Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

No one could have predicted…

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

People are complicated. Love is not.

We still have time to mess this up!

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Usually wrong but never in doubt

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

The revolution will be supervised.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

The willow is too close to the house.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

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Reader Interactions

185Comments

  4. 4.

    Jacquie

    Abita Turbodog, from Louisiana. It’s a sipper, though, not a chugger. My “utility beer” is Yuengling.

  6. 6.

    ericblair

    Fin du Monde. Better if you can get it on tap, but that means schlepping up to La Belle Province and scoring some artisanal poutine while you’re at it. Along with the complimentary arterial stent.

  10. 10.

    Schlemizel

    Belgian’s preferably wheats

    My kids & I have been brewing our own stuff for a couple of years now which makes it more exciting. No terrible misses but some have been better than others.

    Any other homebrewers out there?

  11. 11.

    Mark H

    Harpoon makes a Winter Warmer that is flavored with nutmeg and cinnamon. Phenomenal on tap, but for some reason it’s not quite as good in a bottle.

  13. 13.

    Ed Drone

    I’m a drinker of hard cider — never developed a taste for beer or ale. I like Strongbow, Woodchuck Dark & Dry, Bulmer’s, and one called Scrumpy, which is also a regional English name for “cider” as such.

    I have to admit to a fondness for rum as well.

    But no beer or ale. Sorry ’bout that.

    Ed

  14. 14.

    Damian

    Been a long-time fan of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. I’ve recently gotten into a lot of West Coast beers, including Stone Ruination, Racer 5 IPA and Hop Rod Rye by Bear Republic, and Liberty Ale from Anchor in SF.

  18. 18.

    YoohooCthulhu

    Leffe is probably one of the more available Belgians, not a rarity by any means, and actually one of the worse examples. Beers that seem to be co-liked (but better) are Fin du Monde, Hoegarden, Affligem Blonde, and Delirium Tremens.

  19. 19.

    evap

    Terrapin Hopsecutioner, brewed right here in Jaw-jah. Their Rye P.A. (Rye Pale Ale) is pretty tasty, as well.

  20. 20.

    beyond left

    I like Chimay Trappist Ale and Fat Tire…Dale’s Pale Ale is the best canned beer I have found…

  22. 22.

    WhyKnot241

    Chimay Belgian trappist ale. In the large corked bottle with sediment … of course!

  23. 23.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    Beer for me goes from bitter to extremely bitter. I am one of the people who just cannot drink the stuff. I have tried everything from light to heavy, flavored, whatever. My wife said a beer tasted like soap; all I could taste was bitter.

    Even red wine is too bitter for me.

  24. 24.

    Origuy

    @ericblair: I saw a Unibroue gift pack at a Costco around San Jose the other day. Don’t remember if it contained Fin du Monde. Kind of pricy, so I went for the variety case of Pyramid brews.

    My usual, when it’s available, is Gordon Biersh Marzen.

  25. 25.

    Betty Cracker

    @Schlemizel: My husband and a neighbor recently brewed several batches of mead. It’s pretty good, but watch out! Since they bottled it in regular old beer bottles that we’d amassed and the taste was pretty mild, I was slugging them down as if they were beer, and before I knew it, I was snot-slinging drunk! Apparently the alcohol content is fairly high.

    @ Ed Drone — ever tried mead? If you like cider (which I do as well), you may like it.

  26. 26.

    butler

    Had it on tap last week. It is pretty good.

    As for favorites, I don’t typically care for darker beers, but some friends hosted a tasting a few weeks ago and served a devine strong dark german brew whose name I can’t remember. My wife loved it too, despite the fact that she typically only likes wheat beers.

  27. 27.

    MikeJ

    You know that old saying, “a pint’s a pound the whole world round?” That’s a fucking bargain.

  31. 31.

    Peregrinus

    Leffe is actually the only beer I have in my fridge right now, as it makes for wonderful drinking in both winter and summer.

    As a zythophile, I tend to like either Belgian abbey ales — all the added sugar makes them taste nice and sweet — or stouts/porters — the bitter taste can be quite refreshing in the right circumstances. A Guinness will do nicely just about any time.

  33. 33.

    LittlePig

    Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale. Yum.

    Utility beer: Miller High Life (really)

    ETA: jHarp, my man!

  35. 35.

    butler

    You know that old saying, “a pint’s a pound the whole world round?” That’s a fucking bargain.

    Pretty sure that’s talking about measurments, as in an (American) pint of water weighing a pound.

  38. 38.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us? (formerly MarkJ)

    I can’t pick one favorite, but Red’s Rye from Founders Brewing Company is really good, as is their Centennial IPA, though I would rank Bell’s Two Hearted Ale as slightly better. I also really like Victory Prima Pils and Wiehenstephaner Hefeweizen.

    I have a soft spot for Bell’s Amber, which was the first regional craft brew available in West Michigan (where I grew up) and turned me into a craft beer enthusiast.

  39. 39.

    Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn

    SSo, le’me see if I have this right — The Jets balked at having to cough up an extra $5 million to cover the pay advances the Broncos had given to Sideshow Tebow, so the Broncos agreed to split the difference; essentially eating 2.5 million bananas to be rid of him.

    Talk about your “don’t let the door hit you” scenarios.

  40. 40.

    Pappy G

    Nowadays it’s O’Douls Amber for me. Dang. Used to love Pacifico. And Manny’s Pale Ale from Georgetown Brewing here in Seattle. Sessions if I was pounding.

  43. 43.

    Luthe

    @Ed Drone:

    Huzzah, another cider drinker! I also like Woodchuck 802, but Mangers Irish Cider is pretty good, too. What do you think of Woodchuck Pear Cider?

  44. 44.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us? (formerly MarkJ)

    Also, The Public and Penn Quarter Porter from DC Brau are both really good.

  47. 47.

    scav

    The next one.

    Although I will be hoping hard for a Belgian one or at least one I can’t (easily) see though. I like them chewy.

    well, the Czech see-throughs are exceptions.

  48. 48.

    Slownomad

    Pliny the Younger — Best
    Pliny the Elder — Best you have a hope of getting if you’re not near the brewery at the right time.
    And I think I’ll always love Stone Brewing’s Self-Righteous.

  49. 49.

    techno

    I don’t drink beer anymore—not even to be polite. Never much cared for the taste OR the high.

    But there was one memorable beer. In 1970, I showed up at the front door requesting an industrial tour of the Porschewerk in Stuttgart Zuffenhausen. Of course—we do it all the time, was the response. One of the things I noticed almost right away was that many factory workers had a bottle of beer open next to their work stations. That didn’t happen in USA. I asked. It was a benefit negotiated by I.G.Farben.

    I ducked into a corner and there was a vending machine stocked with the local brew called Dinkelacker. For 50 pfennig, it dispensed a .5 liter bottle. The brewery was a short drive away and the turnover was fast—so it was very fresh. Damn! was that a fine bottle of beer. Of course, being surrounded by Porsches probably influenced my opinion. If Dinkelacker is an essential element in the production of 911s, it must be a fine beer indeed.

  50. 50.

    gaz

    @jharp:

    Miller High Low Life

    FTFY

    When I used to drink, there was this stuff at a local(ish) brewery that they can’t technically call beer in WA state – 13.9% alcohol content if you ignore the fact that they pull the tester while the meter is still rising! They had to call it a “barley wine” so I don’t know if it counts.

    It was called “2 Penny Ale” although I think it may have been renamed.

    Anyway I really liked the taste of that stuff. Unfortunately if I wanted a couple of schooners I’d have to make a day trip of it and nurse them + lots of food. Wish they weren’t so strong…

    I don’t drink anymore – but if I missed it – it was over stuff like the above. And that’s coming from somebody that never particularly liked beer.

  51. 51.

    LittlePig

    @Luthe: What’s that Woodchuck 802 like?

    I had a six pack of Woodchuck Winter (a special) last weekend and it was excellent.

  52. 52.

    cleek

    @Guster:
    i get it in NC. often.
    i like the black, too.

    still have a thing for New Holland’s Dragonmilk, tho. same as the last time this question was asked.

  54. 54.

    redshirt

    I was once a proto-hipster, long ago, but gave it up. However, I still like PBR (if I have to drink cheap beer), in an non-ironic and sincere fashion!

  57. 57.

    gaz

    @redshirt: there was a time when that was practically the official drink of burning man.

    I’m not sure whether that’s sad or funny.

    I guess as piss goes though – it’s not bad. It tastes like water. But I’d rather drink water.

  58. 58.

    Mnemosyne

    @Luthe:
    @Ed Drone:

    I prefer cider, too. Crispin has started being more available out here on the West Coast — at first, I could only find it when we visited Chicago. And I’m a big fan of Magner’s, but for some reason it’s hard to get right now.

    Fox Barrel is pretty good — it’s the pear cider side of the business for Crispin (Crispin does the apple ciders).

  60. 60.

    Villago Delenda Est

    German beer. Or NW microbrews. Rogue Dead Guy ale is good. Also a Ninkasi IPA.

    ANYTHING but mass manufactured mass marketed US beer.

  63. 63.

    Luthe

    @LittlePig: It’s a little sweeter than regular Woodchuck because they caramelize some of the sugars during the brewing process. It’s not quite mellow, but it’s very tasty.

  64. 64.

    Roger Moore

    @WhyKnot241:

    Chimay Belgian trappist ale.

    But which one, the Premiere, Grand Cru, or Cinq Cent? They’re surprisingly different.

    I’m not sure I really have a favorite beer. I want a different beer depending on my mood, what I’m pairing it with, how hot it is, etc. Though I was very pleased with the Gulden Draak on draft at my local establishment.

  65. 65.

    donovong

    I have fallen in love with North Coast Brewing’s Scrimshaw beer for every day beer and Anchor Steam with food.

  67. 67.

    Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn

    I don’t often drink beer, but when I do, I drink Weinhardt’s take on IPA. As it’s designed for mass marketing, it nudges the direction of smaller brewery’s IPAs, but with the zing fairly dialed downt.

    I also have pedestrian tastes when it comes to wine, generally asking for the “house red” when I’m dining out.

    Now, ya wanna talk Scotch or bourbons, there I got some strong opinions. (Basically, by learning how to appreciate the good stuff, I’ve priced myself out of much in the way of partaking.)

  69. 69.

    HG Hay

    I enjoy Leffe. It was my introduction to Belgian beers like 10 years ago and it and Hoegaarden are ubiquitous in London pubs – I was schoolin’ abroad at the time.
    Currently, favorites shift with the wind. Deschutes Abyss is awesome but pricey. Pliny The Elder is also really good (never had the Younger).

  70. 70.

    MoZeu

    Yes, Leffe is good, although there are Belgians I like even more.

    Best all around beer for drinking with anything, any time of the year, hands down, is Anderson Valley’s Boont Amber Ale.

  72. 72.

    eemom

    I used to drink Heinie but now I’m pretty much exclusively a wine woman.

    Though the picture at the top of the post has reawakened my dormant brewish appetite. Maybe I’ll pop in at the office Thursday happy hour in 26 minutes.

  74. 74.

    flukebucket

    @butler:

    Manning won’t even make it through all of next season. The Denver offensive line gave up 42 sacks last year and it will only take one really good one to put Peyton in the play by play booth.

  75. 75.

    John 2.0

    Not on the topic of beer (although I have some beloved local breweries), but I feel the need to highlight this: http://www.artpopeexposed.com/locke_foundation_uses_racist_image

    The Mecklenberg Blog of the John Locke Foundation (the county that will host this year’s Dem Convention) posted an image of the President’s head photoshopped on the body of a drag queen in on outfit bedecked with chains straddling a bucket of KFC in a blog post entitled ‘Obama goes gay to get NC on election day.’

    The post and image was up from Monday until this afternoon, when it started to go viral. The blogger (a former local right wing radio host) has resigned from John Locke, and told a South Carolina paper she used the image to highlight Obama’s “Southern Strategy” in North Carolina.

    FYI the John Locke foundation is run by the same guy who runs the Carolina Journal, which published the Pre-School Lunch Police story a few months ago.

  77. 77.

    freelancer

    I really like this brewery based out of Kansas City called Boulevard, they have an awesome Pale Ale but are only in the midwest.

    I’m partial to Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams Ocktoberfest.

  78. 78.

    colin uk

    Best beer ever is Orange Pippen brewed by the Copper Dragon Brewery in Skipton, North Yorkshire.

  79. 79.

    johio

    Just about anything from Bear Republic, especially their stout, racer IPA and Tribute brown ale. Never had a beer from them that I didn’t love.

  80. 80.

    dan

    There are a lot of wonderful beers, but my favorite is always the one in front of me.

    If you can’t be with the one you love …

  82. 82.

    gaz

    @Villago Delenda Est: Cascade River Brewery in skagit county, WA rules all, AFAIAC

    And their food is incredible (apologies to my grandmother).

    Their red potato salad can solve all of the worlds problems, I swear. It’s *that* amazing.

  83. 83.

    chopper

    been drinking a decent amount of Sixpoint recently. i like the Crisp. their Resin ale is pretty tight.

  84. 84.

    Quicksand

    Devil’s Canyon Brewing Co. Full Boar Scotch Ale.

    It’s local to me, and it’s neither bottled nor widely distributed.

    EDIT: Whaddayaknow. It is bottled now.

  86. 86.

    gbbalto

    Too many to name or remember. Many good ones in Pacific NW. Current favorite is Dig seasonal pale ale from New Berlin, but the run may be over by now. Otherwise, Sierra.

  87. 87.

    gbbalto

    Too many to name or remember. Many good ones in Pacific NW. Current favorite is Dig seasonal pale ale from New Berlin, but the run may be over by now. Otherwise, Sierra.

  88. 88.

    chopper

    @Origuy:

    but it’s charcoal filtered! yeah, apparently version 3.1 wasn’t quite up to snuff.

    i lived on tha 8-ball back in college. smelling the shit gets my bowels moving more than coffee.

  89. 89.

    Seitz

    Everyday beers: Half Acre’s Daisy Cutter, Three Floyds’ Zombie Dust, or Firestone Walker’s Union Jack IPA.

    Specialty Beers: Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels), Three Floyds’ Dark Lord Imperial Stout, Half Acre’s Double Daisy Cutter.

    Unfortunately, while Goose Island gets decent distribution, Half Acre only distributes in Chicago, while 3F is limited mostly to Illinois, Indiana, and parts thereabouts.

  92. 92.

    DFH no.6

    Pilsner Urquell, Steinlager (from New Zealand, of all places), Skullsplitter (ale from the Orkney Isles), Chimay (prefer the blue cap), Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock, Arrogant Bastard Ale, Anchor Steam, Guinness.

    For starters.

    I miss Stroh’s from the old days, but maybe it would be like my favorite Chinese restaurant in the old hometown from the long ago – not as good as remembered.

    My “guilty pleasure” beer is freezing cold PBR bought pretty cheaply (like $1.50) and consumed while enjoying a band at one of the local bar/music venues here in Sheriff Joe Arpaio County, like the Rhythm Room or the Crescent Ballroom.

    Yeah, PBR is supposed to be a “hipster” beer, but I don’t care. I started drinking it decades ago with my union-worker dad, who fit the old “red, white, and blue” stereotype: “red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer”.

  93. 93.

    COB

    Duvel,Gouden Carolus (the beer of Charlemagne so the story goes), and Westmalle Triple. My Belgian wife refers to Hoegaarden as “mother’s milk”.

  94. 94.

    JimTheNewb

    My current favorite is Anchor Steam – I’m a fan of just about every beer they brew.

    Pliny The Elder – lucky to have a store nearby that carries it, so I always have some on-hand.

  95. 95.

    Dr. Dave

    Brooklyn Brewery’s Local #1 is amazing, but since it packs a wallop (9% ABV) and only comes in a cork-sealed 25 oz. bottle, you either need a friend or an evening at home with nothing planned.

    Lately I’m favoring a lot of the brews coming from Sierra Nevada: the Celebration Ale was great over the winter, they have a new Ruthless Rye out now that’s nice, and I also like their Torpedo Extra IPA.

    Even so, I buy and drink a lot of different beers, so I mostly agree with Villago Delenda Est who says, basically, “anything but mass-market American stuff.” (Insert Monty Python line about making love in a canoe here…)

  96. 96.

    Tone In DC

    Dogfish 60 Minute Ale. Very kewl.
    Goes well with a chili dog at the Dogfish Cafe in Falls Church.

  97. 97.

    Schlemizel

    @Betty Cracker:
    Yes, we do mostly ales & they tend to be 2 to 3 times the alcohol of American beer.

    Thanks to all for some interesting suggestions.
    Weidmer Bros Citra Blond ale is a fabulous summer drink
    and I will second from above:
    New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale
    Affligem Blonde
    Delirium Tremens
    Their Rye P.A.
    Chimay Belgian trappist ale
    Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale

    So many good beers so little time

  98. 98.

    muddy

    @Luthe: I like the Woodchuck 802 better than the standard stuff. Like the Pear. The Granny Smith tastes good but gives insta-burn.
    @LittlePig: The 802 seems darker and smoother to me. I did like the Fall and Winter ones, which was the pumkin-ish one? I liked that one more. I just had the Spring, it is maple-ish. It’s good, but it’s like candy. I tore through it like it was girl scout cookies. 802 is my favorite I guess.

  99. 99.

    Ash Can

    I’m partial to Cantillon FouFoune (for all you francophones, yes, that really is its name), on tap, preferably with a pot of steamed fresh mussels on the side. But a Three Floyds Zombie Dust will do.

  100. 100.

    donnah

    Just tried this recently on a trip to Charlotte, NC. It’s brewed there and it’s delicious.

    Four Friends Queen City Red Ale

    highly recommend!

  102. 102.

    atlasfugged

    Maredsous 8 Dubble
    Avery The Beast Gran Cru
    Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

    The last two should come with a warning. They’re smooth and almost Port-like in terms of flavor and sweetness, with just the right amount of hoppiness. They have very low carbonation compared to the average beer, so you won’t eventually feel like a blimp when drinking them. All of this adds up to two eminently drinkable beers. But they are also effing strong (17% and 18% ABV, respectively). That combination of drinkability and alcohol content makes for a deadly combination. You cannot avoid getting drunk when drinking these beers and you will probably do things that will get you divorced or arrested. So, highly recommended.

  103. 103.

    Marcellus Shale, Public Dick

    beer isn’t supposed to taste good, its meant to prepare kids for adulthood.

    i knew when people started fruiting the beer, it would not end well.

  104. 104.

    nodakfarmboy

    Surly Furious is high on my list, along with Deschutes Inversion and their HopHenge Experimental IPA.

    Tasty, tasty hops.

  105. 105.

    Gary

    Dogfish Head makes several great ones — with Raison D’Etre, 60 Minute IPA and 90 Minute IPA leading the pack.

    The various Rogue ales (including Dead Guy) are also very good. One of the best things about the Rogue ales is that they come in big bottles (20 oz.?), which I find to be just the right size for a weekday dinner. One 12 oz. beer is too little and two 12 oz. beers is too much.

  106. 106.

    No One of Consequence

    Bell’s Hopslam – If you’re a hop-head, it is awesome. One of your smoother over-the-top-hops since Three Floyds Alpha King.

    dayum.

    Oh, and Belgians. Get yourself into a few Belgian browns. Pretty tasty. Hoegaarden is not bad beer, but certainly not the better that Belgians can offer as far as a category.

    Chimay purple (reserve I think) is easily their best.
    St. Bernidinus (sp?)
    Piraat

    As far as local stuff, we have some impressive microbrews kicking out some interesting brews, but I am still partial to lately:

    Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo
    and New Belgium’s Belago
    Paulaner’s Hefeweizen
    Spaten’s Oktoberfest (may be my favorite beer of all time)
    Dogfishhead – Midas Touch

    Zymurgists unite for great justice and fine potables!

    – NOoC

  107. 107.

    Guster

    @cleek: Oh! That’s good to hear. I couldn’t tell if it was purely regional. It’s a great summer beer, but not so much for the winter, so I’m glad it’s available in states that have longer summers than Maine (ie, any other states).

  108. 108.

    S. cerevisiae

    There are three great independent brewpubs within walking distance and they really like to experiment with styles. Block 15 is the best IMO One Hop Wonder and Hypnosis are a couple of their best. The owner has just opened Les Caves next door with an absolutely ridiculous selection of draft and bottled beer from everywhere.

  109. 109.

    Schlemizel

    @nodakfarmboy:
    Furious – ever drink a pine cone?

    My kids love it (I live about 6 blocks from Surley brewry) but if I wanted to taste turpentine I’d drink turpentine its cheaper.

  110. 110.

    Schlemizel

    @No One of Consequence:
    its St. Bernardus Abt 12

    oh man I want one of those now! Its a Belgian quadrupel: cloudy dark-red raisin color, smells of bread, and has hints of raisin and fig its sweet but not cloying.

  111. 111.

    butler

    @flukebucket: Part of that was probably Tebow’s scrambling, which tends to inflate “sack” numbers. But even if Manning goes down (and as a fan of a rival team in the division, I have no issue with that), Elway still has cover for getting rid of Tebow, who is 1) terrible and 2) beloved by a dumb and vocal swath of fans. And now he can plan his move to bring in his real QB of the future.

  113. 113.

    vtr

    Did somebody let a skunk in here, or did you open a Molson Red?

    Actually, Magic Hat Encore is good. Made in vt.

  114. 114.

    No One of Consequence

    @ Schlemizel
    My beer buddies and I got a keg of that once for a party. That was mwawesum…

    And thanks for the spelling correction. Don’t they have more than one style too?

    – NOoC

  115. 115.

    butler

    @Origuy:

    I mean really, a 3.2 Malt Liquor? What’s the point?

    Probably the result of local blue laws which restrict how much alcohol a drink can contain. Utah has that, so even their brewpups have to limit their creations to 3.2% or less. I had to give them credit for actually making drinkable beer with that awful restriction in place, though it wasn’t exactly world class stuff.

  118. 118.

    Owl Cave

    Ninkasi Tricerihops is a good replacement if you can’t find Pliny on tap. They’re a consistently fantastic brewer in the NW. Also, a small one around here that I’m starting to pick up on is Captured by Porches.

    And Carolus is great but if you can find it, try the Carolus Hopsinjoor. Really interesting hoppy belgian.

    I usually homebrew and try to have at least one IPA on tap along with 1 or 2 belgians and at least 1 english ale.

  119. 119.

    The Other Chuck

    St Bernardus is yummy. Expensive though. After living in SF for 9 years, I have finally acquired a taste for Anchor Steam. I used to like Fat Tire, but find it’s just a little too anemic now. Scrimshaw is terrific for a hot day or when I just want something light.

    I don’t have a single favorite, my tastes are just too varied.

  121. 121.

    jmg

    Bell’s Two Hearted

    Plus a lot of the Bell’s brews that you can only get at the brewery (at the risk of being beerier than thou). I have to say, Michigan has a lot of really good breweries, and I’ve lived in the NW, so I know a thing or two about breweries.

  123. 123.

    burnspbesq

    @butler:

    And now he can plan his move to bring in his real QB of the future.

    The logical move would be to trade up to number one in the 2013 draft and take Barkley. Hard to imagine a Stanford guy trading up to draft someone from SC, however.

  124. 124.

    Piobar

    Leffe is nice if you can’t get a better Belgian (living in Europe means that you nearly always can ;-) )

    My favourites as they are widely available:
    La Chouffe (only 8.6%) – Blonde beer from the Ardennes. Tasty and smooth
    Rochefort 8 (9.6% – wowser) – darker but creamy and sweet. There is also a 6 & 10 (something like 12.6%) but I prefer the 8.

    Other than these, Guinness, but only in Ireland; as well as some more of the belgians (Duvel etc.)

    Exotics:
    westvleteren 8 but it’s really hard to get & generally around €15 per 33cl bottle in a pub. It’s a really nice beer but expensive as the monks only produce it to fund their monastery and won’t sell to distributers. You can get it for around €2 a bottle if you arrive at the monastery…

    Deus – had it only once – brewed in Belgium, trucked to the Champagne region and fermented in the Champagne way in 75cl bottles. Trucked back to Belgium! Subtle beer with Champagne bubbles. I was wasted on half a bottle :-)

  125. 125.

    les

    @freelancer:
    Second Boulevard; if you get a chance, get their Bob’s 47, unfortunately only in the fall. F’n great beer. If you can get past the name, Schlafly’s Coffee Stout (St. Louis brewer) is pretty good. And a bunch of beers from Left Hand Brewery, especially their Milk Stout and 400 Pound Monkey ale.

  127. 127.

    ThresherK

    @Guster: In northern CT my favorite “good burgers and extensive beer list” pub carries it.

    Good stuff, and even better on a day like today.

  128. 128.

    Owl Cave

    @butler: I think you can get stronger stuff in Utah now, just not on tap. I had some beers from Epic Brewing in SLC that were substantially stronger and were pretty good drinking.

  130. 130.

    Petorado

    Hooked on the local brewery – Upslope. They’re pouring a cabernet barrel-aged IPA and a whiskey barrel-aged stout right now that are a whole new world of flavors to enjoy. Their Belgian quad was legendary and their Belgian pale is like a fresh version of the bottled stuff from across the pond. Local and fresh is the way to go.

  131. 131.

    ChristianPinko

    In my graduate school days my default was Saranac Adirondack Lager. Not great, but reasonably good and reasonably cheap.

  132. 132.

    TimC

    Here in Portland we are blessed with many fine microbreweries. Bridgeport makes this wonderfully bitter IPA called “Hop Czar” It’s about the best thing ever.

  134. 134.

    Hewer of Wood, Drawer of Water

    Anything from Vancouver Island Brewery (in Victoria) is worthwhile – I bring back as much as I can to Ontario every time I go

  135. 135.

    Joel

    Anything fresh and well-balanced.

    So much of what I like about beer is tied to its freshness.

  136. 136.

    tofubo

    orval trappist ale (begium), founders backwoods basterd (michigan), great lakes lake erie monster, (ohio) and here locally, two brothers has a good selection (illinois), and two goose island bourbon countys will do real well on a nice evening

  138. 138.

    Seitz

    @Joel:

    On the other hand, a lot of breweries are making very ageable beers these days. Three Floyds’ Dark Lord will be sold on April 28th, but even they will tell it won’t really be great until around Thanksgiving. I’ve got a closet full of stuff that I’m aging, which will tend to mellow out the heat from the 13%-15% ABV stouts. Along with Dark Lords from 2009, 2010, and 2011, I’ve got a few bottles each of Goose Island’s Bourbon County Coffee Stout and Bourbon County Vanilla Stout, and about a case of some other bombers that age pretty well.

  139. 139.

    The Other Bob

    Here’s a few:

    New Holland (Holland, MI)
    -Dragon’s Milk Ale
    -Cabin Fever Brown Ale.
    (The owner is a total tea party fool who ran for Congress, but damn can he brew beer.)

    Shorts Brewer (Traverse City, MI)
    -Brown Ale

    Founder’s (Grand Rapids, MI)
    -Kentucky Breakfast Stout

    DogFishHead (Deleware)
    -120 min IPA ($10 a bottle, 22% ABV – the only IPA I like.)

    Lots of beer reviews at my place.

  140. 140.

    laughingman

    Old Speckled Hen is my everyday beer. North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout is for special occasions.
    ETA: How could I forget Drake’s brewery in San Leandro, CA? They’re pretty special, but their barrel-aged beers are divine. Sadly, they don’t travel much outside the Bay Area, but if you find yourself here you owe it to yourself to visit their barrel room.

  141. 141.

    Prometheus Shrugged

    I’ve got to put a plug in for some San Diego locals that weren’t mentioned already:

    Alesmith IPA (extremely complex, but well balanced IPA; consistently wins our family’s blind taste tests over other favorites like Racer 5 and Inversion)

    Ballast Point Sculpin (aggressively hopped in the Pliny the Elder tradition)

    Green Flash Imperial IPA (you can’t taste the 9+% alcohol content, which is a real rarity for double IPAs)

  142. 142.

    the ghost of cleek

    also, Red Oak, from Greensboro NC. they refuse to pasteurize it, so you can only get it in central NC (and has to be shipped in refrigerated trucks).

    it’s great, though.

  143. 143.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    I’m partial to the Czechs. Staropramen, Pilsner Urquell. There’s some more obscure ones but they’re all good. Like German except maybe a little more bitter.

    Which reminds me, I haven’t had Dortmunder Union in ages. And Lowenbrau is finally back coming from Munich instead of that locally brewed Millerbrau piss we were stuck with for ages.

  144. 144.

    Chris from Arlington, VA

    Bell’s Two Hearted Ale and Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale. You also should try Smutty Nose Finestkind IPA, unfiltered goodness.

    Fantastic all around.

  147. 147.

    Brian

    @Damian: If you like those, have you tried the Founders Centennial. Made with you guessed it Centennial hops. Also Heady Topper and Pliny the Elder.

  149. 149.

    Mustang Bobby

    It was Stroh’s Bohemian. I stopped drinking 20 years ago, but I still remember the taste, especially on a hot summer evening sitting on the back porch and listening to the Detroit Tigers on the radio, a cold Stroh’s in one hand and a bowl of pretzels in the other. Good times.

  150. 150.

    Brian

    Pliny the Elder if you can find it.
    Dogfishhead 90 minute
    Storm King from Victory
    Delerium Tremens
    Allagash White
    I could hit all the major categories but there are so many good ones.

  152. 152.

    Origuy

    @butler: Oh, I know why 3.2 beer is made, but by definition malt liquor is supposed to be above 5% alcohol or so. So they made a brew that tastes like malt liquor but meets Oklahoma’s 3.2% law. (According to Wikipedia, that’s where it’s sold.)

  153. 153.

    The Golux

    I drink beer infrequently (I have to keep an eye on my blood glucose), but when I do, it’s usually Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome. Full-flavored but not too heavy.

  154. 154.

    butler

    @Origuy: Hardly seems fair, to have to live in OK and also be forced to deal with sub-par malt liquor. I don’t even care for regular malt liquor, I can’t imagine how desperate you have to be to enjoy 3.2% stuff that “tastes” like it.

  155. 155.

    guckertgannon

    I think Arrogant Bastard should have at least the same protections as medical marijuana.

  156. 156.

    Morbo

    @The Other Bob:

    Founder’s (Grand Rapids, MI)
    _-Kentucky Breakfast Stout

    This. Its limited availability puts a bit of a damper on things though, so I guess it’s another vote for Two-Hearted Ale.

  157. 157.

    red dog

    Hey guys,I’ve seen one or the other on this site but my favorite beer has always been FREE&COLD,

  158. 158.

    Austin

    Pretty good?!?!?

    You sample the nectar of the Gods, an 800 year old recipe of the most wonderfully subtle and textured ales to grace this planet and you have the gall to proclaim it “pretty good”?

    No! Stella Artois is pretty good. Anchor Steam or Fat Tire, if you are partial to American brews, are pretty good.

    Leffe is the standard by which I judge all other beers.

    Have you no decency?

  159. 159.

    Roger Moore

    @butler:

    I had to give them credit for actually making drinkable beer with that awful restriction in place, though it wasn’t exactly world class stuff.

    It does have the advantage that you can sit down and drink a shitload of pretty decent microbrew without getting hammered. I love the Belgians and their American imitators, but I also can’t drink many 8-12% ABV beers before I have trouble getting home from the pub. Something lighter but still decent tasting is really great sometimes.

  161. 161.

    cckids

    @Betty Cracker:Late to the party as usual, but if you’re trying them for the name, go to Utah and try Polygamy Porter. Motto: Why stop with just one? The label is a hoot.

  162. 162.

    gravie

    I don’t really like beer but I LOVE Leffe. Saxo Blonde, another Belgian beer, is also delicious. They’re not bitter and they have a high alcohol content — what’s not to love?

  163. 163.

    farmette

    My favorite beer use to be Becks but they changed the taste, smell and punch of the beer a few years ago. Since, I’ve been searching. I like Stella Atrios and also Moon Man, a pale ale, New Glarus Brewery but I still long for the old Beck’s formula.

  165. 165.

    J (reader)

    Some of my favorites:

    Boulevard Brewing (KC, MO): Single-wide IPA
    Bells (MI) Two-Hearted IPA
    Naughty Nellie Blond (somebody in Seattle)
    Sierra Nevada pale ale (CA)
    Rogue Dead Guy Ale (OR)
    Acme Pale Ale (CA)
    Summit Horizon red ale (MN)
    Deschutes Hop Henge IPA and Deschutes Inversion IPA (OR)

  166. 166.

    J (reader)

    Oh yeah, Racer 5 is pretty good.

    I also really, really love Boulevard’s spring seasonal, Boss Tom Golden Bock. It comes out soon, and I cannot wait.

  167. 167.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    I like Newcastle and Smithwick’s, in imports… Also like Anchor Steam , and Gordon Biersch, the beers available in their restaurants, at least.

  168. 168.

    Corbin Dallas Multipass

    I had leffe tonight with cajun tilapia and shrimp.

    I get that there’s a long tradition of pairing wine with food, but I love me a good beer pairing.

  170. 170.

    agorabum

    @Owl Cave: The Epic Smoked and Oaked is pretty good: aged in whiskey bottles.

    Lost Abbey’s Red Barn Saison is always refreshing.

  171. 171.

    BruceFromOhio

    I’ve been ruined. Raised on Budweiser and Miller, reduced to pan-handling for Old Milwaukee and Iron City Light, catapaulted into the southern border of Corona, Tecate and Negro Modelo, tracking back north to find heaven on earth, only to get sucked into a brew group that cooks up six kettles of craft brew every 8 weeks at a local den of inequity, and to have to pass by this place four days out of five.

    I’m gonna have to start running Gaia-damned marathons.

  172. 172.

    J (reader)

    @BruceFromOhio: Great Lakes’ Burning River and their Dortmunder are very good. Forgot those, but came to really enjoy them after spending a year in Cleveland.

  173. 173.

    Bitter Scribe

    Leininkugel’s. It’s all-malt, it’s American, it’s not too expensive, and it’s made by Miller, which is a company I like because they were nice to me as a trade journalist (long and boring story). IMO it’s as good as Sam Adams and lots cheaper.

  175. 175.

    burnspbesq

    I’m old enough to remember when there were regional breweries in this country that made good and distinctive beer. Oly, National Premium, Narragansett, Ballantine Ale, Hamm’s, Lone Star, Pearl. Ah, you kids have no idea what you’re missing.

  176. 176.

    dug

    Singha is amazing. It’s from Thailand, but should be available in your area, as its becoming increasingly popular in the US. Refreshing, complex flavor, best beer I’ve ever tasted.

  177. 177.

    noodler

    I’m a fan of the Belgian’s, try a good Karmeleit/Carmelite, also Jupilier and Delirium. My fav cheapo beer is strohs, a 30 pack is dirt cheap and cold enough, not horrible (like when I only want to crack a beer and have a few sips after moving the lawn, or when i otherwise don’t want a whole beer) always got to have some cheap swill on hand for that purpose.

  179. 179.

    pseudonymous in nc

    @Origuy:

    I mean really, a 3.2 Malt Liquor? What’s the point?

    Most British pub bitters are 3.5-4%. I have a soft spot for dark mild: Moorhouse’s Black Cat is 3.4% — though my beer of choice, on the rarest of occasions I can get it, is Timothy Taylor’s Landlord on cask, which is a “strong pale ale” and 4.1%.

    I enjoy lots of others (and am now pining for In De Wildeman) but I’m past the trainspotter phase.

  180. 180.

    Jason

    @Angelos Tzelepis:
    Delicious. Avid homebrewer here as well.

    It’s hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to narrow it down to favorite breweries is would be Cantillon, Jolly Pumpkin, Cascade, Russian River, Hair of the Dog, and Fantome.

    Favorite beers in the last month were probably Cigar City/Mikkeller Nielsbohrium and Russian River Sanctification.

  181. 181.

    Mike Lamb

    Anyone had Cocoa Mole or Clutch from New Belgium?

    Parabola from Firestone is pretty mind bending.

  183. 183.

    Jason

    @Mike Lamb:
    I really wish I lived somewhere that I could get a steady supply of Parabola. Definitely in my top 5. Not a fan of Cocoa Mole or Clutch. Actually, I think most New Belgium is pretty disappointing, though I did like Kick and La Terroir.

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