I agree with this point. American “chocolate” is about as good as American “beer”. Granted, I eat American milk chocolate products pretty regularly, and they’re really not bad, but they can’t compare to real German or Belgian chocolate in taste or texture. Of course, Europe produces some cheap chocolates that are similar to, if not worse than, American chocolates–give me M&M’s over European Smarties any day…
We have a local brewery that makes very good beer, though, and Sam Adams is pretty good, too. I can’t remember the last time I drank one of the “beer-flavored water” drinks, though.
I like Bud, Coors, and Miller. There, I admitted it. But I noticed that the type of Bud served here tastes better than that in the US. I think Molson brews it for them here and adds more alcohol. I noticed the difference when I was in the US last time, and the Bud I had, tasted more like water. The Coors Extra Gold was good though. I just tried Pabst Blue Ribbon, and it was nice.
I am afraid that I have become a beer snob. I never thought that it would happen. I would drink Busch in cans, because it had EtOH and was cheap. Then I got out of school and needed to pick up a hobby to spend free time. What a wierd thing to have after so long in school. I took up homebrewing. So for the past 30 months or so I have been brewing my own extract and partial mashes (I am not an all-grainer; yet). I have gotten used to beer (ales mostly) with good mouth-feel. Even when I get stuff from the top microbreweries, it tastes bland and palid.
If you don;t like what you get, make what you want. I also have been able to experience European (mainly Belgian) syles that are likely to die out (commercially) as the breweries consolidate.
I admit to swilling, with pleasure, an American “beer” :dubious: after doing yardwork in hot weather. My favorite American watered-down brand is Rolling Rock.
For flavor, though, I like the alt style ambers, the I.P.A.'s, and the stouts put out by local microbreweries. At the moment, I am enjoying a tasty Bert Grant’s Summer Ale. Nice and hoppy!
I’ve had more than my share of imports and microbrews, but Miller Lite and Michelob Ultra are my faves. I don’t want sweet or heavy beers most of the time, and those two hit the spot. What’s the harm?
Like Frank Booth in Blue Velvet, I’m all about the Pabst Blue Ribbon when I want a light (and cheap) beer. While it wallowed in obscurity for many years, including my prime drinking years in college in the late '90s, PBR seems to be making a major resurgence in popularity and “coolness.” I’ll be the first to admit it isn’t GREAT beer, but it tastes a helluva lot better than any BudMillerCoors product, and at $7 for a 12-pack of bottles, you can’t beat it.
Of course, Guinness will always be my true love, and I like other good beers like Purple Haze, Blue Moon, Killian’s Red, Newcastle, and Delirium Nocturnum (a Belgian ale, actually). But there’s nothing wrong with PABST BLUE RIBBON!
Well, obviously that was his point. But I was hoping he’d provide something a bit more substantive in reply.
While my favorite chocolate is Italian (Domori is wonderful stuff), there’s some quite good chocolate being produced in America. Of course, the companies that make it are much smaller than, say, Hershey’s, so most people aren’t familiar with it. However, that fact still doesn’t justify nonpolar’s blanket assertions that American beer and chocolate are both bad; IMO he’d have been much better served by asking for examples of high-quality beer and chocolate.
I’ve been drinking plenty of Sam Adams Light of late, and damned if I don’t love it. My favorite winter drink is a frosty pint of Murpheys from the tap, but during the summer heat, that’s a bit heavy. Most imports are. I think most domestic lights taste like skunk piss, but Sam’s light is something I actually crave these days.
So either it’s a damn good American light beer, or with age my taste as moved down to my arse. Either way, I’m happy.
Sam Adams Light? Hmmmmm…gonna have to try that one. It gets too damn hot around here in the summer to drink anything with any body to it. Too much alcohol mixed with heat is contraindicated as well. I’ve been getting by with Silver Bullets and Tecate.
Yeah…I know. 27 years of homebrewing experience and I drink Silver Bullets. Shut up.
Anybody else have a good “Jebus, it’s hot!” beer to recommend?
Quickly, off the top of my head:
[ul]
[li]Fat Tire[/li][li]Abita[/li][li]Anchor[/li][li]Sam Adams[/li][li]Pete’s Wicked[/li][li]Flying Dog[/li][li]Dixie Brewing[/li][li]Yuengling[/li][/ul]All of the preceding thoroughly American breweries should have at least a semi-national distribution, and all make excellent products.
In addition, American cities quite often have one or more independent breweries, brew pubs, brew restaurants, etc, which can provide you with a huge variety of American beers to try from coast to coast. There are probably literally thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of different American beers which are superb. Here’s a page listing a few more.
Do not make the mistake of judging American beer by Budweiser, Miller Lite, Busch, etc. While they are certainly American beers (and they have their place. As Bruce_Daddy mentioned, a crisp, cold Busch after yard work in 100 degree/90% humidity heat is like God’s own mercy,) they are not the ONLY American beers.
Hell, I’ll stack Abita Turbodog against any stout beer in the world, including the one made in Dundalk, Ireland.
I am most definitely a beer snob, but during the dog days of summer, I do occassionally reach for the MGD, Corona, Bud, or PBR. (Yeah, PBR is definitely becoming the hipster beer around here.) What I cannot drink is Busch or, worse, Busch Lite. Even during my college drinking days, I could never manage to finish more than half a can of Busch. Something in it makes me wretch every time I put it to my lips.
America does have some very good beers. Sam Adams would definitely be one of them. I even like Sam Adams Lite (and, on principle, I’m against light beers.) In Chicago, the Goose Island brewery produces some very distinctive and excellent beers. If you ever have the chance to visit the brewery’s restaurant/bar, do go. It’s $5 a pint, but they have the best beer in Chicago. Depending on when you go, they have the best bitter I’ve had this side of the Atlantic. Awesome stuff.
Bruce Daddy - My observation is that most popular import beers are not dark and heavy – Amstel, Heineken, Becks, Fosters, Pilsner Urquell. These are all fairly light lagers (with varying degrees of maltiness and hoppiness.)
For really hot days, I also enjoy a cold hefeweizen with some lemon. Once again, I’m usually against the whole fruit-with-beer thing, but I allow it with German and Belgian wheat beers. They’re not exactly quaffing beers, but somehow they seem to go well with the sun and humidity.
Also good for the summer is anything really hoppy. Warsteiner works for me. It’s nothing fancy or sophisticated, but it’s a good decent day-to-day beer.
It comes in bottles? I’ve only ever seen PBR in cans. It is a fairly decent beer but I don’t think I’ve ever had such a bad hangover from such a small amount of alcohol.
If you’re just looking to have a few then get PBR. If you’re trying to get drunk cheap then spend the extra 50 cents or so for Busch.
as a relatively recent transplant from Yurp to the US, I can only conclude that the OP does not know that of which he speaks.
There are magnificent brews to be had in the US - I’ve become particularly fond of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, myself - but then there’s Fat Tire, Anchor Steam, all of the Stone Brewery’s excellent offerings, the Pyramid Hefeweizen - OK, now I need a beer. Not that I can’t enjoy a see-through beer on a hot day - the “Light” beers are a tad too watered-down for my tastes, but Coors or even MGD serve their purpose in a perfectly respectable manner.
That being said: Untold millions of marketing dollars have been spent on giving everybody and their bar buddies - especially those overseas who can’t get the good American stuff - the idea that Budweiser, Coors etc. is the very pinnacle of American brews. Sure, those shooting their mouths off about American beer without having sampled a larger assortment are ignorant. But we’re not just fighting ignorance here - we’re fighting ignorance aided and abetted by seriously clever and very well-funded marketing. So before we jump down down the throat of the OP (who may or may not deserve it), let’s keep in mind that there are those who have worked very, very hard to install the idea that “American beer is Budweiser/Coors/MGD” in his brain. Perhaps a little ire could be directed their way, too ?
I must say I’ll never forget standing in a pub in Gamlingay, England, blissfully enjoying my bitter, and seeing a gaggle of young, attractive English women come in and order a round of bottled Budweiser. I’d have gone over and told them what’s what if I hadn’t been hitting on the bartender (Clair! Sweet, heart-breakingly beautiful Clair!) for all I was worth at the time.
Will somebody please tell me where I can find Fat Tire in DC? I have heard its praises sung time and again, but I cannot find a single drop of it anywhere around here.
And a hearty “Hear, hear!” to all who say that just because the BMC Big Three dominate the American domestic and export market, that doesn’t mean they come anywhere close to representing the rainbow of hoppy, malty goodness that is American beer.
The Brickskeller maybe? They seem to have practically everything brewed from anywhere in the world on a scale of about New Belgium’s size and distribution. If they don’t have Fat Tire on their list, tell them to get it, and they probably will.
I’ve had a few of New Belgium Brewing Co.'s offerings, and it’s all very good stuff! Not sure why Coors is supposed to be the Taste of Colorado or whatever, when Coloradans have ready access to such fine drink.
Not even my local, which carries literally hundreds of varieties of American and belgian beers, can get their hands on New Belgium products. The furthest I’ve found Fat Fire from Fort Collins is Las Cruces to the south, and Kansas City to the east
Another great Fort Collins beer is Odell 90 Shilling.
elmwood (currently drinking Burning River from Great Lakes Brewing)
