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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Beer Thread

A relatively well known BBQ joint in Detroit opened up a location near my office a couple of weeks ago and I decided to check it out at lunch yesterday. The food was great but I also had a Mr. Candy King which is a farmhouse sour from a Swedish brewery, Brewski, that I had never heard of.

Before I ordered it, I asked the bartender for a sample and she gave me one and she saw me recoil at the nearly neon pink color of it but told me to give it a try. It was great - not nearly as sweet as the name or the color would make you think.
 
I never thought I'd get to this point but last night I went to the party store with the intent to purchase a sixpack of Atwater's Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale. When I get there I found there are a half dozen new varieties of beer for sale I've never sampled before. Five of the six new beers are IPA's. I decided to get the Atwater like I originally intended. I don't think that's ever happened to me before. I guess I've reached true saturation point when I'm not even interested in trying yet another IPA. If I'm in the mood for an IPA these days I get some Two Hearted Ale.

Moral of the story - maybe there's something to be said for the tried and true.
 
I understand that maister. If I'm at the pub, I'll try the new IPA offering with a taste first or a flight - then order a pint, but I don't want to invest in a 6-pack of an unknown anymore. There is a lot of experimentation going on in the brewing industry and some of it is very good (& needed to keep the industry fresh). However there is some odd concoctions coming out too.
 
Yep. I'm about 1000x more likely to buy a new-to-me beer when I am out at a bar than I am at when I am shopping for a 6-pack or 4-pack. I will however more frequently buy one of those make your own 6-packs full of things I haven't tried. That way at least I am not potentially married to 6 equally awful beers... maybe just 6 beers that have differing degrees of awfulness. At home, I almost always have Two Hearted in the fridge.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
That way at least I am not potentially married to 6 equally awful beers... maybe just 6 beers that have differing degrees of awfulness. At home, I almost always have Two Hearted in the fridge.
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Speaking awful beers, a relative presented me a 12 pack of Coney Island hard sodas as a gift. The root beer was barely tolerable but the orange cream and cherry cream tasted like cough syrup.:victory: Unless you're in the mood for a cloyingly sweet syrupy beverage with a powerful aspartame-like aftertaste, stay the heck away from this!
 
Lately I've been buying a pretty good 12 pack of "craft beer" from Walmart. I call it "craft beer" because they're currently being sued for deeming it such because it's really mass produced, but either way it's good beer and I don't really care. It's called a "Pack of Trouble" and comes from Trouble Brewing. At a little over a dollar a can, I'll take it.
 
Yesterday after work I met a friend at a new brewery in the area for a couple of beers. It's was a very hipsterish place with all the music being played on vinyl (I did appreciate the Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog that were in heavy rotation though) specializing in "craft hot dogs" and serving their beer in 500 ml chemistry beakers. :r: One of the beers I tried was a hop-less ginger beer. It was very good. I love ginger ale but the non-alcoholic ginger beer that I've had can be hit or miss, with some of them being too sugary. I was initially expecting it to be like one of those new hard sodas that seem to be popping up that are so overly syrupy and sugary but it was very bitter (in a good, gingery way) and very dry, if that makes sense.
 
A bartender at my favorite lunch spot gave me a free can of Dogfish Head "Sea Quench" session sour one day last week. He knows I like sours and this one they had just gotten in and hadn't put on the menu yet and wanted my opinion. I've found canned beers to be hit or miss (but definitely getting better over the past year or so) and I know how hoppy some Dogfish Head beers can be so I was a bit skeptical but this was great! It was incredibly salty (in a good way) and just the right amount of tartness. It was very light and crisp too.

Thursday after work I stopped at a liquor store on my way home to get some and they only had a six pack left so I snatched it up. They didn't anticipate that they'd be getting any more this summer, but they weren't sure, so I went on a mission during the week to look for more. I ended up finding a store closer to my house that had a case left on Saturday so I bought that. Sunday when it was close to 90º outside, I could have laid in the hammock and drank quite a few of these.
 
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Leinenkugel's 'Canoe Paddler' is a great summer refresher. Like any good kolsch style beer it goes down easy, and this brew is no exception. Light body and a slightly fruity taste. Perfect 'lawnmower' beer.
 
Maybe it doesn't move very fast around here, but every Leinenkugel beer I've ever had was terribly skunky tasting.
 
Doohickie said:
Maybe it doesn't move very fast around here, but every Leinenkugel beer I've ever had was terribly skunky tasting.
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There are several grocery stores around here that carry a variety of micro beers. I wonder how long that will last because the turn over is not great. I try to remember to check the dates because when I don't I get beer that has been sitting around way past it's prime.
 
Maister said:
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Leinenkugel's 'Canoe Paddler' is a great summer refresher. Like any good kolsch style beer it goes down easy, and this brew is no exception. Light body and a slightly fruity taste. Perfect 'lawnmower' beer.
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They've started selling it here. Not that I drink, but this tread made me notice it.
 
Maister said:
Leinenkugel's 'Canoe Paddler' is a great summer refresher. Like any good kolsch style beer it goes down easy, and this brew is no exception. Light body and a slightly fruity taste. Perfect 'lawnmower' beer.
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Haven't seen that one before, I'll have to check it out if I do. Lately I've been buying their shandy mix pack. All the flavors are good, but I'm partial to the watermelon and orange myself.
 
A story about a little brewery that was started by some friends of mine: HopFusion Ale Works

June, 2015: You gotta start somewhere.
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Also in June, 2015: My first beer there (from the refrigerator in the center of the picture above):
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February, 2016: Construction continues.
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April, 2016: First shipments of kegs to bars (the first time I paid for HopFusion beer).
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June, 2016: Brewing beer is not rocket science, but it can look like it sometimes. More tanks have arrived!
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A word about Michelob

I have a soft spot for Michelob. Why, you ask? Because years ago during a time when AB and Miller controlled 90% of the beer market, Michelob represented AB's 'premium' flag ship beer. The ads used to go "weekends were made for Michelob" meaning this was no mere weekday beer, this is a special beer we're talking about. And 30 years ago it was special. But about the time the craft beer revolution got going it disappeared from the shelves as it could no longer compete in the 'special' department. The only reminder of the brand was the niche-marketed low-cal Michelob Ultra. But regular Michelob quietly disappeared from the shelves about 20 years ago. That is until I had some last night. Evidently, AB has started marketing it once again.

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I remember my older brother telling me he (& a couple fraternity brothers) once wrote a letter to AB when they changed the cap to the metal screw-off type. He said they wrote how it killed the premium aspect of Michelob with a lower standard of a screw-off top. A few weeks later they got a very short reply letter and a couple stickers.
 
Had some friends over to the new house Saturday - they brought a couple of house "cooling" gifts for the beer fridge - Chimay Grand Reserve Barrel Aged (2016) and New Holland Dragon's Milk (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout). Never been a big fan of Belgium ales, but I haven't had one in years, so maybe I'll like the Chimay. The Dragons's Milk weighs in at 11% ABV. 8-!
 
Bubba said:
Had some friends over to the new house Saturday - they brought a couple of house "cooling" gifts for the beer fridge - Chimay Grand Reserve Barrel Aged (2016) and New Holland Dragon's Milk (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout). Never been a big fan of Belgium ales, but I haven't had one in years, so maybe I'll like the Chimay. The Dragons's Milk weighs in at 11% ABV. 8-!
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Dragon's Milk is a local brew for me, I confess the first time I tried it I found it to be a little too much. Had I known what a heavy hitter it was going to be I probably wouldn't have consumed it at the Holland Stanfest years ago. Had to delay the drive back a couple of hours thanks to the power of the Dragon. You can distinctly taste the alcohol in this beer. But now that I know and understand its' unique properties, I find it to be the perfect 'dessert beer' and it's a great way to cap off something substantial like a roast beef dinner.
 
Dragon's Milk is a good one. I drank the Dark Hollar that peach sent me as part of the brew exchange and it was very similar, except it was less sweet/alcohol flavor but the same 11% punch. I was glad to be sitting on the back deck to enjoy it and didn't need to contemplate how I was getting home.
 
Thanks JNA. Looks like I need to clear my summer schedule.

We have some very good friends who go on "beercations" every year. No kids & both with very good jobs kinda allows them to do that. Sometimes I even profit when they bring back with a mix of beers (& stickers) and we hang on the back deck enjoying the 'souvenirs.'
 
Cracked open the first St Arnold's Pumpkinator of the year over the holiday weekend. Always a good choice, this heavy hitter takes me a couple of hours to imbibe. Not too sweet,

Pumpkinator (2017)
Vintage of Pumpkinator (Bourbon Barrel Aged)
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Pumpkin / Yam Beer - Imperial
10.5% ABV
 
I picked up a six pack of Bell's Cherry Stout and one bottle of Bell's Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout. I tried the regular Cherry Stout yesterday and I liked it. The cherry flavor did not taste artificial and it was faint but there. It coupled great with the chocolate tones. I'll definitely buy it again.

I hope to try the aged later this week. It was pretty pricey for a 12oz beer at $6 and some change. I am hoping I'll enjoy it.
 
This past Christmas season was all about Shiner Cheer for me. I drank a case of it during the month of December.
 
For the record I enjoy IPA's but don't consider myself an IPA fanboy. But I have to say after all these years Two Hearted Ale is Bell's best.
 
I worked at a beer championship this weekend. There were a total of 465 beers entered. On the table I was assigned to was 10 "wooden or bourbon barrel aged stouts and strong ales" and I think the lowest AVB was 10%. We had 2 or 3 ozs. of each (+ trying others after the official judging was over) and that was plenty. The interesting thing was that we won't know the breweries or the beers for another week or so after everyone has been notified of their results. All labels were concealed but I could tell what a few were by bottle tops and label creep.
 
Planit said:
One of my favorites!
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It took a long time for Cigar City to get their beers into Georgia (thanks to our archaic distribution system), and then another year or so for them to drop the price to a reasonable level...
 
Bubba said:
It took a long time for Cigar City to get their beers into Georgia (thanks to our archaic distribution system), and then another year or so for them to drop the price to a reasonable level...
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Cigar City is out of Ybor City (Tampa), FL. One of my distributor friends told me that the people who own Oskar Blues (Colorado & Brevard, NC) are relatives to the owners of Cigar City (cousins I think he said). That's how Cigar City opened a facility in Brevard and now we get it in this area (& the ATL).

I used to 'import" several cases to friends here when I went to Florida every year. Now I don't have to, so I import other stuff.
 
I celebrated National Beer Day with Arbor Brewing's Cucumber Lime Gose. For those of us who don't care much for the heavy stouts, it's one of the most crisp, least hoppy-tasting beers I've come across (I think it's IBU is something like 5 or 7). It's supposed to be a late spring/early summer seasonal but I saw it in the cooler when I went to go pick up our Saturday night pizzas so grabbed the two 4-packs that they had. I don't know if they were still leftover from last summer or if the brewery was getting it out a little earlier this year but they still tasted just as fresh as they should be.
 
JNA said:
Another list -

26 most popular beer brands in the U.S.
https://www.indystar.com/media/cinematic/gallery/34453241/26-most-popular-beer-brands-in-the-us/

light beer ? really ?
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Well, popular in terms of sales. I believe it. Things like Miller Lite and Bud Lite and Coors Light sell sooooo much more than Bell's Two Hearted or Anchor Steam or Old Rasputin. While craft brewing has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade or so I think people often underestimate how much beer the big breweries sell. Remember, they are generally considerably cheaper in the bar or at the store, they have absolutely massive marketing budgets, and they are available in every single sales market in the nation.

And I have to imagine that with so many different craft breweries in the U.S. now they must be cannibalizing each others sales and limiting or slowing their growth.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
And I have to imagine that with so many different craft breweries in the U.S. now they must be cannibalizing each others sales and limiting or slowing their growth.
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The macrobrew market is huge but it's been shrinking in the US unabated for decades. Nearly all the growth in the beer market for the past quarter century has been in the craft/micro sector.
 
I had a Space Kitty Citra DIPA from Rohrbach Brewing last night. It was very good & it would have been nice to have more than the half pint I had. However they are in Rochester so I won't be able to drive by & pick up any.
 
The granddaddy of Fort Worth craft brewing, Rahr, is breaking out of their slump. They concentrated on volume for a while and didn't worry so much about quality or creativity. They've turned that around lately; the quality of their year-round beers is improving, and they're releasing some cool seasonals, including Paleta de Mango (Paletas are Mexican ice cram on a stick) which has a great mango-chili flavor that jumps out at you. They also have Adios Pantalones which tastes like a margarita disguised as a beer. Fun stuff, and delicious.
 
I've got a couple cans of Buffalo Sweat from Tall Grass brewing. I'm not a stout drinker so anyone interested?
 
dvdneal said:
I've got a couple cans of Buffalo Sweat from Tall Grass brewing. I'm not a stout drinker so anyone interested?
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Planit said:
Well yeah!

I'll return the favor too.
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Nice package was on the doorstep when I arrived home yesterday! Hooray Beer!

The 8-Bit were consumed last night with a good (and fellow beer) friend. Buffalo Sweat is saved until I get back from Florida.

Thanks Man!
 
The 8-bit I call a light IPA. It's not as hoppy as some of the others I've had. Buffalo Sweat just came with the variety pack and I've never been much of a stout drinker. People tell me it's good though. Enjoy!
 
For dinner last night before my fantasy football auction I went to a BBQ place out on the side of town I grew up on. They had a chalkboard listing their best selling beers. The "local craft favorite" was Kid Rock's American Badass beer. :not:
 
Falcons have dropped the prices for their "house" craft beer to $5 (12 oz) and $7 (20 oz) for the upcoming season. It's a pale ale of unspecified origin - my guess is that it's re-branded Sweetwater 420 (they have the production capacity, and there's a bit of a history of them collaborating with the Falcons).
 
Recently I consumed Terrapin's Hopsecuttioner at both the Braves game and the Atlanta United game.

The Braves charged $10 while Atlanta United charged $9 for a 16 oz can.
 
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