Favorite Beers or Brewpubs

[OCGuy81]

One of my hobbies is brewing beer, something I started doing a few years ago.

Sort of going along with the soft drink thread recently posted here, what are some of your favorite beers or breweries that you enjoy going to?

The craft beer industry in the US is exploding.  I'm constantly seeing new selections at my local grocery stores, and "small" (albeit growing rapidly) breweries like Stone in Escondido, Old Orange Brewing Co in Orange (duh), or Noble Ale Works in Anaheim, I'm also seeing great locally made beer being served in cool locations right in my own backyard. 

And then there are places like Portland, which is to microbrews what Saudi Arabia is to oil.  It's everywhere!  And they're all pretty damn good!

A list of of beers and brewpubs I like:

Stone Brewing (Escondido, CA) - Haven't had a bad beer there.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA.  Really good and hoppy.  A bit much in the summer heat, but this time of year, it's great.

Noble Ale Works Pistol Whip'd Pils - Light and flavorful

Rogue Brewing (Newport, OR) - A cool location on the Oregon Coast, they make some amazing beers.  It's also a place that has good food, and my kids are happy because they even make their own root beer.

21st Amendment Live Free or Die IPA - One of the first micros I saw in cans, and it's really tasty.  I'm used to the old days of beer in cans having sort of an aluminum taste, but this casts that old stereotype aside and delivers a great hoppy IPA.

[on_wisconsin]

[english si]

Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA.  Really good and hoppy.  A bit much in the summer heat, but this time of year, it's great.

IPA was designed for the heat of Indian Summers - American IPAs aren't real IPAs if they can't take the heat!

IPAs are meant to be heavily hopped. However, New World hops are sour (sorry, 'citrus and floral') rather than bitter like English hops. Sadly, this definition of 'hoppy' as aromatic has crossed the Atlantic, and while English-grown hops will remain more bitter than their American-grown counterparts, English IPA has moved towards American faux-IPA in recent years (and thus I've gone off it).

Czechvar

Proper Budweiser!

----

I like Porter, Ruby Ale, proper English Bitter and (occasionally) a good lager. I tend to like many brands, except Old Speckled Hen, Spitfire and anything from the US (the latter for the New World Hop dislike). I typically drink local beer when in pubs, and Badger when not (because Costco do good offers on their bottled beer).

[leroys73]

Hofbrau Oktoberfest

However, I have been know to drink any of them once. except Hoppin' Gator I could only endure three sips out of the entire 6 pack.

[OCGuy81]

I like Porter, Ruby Ale, proper English Bitter and (occasionally) a good lager. I tend to like many brands, except Old Speckled Hen, Spitfire and anything from the US (the latter for the New World Hop dislike). I typically drink local beer when in pubs, and Badger when not (because Costco do good offers on their bottled beer).

Porter is another I like in cooler temps, and I'm planning to brew a nice Stout this weekend!

[Pete from Boston]

Two favorites I can't get here: Three Floyds Zombie Dust Pale Ale from Munster, Indiana, and Carson's RIPA (red IPA) from Evansville.  Both really well-rounded hoppy ales.

My local favorite success story is Jack's Abby in Framingham, Mass., the only local brewer I know to only brew lagers (and a crapload of them).  Really creative line of beers, from hoppy to light, sweet to smoky.  Their tap penetration is impressive, considering there's practically a commercial brewer on every third block nowadays. 

I keep threatening to brew my own, and am probably closer than ever.  Maybe this next snowstorm will be the time.

[empirestate]

Now this is my kind of thread!

The brewery I've most recently come to be impressed with, after spending an extended period in Wisconsin, is Lakefront of Milwaukee. Not only do they make a wide range of styles–unusual for craft breweries, which typically specialize in one thing like IPAs, Belgian styles, etc.–but they are all outstanding examples of the styles. Dark lagers are my favorite styles, and their Eastside Dark is, I think, my only 5-star rating on Untappd.

Craft beer is definitely gaining a presence here in NYC, with neighborhood supermarkets, groceries and even some bodegas stocking an increasingly varied and discriminating selection. And it seems like every week NPR has an article on the stuff...

I live just down the road from the Bronx's best craft beer bar (there are few enough in the borough that this is a reasonably safe assertion, though it does give a run for the money of places citywide), but I've enjoyed places all over the U.S. and beyond. In stream-of-consciousness order:

—M. Mogger's of Terre Haute, just a great place to hang out. They don't actually brew, though, so they may be off-topic.
—Okanagan Spring Brewery of Vernon, BC, has one of my favorite dark lagers I've had.
—Funky Buddha of Boca Raton, they do a great Maple Bacon Coffee Porter!
—New Belgium Brewery of Fort Collins is always a fun tour, and as large as they are now, they raise the bar for widely-available beer options in their distribution area. Sadly, that doesn't include here. They are to beer in the West what Sheetz is to gas stations in Pennsylvania.
—NoDa Brewing of Charlotte is another, very small operation that I really enjoyed, for the same reasons as Lakefront.
—Idaho Brewing Company of Idaho Falls is a great hang when in that city, especially if you're staying at the Candlewood Suites with its free laundry. 

And there's lots more...

[on_wisconsin]

Pearl Street Brewery out of La Crosse is also excellent and quite underrated as is Rush River Brewing Co. in River Falls.  I've even heard rumors that New Glarus's Spotted Cow is the second highest selling beer in Wisconsin (off-sale and maybe on as well) behind Miller Lite.

[OCGuy81]

Funky Buddha of Boca Raton, they do a great Maple Bacon Coffee Porter!

Whhhhaaa?! Bacon AND beer together at last? I'm very intrigued!

[1995hoo]

I like Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria, Virginia. They're located perhaps three miles from my house as the crow flies, though as the car drives it can be more like half an hour. Problem is, because the brewery is so close by, I'm spoiled by growler fills and so I don't buy their bottled beer at the store because I'd rather go over to the tasting room and get it fresh (which, of course, also means it must be consumed promptly).

DC Brau in DC make a nice IPA as well, as does Flying Dog of Frederick, Maryland (theirs is called Snake Dog). Snake Dog is available at Capitals and Nationals games, which makes me very happy because it's such an improvement over the mass-market piss-colored swill. I like to support local brewers and wineries if they're decent. (If they're terrible, forget it, of course.)

Moving more afield, I like Cigar City's Jai Alai IPA (from Tampa) and Dogfish Head's 60- and 90-Minute IPAs (from Delaware). Dogfish Head have two local restaurants here with their own beers on tap. They make a really nice Black and Tan using the 90-Minute IPA and their chicory stout. Starr Hill's Northern Lights IPA (from Crozet, Virginia, about 20 minutes west of Charlottesville) is also a good one. St. George in Hampton make a nice IPA if you can get it on tap. It's OK in the bottle, I just prefer the draught and it's harder to find around here (a South African pub in Charlottesville carries it).

The Irish pub in our neighborhood carries Bell's Two-Hearted on tap and that's pretty much my go-to when we go there unless it's after golf, in which case I'll get Harp instead.

Stone's Smoked Porter (with or without the vanilla bean) may be my favorite example of that style.

[OCGuy81]

I keep threatening to brew my own, and am probably closer than ever.  Maybe this next snowstorm will be the time.

It's a fun hobby, and I find myself making about a batch per month.  A few tips if you're going to get started.

- Go to a brew supply shop and ask what they suggest for a novice.  The Mr. Beer kits you see at some places really aren't that great, IMO.  You can get a similar setup from a store that deals just with beer supplies that will make much better beer.

- Visit a few small breweries.  Most brewers are really passionate about their craft, and while not divulging all their secrets, most will give you a tour and some pointers.

- For your first few brews, stick to one recipe.  Don't go trying to do a variety right off the bat.  Find one style you like (e.g. IPA) and keep trying your hand at that one.  That way, you can measure the change in your skill from batch to batch, and make adjustments.

- Supply shops are usually really helpful and have good recipes.  I've called my local place mid-brew before to ask for help, and they were great.

- How to Brew is available from Amazon and has lots of good tips.

Happy brewing. Cheers!

[OCGuy81]

I like Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria, Virginia. They're located perhaps three miles from my house as the crow flies, though as the car drives it can be more like half an hour. Problem is, because the brewery is so close by, I'm spoiled by growler fills and so I don't buy their bottled beer at the store because I'd rather go over to the tasting room and get it fresh (which, of course, also means it must be consumed promptly).

DC Brau in DC make a nice IPA as well, as does Flying Dog of Frederick, Maryland (theirs is called Snake Dog). Snake Dog is available at Capitals and Nationals games, which makes me very happy because it's such an improvement over the mass-market piss-colored swill. I like to support local brewers and wineries if they're decent. (If they're terrible, forget it, of course.)

Moving more afield, I like Cigar City's Jai Alai IPA (from Tampa) and Dogfish Head's 60- and 90-Minute IPAs (from Delaware). Dogfish Head have two local restaurants here with their own beers on tap. They make a really nice Black and Tan using the 90-Minute IPA and their chicory stout. Starr Hill's Northern Lights IPA (from Crozet, Virginia, about 20 minutes west of Charlottesville) is also a good one. St. George in Hampton make a nice IPA if you can get it on tap. It's OK in the bottle, I just prefer the draught and it's harder to find around here (a South African pub in Charlottesville carries it).

The Irish pub in our neighborhood carries Bell's Two-Hearted on tap and that's pretty much my go-to when we go there unless it's after golf, in which case I'll get Harp instead.

Stone's Smoked Porter (with or without the vanilla bean) may be my favorite example of that style.

Thank you, 1995!  I'm going to be in northern VA/metro DC at the beginning of March, and those are some places I might have to seek out.

How's the food at Dogfish Head?  I love their beers, and wanted to check the place out.

[Zeffy]

I tried at least 9 different beers at a restaurant in New Hope PA for my first time buying a drink for my 21st birthday. I didn't like any of them. I don't like alcohol in general, to be honest. The taste just kills either my throat or my tongue, or both. No one beer has ever come close for me to say I like as say a Coke.

Do you pick up the enjoyment for it overtime, or am I just destined to not drink alcohol (fine by me; I can ferry people home without worrying about crashing then)?

[1995hoo]

....

How's the food at Dogfish Head?  I love their beers, and wanted to check the place out.

It's been awhile since we've been, but the one at Seven Corners (listed on their website as Falls Church) always had pretty solid food (though it can get rather crowded, too). I haven't been to the other two but I assume they're the same. At restaurants like that I tend to stick to the more basic stuff like burgers, fish and chips, etc., but I've liked everything I've had and of course the beer was excellent. I just looked at their menu online and I think I had the salmon as well.

Hmm, now I'm thinking I may have to go there again sometime soon. My car is going to need a power steering rack this year. Perhaps I can throw my bike in the trunk, take the car for the repair, then bike over to Dogfish Head.....

[OCGuy81]

I tried at least 9 different beers at a restaurant in New Hope PA for my first time buying a drink for my 21st birthday. I didn't like any of them. I don't like alcohol in general, to be honest. The taste just kills either my throat or my tongue, or both. No one beer has ever come close for me to say I like as say a Coke.

Do you pick up the enjoyment for it overtime, or am I just destined to not drink alcohol (fine by me; I can ferry people home without worrying about crashing then)?

For me, my taste grew over time, but I know many people who just don't like drinking and have no taste for it. 

Respect!  I always like having a designated driver for an occasional pub crawl. :-)

[empirestate]

Funky Buddha of Boca Raton, they do a great Maple Bacon Coffee Porter!

Whhhhaaa?! Bacon AND beer together at last? I'm very intrigued!

"Breakfast porters" are a kind of sub-style that's been popular recently; Funky Buddha's was the first I encountered, but I've since run across several more. They arise from the certain smoky, woody, coffee-bean flavors that are often found in dark malty brews.

DC Brau in DC make a nice IPA as well, as does Flying Dog of Frederick, Maryland (theirs is called Snake Dog). Snake Dog is available at Capitals and Nationals games, which makes me very happy because it's such an improvement over the mass-market piss-colored swill. I like to support local brewers and wineries if they're decent. (If they're terrible, forget it, of course.)

Another one I liked from that area is DuClaw Brewing of Bel Air, MD. I have only been to their outlet at BWI, but what I tried was damn good.

(What other breweries have airport outlets? New Belgium has one at Denver Int'l.)

I tried at least 9 different beers at a restaurant in New Hope PA for my first time buying a drink for my 21st birthday. I didn't like any of them. I don't like alcohol in general, to be honest. The taste just kills either my throat or my tongue, or both. No one beer has ever come close for me to say I like as say a Coke.

Do you pick up the enjoyment for it overtime, or am I just destined to not drink alcohol (fine by me; I can ferry people home without worrying about crashing then)?

It's cliché to say it, but it is an acquired taste, and it depends somewhat on your having the inclination to acquire it. And just as beer itself is an acquired taste for those who haven't had it, the craftier styles take some warming up to once you've been exposed to the relatively benign recipes of most big-market beers. It took me a while to develop any kind of appreciation for IPAs, but I'm now happy to sit back with a good one of those. I'm still not to the point where I'm excited about Trappist ales and strong, fruity Belgian stuff, but it could happen someday.

[Takumi]

I've liked everything I've tried from Dogfish Head. The 90 Minute IPA is available in most grocery stores around here but the local(ish) Total Wine carries most of their products. Abita's Andygator (helles doppelbock) is another favorite of mine. Very light and smooth for a beer with 8% ABV. I haven't drank much beer lately since it tends to hinder my weight loss.

[english si]

It's cliché to say it, but it is an acquired taste, and it depends somewhat on your having the inclination to acquire it. And just as beer itself is an acquired taste for those who haven't had it, the craftier styles take some warming up to once you've been exposed to the relatively benign recipes of most big-market beers. It took me a while to develop any kind of appreciation for IPAs, but I'm now happy to sit back with a good one of those. I'm still not to the point where I'm excited about Trappist ales and strong, fruity Belgian stuff, but it could happen someday.

I'd argue that (aside from the tendency to produce very hoppy-with-New-World-hops 'IPA' style beers) craft beers are easier to get into than mass produced swill if you don't like the taste of alcohol - because the mass produced swill is not pleasant (though doesn't have strong flavours) to drink and the point of putting up with it is to get drunk. Such swill does work with strong flavoured foods (eg curries), or very cold (making it taste ever weaker) when it's very hot. Or maybe that's my dislike of Lager coming through? I think that Guinness is perfectly drinkable (provided that you drink it properly through the head, rather than drinking the head), after all, and will drink mass-produced ales like Green King IPA, Bombadier, etc.

As for Trappist/Belgian ales - yes there's the strength to deal with (which is somewhat of a problem), but boy they are good. And, again, less of an acquired taste as the tastes (while layered and complex) are more common (eg fruitcake flavour) than the taste of hops.

[Pete from Boston]

I keep threatening to brew my own, and am probably closer than ever.  Maybe this next snowstorm will be the time.

It's a fun hobby, and I find myself making about a batch per month.  A few tips if you're going to get started.

- Go to a brew supply shop and ask what they suggest for a novice.  The Mr. Beer kits you see at some places really aren't that great, IMO.  You can get a similar setup from a store that deals just with beer supplies that will make much better beer.

- Visit a few small breweries.  Most brewers are really passionate about their craft, and while not divulging all their secrets, most will give you a tour and some pointers.

- For your first few brews, stick to one recipe.  Don't go trying to do a variety right off the bat.  Find one style you like (e.g. IPA) and keep trying your hand at that one.  That way, you can measure the change in your skill from batch to batch, and make adjustments.

- Supply shops are usually really helpful and have good recipes.  I've called my local place mid-brew before to ask for help, and they were great.

- How to Brew is available from Amazon and has lots of good tips.

Happy brewing. Cheers!

Thanks for all of this.  One of the best things about people who are very interested in beer, and particularly those that brew their own beer, is the willingness to share their knowledge.

There has been an excellent brewing store in Cambridge since before the current craze took off.  Not only do I have all the equipment now (the Brewers Best starter kit) but I also have ingredients ready to go.  I have been in that store numerous times, and all those guys want to do is cheerily talk about beer.  They are my kind of folks. .

[Pete from Boston]

I tried at least 9 different beers at a restaurant in New Hope PA for my first time buying a drink for my 21st birthday. I didn't like any of them. I don't like alcohol in general, to be honest. The taste just kills either my throat or my tongue, or both. No one beer has ever come close for me to say I like as say a Coke.

Do you pick up the enjoyment for it overtime, or am I just destined to not drink alcohol (fine by me; I can ferry people home without worrying about crashing then)?

I would actually say that some of the Belgian beers can be very easy to get into for people who don't love beer overall.  While I'm not big on fruit in beer, some of them have some really nice fruit-added selections.  In many cases they border on something like a soda more than a traditional beer.

Then there are all the various chocolate and milk stouts that go down like something you'd get from an ice cream shop.

There was a period early on when even I did not want to touch another beer after drinking only swill.  However, especially after I turned 21, I found a remarkable variety even then of styles and flavors that defied all my expectations.  My tastes have evolved and changed and continue to do so. My favorite beers now are beers that turned my stomach 20 years ago. 

Like most of life, getting to know beers requires patience, a sense of adventure, and the understanding that not everything good in the world seems good at first.

[02 Park Ave]

It's Stella Artois for me for beer.  For stout, I prefer Murphy's to Guinness.

[empirestate]

I would actually say that some of the Belgian beers can be very easy to get into for people who don't love beer overall.  While I'm not big on fruit in beer, some of them have some really nice fruit-added selections.  In many cases they border on something like a soda more than a traditional beer.

I suppose that could be...they're best enjoyed by someone whose palate is very advanced, or very uninitiated, but not in between, perhaps? Or it could be that I just don't care much for sweet flavors; I also don't care very much for wheat beers, and think how many people who otherwise don't enjoy beer are all about Blue Moon!

Which brings me to the idea of "gateway" beers: those that are widely available, but that are more likely to inspire you to explore further because they stand out favorably from the bland stuff. Blue Moon is one, Sam Adams another, and for me it was Yuengling. In NYC, for many people, it's Brooklyn. Or Yuengling, but I was drinking that before it was cool–which is rather what you'd expect of Brooklyn lager instead. 

[Pete from Boston]

I would actually say that some of the Belgian beers can be very easy to get into for people who don't love beer overall.  While I'm not big on fruit in beer, some of them have some really nice fruit-added selections.  In many cases they border on something like a soda more than a traditional beer.

I suppose that could be...they're best enjoyed by someone whose palate is very advanced, or very uninitiated, but not in between, perhaps? Or it could be that I just don't care much for sweet flavors; I also don't care very much for wheat beers, and think how many people who otherwise don't enjoy beer are all about Blue Moon!

Which brings me to the idea of "gateway" beers: those that are widely available, but that are more likely to inspire you to explore further because they stand out favorably from the bland stuff. Blue Moon is one, Sam Adams another, and for me it was Yuengling. In NYC, for many people, it's Brooklyn. Or Yuengling, but I was drinking that before it was cool–which is rather what you'd expect of Brooklyn lager instead. 

Yuengling should never be poured for more than $2-3.  I used to spend a lot of time in small-town holes-in-the-wall in Pennsylvania, and a buck was the going rate.  Anyone in the city who pays $6-7 for it is an ass. 

Yuengling will always be the baseline generic no-frills beer for me–if there were a product simply labeled "BEER" on the shelf, it would be Yuengling.*



* If there were today, that is, because some years back there was just such a thing:

[wxfree]

To me, alcohol isn't a road; it's a vehicle.  To me, a road is meant to be enjoyed, and a vehicle is just a way to get to the other end of it.  I have a 16-year old car that's ugly, well-maintained, and completely reliable.  To me, the road, the enjoyable part, is the effect of alcohol; the delivery system is just a vehicle that gets me there.  You could say I like my alcohol the way I like my cars: cheap and effective.  While it isn't a real product, I'll vote for Bender's favorite brand of beer

[kurumi]

No-Name Strong at the No-Name Pub, near Oakhanger, Hampshire, UK. First day of a business trip with British Aerospace (long before "bae" was slang) and went to the Pub for lunch. The story goes that signs with the original name (the White Horse) were taken down during WW II so zee Germans wouldn't be able to find their way around. After the war, they never put the signs back up.

I had one pint, the others might have had more; so I was nominated to take the wheel afterward, driving on the left for the first time. No problem. Only issue was turn signals vs. windshield wipers. I prefer roundabouts to gauntlets of traffic lights and stop signs; and I liked the semi-motorway portions of the A303 and A505.