I brew, you brew, hopefully we don't spew: The Beer Thread

[Daikaiju]

Let's start this off right.
American heroes brew a Dunkaroos-flavored beer

EDIT: Renamed thread after seeing the mission statement about ending NWITO threads.

 

[Kirin]

I'd drink it.

 

[JBear]

Same!

(Quelle surprise.)

 

[Droewyn]

Lost me at "beer".

 

[Dracula]

The other night I had a miller lite and it was exactly correct and just what I wanted for the occasion. Is...is there something wrong with me?

 

[Droewyn]

I mean you can stand the taste of hops. Also, as a vampire you are not entirely alive.

 

[Daikaiju]

Don't ask me. Heaviest thing I drink is Feintmann's Shandy.

 

[MCBanjoMike]

I brew! Or, you know, I would brew if our work schedules hadn't been completely fucked over by covid this year. I have a go-to NEIPA recipe that always turns out really well that I like to make for family parties...which also aren't a thing in 2020. So, uh, never mind.

Anyway, beer is great and thankfully, beer in Quebec is better than it has ever been. We have so many great options for IPAs and Belgian beers, which are most of what I drink. We've also been really lucky to live next to what is probably the best place in Montreal to grab a beer in pandemic times, MaBrasserie. They're a brewing cooperative that's a 5-minute walk from our home and they have an enormous outdoor terrace where you can easily find a spot well away from all the other punters. We aren't willing to have a drink at an indoor bar right now, and even some terraces can be too packed for my liking, so this is the only place where we've gone out to drink in the last 6 months. They aren't my favorite brewery in town (Ile de Garde probably takes that honor), but they're quite good and I'm very happy to have them. At least until the weather gets too cold for outdoor drinking.

 

[Kirin]

That's neat that you get a lot of Belgians in Quebec! Yeah, I've had to way scale down my pub habit due to COVID, though we've started venturing back to a few places that have set up more spaced outdoor seating, when they're uncrowded. But I also went on a socially-distanced vacation to the woods near Asheville recently, and ventured into town once or twice to pick up awesome beers from a few of the many breweries that have set up good outdoor pickup options, as well as a bottle shop to grab some stuff from breweries that haven't. First time I've gotten a lot of great brand new beer in months. I love Burial there, they consistently put out new amazing stuff, and I also got a lot of good things from Dssolvr.

 

[Issun]

The other night I had a miller lite and it was exactly correct and just what I wanted for the occasion. Is...is there something wrong with me?

Naw. If one doesn't like the taste of macrobrew American lager that's one thing, but turning your nose up at it because it's "for plebes" is silly because something like that is just fine on a hot day or when the mood strikes you. There are very, very few beers I don't like though, and it's mainly Ice beers and especially malt liquor. Any beer explicitly designed to get you drunk is bound to taste like Satan's underdrawers.

 

[Dracula]

Naw. If one doesn't like the taste of macrobrew American lager that's one thing, but turning your nose up at it because it's "for plebes" is silly because something like that is just fine on a hot day or when the mood strikes you. There are very, very few beers I don't like though, and it's mainly Ice beers and especially malt liquor. Any beer explicitly designed to get you drunk is bound to taste like Satan's underdrawers.

Thank you. "Just fine on a hot day" was exactly the mood it gave me.

The only beer I've ever drank that I straight-up didn't like was a Rogue/Voodoo Donut collab which supposedly had a "maple bacon" flavor. It was more like carbonated motor oil and the flavor adhered to my throat and made me want to die.

 

[Kirin]

I'll drink dark stuff in any weather, but if I really need something light and refreshing I'll often turn to a radler (i.e. beer/juice or beer/sprite|7up|etc mix) or some other summery fruit beer, though local brewery Fullsteam makes a fresh basil saison that's also a great summer drink. I've just never liked the most ubiquitous light beers, be it American lager or British pilsner... they just kinda taste like bitter water to me. But if they hit your spot, more power to you! You get cheap beer you like, which basically nothing I like is.

 

[John]

My favorite beer is from Het Anker, a Belgian brewery/distillery. Charles V was raised in their town, so they make a line of beer and whisky called Gouden Carolus, or Golden Charles. On Charlie's birthday every year, they brew a couple special strong beers, Cuvée Van de Keizer Red and Blue. Red's an awesome strong pale ale, not super hoppy, has a fruity taste but you can tell it's 10% ABV. The Blue (now renamed Imperial Dark) is even better, thick, dark, slightly sweet. You can tell it's got 11% ABV, but it's not cloying like a barrel-aged stout.

Unfortunately, I haven't had this one in years, since I moved to WI. I only found it in AZ at Total Wine and More, and the closest one is 2 hours away. I'll have to put it on the to-do list for my next trip to Madison.

 

[jpfriction]

The high school buddies I see once a year or so drink Coors Lite pretty exclusively so I've learned to like that. Miller Lite is very unique in that it is the only beverage that makes my throat swell up so it feels like I swallowed a hive of bees that stung me the entire way down the next day. Amazing concoction.

As for right now? Pumpkin beer season, son.

 

[Cyrael]

I'm a big fan of beer, but in a state that is generally hostile to the thought of people drinking.

A few examples include:

• Utah recently changed it so that non state run stores could sell beer at 5%ABV or below. This puts things like Stella, most macros, etc. into grocery stores, which would be a good thing. Unfortunately this also means that the state stores cannot legally sell anything below 5%, and due to the loss of so much of the beer revenue they have stopped carrying anything outside of Wasatch/Squatters (biggest local brewery) or Natty Daddy. It's just a shame. And don't get me started on how the state stores won't refrigerate...
• The 5% rule also applies to Draft, meaning all draft beer must be 5% or below, and anything above must be packaged. This makes it hard and expensive to try local stuff, since you can't get a taster of something. This also means that most breweries around here can't brew true to style and make it available on draft.
• There is one microbrew in my county, the first in 100 years(!), but it is aggressively boring as they don't have a packaging license to experiment with higher than 5% recipes.

BUT we still have some glimmers of hope in Salt Lake. If you ever find your way out here search out Kiitos and T.F. Brewing as they are the best in the State!

 

[Cyrael]

ALSO I just remembered that GABF isn't happening this year ):

 

[Dracula]

Wow, and I thought Arkansas was hostile to alcohol. We have blue laws that bar sales of alcohol on Sunday, and quite a few of our counties are dry. We've at least got a good microbrew community now, although only within the last decade.

 

[Cyrael]

...beer in Quebec is better than it has ever been.

Unibroue is a Quebec brewery right? We do get a decent variety of that out here and it's one of my go-to choices. 'Terrible' specifically.

(aaaaaand then I go to their website and realize they make WAY many more varieties than the 3 or 4 we get. Damn.)

 

[MCBanjoMike]

Yes, Unibroue is from Quebec, although I think they're owned by Sleeman's now. But they make good, solid Belgian styles and their beers are surprisingly inexpensive. I only ever really drink their tripel (La Fin du Monde), but I'm very glad to have them around. For dark Belgian offerings, I typically get imports at the liquor stores. You can find Rochefort 10 most of the time, and Chimay Blue isn't rare either. I also like saisons in the summer, but those I typically get from a Quebec brewery called Dunham, who make some really good ones. Still waiting on the return of No Tahoma, though...

 

[Patrick]

La Fin du Monde is good.

 

[Issun]

We may differ on what the best beer is, but I think we can all agree on what the best beer label design is.

 

[Daikaiju]

Octo has gone into brewing I see

 

[Violentvixen]

I see your T-rex beer and counter with a beer specifically brewed for the Fields Museum to honor their T-rex skeleton. Best museum gift shop purchase ever.

 

[Paul le Fou]

As for right now? Pumpkin beer season, son.

Yes it is, yes it is. Right now the only ones I saw at the grocery store were Elysian's, but I got their assorted 12-pack (pumpkin ale, imperial pumpkin ale, pumpkin stout, pumpkin coffee stout) and have been enjoying my way through those. Gonna need to refill soon...

 

[Patrick]

I see your T-rex beer and counter with a beer specifically brewed for the Fields Museum to honor their T-rex skeleton. Best museum gift shop purchase ever.

Also, Pseudo Sue:

 

[Daikaiju]

Miller High Life Is Giving Away a Backyard Dive Bar & a Year's Worth of Beer

Valued at over $10K!

www.thrillist.com

The self-titled champagne of beers said it's handing out one free dive bar, which is valued at $10,000, to be installed in the backyard. The prize is a $200 pre-paid card for buying brews and a gloriously furnished drinking space, which includes bar stools, a popcorn machine, lots of classic wood paneling, sticky floors (seriously), dim lighting, bad art, and doors that opens for patio season.

 

[Kirin]

Can I use the $200 to fill it with beer I actually want to drink? *cough*

Anyway, yes, pumpkin beer season coming on. Just had some of New Belgium's Atomic Pumpkin and it's still delightful, cinnamon kiss + chili kick.

 

[Cyrael]

Got some Pumpkin beer myself today too. Had to go up to Salt Lake for unrelated business, and decided to stop in and restock from my favorite brewery. They've got a Pumpkin Spice Latte which is a twist on their (GABF Gold Medal) Coffee Cream Ale, so I filled a growler and plan on enjoying it tonight

I also grabbed their Black Is Beautiful collaboration. Excited to try it.

Also of anyone is on Untapped, my handle is the same there as it is here.

 

[Kirin]

You neglected to name your fave brewery there Cyrael (though admittedly it's probably academic if they don't distribute far).

Meanwhile I just put on a crockpot of chili to cook and this time I added in Southern Tier's Cold Brew Coffee Imperial Pumking because why not.

 

[Cyrael]

Yeah, my bad. It is Kiitos Brewing, but they are only available in Utah (and all their really good stuff is only at the brewery itself since distribution even IN state is hard). If you ever get stuck in SLC for some reason it's a great place to go, and in walking distance of a few other really good places like Fisher Brewing and T.F. Brewing.