I prefer draft, if the tap lines are clean. Bottles properly poured into a glass second. From the bottle 3rd. From the can fourth. I don’t recall ever pouring a can into a glass. Canned beer has its time and place. For example, I’m going to the Carolina Panthers game tomorrow, and will be tail-gaiting from about 10:00. Bars can’t sell beer before noon, so I’m bringing a few of my own to get started. Cans are easier to deal with and dispose of when you’re walking around city streets.
In an ideal world (clean lines, fresh keg), draft. However, that assumes going to a bar or can limit the variety of beer you taste, so more often I go for a bottle it seems.
Canned is rare, but I did drink some canned 21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat Beer as a “what the hell”. 
Nothing special, interesting though.
Wet.
Beer has been written out of both my diet and my budget for the last few months so at this point, if you’re offering me a hypothetical, I’m gonna take what I can get :D.
Speak of the devil I just picked some up for the first time about an hour ago because I couldn’t quite believe that someone was selling watermelon beer. I haven’t had any yet though, is it any good?
It’s all right, decent but nothing special. I’m a big wheat beer fan, and something tastes a little bit odd about the combination; it might be that when I’ve had watermelon beer before (Boston Beer Works makes one that I’ve had a few times), it’s a pale ale mixed with it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it, but if I had to drink a canned beer I’d make a beeline for it.
Excellent, I’ll give if another hour or so to cool off and see what I think!
ETA: Might have to check out that Boston Beer Works too
It happens here occasionally, especially if it’s a beer-cooler out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere situation. I’ll drink Singha beer out of just about anything.
Draft, unless I’m drinking piss beer, in which case either canned or bottled, and as close to freezing cold as possible.
- Draft
- Bottled, poured into a glass
- Bottled, from the bottle
- Canned
With respect to 2 and 3, I really don’t understand the (modern?) trend of drinking bottled beer from the bottle. Apart from questionable hygeine, forcing the beer through a narrow opening produces a narrow, frothy stream. Drinking from a glass and letting the beer access large portions of the mouth and tongue simultaneously is so much better.
Canned beer tastes of cans. And forces the beer through an even smaller opening.
Where I used to work we had Newcastle on tap. Clearly you live in the wrong area. 
Draft, but only if they have good beer on tap. I’ve been places where they only have junk like Miller Lite, Bud and Bud Light on tap… I’d rather drink a bottle of Spotted Cow, Newcastle, or even Blue Moon or Amstel Light to that junk. But if they have good beer on tap, I’m all about that. (Partly why I love Old Chicago so much.)
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society.
Draft Top Of The Mountain Black Ale.
I prefer draft if its at a bar, in a glass, and a brand I like. If it’s a party with a keg and beer in a plastic cup I’ll take the bottle thanks. Also if the bar has crap on draft but a decent bottle I’ll take that. And if I will be doing anything but sitting down a bottle is handier…
People think I am crazy.
I lived in Germany for over 14 years and, needless to say, had many a beer - from all regions. This doesn’t even include my visits to other European countries known for their beer; Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland and - ah, yes - the famous Czech beers and also have 10,000 proof original Budweiser on tap that will kick your ass. Forget the UK - it is warm piss, especially that godawful Guinness.
My choice?
Miller Lite in a can.
No, I do not live in a double-wide trailer in Alabama.
Not only that, but almost every German I have had visit me in the USA simply LOVES Miller Lite. One tried to bring a case home to Germany (too expensive, so he simply took a few cans, put them in his suitcase and gave me the rest.)
Yes, I know this is heresy.
Stone me, sue me - whatever.
I think 95% of all those “premium” and “quality” beers are simply too thick and syrupy for my tastes. I don’t want to chew beer - just drink it.
Draft always. What the freshness is concerned, I don’t think I’ve ever been to bar that sells so little that the beer looses its freshness; even if they have more than 10 beers on tap.
I’m another heretic: I have no real preference. :^)
Draft for me too, subject to the caveats already mentioned. We are fortunate in Houston to have several bars with large selections of draft beer (E.g. Flying Saucer, The Ginger Man, Angelo’s, and many others)
The reason I posted though was to mention Oskar Blues, a very tasty line of beers that are largely available only in cans. Granted, as soon as I open an Old Chub, I pour it into a glass, but they disprove the universal that canned beer is crap.
Just wanted to add that in my limited experience with imperial stouts, whether they come from draft or bottle made a huge difference in flavor. The draft system really lowered the bitterness for me from both Old Rasputin Imperial Stout and Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, and made them taste creamier, and almost syrupy in the case of the Brooklyn. Unfortunately, without the bitterness, I felt that both beers were unbalanced, and so I vastly prefer either of those from bottle.
Disappointing, as we don’t get Brooklyn Black Chocolate in this state—Yet—and I was eagerly anticipating getting to try it again, this time on draft.
I certainly have. The bars in my neighborhood are mostly of the BudMillCoors variety. Occasionally you’ll find a Sam Adams on tap. One place I frequented, I noticed they had Newcastle on tap. I asked the bartender for a pint, and she said they don’t have Newcastle. I pointed to the tap (there’s maybe a total of five or six taps at this bar), and she said, surprised, “Oh, I guess we do.” This should have tipped me off right there. The beer tasted like the keg had not been changed for years. This same bar has Sam Adams, and apparently even that tap doesn’t get enough action, because the few times I tried their drafts, they tasted like ass. So I either order the macrobrews, or the bottled Polish beers there.
My preference overall is always for draft beer, if it’s relatively fresh and the taps are clean. But I’ve been to plenty of bars where I default to bottles because of quality issues with the tap. Why do I keep going to these bars? Because they’re in walking distance and I don’t have much other choice if I want to stay in the neighborhood.
- Draft homebrew from my system
- Draft homebrew from a friend’s system
- Fresh draft at a bar
- Bottle
- Can
Cheap-ass beer must be served in a can. Half the flavor is in the metal.