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Beer!

NogsNogs Crap, crap, mega crap.Crap, crap, mega crap.Registered User regular
edited April 2007 in Help / Advice Forum
So, I turned 21 a few months ago, and have been trying to expand my palate of beer from the natty lites and milkwalkee beasts to something more refined. I'm relatively inexperienced on beers and would like some good suggestions for the next few times I go out to eat or hit the bars.

I think I like darker beers more, but I've only had a handful - my favorite was the Schell Dark. I didn't really like the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, so I'm not sure about ales. Other than that, all I've had are shit beers that high schoolers drink.

So can you guys suggest a good cold one?

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Posts

  • JPArbiterJPArbiter Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Guiness is good for you

    JPArbiter on
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  • zhen_roguezhen_rogue Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Guiness
    Boddington's
    Smithwick's
    Killian's Red

    If you like darker or "fuller" tasting beers, you might try a few of the above.

    Also, try your local brewpubs/breweries.
    Ask for some tasters of their stouts and porters, you might get lucky and find something you really enjoy.

    zhen_rogue on
  • Zetetic ElenchZetetic Elench Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    JPArbiter wrote: »
    Guiness is good for you

    It's also delicious.

    But incredibly fattening. So, yeah, moderation.

    Zetetic Elench on
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  • meekermeeker Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Bass or Harp.

    meeker on
  • FunkyWaltDoggFunkyWaltDogg Columbia, SCRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    meeker wrote: »
    Bass or Harp.

    This man speaks truth.

    FunkyWaltDogg on
  • SpackleSpackle Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Both St. Pauli's Girl have always satisfied me (I think it's a pale ale and a dark lager).

    Spackle on
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  • HeirHeir Ausitn, TXRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    On top of the ones already suggested, I prefer some Modelo Negro..it's a darkish beer that tastes pretty good.

    It's not exactly "Guiness/Meat and Potatoes Beer", but it's good.

    Heir on
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  • Folken FanelFolken Fanel anime af When's KoFRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    New Castle might be my favorite beer.

    I've also been known to get some yuengling since its so cheap and goes great with wings. Sam Adams cherry wheat is another personal favorite.

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  • Omnicron9999Omnicron9999 Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    What part of the country are you from?

    Regional beers = awesome.

    I'm obviously from Boston, we have Sam Adams and Harpoon. Harpoon has some very tasty and somewhat different beers. They have a nice IPA (actually pretty much their flagship beer), they also have an awesome UFO (Unfiltered Offering). It is a nice unfiltered hefewizen (wheat beer) it also comes in a raspberry version.

    As for Sam Adams, if you can't get to Boston to do a tasting, they make sampler 12 packs which, depending on the season, have different brews you can sample. Its a very nice way to try some new beers, they usually come in 12 packs, so get a buddy and enjoy.

    Omnicron9999 on
  • FellhandFellhand Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Sam Adams is awesome for common beer.

    You're going to want to try Maudite.

    Fellhand on
  • JWFokkerJWFokker Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I think H/A is a poor place to ask for beer suggestions, because everyone is just going to list their personal favorite, which odds are, will not be your favorite and you're just as likely to hate as enjoy. I mean, I'm seeing suggestions for IPAs after you already said you don't like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

    I suggest you read up on all the different varieties of beers (there are dozens, not just lagers, ales and pilsners as you might think), so you know what kinds of beer you like and can find more of those types.

    http://beeradvocate.com/

    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style

    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/

    Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is an America Pale Ale, which tend to be very hoppy, a bit sharp and as a result of the hops, quite bitter (IBU 37). You might also dislike the variety of hops used. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale uses Cascade hops, which are known to be very piney and somewhat astringent and have a strong aroma.

    I couldn't find anything on Schill Dark at Beer Advocate or Google, so I think it may be spelled differently. I can't say if it's a stout or a porter or a schwarzbier. Generally though, darker beers use more malt which will reduce the perceived bitterness of the hops.

    JWFokker on
  • NogsNogs Crap, crap, mega crap. Crap, crap, mega crap.Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    What part of the country are you from?

    Minneapolis, Minnesota most of the time. About a month out of the year I spend in St. Louis, Missouri
    JWFokker wrote: »
    I couldn't find anything on Schill Dark at Beer Advocate or Google, so I think it may be spelled differently. I can't say if it's a stout or a porter or a schwarzbier. Generally though, darker beers use more malt which will reduce the perceived bitterness of the hops.

    Yeah my bad, I spelled it wrong. I meant Schell Dark.

    Nogs on
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  • embrikembrik Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    JPArbiter wrote: »
    Guiness is good for you

    It's also delicious.

    But incredibly fattening. So, yeah, moderation.



    ???? - Guinness nutrition facts

    No fat

    Also, see below (from an old version of the FAQs on the Guinness site. Not on there anymore for some reason)

    # Is Guinness fattening? How many calories does it contain?
    Guinness is no more fattening or calorific than any other beer of similar alcoholic strength. The beer has no fat, however it does contain protein, sugar, carbohydrates and alcohol. The alcohol accounts for 65-75% of the calorific content irrespective of the beer in question. Per pint, Draught Guinness has 210 calories; as a reference, one pint of semi-skimmed milk has 260 calories and one pint of orange juice has 220 calories. Draught Guinness actually has fewer calories than most other premium beers and lagers.

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  • SkankPlayaSkankPlaya Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    zhen_rogue wrote: »
    Guiness
    Boddington's
    Smithwick's

    This is my go to list of beer when I go out.

    Seeing as how summer is approaching get some Hefe Weizens. It's unfiltered wheat beer and it is fantastic.
    An ok American one is Pyramid.
    There are some great German/Belgium ones though, like Pauliner, and Erdinger (the dark one is good too), but they're not as easy to find.

    SkankPlaya on
  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    HOBGOBLIN

    Expensive but so so good.

    Shogun on
  • ege02ege02 __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2007
    embrik wrote: »
    JPArbiter wrote: »
    Guiness is good for you

    It's also delicious.

    But incredibly fattening. So, yeah, moderation.



    ???? - Guinness nutrition facts

    No fat

    Also, see below (from an old version of the FAQs on the Guinness site. Not on there anymore for some reason)

    # Is Guinness fattening? How many calories does it contain?
    Guinness is no more fattening or calorific than any other beer of similar alcoholic strength. The beer has no fat, however it does contain protein, sugar, carbohydrates and alcohol. The alcohol accounts for 65-75% of the calorific content irrespective of the beer in question. Per pint, Draught Guinness has 210 calories; as a reference, one pint of semi-skimmed milk has 260 calories and one pint of orange juice has 220 calories. Draught Guinness actually has fewer calories than most other premium beers and lagers.

    It's fattening because it's almost pure carbs.

    But it's not something particular to Guiness. All beers are like that.

    ege02 on
  • EdgieEdgie TampaRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    New Castle might be my favorite beer.

    Yes! Since the op said he likes darker beers, I recommend Newcastle. It's a brown ale from England - imported, so decently pricey, but it's my favorite beer of all time.

    If you're looking for a more common beer, I'd suggest any sort of Sam Adams. It tastes nothing like the watered down piss that passes for most American beer.

    Edgie on
  • SkankPlayaSkankPlaya Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    New Castle's great too, I forgot about that one. I've been there, dreary place in my opinion. Also, the beer tastes kinda interesting right after you stop chewing gum.

    SkankPlaya on
  • ChopperDaveChopperDave Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Dogfish Head is one of my favorite beer microbreweries, which makes them both incredibly expensive ($9 for a six-pack) and incredibly delicious. You should try grabbing their Midas Touch Golden Elixer or their Chicory Stout, they'll change your life.

    ChopperDave on
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  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    If you live in Minneapolis you should check out Summit beers - brewed in the Twin Cities. They're good and they have a wide range beers.

    Also, "most" American beers do not taste like "watered-down piss." There are hojillions of microbrews brewed all over the country and you can buy plenty of them in your local liquor store. Sam Adams does make some good beers - they were also one of the first breweries in the US to make something other than "watered-down piss."

    tsmvengy on
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  • LeztaLezta Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
  • FatsFats Corvallis, ORRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    If you're around the Northwest, look for Rogue Ale stuff. Everything they brew is great, but I especially like the Shakespeare Stout (and the Imperial Stout, and the Brutal Bitter, and the Dead Guy Ale, and... mmm). Most of them are dark as night.

    Fats on
  • noobertnoobert Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Look around for the largest bottle shop near you. Large places normally have massive ranges of everything.

    Ask the oldest guy there to suggest so good beers, buy them. Lots of the stuff suggested here will be hard to find.

    noobert on
  • FunkyWaltDoggFunkyWaltDogg Columbia, SCRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Oh god, I had a bottle of Rogue Shakespeare Stout once and I thought it was the most awful thing I'd ever tasted. It could be that I'm not man enough for it, though.

    FunkyWaltDogg on
  • Jimmy KingJimmy King Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Well, most of my favorites have been mentioned. I love some Killian's and Newcastle. This thread is lacking in Warsteiner, though. Red Stripe is another good one that is fairly easy to find.

    Jimmy King on
  • FatsFats Corvallis, ORRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Oh god, I had a bottle of Rogue Shakespeare Stout once and I thought it was the most awful thing I'd ever tasted. It could be that I'm not man enough for it, though.

    Heretic!

    Nah, it's an acquired taste and a lot of people just don't like stouts. On the upside, my friends bring their own beer over instead of drinking all mine. :wink: Rogue's Dead Guy Ale is still really nice for you normal people.

    I do find that stouts and other really hoppy beers taste better as they warm up. Room temperature is good.

    Fats on
  • JWFokkerJWFokker Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    embrik wrote: »
    JPArbiter wrote: »
    Guiness is good for you

    It's also delicious.

    But incredibly fattening. So, yeah, moderation.



    ???? - Guinness nutrition facts

    No fat

    As any credible nutritionist will tell you, fat content in food does not have any impact on whether you get fat or not. Nearly everything is digested indiscriminately, so it is total caloric intake that counts. Fat is broken down, and then if fewer calories are burned than you ingest, excess nutrients are converted to fat. Foods with a lot of fat have a high caloric content, and the same holds true for carbohydrates. Beer, which is known as liquid bread in Germany because it is made from fermented grains, is high in carbohydrates. 200 calories from beer is just as fattening as 200 calories from lard.

    JWFokker on
  • JWFokkerJWFokker Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Nogs wrote: »
    What part of the country are you from?

    Minneapolis, Minnesota most of the time. About a month out of the year I spend in St. Louis, Missouri
    JWFokker wrote: »
    I couldn't find anything on Schill Dark at Beer Advocate or Google, so I think it may be spelled differently. I can't say if it's a stout or a porter or a schwarzbier. Generally though, darker beers use more malt which will reduce the perceived bitterness of the hops.

    Yeah my bad, I spelled it wrong. I meant Schell Dark.

    Okay, August Schell Dark is a Munich Dunkel Lager. They're similar to stouts in that they're not hoppy, but not quite as bitter and not nearly as heavy and filling. Along those same lines are schwarzbiers and oatmeal stouts, though obviously the oatmeal stouts will be a bit heavier and have more roasted malt flavor.

    JWFokker on
  • Pants ManPants Man Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    i love smithwicks, but it's really damn expensive. i'm also a big fan of amerbock and killian's, they're kind of "let's enjoy the beer that gets us trashed" type drinks

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  • FunkyWaltDoggFunkyWaltDogg Columbia, SCRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Jimmy King wrote: »
    Well, most of my favorites have been mentioned. I love some Killian's and Newcastle. This thread is lacking in Warsteiner, though. Red Stripe is another good one that is fairly easy to find.

    Yes, Red Stripe.

    FunkyWaltDogg on
  • skyybahamutskyybahamut Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    As said previously Sam Adams=good

    I also like Leinenkugels, but if you don't live in the upper Midwest, it's hard to find. I cannot find it out in Montana. :x

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  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    PABST BLUE RIBBON

    Hoegaarden is the belgian "white" beer, it's pretty good.

    A lot of people swear by Shiner Bock, it's pretty good, too.

    My favourite beer, Manny's, is unavailable in Minneapolis, sadly. It's unavailable outside of the Puget Sound area, as far as I know.

    Seattle Thread on
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  • JWFokkerJWFokker Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    As said previously Sam Adams=good

    I also like Leinenkugels, but if you don't live in the upper Midwest, it's hard to find. I cannot find it out in Montana. :x

    That's odd you can't get Leinenkugel's because it's owned by SABMiller. Must be there isn't demand in your market for it because it's been a nationally distributed beer since the Leinenkugel Brewing Co. was acquired by SABMiller 1988. I can actually get Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat at a Mobil gas station near me.

    That's another thing. Here in NY (Hudson Valley, not NYC), many gas stations have better selection than the grocery stores when it comes to beer. Not necessarily more brands, but better beer. I can get Lion Stout from Sri Lanka in refridgerated 22oz bottles, which is great because it's one of the best stouts I've ever had (Samuel Smith stouts included) and it's dirt cheap. I was surprised at the number of good beers the gas stations have.

    As for Sam Adams, the Boston Lager is good, but I don't think the OP will enjoy it considering he didn't like the Sierra Nevada APA and the Boston Lager is pretty hoppy too.

    JWFokker on
  • Filler Inc.Filler Inc. Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Blue moon is a great beer, supposedly great with a wedge of orange.

    Can't go wrong with a good heffiweissen.

    It's already been mentioned by New Castle is good aswell.



    And my favorite, guiness, has already been mentioned.

    Filler Inc. on
  • oniianoniian Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    MOOSE DROOL! Seriously, tastes great. I've heard some say it tastes like bannanas but I would argue it tastes like excellence. Then I would say Killian's, Rogue, Henry Weinhard's, Ice House(yup I know I am going to get crap for that one), Modelo Negro, Fat Tire, and Pyramid, Michelob AmberBoch.

    Start with Killians, AmberBach, Ice house and the ligther stuff based on what you like already and work your way up.

    oniian on
  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Filler wrote: »
    Blue moon is a great beer, supposedly great with a wedge of orange.

    Can't go wrong with a good heffiweissen.

    It's already been mentioned by New Castle is good aswell.



    And my favorite, guiness, has already been mentioned.

    Blue Moon = generic Hoegaarden

    Get the real stuff you'll never want Blue Moon again

    For American beers most ofthe good ones have been mentioned

    Dogfish head is one of the best microbreweries in the US. Their IPAs and Stouts are particularly tasty. they also make some pretty high alcohol beers so be careful with em.

    Sam Adams is good. I personally hate Boston Lager though. Thier summer brew, their holiday brew and their wheat beers are all very good though.

    If you want a treat try some of the Belgian beers. They're expensive but most of em are well worth it. Duvel or Chimay are both excellent choices that are fairly widely available. The previously mentioned Hoegaarden is the perfect summer beer. If you can track em down Delrium Tremons and McChouffe are my favorites

    nexuscrawler on
  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I'm not sure if they ship outside the Northeast but Blue Point Brewery from Long Island is excellent as well

    nexuscrawler on
  • ege02ege02 __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2007
    I am interested in low-calorie beers.

    Do they exist?

    Or do I have to give up this drink completely in my quest for 6-pack abs?

    ege02 on
  • AximAxim Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    i am not huge on dark ales but
    london porter is super dark/rich i would give it a run sometime, they brew it with a bit of chocolate

    Axim on
  • JWFokkerJWFokker Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Filler wrote: »
    Blue moon is a great beer, supposedly great with a wedge of orange.

    Can't go wrong with a good heffiweissen.

    It's already been mentioned by New Castle is good aswell.



    And my favorite, guiness, has already been mentioned.

    Blue Moon = generic Hoegaarden

    Get the real stuff you'll never want Blue Moon again

    For American beers most ofthe good ones have been mentioned

    Dogfish head is one of the best microbreweries in the US. Their IPAs and Stouts are particularly tasty. they also make some pretty high alcohol beers so be careful with em.

    Sam Adams is good. I personally hate Boston Lager though. Thier summer brew, their holiday brew and their wheat beers are all very good though.

    If you want a treat try some of the Belgian beers. They're expensive but most of em are well worth it. Duvel or Chimay are both excellent choices that are fairly widely available. The previously mentioned Hoegaarden is the perfect summer beer. If you can track em down Delrium Tremons and McChouffe are my favorites

    Just want to mention that Blue Moon and Hoegaarden are witbiers, not hefe weizens.

    As for Belgian beers, Chimay is very good but I contend that Trappist Westvleteren's Dubbel and Quadrupel are extremely good if you can find them. Trappist Rochefort is also known to be among the best.
    ege02 wrote: »
    I am interested in low-calorie beers.

    Do they exist?

    Or do I have to give up this drink completely in my quest for 6-pack abs?

    There is very little difference between regular beer and lite beer except lack of flavor. Lite beers don't have significantly fewer calories, they're just watered down a bit.
    Many breweries add enzymes -- usually derived from fungi -- to aid in breaking down unfermentable dextrins that would normally be left in the finished beer. Tweaking mashing techniques, fermenting at high temperatures, and aiming for high original gravities (a measure of sugar in solution) are other methods often applied, in conjunction. To boot, the vast majority of mega-breweries also add adjuncts like rice and corn in their beers (cheaper than malt and produce highly fermentable yields). For instance Budweiser is said to have 30% rice in it. If we wanted to drink sake, we'd break out the thimble sized mugs and go to town on the real stuff!

    Anyway, these dextrins are responsible for much of the malt flavour and aroma in finished beer, however in the case of light beer will get converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the yeast - which also uses energy/calories to convert. Light beer brewers want to break down these unfermentable carbohydrates as much as possible as they will contribute around 4 calories per gram. Okay ... Now you are left with alcohol and its calories (essentially malt liquor - a strong tasteless beer)! In fact, beer gets most of its calories from alcohol, around 7 calories per gram. So how do you think they get rid of all the calories from the alcohol? They don't. Many light brewers, depending on the specific brewing method, will then dilute the beer with water to hit a desired gravity. End result = less calories.

    Bottom line is that the vast majority of light beers have been watered down. While they contain only slightly less alcohol, the carbohydrates have been cut in some cases well beyond half. Unfortunately they have also been stripped of their flavour, aroma and body as a result. And, as the alcohol content is only slightly less, the overall calorie difference between a regular beer and its light beer counterpart ... well, it is hardly worth worrying about. Why? As stated, beer gets most of its calories from alcohol.

    JWFokker on
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