This being the Dope, I expect a number of people to chime in stating that all of them are piss or fucking close to water, but while I enjoy microbrews, I also drink a hell of a lot of the mass produced brews.
Domestically, my favorite macrobrews are Yuengling, Amber Bock, and Blue Moon, and internationally, it would include Murphy’s Irish Stout, Modelo Especial, and Heineken.
Just off the top of my head…
Coors Light (say what you will, I like it)
Guinness
Blue Moon’s Winter Moon (Abbey Ale) is really good.
Sam Adams
Red Stripe
Shiner Bock
Yeah, sorry, Boston Lager…everything else tastes, well, like Boston Lager to me as well. Except for the SA light which isn’t very good. From what I’ve been told they use the same strain of yeast in everything which is what gives it that unmistakable SA taste. If you haven’t found one you like, I’d probably write off the entire brand, they’re all pretty similar IMO…but I do like plain old Boston Lager.
Also, someone mention Spaten, I’ll toss Optimator in, and Lindemans Framboise just for some variation.
There’s a mass market IPA in the UK called Deuchars which is good, put’s a lot of the small operations to shame. Timothy Taylor landlord is a legendary IPA that almost qualifies as a macrobrew (hence is the whipping beer of choice for the snobs) , you can find it all over the place even in some terrible city alehouses. Whilst it’s good to see, these places know nothing about ale so a pint can still be hit and miss, even if it’s a good beer.
Depending on the definition of macrobrew (looks like craft breweries are allowed):
Sam Adams Boston Lager (I’m not a big lager drinker, but this may be my favorite lager, period)
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Guinness
Old Style (for the neighborhood bars that don’t have anything fancier than an MGD)
Spaten Optimator
Hoegaarden Wit
Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse
And, although you didn’t ask, a few beers I won’t drink. If they are the only beers on the menu, I order a Coke: Becks, St. Pauli Girl, Rolling Rock, Sam Adams, and anything with “Lite” on the label.
Blue Moon (all their varieties, including the Summer Honey Wheat and the Pale Ale)
Sam Adams (Boston Lager, Summer Ale, Cream Stout, Octoberfest)
Bass Ale
I used to really like Dundee’s Honey Brown Lager, but I usually drank it after 12 to 14 hours on the construction site when pretty much anything would have tasted like the nectar of the gods. Haven’t tried it lately.
Many of the Shiner Bock varieties (though I tend to stay away from the original nowadays–too much association with getting shitfaced on it in college).
And I know the beer snobs will really recoil at this, but in the summer I occasionally enjoy a Corona and lime.
Weihenstephaner - dont’ know whether it’s micro or macro but I do know that it’s a German beer available in the LCBO in Canada, so it can’t be that small.
Hoegaarden
Leffe
Guinness
There are also a few Ciders I like (Bulmers/Magners, Strongbow sweet), do those count?
Good one. Supposedly, it’s the world’s oldest brewery. I’ve only had their hefeweissen. Our after-work bar charges $4 bucks for a bottle at happy hour. It also charges $4 for a bottle of Delirium Tremens.
Thinking about it, I’d be happy with any macro-brewed lager. It’s meant to be a light drink and whilst the big breweries dish out truly light (ie non)-tasting product, it’s fine for me. That, and I’ve never had a craft lager I rated particularly highly.
What is really unacceptable is macro-brewed ale like John Smiths, Tetleys or boddingtons (all UK brands). Tasteless lager I can accommodate, but tasteless ale? Complete abuse of what an ale should be about and always served way too cold in pubs, like lager temperatures.
I’ve always been a fan of the Guinness. Michelob Amber Bock is my usual go-to when I’m not feeling like a stout, or if the rest of the offerings at the restaurant are of the Bud/Miller variety.
I had a Budweiser Select at a ball game once. Surprisingly good, I thought.