are typically called "Japanese Rice Lagers" such as Sapporo, Asahi, Orion etc.

**EDIT** I see I left out "adjunct" in my post about Coors, Budweiser and Miller...sorry for the oversight!! I've fixed the original post to reflect that.

Boags Premium, made in Tasmania.
That Sapporo is great beer.
And slodave got me drinking Becks.
Three good beers.

Meh, perfectly content with a Yuengling.

or one of my crappy homebrews.... :D

I envy you E coast folks, Yuengleng isn't sold this far West.

Yuengling is good beer. I'll be in Pittsburgh this week and plan to have a few.

Glad to see Krombacher on the list. When I visit Germany, this is my beer of choice. I can drink lots of it, catch a good one, and be able to function in business meetings the next morning. I liked it so much I tried to find it in the USA and had Zero luck ! I stumbled across it last month for the first time driving to the beach and wiped them out on my way to the beach and on my return.

Problem I have with many of the beers on this list is they sit on the shelf for months (and months) and usually taste like the back end of a skunk when I finally buy them (not that I officially know what that tastes like).

Miller Lite - My large domestic "go to" beer when I know I'm drinking all night
Yuengling - Great tasting beer - not morning friendly to me for some reason?
Asian Beer - Singha
Mexican Beer - Negra Modelo
German Beer - There all great! Krombacher being my all nighter
Domestic - Small brewery - Sam Adams, Bells Amber, Sweetwater 420, Magic Hat 9, and others
High content beers - Don't really like them over 7%-8%. Start to taste winey.

When I used to work in NJ, the boss would stock the fridge with Yuengling on Fridays so that we could all sit around and have a beer after the work week was over. The reason he purchased Yuengling was that it was the cheapest beer he could find that was not "too cheap" for his standards. He wouldn't buy Carling or Shaeffer, but by the case Yuengling was just a buck or two more at $11.95 per case.

Then one day the marketing faeries decided it was some sort of premium beer. Their faerie magic worked; people started paying more for it and raving about how good it is.

Was it better quality than the price would have led people to believe? Was it really a $24 per case beer that was just a super bargain? I don't know. I just remember it was cold and free. But in my mind, it is still a $12/case beer so I never buy it at current prices.

Miller Lite is pretty much the staple beer of choice around here. If I know im gonna be pounding them down all day or night, i'll stick with one of the domestic lights.

Cash , Yuenglings not cheap anymore.

You guys are killing me.

Back when I used to travel to Europe frequently, particularly western Europe, I enjoyed Caffrey's. Nice Irish Ale.

Schlenkerla Rauchbier (the one Rick Lee mentioned) is one of my favorites along with Augustiner Brau fresh from the keg. I also dring Negra Modelo and Coors. Heck, I'll drink anything except for Blue Moon (can't stand that coriander).

It's sold in OH as of 2012. Now I can travel across the state line and purchase.

On craft beers, real ales are making a come back. People are getting tired of commercial lagers and are starting to appreciate a real, living, ale.

Real Ale is consumer rights movement called CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).

CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale

Campaigning for real ale, pubs & drinkers' rights since 1971

Signup

I would kill for a case of Shaeffer Light. :eek: I have not had one since the late 80's when it was our favorite college chugging contest beer. Laugh all you want, but I drank so much of it back then that I grew accustomed to it and crave it to this day. Prior to that ijn highschool it was Old Milwaukee Light (AKA Old KillDonkey)

Pretty sure neither have been produced in years.

About the only beer I drink any more is an occasional Yuengling or Corona that I typically stock in my shop fridge or Fosters with a steak at Outback.

Pilsner Urquell is one of my favs, and they serve it on tap at my local pub in these proper 0.5L glasses:

http://homefieldgrill.com/wp-content...er-Urquell.jpg

I also really like Grolsch.

You bring up a great point. Nothing jacks me up like ordering a great draught beer and having it served in a Bud Light glass. In Germany, every beer is served in its appropriate glass. Just a pet peeve of mine. I'm actually not a beer snob.

Beast light or bust.

I've had a few Sam Adams Summer Styles 12 packs this year, good stuff.