Beer Thread

[Largent80]

I'm going to start off by saying that I quit drinking "beer" produced by Budweiser or any other imposter brewery back in the 80's when I discovered a little brewery in Ballard called Red Hook.

So, I go to a local Specs here in Texas and being a fan of Lagunitas Brewing I picked up a sixer of Waldo's special Ale.

UMMMMMM....Dank City. Double Imperial IPA, basically a triple IPA. 11.5 ABV !!!!!!!!!

Excellent. A sipper for sure but absolutely stellar.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/68269/

[RiverDog]

I'm an IPA guy but the double IPA is too heavy. I like it at a specific ABV, between 6.0% and 7.2%. I haven't drank a lager in 10 years and as a result, my taste buds have been permanently altered. Just a sip of a lager makes me want to throw up.

I laughed out loud at these two Dutch guys I gave a field tour to. They wanted to taste some good American beer and when we went into a bar, they were about to order Budweiser before I cut them off by saying "nobody drinks that snake piss anymore".

[c_hawkbob]

My most recent discovery is a Chinese beer, Lucky Buddha. Outstanding lager.

[Largent80]

LOL, I thought we would have a ton of responses here.

Lagunitas is killing it lately. Their seasonals ( Lucky 13(Red Imperial ale), Undercover Investigation Shut Down Ale (incredible unidentifiable ale), and Waldo's are all top notch.

All of em will leave your palet going WTF just happened.

[RiverDog]

I had an odd thing happen to me on our vacation to Moab, UT. We had to do some grocery shopping, among which replenishing my supply of IPA was top on the list. As I stated above, I prefer my IPA to be between 6.0% and 7.2% ABV. I was checking the very limited selection of craft beers and noted the ABV in the one IPA I found and it was only 4.0%, so I returned it to the shelf. We went down the street a few blocks to the same brewery that produced the beer I was looking at in the grocery store, sat down at the bar, and asked for a beer menu.

There was nothing on the beer menu with an ABV above 4.0%, so I queried the waiter, and he said that it was a state law that they couldn't serve beer on tap in excess of 4.0% ABV but that they could sell it in a can, and offered me a can of the same brand I was checking out in the grocery store except it had an ABV of 7%. When I asked him about the difference, he said that the grocery store did not have a license to sell the higher ABV but that they could sell me some of the 7.0% cans to go.

But in fairness to the state of Utah, I found what I thought was perhaps the most appropriately named beer I've ever seen considering where it was brewed: Polygamy Porter.

[Largent80]

LOL, if I ever go to Utah, I'll be bringing my own.

Just tried Cirusenisis from Lagunitas. Brewed with Blood Oranges.

I hate to keep extolling this brewery but DAMN, this is so delicious and sits at about 8 ABV.

Hard to find, but if you see it, capture and release.

https://lagunitas.com/beers/citrusinensis

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/175577/

[c_hawkbob]

I had an odd thing happen to me on our vacation to Moab, UT. We had to do some grocery shopping, among which replenishing my supply of IPA was top on the list. As I stated above, I prefer my IPA to be between 6.0% and 7.2% ABV. I was checking the very limited selection of craft beers and noted the ABV in the one IPA I found and it was only 4.0%, so I returned it to the shelf. We went down the street a few blocks to the same brewery that produced the beer I was looking at in the grocery store, sat down at the bar, and asked for a beer menu.

There was nothing on the beer menu with an ABV above 4.0%, so I queried the waiter, and he said that it was a state law that they couldn't serve beer on tap in excess of 4.0% ABV but that they could sell it in a can, and offered me a can of the same brand I was checking out in the grocery store except it had an ABV of 7%. When I asked him about the difference, he said that the grocery store did not have a license to sell the higher ABV but that they could sell me some of the 7.0% cans to go.

But in fairness to the state of Utah, I found what I thought was perhaps the most appropriately named beer I've ever seen considering where it was brewed: Polygamy Porter.

Utah beer was 3.2% when I lived there.

[RiverDog]

Utah beer was 3.2% when I lived there.

Sounds like sex in a canoe: F-ing near water.

[c_hawkbob]

Sounds like sex in a canoe: F-ing near water.

It's why so many living in the SLC area make the trip to Evanston Wyoming or Wendover Nevada to party. The rest of us just bought our beer at the liquor store.

3.2 beer at least still works as a Bourbon back though, so there is that.

[RiverDog]

It's why so many living in the SLC area make the trip to Evanston Wyoming or Wendover Nevada to party. The rest of us just bought our beer at the liquor store.

3.2 beer at least still works as a Bourbon back though, so there is that.

I can understand considering 4.0+ beer in the same manner they consider hard liquor and limiting take out sales to a licensed liquor store, but not being allowed to sell it on tap in a restaurant that can serve hard liquor and 7.0% beer in a can for consumption on the premises? Why can't they sell it on tap?

[c_hawkbob]

These are Mormons making rules about alcohol consumption ... it's like asking a deaf person for a set list at a dance party. I can't explain them.

[RiverDog]

These are Mormons making rules about alcohol consumption ... it's like asking a deaf person for a set list at a dance party. I can't explain them.

LOL! I guess that rules don't have to make sense in order for them to be rules.

My dad once told me that up until the late 60's, that in WA it was against the law for a woman in a bar to move from one table to another w/o the bartender moving her drink for her. Apparently it was an anti-prostitution measure.

[c_hawkbob]

My uncle was a cop in Edmonds and he had a list of statutes no longer enforced but that were still on the books like; every public building was still required to have a hitching post out front, and you could be fined for having matches and not having a fire permit (proof of intent to commit fire I guess).

[Hawktawk]

If you get through Moses Lake stop in at the Ten Pin taproom at Papas casino and bowling alley. Ten Pin has been recognized as the best small brewery in WA despite only operating for a little over 2 years. You might check the grocery shelves in the state as well since they are starting to widen their distribution. They have an insane array of handles for every taste imaginable from an assortment of IPA's ranging in alcohol content from 4.5 to 9.3, stouts, blonde and red ales, gozers, trippells and so forth. Its a smorgasbord for the taste buds.

[RiverDog]

It is true that we had laws in the state that we called "blue laws", and RiverDog, you are right except that it wasn't just women. You could not stand with a drink, you had to be seated to drink, and as you said a server was needed if you wanted to move. No Sunday sales of alcohol. The bars closed at midnight on Saturdays. Maximum alcohol strength for beer was 3.2 percent, if I remember correctly. In order to sell hard liquor drinks, an establishment needed to serve food as the primary income. Taverns did not have windows on the street so that passers by would not be offended.

There were more rules, I think, but those were the most prominent.

Establishments in WA still need to serve food in order to qualify for a hard liquor license. But unlike past years, it's not based on a percentage of income taken from food/alcohol sales (it used to be as high as 50%), but rather on their menu. Back in the late 90's, they lightened up on the restaurant business as they were complaining about the toughened DUI laws hurting their business, so the state decided to toss them a bone and revise their policy.

If I remember correctly, you couldn't buy alcohol products before noon on Sundays and there was a law that prohibited granting a license to sell alcohol within a certain number of feet from a church. But I've never been subjected to a midnight closing time law. There was one day of the year, on New Year's Eve, that bars could continue to serve until 3:00 am.

I didn't realize that there was a law regarding windows facing the street, but now that you mention it, I don't recall establishments having many windows at all. But I can remember many a time when bars would prop their doors open and allowing passerby's to be offended if they were that thin skinned.

Interesting thread.

[Largent80]

Sierra Nevada Tropical Torpedo goes down good on a hot day.

[c_hawkbob]

currently drinking a Red Stripe mon ... "hurray beer!"

[burrrton]

Ice cold Michelob Ultra with a lime in it.

[Largent80]

I'm not a huge S.A. fan but Rebel Juiced is tasty.

Red Stripe is like drinking a brown stripe if ya ask me.

[Largent80]

Sierra Nevada Octoberfest is out again. What a great malty brew.

[kalibane]

Not sure why I didn't think of this before because I know that several of us enjoy craft beer and we are relatively spread throughout the country. If anyone is interested in trading beers to get stuff they just don't have access to I'd be happy to participate.

I think I mentioned a while back I'm in the DC area. There aren't really a ton of great local breweries here but the upside is the city overall is a bit behind in beer culture and I can get some pretty rare stuff from other regions of the country. I've actually knocked off more unicorns in the last year than I did in the previous 5 in OH because I could never beat all the other beer nerds to the stores in Cincy but here people aren't nearly as fast.

Obviously I"m not posting much anymore but feel free to hit me with a reply in this thread or via message if you are looking for anything in particular.

And in response to the general theme of the thread. I drink it all... but IPAs probably make up the majority.

The most recent beer I had (yesterday) is called Dreamscicle by MadTree Brewing out of Cincinnati. Really light sessionable ale (4.7% I believe) with vanilla and orange. Nothing to drink all the time but pretty tasty.

[Largent80]

When I lived in Washington I was fairly close to Elliott Bay in West Seattle, another fine NW brewery. Here in Texas we have a bunch as well. I volunteer at Lone Pint.

http://lonepint.com/

[RiverDog]

You guys would have been proud of me. I was in Green Bay for the Hawks-Packers. Oddly enough, they did not sell any tap beer because it was too much of a hassle changing kegs. In any event, I was drinking an IPA that was called "Green 19", with a Titletown label on it, amongst some really neat Packer fans. One of the Packers fans accused me of being a Packers convert because of the brand of beer I was drinking.

My response: "Washington hops."

The two Seahawks fans I was with cracked up laughing. The Packers fans didn't understand until one of the other 12's told them.

[Largent80]

If you can find it. A Colorado brew....Breckenridge Vanilla Porter.

[Oly]

Not sure why I didn't think of this before because I know that several of us enjoy craft beer and we are relatively spread throughout the country. If anyone is interested in trading beers to get stuff they just don't have access to I'd be happy to participate.

I think I mentioned a while back I'm in the DC area. There aren't really a ton of great local breweries here but the upside is the city overall is a bit behind in beer culture and I can get some pretty rare stuff from other regions of the country. I've actually knocked off more unicorns in the last year than I did in the previous 5 in OH because I could never beat all the other beer nerds to the stores in Cincy but here people aren't nearly as fast.

Obviously I"m not posting much anymore but feel free to hit me with a reply in this thread or via message if you are looking for anything in particular.

And in response to the general theme of the thread. I drink it all... but IPAs probably make up the majority.

The most recent beer I had (yesterday) is called Dreamscicle by MadTree Brewing out of Cincinnati. Really light sessionable ale (4.7% I believe) with vanilla and orange. Nothing to drink all the time but pretty tasty.

I don't do a lot of trading, but I've been going to Three Floyds' Dark Lord Day every year since '09, and I trade most of my allotment. I just had a bottle of KBS tonight and can get both the Illinois and Ohio beers where I live in Indiana. I don't suppose you can get Tree House, Trillium, or Maine Brewing Co. in DC, can you?

[Sox-n-hawks]

Buoy Beer Co

Northwest Red

Astoria, OR

[Largent80]

After a year or so of having to brew Lagunitas Sucks because of the inavailability of ingredients Lagunitas came up with the ingredients to produce Brown Shugga. If you haven't tried it treat yourself to a killer ale. 10% ABV and so tasty you would swear you could session it. I had 3 and was a little tipsicated.

https://lagunitas.com/beer/brown-shugga#BeerNearMe

https://lagunitas.com/beer/brown-shugga

[RiverDog]

After a year or so of having to brew Lagunitas Sucks because of the inavailability of ingredients Lagunitas came up with the ingredients to produce Brown Shugga. If you haven't tried it treat yourself to a killer ale. 10% ABV and so tasty you would swear you could session it. I had 3 and was a little tipsicated.

https://lagunitas.com/beer/brown-shugga#BeerNearMe

https://lagunitas.com/beer/brown-shugga

10% ABV is a little too strong for me. I like my IPA's in the 7% range. Much higher and they're just too heavy. I've never tasted an IPA that I didn't like with the ABV within my 7% tolerance range.

One of the best IPA's outside of the Northwest that I've had is Sculpin by Ballast Point Brewery in San Diego.

But what I really like doing is going to our local Growler Guys. They continually rotate their taps and always have 5-6 IPA's for me to choose from. Most of them are from local craft brewers, but they'll always have at least one IPA from a different part of the country. They'll also purge the growler with C02 to rid it of oxygen. Not all places do that for you.

[Largent80]

Brown Shugga is NOT an IPA. It's an ale brewed with brown cane sugar. It tastes nothing like an IPA. It does have some bitterness to go along with sweetness which is where the 10% comes from. Yeast attacks sugar so the more there is the higher the ABV. Hops by the way are the main ingredient in IPA's are a flower and although bitter, contain high sugar content. When IPA's are "dry hopped" which means raw hops are added after the boil, it makes it into a DIPA or imperial.

[RiverDog]

Brown Shugga is NOT an IPA. It's an ale brewed with brown cane sugar. It tastes nothing like an IPA. It does have some bitterness to go along with sweetness which is where the 10% comes from. Yeast attacks sugar so the more there is the higher the ABV. Hops by the way are the main ingredient in IPA's are a flower and although bitter, contain high sugar content. When IPA's are "dry hopped" which means raw hops are added after the boil, it makes it into a DIPA or imperial.

Oh, I understood that the beer you were describing wasn't an IPA. I was just going off on my own tangent.

You sound like you really know your beer. I'm not nearly as sophistocated. I've sort of 'homed in' on a flavor I like and they're mostly IPA's within a certain ABV content. Someone stacks 5 shot glasses in front of me with no ID and I'll always prefer the IPA.

[burrrton]

10% ABV is a little too strong for me.

That's because it's wine, not beer.

[Largent80]

I work (part time) at Lone Pint Brewery. We make at least 3 different IPA's with our flagship Yellow Rose which has won best IPA in Houston. I am getting burned out on the style as I have been drinking IPA's for 20 years now.

My contributions are many but I do this best....



http://www.lonepint.com