I dunno. I'm certainly not the beer fiend of some here but it seems a general representation of "American" beers is nigh impossible these days but you could do worse than that. I think we probably take those for granted because you can get most of 'em at your local big box grocery store.

One could argue viable microbrews in the US have only started exploding in the last 20 years and a few of those helped pave the way.

To me, Sierra Nevada was on of those beers that when it finally came to Georgia is was a big deal. For most people my age it was probably one of the first "gourmet" beers after drinking whatever shit the local gas station would sell me with my fake ID.

Certainly worth a try if you've never had them. Besides, a 12-pack of any of those would probably run $15-$20 American dollars anyway.

Actually this looks a bit bitter. I could pick ten out of all these, or go for the 12pack.

http://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/acatalog/Beers_of_Europe__American_Beer_88.html

12pack

I just saw Prom's post on the previous page....hopefully that is about to change in Alabama.

Also, it's not really that there isn't a want or desire for people to start up microbrews here it's that our antiquated distribution laws really fuck things up.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure in GA you are required by law to go through a distributor or wholesaler.

Makes things very difficult and the distributors in GA and AL kind of have a monopoly over the industry. Why should they really invest in Found Sounds Ale from PPDD Brewery when they are killing it already with Sweetwater, etc.

Maybe I've got that wrong but like Stu said on the last page, the South tends to drag ass on shit like this (see also: Blue Laws)

The laws are relics of prohibition. Prior to prohibition, beer manufacturers owned most of the bars in the US. Or the bars were heavily indebted to the manufacturers. The manufacturers wielded too much influence and were able to push their products on the bar patrons. This was believed to contribute to America's drunkenness. Post-prohibition, Congress commissioned a study on how to reduce America's drinking without prohibition. The 3-tier system was born as a means of checks and balances. However, it's wildly shifted the power to distributors and Budweiser/Miller. Louisiana has the same 3 tier system as do most states. It's a bitch to repeal because of Budweiser's influence.

Nola has had a ton of trouble with distribution for this reason. And is currently battling their original distributor in court. It's a huge road-block to starting a micro-brew. My friend is currently working his way through this now.

Tenneesse has the same issue. You can't buy beer and liquor/wine in the same store, you can't buy mixers or drinkware in a liquor store, and you can't buy wine in a grocery store. And as far as distribution goes, we were pretty limited on available microbrews until a few of years ago (Sierra was readily available). For instance: Up until 2007, I had been able to find Yuengling (not that I'm categorizing it as a microbrew) in SC, NC, GA and FL, but not in TN, but that changed when they finally agreed to let our Budweiser distributor to carry their beer. After that happened, it's been like a waterfall: New Belgium and a host of more widely-known microbreweries (Oskar Blues) started appearing in Nashville. Lipman Brothers would stock the more established microbrews (Sierra, Abita, Sweetwater, Flying Dog), but now a Nashville craft-brew specialist distributor, Bounty Bev, has started carrying smaller craft breweries. So, at least in Nashville, and other Southern cities with a yuppie population, I think the interest in craft brews/micro brews increased simultaneously with the distribution and subsequent availability and the current SWPL obsession with artisan food/drink. It was a perfect storm.

Beer Wars is a fairly interesting documentary about the three-tier system and how it can be unfair to smaller breweries. Its on Netflix Streaming if you have that.

Yeah, I've seen it. Have to think it helped Dogfish Head get their own show with Brew Masters.

RE: Asheville brews: I've had Highland, French Broad, Wedge, Pisgah, Lab, ABC, and Green Man, with Pisgah being my favorite and ABC (Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co) being my least favorite.

HERE is an article about the rise of "Beer City USA".

I purchased a mix and match six pack and some random .5 liter bottles yesterday, none of the beers were really noteworthy, but here is a list of the ones I had never consumed before:

Thomas Creek Classic Five IPA from the Thomas Creek Brewery in Greenville, SC
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/thomas-cre ... ipa/23029/

Shiner Kosmos Reserve


Baltika 4 Original Dark Lager from Russia


http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/401/2235

That Baltika is ALL over the grocery store here. They have at least 4 varieties, maybe more, and I have never ever been tempted to buy one.

(NOLA) Never have, no, I'm suspicious they aren't up here in Boston. I'll look for it when I'm on the road. It's a great backstory, and I've had that same fantasy about the mill towns in middle WI that are going to shit as paper products dry up. Except what always ruins those dreams is the straight-up cancer water in those towns. Everyfuckingbody has cancer. Everyone. Everybody's mom and dad croak before they're 52 from some kind of cancer.

(Gonkgomery Brewery) Kickass, I wanna hear more about that if it progresses.

Had the following yesterday while watching the games:

St. Bernardus Abt 12
Rochefort 10

Paired with some soft gouda.

It's pretty much all downhill from here.

Oh JESUS. I didn't even notice that you'd dipped a tow into that world. Welcome, son!

Side note - was it the Washington Hotel you guys stayed at in NH?

It's not in bottles yet. That's why you haven't seen it in Boston. Bottles are in the works but I'm not sure why exactly they haven't been released.

He's pioneered the draft pack, which is boxed beer. I posted it way earlier in this thread when they released their Hurricane Saison. Now Miller Lite/Coors have since released similar products.

Yeah, I usually only get inspired to really adventure into to some of the more complex beers in the winter. Summer I just want something light and refreshing and without a hop explosion.

Yes, it was the Mount Washington Hotel @ Bretton Woods.

Pretty much one of the pimpest "grand" hotels I've stayed at this side of the Grove Park Inn.

Beautiful country. Why? Taking a trip?

Just spent a weekend in NH and went to Bretton for cross country skiing, then went up and had a beer at the hotel... and was like "I think Derris stayed here." That place was amazing. Incredible views.


Oh and Tanner, I would fucking love to try some boxed beer. Well, boxed NOLA, not coors or bud or whatever. Sounds like Squirrg Heaven... tiny footprint in the recycling container.

Madhouse Brewing Co. Pastime Pale Ale from Newton, IA
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/madhouse-p ... le/118396/

Wasatch White Label Belgian White Ale from Wasatch Brewpup in Park City, UT.
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/wasatch-white-label/94925/

Tomorrow night I am going to a tapping party for Sierra Nevada Hoptimum.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/55939
From the Sierra Nevada website "A group of hop-heads and publicans challenged our Beer Camp brewers to push the extremes of whole-cone hop brewing. The result is this: a 100 IBU, whole-cone hurricane of flavor. Simply put- Hoptimum: the biggest whole-cone IPA we have ever produced. Aggressively hopped, dry-hopped and torpedoed with our exclusive new hop varieties for ultra-intense flavors and aromas.

Hops, hops and more hops are the stars of this big, whole-cone Imperial IPA. Resinous ‘new-school’ and exclusive hop varieties carry the bold and aromatic nose. The flavor follows the aroma with layers of aggressive hoppiness, featuring notes of grapefruit rind, rose, lilac, cedar and tropical fruit – all culminating in a dry and lasting finish."

So, there is this local craft beer store that has been sponsoring free weekly beer tastings in my hood for a while now. I've been trying to hit it up as often as I can. So far the ones I've been too have been for Maredsous, Left Hand, Bell's, and yesterday was Bridgeport.

They only had 3 out. 2 of their staples and their newest creation:

India Pale Ale- IPA
Hop Czar- Imperial IPA
Kingpin - Double Red Ale

I thought they were solid but I've just come to the conclusion that IPA's aren't my favorite style. I enjoy them from time to time (usually in the summer) but sometimes they just overwhelm things with bitterness. Still, not bad by any stretch and the Red Ale was a nice surprise. I've never really cared for them but after the hop blast of the first two, it came off as relatively smooth and balanced. He told us that it's only been on the market for a week now.

After this, I headed to a nearby high end beer bar and continued my fascination with the Belgians:

Had these (not my pics):







All pretty fantastic but if I had to choose, I'd probably go with the Corsendonk but it'd be a tough call,

There's an opinion we definitely share, Derris. And all 3 of those Belgians are like liquid heaven, and I'd be hard-pressed to pick a #1 myself. I have friends visiting from Ontario, and I'm going to take them to my watering hole for good beer (80 taps now, over 600 brands in bottles) and dinner tonight.

I'm going to this a week on Friday, just so i can order a pint of Mark E Smith.

http://www.snootyfoxlondon.co.uk/press%20release.htm

I had a glass of the Mikkeller Yeast Series: Lager last night at the Sierra Nevada Hoptimum tapping party. It was pretty good. It might be my favorite of the Yeast Series beers so far.

http://www.ratebeer.com/ratings/beer/mi ... er/122183/

Tomorrow is the Nebraska Brewing Company Nebraskadian Black IPA tapping party, so I'll probably have one or two more beers to mention here.

Past 6 mo. fave:



I used to despise this brewery for their "microbrew for the masses"
But after second, third, etc inspection
Such a strong lineup of true-to-form beer styles.
I was wrong.
New Glarus has their shit straight.
Best brewery in the country as far as I know.

Go Pack.

A night of excellent brews at the local pub, including:

The old stand-by, and maybe my favorite of all time, crisp and delicious like only they can do (IMO):



A glass of this, malty, creamy, a close runner to St. Feuillien:



One of these, always excellent:



And 2 750's of this:



Now, when I first read about this one last year, I asked the pub owner, Steve, when he was going to get some for me, and he said the quantities were so limited that none would ever make it down here. When we got to the place last night, I told the waiter (and friend) to go back and tell me which St. Feuilliens they had in house- lo and be damned, he brought out a bottle of this. He said they not only had some bottles, but also 3 kegs stashed away. When Steve came in, he swore he had told me about getting it when he first scrounged it up, but damned if I remember that at all. He'll tap one of the kegs for me at a day's notice. As for the stuff, it is exceptional- as advertised, a collaboration between St. Feuillien and Green Flash Brewery out of Austin (which I've never heard of). Distinct St Feuillien taste, dry hopped with American hops- on the nose, the hops are very pronounced, but in tasting, are VERY subdued. Spicy, crisp, and absolutely delicious. If you like Belgian and are fortunate enough to ever run across this limited edition stuff, try it.

*edit* Forgot to mention- very sneaky ABV at 9.5%

Toze, how about we tap one of those kegs GA-FLA weekend?

Say the word, Big Man. Drink that fucker dry.