Beer.

[deevergote]

I agree there. I hate the current craft beer trend. I swear, the breweries are focusing more on making weird or extreme beer, rather than just making GOOD beer.

Still, I laugh when a self-proclaimed "beer snob" lists corporate beer as "good beer". It's like claiming to be a performance automotive enthusiast with a "favorite car" list that includes the Mercury Sable, Oldsmobile Silhouette, and Hyundai XG350

Many of my favorite beers are corporate swill. I'm often more than happy to toss back a few PBRs, Genesee Cream Ales, or Yuengling Lagers. Even a Miller Lite, Coors Light, or Bud Light can hit the spot on a how summer day. Especially when they're $3 for a big frosty glass at a restaurant!

I don't see myself as a beer snob. I just enjoy and appreciate beer. I like the cheap swill, I like the "good beer", I like the trendy craft stuff that tastes like apricots, chocolate, ghost peppers (ok, Ghost Face Killah was pretty brutal... but it was fun to try!)


Tonight, I picked up some Flying Fish Extra Pale Ale. Flying Fish is the nearest brewery to me in NJ (there are many just over the river in Philly.) They're located 2 towns over from where I grew up. Many of their beers are either hoppy (not my bag), or very strong dubels and tripels... also not usually my bag. The XPA is actually quite nice, though. Very balanced and drinkable.
I also got some Magic Hat Summer Ale, which is a wheat beer with ginger and hops. I generally like Magic Hat's stuff, so I have high hopes! Haven't tried it yet. It's still chilling.

[GhostAccord]

Still, I laugh when a self-proclaimed "beer snob" lists corporate beer as "good beer". It's like claiming to be a performance automotive enthusiast with a "favorite car" list that includes the Mercury Sable, Oldsmobile Silhouette, and Hyundai XG350

Yes sir!

[F22Chris]

Deev, if you like the magic hat wheat/ginger beer try Fu Man Brew by Monday Night. Good stuff. And agreed, if it's tastey, drink it and enjoy yourself.

[deevergote]

Yes sir!

The funny thing is that as I was listing those three incredibly boring cars, I began thinking of ways to make them fun.

Deev, if you like the magic hat wheat/ginger beer try Fu Man Brew by Monday Night. Good stuff. And agreed, if it's tastey, drink it and enjoy yourself.

The ginger beer was good. Not my favorite, but I won't have to struggle through the rest of them! We don't get Monday Night in my area. I'll have to look for their stuff when I'm down that way!

[GhostAccord]

Funny you mention Ginger Beer. Another one of my fav weekend treats is called a Dark and Stormy. Ginger Beer and Dark Rum....

Fill rock glass 2/3 with ice, add 3 fingers of Rum, top off with Ginger beer and enjoy!

My liquids of choice for this drink are Innis and Gunn's, Melville's Ginger Beer and Goslings, Black Seal 80 proof Black Rum. Great way to kick start the night!

[F22Chris]

Drinking a Bells Two Hearted Ale right now. Damn good beer.

[deevergote]

A new brewery just opened near me (Third State Brewing). I picked up a growler of their porter last weekend. It was a little thin for a porter (the owner said so himself), but the flavor was good.
It was pretty cool. The owner took us for a tour of the brewery. A very small operation, but cleanly laid out. Their tasting room was also quite small, but tasteful. Only 4 beers on tap at the moment, but they plan to at least double that, I expect.

It's awesome to see new places opening up. They actually looked into opening their brewery in my town, but they got a better deal elsewhere (in an area with a promising downtown).

[Grumpys93]

For you IPA hating people, I just tried Goose Island's Rambler IPA. It's a 6.7% red ale without many of the super strong IPA characteristics. It's a fall beer too so its gone soon.

I also tried the Dogfish. And hayzeus.. Hands down, best American IPA I've ever had. Usually with these super hopped up beers, that's all you taste. With the 90 minute, you can actually taste malted flavors! Very nice brew, thanks for the suggestion Grumpy

Glad you liked it. I was chatting with a bartender a couple months ago and he said the 90 min is kind of outdated. He introduced me to a new beer and I loved it. Sad thing is I forgot what it was called after having to many brews. I did have a nice summer beer this weekend
Urban 312 by Goose island.
Its a wheat beer and i'm not usually a wheat drinker.
But I am also excited Sam Adams Porch Rocker is out, that's another great summer beer.

[deevergote]

Dogfish can do no wrong!


I'm hesitant to like Goose Island, as they've been bought out by Anheuser-Busch InBev. In my mind (and it may just be that... in my mind...) a craft brewery that is bought out by "Big Beer" usually gets ruined quite quickly. Much like the formerly unique and innovative Saab once they were bought out by General Motors, and forced to die a slow badge-engineered death due to terminal penny-pinching.
When I see these craft breweries getting bought out, I just imagine the quality of the ingredients falling sharply, the production process becoming more mechanized, and the overall flavor just falling flat.

Granted, it's been 4 years for Goose Island, and they're not ruined yet.

[deevergote]

I just recently tried Leinenkugel's Grapefruit Shandy. Tastes like straight grapefruit juice. Quite good, if you like grapefruit! I've always liked their stuff. Sunset Wheat tastes like Fruity Pebbles in a bottle. They have some creative brews, which is interesting coming from such an old commercial brewery (though their major production and distribution is far more recent.) Especially since they're a SABMiller subsidiary.
Granted, John Miller was one of the founders of the company back in 1867!

(yay wikipedia! )

[Grumpys93]

Dogfish can do no wrong!

I totally agree. I love most of their beers!

I enjoy Leinenkugel's Summer shandy as well. Haven't tried their grapefruit yet since I don't care for grapefruit. BUT, if it taste like fruity pebbles I have to give it a go!

[F22Chris]

I've actually noticed two new micro brewery's pop up near me. One is Blue Tarp, and the other is Wild Heaven. I've not tried anything from Blue Tarp, but plan to tour their place this Saturday.

I recently had a Wild Heaven beer called Emergency Drinking Beer it was their lager, which was actually very good. It wasn't the standard adjunct like you would usually get. Nice actual hoppy flavor.

The night I had it, I also met Norman Reedus and Emily Kinney from Walking Dead.

[deevergote]

I totally agree. I love most of their beers!

I enjoy Leinenkugel's Summer shandy as well. Haven't tried their grapefruit yet since I don't care for grapefruit. BUT, if it taste like fruity pebbles I have to give it a go!

It's the Sunset Wheat that tastes like fruity pebbles. Like, seriously... tastes like you're drinking the milk out of the bowl, only replace the milk with beer. It's good. Refreshing. Very sweet. Not very beer-like.

The grapefruit is just grapefruit. Pure grapefruit.

[deevergote]

I've actually noticed two new micro brewery's pop up near me. One is Blue Tarp, and the other is Wild Heaven. I've not tried anything from Blue Tarp, but plan to tour their place this Saturday.

I recently had a Wild Heaven beer called Emergency Drinking Beer it was their lager, which was actually very good. It wasn't the standard adjunct like you would usually get. Nice actual hoppy flavor.

The night I had it, I also met Norman Reedus and Emily Kinney from Walking Dead.

That's awesome! I heard Reedus is practically as redneck in real life as his character on the show...

I rarely like really hoppy beers. Like you said before, the really hoppy ones are more just examples of how breweries stuff as much hops into a beer as possible. It seems like few are actually about the flavor of the beer. Granted, I've read that people who drink a lot of very hoppy beers tend to get used to the flavor, and notice the other flavors in the beer more easily. Like people that eat spicy food, I suppose... to many, too spicy has no flavor, just pain.
There are occasionally hoppy beers that I can get into, though. Usually East Coast stuff, as West Coast breweries are all about the hop wars.


My friend once said: "An IPA is usually just a bad beer disguised by a ton of hops." Funny, because it was with that friend that I brewed a FANTASTIC black IPA (2.5 years ago... I had a bottle stored, just drank the last one a couple weeks ago... damn that was a good beer!)

[F22Chris]

Deev, all I have to say is that they don't put grease in his hair when they shoot. He's naturally a greaseball. The only difference from what he looks like in the show and what he's like off the set, is his hat. Which that night was a leather paperboy hat.