So good to see proper beers being brewed in the US.

[1mach1]

I have to say, and I mean this with all due respect, Dogfish Head is the single worst, most crawl down your throat, swallow defiant piece of crap liquid I've ever put in my mouth. To put it gently.

It's an acquired taste.

 

[1mach1]

my grandmother used to say... that's why people live in their own houses so they cn do (drink) what they want to do (drink)...

Brilliant!

 

[dnjan]

Just tried a couple of US bottled beers Brooklyn Lager and Blue Moon, bought in my local Sainsbury's - wow! So much better than that pale insipid stuff I used to have to drink at parties when the good European beers had gone.

Sorry that you mentioned Blue Moon. For just a bit more money, one can buy good beer.

and I agree with Brad, that too many brewers have gone with the brute force (lots of hops) rather than finesse.

Still, with a bit of searching, lots of good beer can be found.

Locally, I often drink Hale's Kolsch or Mac'n'Jack's African Amber.
A number of places have British-style pumps (cask-conditioned), and to me the hoppier beers taste better that way.

 

[Gregg Axley]

A few I can't get hold of, apparently because I'm not in the market...

Short's Cup A Joe Coffee Creme Stout -Michigan
Otto In Oak-Pennsylvania
Smoked Porter-Oklahoma

I'd love to try any of these, but apparently TN is not in their market.

 

[newsman]

I'd love to try any of these, but apparently TN is not in their market.

Maybe you can home brew a clone?

I love good beer. And American beer has really changed in the last thirty years.

Old Rasputin by North Coast is my favorite domestic beer.

Normally i tend to look for farm house ales from Belgium or the bier de guard from France. I've just fallen in love with basically what is small regional beers of Europe that are often note found in any large quantity except locally.

Anything by Omagong out of New York is outstanding. You just can't miss with their brews.

 

[gear-guy]

Sorry that you mentioned Blue Moon. For just a bit more money, one can buy good beer.

Agree, Blue moon is now owned by Coors or whomever owns Coors now. Was made to taste like Hoegaarden from Belgium but they didn't succeed.

 

[wildturkey8]

It's true prohibition killed off a lot of brewers, but I don't know how diverse the types were. The American brewing industry was started by and heavily dominated by German immigrants. Most beers were of that style. There's been a surge in beer styles in the last decade or so, but as others have mentioned, it seems to have devolved into a contest of who can make the most bitter beer. Personally, I don't find the "craft" beer movement to be a real advancement in quality.

Actually, Ale (Porter probably) was the most popular style after the revolution. However, that changed with wave of German immigration. The light cold refreshing lagers were perfect for the hot American summers.

One of the joys of the craft/micro revolution has been the revivals of ales. Why we have even taken IPA and made our own variation of a great British Beer. I hope some "craft" brewer revives true Burton Ale.

 

[Annixter]

Actually, Ale (Porter probably) was the most popular style after the revolution.

Not to mention steam beer in California, which had good popularity as a richer summer ale alternative to lagers. Prohibition killed all those breweries except for Anchor.

One of the joys of the craft/micro revolution has been the revivals of ales.

I delightfully agree. One of the problems, as many in this thread have mentioned, is distribution of smaller breweries. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have some amazing ales that few places outside of California carry. I can think of Speakeasy, Drakes, Devil's Canyon, Anderson Valley, and Half Moon Bay as some local breweries making excellent ales that I have very rarely seen outside of California. A good grocery or liquor store here carries far more micro brews than mass-market swill. Likewise, when I travel to other states (Oregon and New York off the top of my head), I find excellent ales that I cannot find back in CA. Being a homebrewer and lover of beer, I'm happy to live where I do

 

[andrewrivas]

There are certainly lots of hoppy IPAs and high-alcohol Russian Imperial Stouts, but there are many brewers making beer in the Belgian style or other formerly less-common varieties like sour ales. That's what's great about the craft beer movement in the US: you can certainly find something you'll enjoy with all the options available to you.

 

[robrinay]

Actually, Ale (Porter probably) was the most popular style after the revolution. However, that changed with wave of German immigration. The light cold refreshing lagers were perfect for the hot American summers.

One of the joys of the craft/micro revolution has been the revivals of ales. Why we have even taken IPA and made our own variation of a great British Beer. I hope some "craft" brewer revives true Burton Ale.

If you like IPA then try and get hold of a bottle of Jaipur - produced by the Thornbridge Brewery in Bakewell Derbyshire. Fortnum and Mason stock it if you're ever in London. In some Sheffield pubs e.g. My local 'The Greystones' it's sold bottled and draught. IMHO it's one of the best beers in the world. Ps its hoppy

 

[dnjan]

... there are many brewers making beer in the Belgian style or other formerly less-common varieties like sour ales. That's what's great about the craft beer movement in the US: you can certainly find something you'll enjoy with all the options available to you.

Yes! I am amazed and pleased with the number of small breweries who are willing to try new things!
Many are only available at brewpubs, but are definitely worth looking for.

 

[Dennis Young]

I like Sam Adams as well as Yuengling. But honestly I don’t hate Budweiser. I know that’s probably blasphemy. Lol But its good to me. I agree with the others about how ‘hoppy’ some of these beers have become.
Incidentally, do any of you guys make your own beer?

 

[GoetzManor]

We have a few good breweries that are close to us here in the DC area. Great IPAs from these breweries!

Showed up way late to the party, but DuClaw is definitely my go-to brewery. Very wide range of brews. Plus, I work with a guy who is in the bottling plant and always tips me off when they are giving away free cases of beer. My favorite though, is probably Sweet Baby Jesus: A chocolate peanut butter porter. People either love it or hate it; which is fine because that means more for me.

 

[Phineas Lamour]

I brew my own but when I buy beer, I like New Belgium, Sam Adams, and Yazoo breweries. To name a few.

 

[Cocker]

Tried a couple ones when I was in Atlanta, and was pleasantly surprised at how good they were compared to the regular american beers we have here in Belgium (which is mostly Bud, of course). I had a go at Laughing Skull, Jekyll Amber Ale, Mugshot IPA and Rebel IPA. I was not disappointed by any of them. The Laughing Skull and the Jekyll left me a really good impression.

 

[dnjan]

kind of like the way Belgium floods the US market with Hoegarten, the US responds by subjecting you with Bud. (though I would rather drink Hoegarten)

There are good Belgian beers here in the U.S. - they just take a while to find. (and a big budget to pay for them)
Unfortunately, I can't really see any of the many smaller US breweries making good beer go through the effort and expense to get them to the Belgian market.

Glad you found stuff here you liked. I've never been disappointed with what I have had in Brussels either.

 

[Cocker]

It's been a while since we've been flooded with Bud, but I didn't knew Hoegaarden and Stella where available in that quantity in the US 'til I went there.

Another US beer that's avaiable in a couple place in Belgium is Tank 7. I've seen that Duvel bought the bewerey, so that makes sense. I must say this had become one of my top beers since a couple months now. I'm glad to see that the US are not only limited to Bud-like light beers!