Do You Even Beer?

trogalicious

I have yet to acquire a taste for craft beers. I usually just stick to silver bullets. But I've found myself more inclined to drink hard ciders lately.

[place fist here]

Woodchuck 802 is amazing, and it's hard to go wrong with Strongbow. I still haven't developed a taste for Angry Orchard, and Crispin may as well be apple juice.

tried any meads?

The mead booth out at the MN Ren Fest has an amazing selection - the Egyptian mead (has hibiscus, I think) is fantastic, and every year they have a BYO Jug sale out at the farm. Bring a container to put it in, and they'll sell you whatever they have left.

check out
http://www.bnektar.com/
I've never had anything bad from these guys. ever.

I'll even get non-beer friends of mine hooked on Zombie Killer... it's a cherry cyser.

suremeansyes

You want to blow money on beer start buying gluten free beers.

Not uncommon to pay $3-$4 a bottle, though you can find some for $8 a sixer.

LOL, $3-4 a bottle is cheap dude.

I know if you go looking you can find beer that costs as much as good wine. I'm just talking picking up a sixer and it costing $25.

IDK where you are but most craft beers here are nowhere near $4 a bottle.

Oh duh, you know what, I buy 22oz bottles. Ounce to $ conversion fail.

deucemon69

Love me some beer especially craft beer. I used to home brew quite frequently before kids. Now I am lucky to brew a batch once a year. Just thinking of the liquid goodness that is beer is making me quite thirsty.

cwolfman13

Meh...craft beers can also be gimmicky beers. We have a craft brewery here, Santa Fe Brewing, that makes and excellent Java Stout. Another brewery, Rio Grande Brewing, does a pretty good Green Chile Beer that is actually pretty good with things like pizza or burgers and what not. Neither one of them use a syrup...they use real coffee beans and real green chiles when creating their beers.

I will say that I partake in both of these on occasion and they are always on hand in my beer fridge...but really, these kinds of beers are just occasional. I much prefer to just sit down to a standard beer...currently I'm partial to Tractor Brewing's IPA.

Zaftique

I have yet to acquire a taste for craft beers. I usually just stick to silver bullets. But I've found myself more inclined to drink hard ciders lately.

[place fist here]

Woodchuck 802 is amazing, and it's hard to go wrong with Strongbow. I still haven't developed a taste for Angry Orchard, and Crispin may as well be apple juice.

tried any meads?

The mead booth out at the MN Ren Fest has an amazing selection - the Egyptian mead (has hibiscus, I think) is fantastic, and every year they have a BYO Jug sale out at the farm. Bring a container to put it in, and they'll sell you whatever they have left.

check out
http://www.bnektar.com/
I've never had anything bad from these guys. ever.

I'll even get non-beer friends of mine hooked on Zombie Killer... it's a cherry cyser.

Nice. Next time we're in Wisc. we'll have to hunt some down!



http://jbirdwines.com/index_files/Page1187.htm

Usually they ship, but I suspect with Fest still in full swing, they're holding off on it. There's also Sting, but I think that's an on-site, wee barrel craft mead thing. I only ever hear tell of it, but never actually tried!

trogalicious

I have yet to acquire a taste for craft beers. I usually just stick to silver bullets. But I've found myself more inclined to drink hard ciders lately.

[place fist here]

Woodchuck 802 is amazing, and it's hard to go wrong with Strongbow. I still haven't developed a taste for Angry Orchard, and Crispin may as well be apple juice.

tried any meads?

The mead booth out at the MN Ren Fest has an amazing selection - the Egyptian mead (has hibiscus, I think) is fantastic, and every year they have a BYO Jug sale out at the farm. Bring a container to put it in, and they'll sell you whatever they have left.

check out
http://www.bnektar.com/
I've never had anything bad from these guys. ever.

I'll even get non-beer friends of mine hooked on Zombie Killer... it's a cherry cyser.

Nice. Next time we're in Wisc. we'll have to hunt some down!



http://jbirdwines.com/index_files/Page1187.htm

Usually they ship, but I suspect with Fest still in full swing, they're holding off on it. There's also Sting, but I think that's an on-site, wee barrel craft mead thing. I only ever hear tell of it, but never actually tried!

keep the eyes peeled, these guys distribute. I'm in NC and can get them on the regular.

flavia1432

Beer flavored beer. If it's warm outside, something along the lines of a Peroni or a Hefeweisen or whatever you've got if I didn't bring my own. Basically, if I haven't had it, I'll try it. If I've had it and didn't like it, I won't drink it again, unless that's what you've got if I didn't bring my own. If it's cold outside, something vodka flavored. Because I hate cold outside.

liftingbro

I have yet to acquire a taste for craft beers. I usually just stick to silver bullets. But I've found myself more inclined to drink hard ciders lately.

[place fist here]

Woodchuck 802 is amazing, and it's hard to go wrong with Strongbow. I still haven't developed a taste for Angry Orchard, and Crispin may as well be apple juice.

tried any meads?

The mead booth out at the MN Ren Fest has an amazing selection - the Egyptian mead (has hibiscus, I think) is fantastic, and every year they have a BYO Jug sale out at the farm. Bring a container to put it in, and they'll sell you whatever they have left.

Mead is amazing, can confirm the Mead Both at the MN Ren Fest is awesome and since it is basically a type of wine it is Gluten Free.

JustinAnimal

I guess I should say there's a fine line between gimmicky and innovative. Maybe I don't even know what the hell I'm talking about (as a few of you pointed out). Here's why I say this: we have a local brewery called Cloud 9 that calls itself a nanobrewery, is completely organic (I could care less, but it's still kind of cool) and uses pretty whacky ingredients. For example, they have a honey-basil pale ale (awesome) and an aphrodesiac ale (made with... uh... aphrodesiacs) and even one made with heather (again... not sure what that is, but it tastes awesome). For me, it still has to taste like beer and have some amount of balance.

Someone pointed out earlier that stouts have a naturally coffee and/or chocolate and/or vanilla profile (which I've experienced when brewing stouts). Again, for me, the key is balance. Subtle notes of those flavors are great. I mean, differences in beer are great. Otherwise, it'd all taste the same. But an overwhelming amount of something un-beer, like pumpkin or beard (jk... but I do hate that beer and the idea... yes I know what wild yeast is and how it's been used presently / historically) usually ruins it for me and makes me call it gimmicky.

That said, I'll try anything twice.

WillLift4Tats

I just like trying different things :ohwell: Dark beer is the best. Bourbon Barrel Stout is my fave so far, but I won't apologize for finding a good coffee or chocolate stout.

trogalicious

I just like trying different things :ohwell: Dark beer is the best. Bourbon Barrel Stout is my fave so far, but I won't apologize for finding a good coffee or chocolate stout.

get your hands on a bottle of alesmith vietnamese coffee speedway stout. thank me later.

WillLift4Tats

I just like trying different things :ohwell: Dark beer is the best. Bourbon Barrel Stout is my fave so far, but I won't apologize for finding a good coffee or chocolate stout.

get your hands on a bottle of alesmith vietnamese coffee speedway stout. thank me later.

*googling*

trogalicious

I just like trying different things :ohwell: Dark beer is the best. Bourbon Barrel Stout is my fave so far, but I won't apologize for finding a good coffee or chocolate stout.

get your hands on a bottle of alesmith vietnamese coffee speedway stout. thank me later.

*googling*

beg, borrow, trade, whatever you gotta do.

it's worth seeking out.

darkguardian419

I'm cheap and lazy... so I stick with bud light.

Otherwise, I'll drink whatever fru-fru "girly" drink tastes good... if I'm going to drink for flavor, I'll go for something that tastes like a dessert over a beer if I'm at a bar or dinner.

If I'm at home and working on something, beer it is most of the time.

How am I supposed to still love you?

Easy, I make some kick *kitten* mixed drinks, and I'm man enough to be ok with that :laugh:

firstsip

Okay, now I actually read the post.

Are gimmicky beer drinkers real beer drinkers? Or are they to be guilted by a-holes like me on Yelp?

One: I'd address a few things. You consider pumpkin beers a "gimick," when it's a pretty long-standing "spice" beer; it's not gimmicky, it's an established style.

Two: you note that you're not a huge fan of Belgians, yet saisons (and to an extent, lambics and sours), are Belgian styles (I know you probably mean you're not a fan of the candi sugar/fruit profiles, but I think you'd be better off saying you don't like "Abbey styles" vs. grouping the whole genre of Belgian ales).

Three: Now that I've established that there's some confusion on beer classification, I'd answer that "gimmicky" beer drinkers are indeed real beer drinkers (particularly when gimmicky to you just happens to be a style you're not into). There are definitely beers that are just straight up gimmick (Rogue's beard beer comes to mind; Voodoo doughnut is another good example that you mentioned, all of which have tasted awful to me), but as someone who's had a large amount of craft beer and does have preferences (specifically Belgians, saisons, sours and bourbon barrel imperial stouts), I'd much rather try the new and different than the 30th version of an IPA that "tastes sort of like a Torpedo and a bit like a Hopslam"... as in, more and more breweries open, more and more "standard" styles get put out, and as a result, the genres get saturated. Now a habanero pineapple IPA? That would have my attention.

One: Whoa, whoa whoa. I'm not saying anything Belgian, saisons, sours, bourbon barrels, or any of that are gimmicky. Please, please, please. They are real, I was just saying they aren't always my favorite. My bad on the Belgian classification. I was talking more whits (I don't like the fruity notes, especially banana, and am not a big fan of bitter or sweet orange peel, candied anything, or coriander in my beer... just me... still didn't call it gimmicky).

B: I WAS talking about voodoo donut (many things by rogue, actually), pumpkin beers and chili pepper beers. To me, those are gimmicky. I had no idea pumpkin in beer was such a long-standing tradition (yes, I do know spice is... but not pumpkin specifically, which seemed, at least to me, to enter popularity around the time that pumpkin coffee drinks did). And my b on that one. But I think when you say "there are some beers that are just staright up gimmick," then you and I are talking about the same things.

IV: Look who put on their sassy pants this morning! And not literally the pants you're wearing in your profie pic, but the tone of your post. And I'm also kidding, because you did not come off as sassy.

Haha, I love this last response. I'll drink to that (and being borderline anti-Rogue!).

And don't worry--I knew you weren't saying saisons, etc. were gimmicky! I'm just a defender of Belgian beer, haha.

libbydoodle11

On the rare occasion that I do indulge - I like ale, stout, lager, porter and ipa's. I am a craft beer chic. I steer clear of pilsners or fruity, pumkiny, etc flavored beer.

5stringjeff

I just googled Bourbon Barrel Stout. I think I'm fixin' to drive to Kentucky.

lisalsd1

I don't know what a "gimmicky" beer is per say. I know what crap beer tastes like (well, crap beer and malt liquor), and I don't want to revisit those days.

I just opened Southern Tier Pumking (I tried the Warlock, which was alright...I wasn't in the mood for a stout) and Epic/DC Brau Pumpkin Porter. Both are good. Personally, I've liked Schlafly's Pumpkin the best. Are those gimmicky? I dunno. To my credit, I'm willing to try any beer without getting sanctimonious about it.

Being a beer snob is only going to limit your choices in the long run. Well...ok, it is alright to be a beer snob when it comes to something like Natty Light. Otherwise, live and let live.

Lisa1971

Duff beer rocks!

Zerodette

I don't know what a "gimmicky" beer is per say. I know what crap beer tastes like (well, crap beer and malt liquor), and I don't want to revisit those days.

I just opened Southern Tier Pumking (I tried the Warlock, which was alright...I wasn't in the mood for a stout) and Epic/DC Brau Pumpkin Porter. Both are good. Personally, I've liked Schlafly's Pumpkin the best. Are those gimmicky? I dunno. To my credit, I'm willing to try any beer without getting sanctimonious about it.

Being a beer snob is only going to limit your choices in the long run. Well...ok, it is alright to be a beer snob when it comes to something like Natty Light. Otherwise, live and let live.

I have dreams about Southern Tier's Creme Brulee Stout, after drinking it once. If that's gimmicky, I don't wanna be... not gimmicky.