Because Beer School is an interactive curriculum, your first homework is going to be going out and buying some beer to drink. To give you a little push, we’re listing a few readily available beers to start you on your way.
One meta-suggestion: Try picking up your booze at a liquor store instead of a grocery store. Not only will their selection be better, but most stores don’t mind if you mix and match a six-pack, paying for each bottle individually.
These aren’t necessarily our favorite beers, but are suggestions for the budding beer aficionado to start working the palate without being so off-kilter that they’ll be impossible to enjoy. They are also, to our best ability, available nationwide, despite the fact that many of our favorite beers are available only regionally.
• Yuengling Traditional Lager: Brewed by the oldest family-owned brewery in North America, Yuengling (pronounced Ying Ling) Traditional Lager is the most widely available offering. It is kosher to call the Traditional Lager simply “a Yuengling.” Available up and down the East coast, Yuengling is an American Lager, not unlike your typical American Pilsner available from the “Big Three” American breweries (Budweiser, Miller, and Coors), but with a slightly darker color and just a bit more rich flavor. It also happens to be very affordable—we’ve seen 12-packs of bottles for as low as $10.
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: Our everyday sippin’ beers tend to be “pale ales.” Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale is their flagship beer, which means for lucky ol’ you it is available around the country—often on tap. It’s crisp and goes down easy like a pilsner, but has a slightly floral note that balances its malty taste. As typical for American pale ales, it’s got a boatload of hops—America’s signature flavor—which gives it a pleasing bitterness. Drink it real cold from the glass or bottle, just like you would a Corona.
Adventurers’ Option:Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (a Christmas Seasonal) and personal favorite.
• Guinness Stout: Double N, Double S—Guinness for the win. Yeah, yeah, our Guinness is made in Canada and your turd of a nephew went to Ireland and it’s totally better there and it inspired him to write his screenplay about James Joyce as a competitive paintballer. Dogs’ bollocks scrotums. American Guinness is a perfectly drinkable stout and a fine introduction to the world of dark beers that don’t actually taste all that bizarre. It also happens to be available nearly everywhere, even your typical sports bars and sports bar-themed restaurants.
Update: A clarification regarding the source of American Guinness from Guinness themselves:
Whether in a can, bottle or poured in the pub, all Guinness Draught served or sold in North America comes from Dublin, Ireland. Guinness Extra Stout for distribution in the United States is produced in Canada.
Adventurers’ Option: Beamish Stout. Guinness is actually a bit sour by design, which could turn a person off. Beamish is sweeter and, for my money, tastier.
• Dos Equis Ambar: Perhaps counterintuitively, much of Mexico’s brewing culture stems from German and Viennese tradition. That’s because the Germans pretty much kick-started modern brewing in most of the world, including not just Mexico but also most of Asia. Dos Equis (pronounced Dos Eck-ease) Ambar is the most common variety of Dos Equis in the United States (there’s also a lighter “Especial”) but fortunately for you it’s also the better of the two varieties. It’s a lager in the “Vienna style”—a style most commonly found these days in Mexico, not Austria, with a red tone, toasted malt flavors, and a bit of hops. (Which, yeah, is what a lot of beers have. Just try it.)
Adventurers’ Option: Negra Modelo, a darker beer produced by the same people who make Corona, except it’s way better.
• St. Pauli Girl Special Dark: Although technically a German beer, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone outside of the United States drinking St. Pauli Girl. The lighter varieties are the typical green-bottle Euro-lagers that are possibly even worse than the average American lager due to a “skunky” flavor imparted by light pollution during their long import process. The Special Dark somehow manages to avoid most of the pitfalls of its peers and is a generally drinkable brew, offering you a good entry point into beers that have a “caramel” flavor.
Adventurers’ Option: Brooklyn Lager… if you can find it.
Are there better beers to start with? Possibly. Will they be debated endlessly in the comments? Almost assuredly. In the meantime get out there and grab yourself a sixxer and try some new flavors. (Notice we only gave you five beers. That means the sixth slot is a wildcard—try something totally out there and see if you like it. And report back!)
69 Responses to “Beer School: Five Starter Beers”
- 1 Trackback on Sep 26th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Candidate for #6: Anything that sounds French/Germanic. Chances are it\’s from Belgium, Germany, or certain regions in France (or at least the marketing peeps want you to think that) and it\’ll be modeled after that style.
Get a six\’er, look it up on beeradvocate.com and keep an open mind. Even the most seasoned beer aficionado will put on a sour face when you mention some a certain high quality craft brew. Nobody likes everything so it\’s OK if you don\’t, just give it a chance. You might end up liking it! Tastes change do indeed change over time, even seasonally.
Wow. There are so many choices out there. Add to that an attempt to identify some that are good and available nationally. I think this is a great start if you don’t know what you’re looking for. With this list you can learn that beer doesn’t have to all taste the same.
I think it’s also a matter of personal preferences
Thanks for the list! I’ve been gettin’ tired of Bud Light. A six-pack of Yuengling for $10? Time to pass through the ATM…
Budweiser is great - and I don’t mean your Yankee rubbish that tasted like it was brewed in an American footballer’s armpit. Budvar (Budweiser) is a light, fresh Czech lager which is the reason why (US) Budweiser is known as ‘Bud’ in most of Europe.
Go to the website I provided as my own to see it.
As a Southern Cali native who took a trip to Ireland this summer, I must agree with the writer of this article that Guinness is NOT “like so much better” over there. That is to say, Guinness in Ireland or out of the tap at your local pub are both FANTASTIC.
I had two pints at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, in their 360-degree glass “Gravity Bar” above the rooftops. It was delicious, and perhaps a teeny bit fresher tasting, but on the whole it is exactly the same as I get here at home. Maybe if you’re a Guinness fanatic you can taste a slight difference.
I love Guinness - I’ll drink it out of the draught bottles, or have a perfectly-poured pint at the pub, and it’s always a very enjoyable delicious beer!
Hmmm, Budvar! So good… haven’t had it in a loooong time. Very tasty. I say skip the st. pauli girl and Fat Tire: thankfully they seem to be everywhere these days (yay!)
If you want to venture into microbrew territory and can get your hands on them, try Victory’s Hop Devil or any of the Dogfish brews. Good ‘merican beers.
My advice? Beer is a lot like posters in your apartment. once you’re out of college, all of your posters (and they can still be posters) they should be in frames and you should be paying a bit more for the beer you drink. Why? Chicks, man… chicks!
I would also recommend Hoegaarden Belgian White Beer. It’s unfiltered, but has a really crisp taste. Good for beginners and chicks who can’t handle the heavier stuff.
For a refreshing alternative, try a Wheat beer or a Hefeweizen (as it is known in Germany), is a variety of wheat beer in which the yeast is not filtered out. Add a slice of lemon. Great summer drink.
If you want to drink a ton of great beers, I’d vote for Germany. Every town has it’s own brewhaus - and it’s ALL good beer.
Wow, good list. I have to agree with all of the choices here, all the way down the Brooklyn lager. However, as any Pennsylvanian living in Massachusetts like myself can tell you, Yuengling is more “down the east coast” than “up and down.” Unfortunately, you can’t find this fine beer much of anywhere in New England; I certainly have never seen it anywhere around Boston.
My favorites:
Goose Island - they’re all good, from the pale ales to the porter (NutBrown is my fav)
Sierra Nevada - I prefer the porter or the stout
Dead Guy - Rogue Ale rules, they probably have some other good ones, I just haven’t had the opportunity
Boulevard - All good — Bully Porter is excellent
Newcastle - Hooray for the English
Guinness - of course.
Leinenkugels Big Butt (Doppelbock) - the best of their line, unfortunately only available in winter
Negra Modelo - not half bad
I prefer dark beers, as you can tell, but there are good pale ales that just can’t be beat (Goose Island’s India Pale Ale, or Boulevard’s Pale Ale)
A beer or two a day really is good for you. Maybe even better than a glass or two of wine.
OK, I know we’re off this topic now, but I just couldn’t help chiming in.
Candidate for #6, anything by Summit Brewing (http://www.summitbrewing.com)… I [heart] Summit Pale Ale, but their seasonal offerings more than rawk the proverbial keg… So take your pick and enjoy!
Yuengling is one of the finest beers in all the U.S. If you ever get a chance to visit the brewery (Pottstown, Pa) you’re in for a rare treat; every tour is completed w/complimentary beer in the original lunch room of the brewery. Lunch room here = dark wood, dimly lit, man bar in the basement…ahhh memories.
Supposedly Yuengling built a brewery in Florida a few years back…hopefully they will build another out west. And SOON!
Birra Moretti has always been one of my favorites.
However, I also enjoy:
Stell Artois
Tilburg Dutch Brown Ale
Rahr Ugly Pug
Dogfish Head 90 & 120 Min.
Shiner 97
Newcastle
Bass
Harp
Newcastle’s brown ale seems to be a good starter beer for many folks.
Young’s Double-Chocolate Stout is a wonderful reminder that not all stouts taste like Guinness.
Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout is another “starter beer” for many folks I know.
New Belgum Brewery actually makes a lot of good “starter beers”: the Abbey is a great introduction to the Belgian-style beers, and the 1554 is a flavorful, rich dark beer that’s not too difficult for the novice to get into. They’re reasonably priced, widely available, their signature “Fat Tire” ale is highly drinkable, and their seasonal beers are nonthreatening enough to introduce a novice into beer tasting.
Great site, looking forward to checking it out more.
Favorite wintery beer: Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Ale. Barleywine style ale, high AC% and will keep a nice “warmth” in ya for a good while. :>
Summer ales/lagers/pilsners: whatever is light refreshing and has enough taste to tell me I am drinking a beer and not flavored water.
I will be at the Great American Beer fest this friday night in Dever. Cant wait to hit all of the micro brews and stumble around the convention hall like a drunken idiot.
-Pata Man
Oh and for a great beer: Monte Carlo micro brew in Vegas makes an amazing Red Ale; High Roller Red. Get a couple of yer boys, get a table keg, get liquored up, hit the pool right out the back door of the brewery.
NoAccounting4Me: You’ve made me cry by mentioning 1554. A pint of that one fresh off the tap from my favorite hangout in Tucson was like pure heaven. Now that I’m in New York, I’m lucky if I can find it bottled.
My 6 Candidates for #6:
Magic Hat #9
Boddington’s Pub Ale
Anchor Steam
Widmer Hefewizen
Pete’s Wicked Winter Brew
Tecate (this is the best cheap beer there is, IMHO)
And, if you’re in Scotland, Tennant’s Velvet is amazing…I wish you could get it here…
Man..where are you buying your beers? I don’t live in an expensive area, but I certainly don’t live in a cheap area. Yet I can get Yuengling for $7.88 a 12-pack. Same with Killians, and all varieties of Molson and Labatt. That is the REGULAR price. On any given week, one of those is usually on sale for $6.88 or $7.28. The 28-pack of Molson is $14…again every day price, not a slae. Sam Adams is $9.99 often, though its everyday price is $11.99. Sam with Corona and Heineken. The big name watered down beer like Coors Light is $12 for a whole case.
Are you people buying your beers in gas stations or what? Beer is simply not expesnive.
Okay, dark beers are not starter beers. If you’ve been drinking Miller Lite your entire life, you’ll hate Guinness and St. Pauli Girl Dark. You have to ease into those. Maybe start with Pilsner Urquell, ease your way into Newcastle, and then try a darker beer.
If you can get access, St. Arnold’s Lawnmower is about the best damn beer around. It’s from a microbrewery in Houston and tastes like…well, what you’d think Keira Knightly would taste like.
Also, Boddingtons is always a tastey bet and available most anywhere. More of an Elizabeth Hurley.
Jerad: I’m 90% sure they have Yuengling at Charles Street Liquors in Beacon Hill.
One of the hard to find, yet truly delicous, beers is “Abita Springs Turbo Dog”. It is from Abita Springs, La. (on the I-12 north of New Orleans) This beer will put you under the table just as quickly as any I have found. I lived in Germany for ten years and developed a taste for the darker varities of “liquid bread”. I feel that this is one off the shelf brew that can stand alongside the best over there. Abita Springs bottled water is the companys primary product and is the source of the breweries watter supply.
I would have to strongly disagree with that list…
Try Hoegarden (belgian white), or Wittekerke (also a Belgian white). If you are out and about try a beer that you can find on tap most places like Hacker Pshorr. It’s a hefe-weiss any very tasty.
Also, some newbies do well with the shock treatment, This would be jumping DIRECTLY to the triple fermented Belgian ales… If you’re feeling daring try Chimay, La Fin Du Monde, Delerium Tremens, or Grimbergen Golden…
My favorite beer is by Great Lakes Brewery, Elliot Ness. Try and find it at a bar or club that has a huge assortment. There are a couple of bars/clubs here in Louisville that have 60 or 70 beers on tap. Thats the only place I have found this specific variety of Great Lakes beer.
Moose Drool from Montana is the best dark lager I’ve ever had.
Hey, I like beer,
When I was 16 I started with Newcastle Brown Ale as it was cheap, came in bottles, and its what I could get served for in the dingy Black Swan in Newcastle.
Since then I’ve enjoyed many a pint of ale, Workie Ticket, Deuchars IPA, Black Sheep [any of theirs are great]. Basically any local ale in a pub in the UK always hits the spot. Avoid names you recognise and you can’t fail, that and most pubs will let you have a taster if you feel up to asking.
In terms of Hoegarden being good for women that can’t handle the stronger stuff.. a word to the wise Hoegarden can mess you up. Any white beer if your not used to it will seriously mess you up.
Unfortunately can’t get most of the beers on this list but will keep an eye out.
Keep on drinkin’
Rob
Yuengling one of the best beers in the country? You’ve got to be kidding. Whoever chooses to drink this stuff over, say, Killian’s, Newcastle, or about a billion other “easy” beers probably pisses on their cereal in the morning too. It’s a totally unbalanced, watered-down, mindless hootch best reserved for those nights when you don’t care whether your beer-pong buddies noticed you’ve wet your pants.
For posterity, if there aren’t at least two beers from Bell’s brewery (Kalamazoo, MI) on this site it is entirely worthless. One of them had better be Special Double Cream Stout (great in chili or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream), and the other, Third Coast Old Ale (barleywine, but you probably can’t handle it).
Great initial list! Lots of good suggestions in the comments as well.
For my money, the tastiest beer i’ve tried out of all suggested has been a Hefeweizen, particilarly the Paulaner Hefeweizen (their Oktoberfest is also ridiculously tasty). I’ve offered this brew to many people with many different tastes, and all have raved about it. I think it would be a good starter beer for anyone looking to broaded their beer base.
I’m not surprised you didn’t toss in a beer from across the other pond. The Asian beers tend to get little respect which is a shame because some of theirs are the best I’ve ever had. I’ve never been dissapointed by an Asian beer and in fact, Kirin Ichiban is my fav.
As for the rest of the list, I’m in modest agreement. Unfortunately, no distributor in the state of Georgia (where I reside) has a contract with Yuengling so none for me unless I go out of town.
Kirin Ichiban is terrible.
Stella Artois is a good alternative if you like Miller High Life.
Leffe Brune
Most fresh Stouts at microbrews rock!
People that drink Budweiser (american) usually dont appreciate flavor and couldn’t name a good tequila if you told them.
I highly recommend Belgian strong-ales. These are fairly easy on the pallette, and some of the top rated beers in the world. You don’t need to pick out every flavor, but with non-offensive flowery hops and a crispy golden hue, the style will make for a pleased pallette. On the east coast, look for Alagash Tripel. $6 for a 24oz. Not bad!
I agree with some of the choices, though I think putting a porter or bock on the the list is essential. Drinking the Lagers or Ambers is an easy transition from Bud/Miller but to truly start enjoying beer you most go dark. Some favorites of mine:
1.Road Slush (Oatmeal Stout); New Glarus Breweries - Sold only in Wisconsin
1a. Oatmeal Stout; Samual Smith (Alternative to the above choice) - Any liquour store with a good beer selection
2. Shiner Bock; Shiner - Solid easy going bock, sold in most stores
2a. Doppelock; Celebrator - Tends to be expensive, sold in four bottle packs. Very rich taste, smooth. Packs a punch alcohol wise.
3. Budvar, (True Lager, made in Czech Rep.) - Very crisp, light beer. One of the two czech beers readily available in the States. If you ever get a chance to go to Prague, try the Staropramen Lezak or Bernard beers. These last two are not sold in the US, but they surpass both Pilsner Urquell and Budvar.
4. Spaten Optimator; Spaten - Again not the easiest beer to find. Though when I lived in Wisconsin sixers were available at most liquor stores. A darker beer, not really sure of the classification, but it really packs a punch. Six of these and you’ll be feeling no pain.
5. Autumnal Fire (Porter or Bock, can’t remember); Capitol Brewery, Madison, WI - Truly amazing! First time I saw this I asked the guy at the beer store what it was like. He said, and I quote, “Fire, dude, fire.” If you see this do not pass it up!!
I like Paulaner Salvator, the original Double Bock style. Liquid bread, nice flavors. In the same style, Spaten Optimator is pretty good too.
In stores now is Sam Adams Octoberfest. Next best thing to going to Munich.
I’ll have to make a recommendation on a couple of beers. However, it’ll be a few months before they’ll be available again as they are seasonals from Sam Adams. When spring rolls around, be sure to check out Sam Adam’s White Ale. It’s an unfiltered wheat that is rich in flavor. As summer rolls around, check out Sam Adam’s Summer Ale. This is another wheat ale and it is most excellent on tap.
I was actually surprised to find that Sam Adams has hardly been listed, even in the comments. I’ll have to agree with the author that Yuengling is a great starter beer beyond the cheap beers from big brewers in America. Another decent beer (on the cheaper side) is Michelob’s Amber Bock. While the Michelob name might shun you away from buying it, it’s actually a decent beer for the price.
If you want to check out a decent German beer, check out Konig Ludwig Weiss (from brewer’s of Warsteiner). It’s another wheat beer. Heh, I guess I’m more into wheats than I thought.
If you want a decent dark German beer, check out Warsteiner’s Premium Dunkel.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale? bah
a great starter beer is Alaskan Amber
A note on yuengling. Not sure where you’re from, but you can get a 24 of cans of yuengling for $15 in VA. You can get a 12 for like 8 or 9 as well and I’d imagine you might be able to find cheaper elsewhere.
dogs’ bollocks=of outstanding quality
bollocks=something rubbish
Remember, you can tell the Queen that her dress is the ‘dogs bollocks’ as a compliment. If you were to tell her that dress is bollocks you are insulting her.
Watch some eddie izzard to help you out with these cross-atlanic quips.
Seth: Yuengling is one of the best beers in the country, period. I wouldn’t expect someone who puts beer on ice cream to recognize this.
I will admint that Bells Oberon is a very tasty beer but saying Yuengling is a watered down piece of crap is baseless.
My favorite beer at the moment are Samuel Smith’s Lagers and Ales.
Just caress your liver with a Hoegaarden, newbeeries.
New Belgium makes great stuff, like the standard Fat Tire and 1554.
Current favorite is Mothership Wit, but good luck finding it anywhere.
Abita Amber from 26 miles North of New Orleans.
The best beer period.
I should know.
I am a native PA boy and tried Yuengling again this past summer. Not a bad taste, but next to water in strength. I hate having to drink a 12 pack to feel good and relaxed.
So, I have switched to the Russian brand, Baltika. Numbers 6 & 9 are my favorites. No. 6 is their porter and around 7% alcohol. No 9 is a strong ale and around 8 or 8.5% alcohol (I forget). The wife prefers the milder No 3 and it comes in around 5%.
Granted these are not available at the local 7-11, but well worth finding.
re: yuengling
in the philadelphia area, where yuengling is made and is most common, it is referred to in bars, parties, and general conversation simply as “a lager”, not “a yuengling” as the article states. probably a typo. kudos to this site for a quality list.
Pyramid, Hoegarden, Blue Moon, Newcastle and maybe Stella.
Those would be my beer training wheels.
If you can’t like any of those… try again later.
Seth is a douchebag. Bell’s makes some good beer, but they aren’t all that. I’ve got a double cream stout cock for his mouth. And as far as the Third Coast–it’s good, but if you want to talk trash about a Bell’s beer somebody “can’t handle” how about Expedition Stout? Makes Third Coast taste like candy. Anyway, I can brew a better barley wine with the yeast on my balls. And how can you talk about Bell’s and not mention Two Hearted Ale, unless you’re an idiot?
Somebody punch that guy in the tits. Bell’s is fine but there are better breweries.
When living in Oregon, it was very easy to have a new “favorite” beer every week. I went through all the hefe’s, ambers, and ales. Years later, I don’t switch near as often. Nowadays, I primarily drink Stella Artois (if it’s on tap) or Blue Moon.
My local watering hole has 5 beers on tap:
Stella
Fat Tire
Sierra Nevada
Bass
Coors Light
It took me a while to like beer, but I never gave up. The first thing that I tasted that didn’t make me want to spit it out was Michelob Amberbock. But the beer that made me a beer drinker was Abita Amber. Since then I’ve come to appreciate all manner of beers but I prefer the darker varieties.
My favorites are locals too. The only brewery in my state, Lazy Magnolia Beer, puts out some fine beer. And I believe they recently won two medals in the World Beer Cup their first year out. The Southern Pecan is very good.
I used to live in St. Augustine, FL and there is a bar there with over 140 beers from around the world. My favorite beer of them all is Yuengling. It is nice to see the oldest Lager in the US ge the respect it deserves. I may have thrown Killians or New Castle up there, too
Straub.
Dear Lord, please make it possible to get this fine, fine brew outside of Pennsylvannia and Ohio!
http://www.straubbeer.com/
Yuengling or as my PA buddy likes to call it “Pennsylvania Gatorade” is great instead of buying some of the other American German stuff.
But everyone’s local microbrew will probably put out something better. Try Ommegang has an Abbey Ale that’s just great. Wagner Valley Brewing Company makes an excellent Amber.
Check them out of your in the Finger Lake Region of NY.
For me, beer depends on the season. With fall easing into play, I’m opting for the darker stuff. Guiness is good, but a bit of a lightweight. If you’re partial to the malty goodness, try an Old Rasputin Imperial Stout from North Coast. Good stuff, but it comes in a four pack for the price of six. A good alternate is Rogue’s Imperial Stout in the 22 oz bottle.
Bert Grant’s in Yakima Washington makes some great beer.
I’m partial to Red Hook’s ESB, as it was my intro to “craft” beers.
Pyramid also makes some good stuff, but they screw up their beer with fruit and crap. Fruit flavored beers or spiced beers are to be avoided.
When in doubt, give something a try. I’ve bought some strange stuff that I’ve really liked. White beers as an example. Of course you’ll try stuff that isn’t really your thing, but at least its beer.
Red Tail Ale
Sudwerk in Davis, CA is outstanding.
Of course, beer is bread in a bottle, and the whole beer belly thing isn’t a myth!
Wow, I would have thought New Castle or Bass would have been on the list. I was glad to see Dos equis amber though. Everyone always gets their lager which is nothing compared to the taste of the amber.
Bert Grant’s in Yakima Washington *made* some great beer. The brewery was shut down quite a while ago.
Dude, where’s the drop top amber from Widmer?
You need to add:
Maredsous 10
Rochefort 10
and
Hooegarden
Fan of Guinness Stout and Yuengling from PA
coopers sparkling ale 5.8% from south australia mmmmmm
Overall a very underwhelming list. I have had Yuengling twice, both both times I completely regret. The stuff is terrible. If you want to start out on something good it’s all about Unibroue. Don De Dieu, Trois Pistoles, and La Fin Du Monde are 3 of the best beers you’ll ever have. If you want a good stout that is available everywhere get some Lion Stout. Hooegarden is incredible as is Sterkens White. Moving up the price list there is Wittekirk and Delerium Tremens which are incredible, with Delerium getting a bit odd in the taste department but by far my most favorite beer. I will agree with the person who said they like Bigfoot Ale, barleywine style ales are great and that stuff will wreck you. Avoid American non-microbrews like the plague. Bud Light is not the only beer in existence.
Genesee Cream Ale, from Rochester N.Y. Kinda joking…..
favorites are;
Impaled Ale from Middle Ages Brewing - Syracuse
anything by Pyramid, Rogue, Blue Moon, North Coast, Lost Coast, Sierra Nevada, Fat Tire, Dogfish Head, Magic Hat, and of course Guinness Brewries.
I did have some very good Beers In China; HuiQuan I think
It is constantly amazing to me that folks can drink swill like Budweiser…I just can’t abid it….well, most of what one could call the commercial brews aren’t anything to write home about, but Bud is at the bottom. This is all taking into consideration that ‘Lite beer’ isn’t…..no way close….it is a super example of the power of advertising in this wonderful country of ours….where so many of us call Star bucks coffee and lite beer, beer! I am beginning to be convinced most of us have no taste.
Come to Texas….the last few years have seen a resurgence of micro brewries putting out some great beers!
Jeffe
the reasons guinness is better in ireland is that they don’t need to add a preservative to it for local distribution. it’s the preservative that gives it that slight bitter aftertaste you’ll find in an american guinness (regardless of where it’s made).
among my favorites are
beamish
murphys
newcastle
guinness
belhaven scottish ale for variety
bass is great
killians is good if you are low on cash…
i can hardly stand the taste of any typical cheap beer like bud light anymore..
Fun fact: In England, Stella Artois is often colloquially referred to as “wife beater.” As in, “I’ll have a pint of wife beater please, mate.”
The beers that got me drinking beer again would have to be Guinness (tried on my own) and Newcastle (suggested by a friend). I highly recomend, for someone that might not be a “beer guy”, Newcastle and Yuengling to start out with . Those beers are easy to drink and can really kick start your “taste” for better beer. A Samuel Smith Nut Brown is a really good alternative to Newcastle if you wnat to spend a little more. Hoegarrden is a great first wheat, and you can’t hardly go wrong with a Sam Adams Octoberfest. Reading the hell out of Beer advocate once you find a couple of beers you like is a great way to find more beers to try without getting many “clunkers”. One thing you will find out is that just like everything else in this world, people’s opinions are varied when it comes to things they love. Just have fun and develope your tastes.
GLBC - Great Lakes Brewing Company is one of my favorites with a wide stock variety and many seasonals including the Blackout Stout. All have above average alcohol % and have been awarded numerous accolades. Check out the website (greatlakesbrewing.com) or better yet grab one at the bar that Eliot Ness drank at.
Hey, I checked back here seven months later. Good to know I was seconded on the Great Lakes.