For years, I’ve worked long, long hours and recently have decided to cut back some. I now am able to have people over to the house, but find myself clueless as to which are the great beers these days. My goal is to serve the very best, but have no more than, say, four brands in the fridge.
Yes this is terribly subjective, but I still need your help. I want brands that people will actually drink, not something so way out there that it will stop people in their tracks. Basically, the beer needs either some name recognition or be absolutely outstanding–preferably both.
Please give me your favorite four brands–don’t worry about price.
My top four beers, in no particular order…
I should point out, I don’t tend to favor over-hopped beer, or tasting the hops.
Rolling Rock, crisp clean brew that has never left me with a hangover the next day. Also goes GREAT with spicy foods.
Newcastle Brown, though I prefer them about 55 degrees, so I’d store them in the basement rather than the fridge.
Harp’s Lager. Yum is the best way I can descibe this stuff.
Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat, one of those nice malty, full mouth kind of beers.
If I get another choice, because I saved fridge space with the Newcastle, I go for either Schlafly’s Pale Ale (a nice amber ale, full mouth style with happy and interesting flavors to dance across your tongue) or Killian’s Red, another amber, but much lighter than most.
Well, not that I’d know anything about drinking, of course ;). But I’ve HEARD that these are good beers to try.
Molson Canadian: I’ve never really been a fan of the Molson Golden that they sent to America. However, the first time that I went to Canada under their legal drinking age, I had the chance to taste the domestic Molson and it was terrific. Now that they send it to America, I highly recomend it!
Yuengling: Most people say that American mass-produced beer is piss, and as a whole I’d agree. However, Yuengling (which is heading towards national distribution) is an exception. I didn’t think that American brewers could make a decent, darker beer…I was wrong!
Beamish Stout: When I mention stout, you think of Guinness, correct? Guinness is certainly good, but I will say that there are better stouts out there: Murphy’s is one, but the best is Beamish, which is more rich and a bit sweeter than Guinness (and unlike Guinness, is actually made in Ireland!)
Rolling Rock: Being a resident of SW Pennsylvania (about an hour away from Latrobe), I’ll agree with ** Tequila ** and give this its due as well. It’s a relatively good, lighter beer…plus the 33 is always a good conversation piece
I think I’m with Myrr. I can’t belive somebody mentioned Tsintao before me.
Well, if you entertaining-
Guiness, yes. Not everybody likes it but those who do will be delighted if you have it (and those are the folks worth talking to anyway.)
Samual Adams- I’m judging more by my SO who’s the beer drinker, but he likes it and it seems like it’s something beer snob would like and Bud drinkers would not be put off by.
SO also likes Harp. Oh and if you are entertaining, Black and Tans make a good party activity.
:eek: NOOO- the only way Guiness should be served is from a keg in a pub by someone who knows how to serve it properly, if you can make it taste just as good out of a can from your fridge I’m coming round to your house. BTW What sort of entertainment is Black and Tans?
Oh and beers for your fridge, Bishops Finger of course.
This refers to a “float pour” of ale or lager over a layer of stout. Since the lager’s lighter, it’ll float so you have a two-tone beer. Takes its name from the obvious colours, but also from the paramilitary police forces distributed in Ireland before independence. Since these weren’t exactly the best-liked lads on the block, it’s best NOT to order Black and Tans in fiercely pro-ROI bars or in Irish bars in the States.
In re the OP, find a good local brewery and patronize them. Beer is essentially liquid bread, after all. People who say “Oh, no, man, I don’t drink anything but imports” are, in effect, sending out to England or Germany for bread. Fresh is best. Barring that, brew your own–it’s cheaper, more entertaining and can be a lifelong hobby. I make my own beer, wine and cider and love it.
Like False_God said, go with whatever is local and fresh. The explosion of microbrews in the last decade has given us a fantastic array of choices. Quality varies obviously, but in general a good micro brewery will top any beer that travels across the ocean. Beer isn’t wine, and it isn’t helped by age and a long voyage.
I’m not sure what part of the country you are in, so I can’t recommend specific brews. But if I were stocking my fridge here in Wisconsin, I’d go with:[list][li] Sprecher Weiss - Oh God.[/li][li] New Glarus Uff-da Bock - Truly liquid bread[/li][li] Leinies Honey Wiess - Not really a micro, but it’s fairly local and it’s good for the folks who haven’t taken the microbrew plunge yet.[/li] Miller Lite - Cuz there’s one in every crowd, and sometimes that one comes to my house.
Exactly. Same goes for pretty much any stout. But if you’re going to keep one on hand, you could do worse than RugbyMan’s suggestion of Beamish (though my favorite Irish waiter dismisses it as “swill fit only for Corkmen”.
Given the OP’s request that the choices be things that people are likely to actually drink, and given that we don’t know the Squire’s locale to be able to recommend local brews, I think Tequila Mockingbird’s suggestions are pretty good – Newkie, Rolling Rock, and Harp will cover a wide range of tastes pretty handily (I’m not familiar with the wheat beer she recommends). Then rotate in different local microbrews until you find something that works well for you and your usual guests, or something that’s appropriate to the season.
RugybyMan, how can you be so right and so wrong at the same time. Yuengling? Hell yes. Beamish? Nasty pisswater – it tastes like someone took a Guiness, added 2 spoons of sugar and a cup of water. Blech.
My List:
[ul]
[li]Yuengling Porter[/li]
[li]Rogue Shakespere Stout[/li]
[li]Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale[/li]
[li]Franziskanner Hefewisen (sp? [sub]Here’s a middle finger for the current pit thread[/sub]) - with obligatory lemon slice[/li]
[/ul]
Another vote for Yuengling. This was the only beer my grandfather EVER had in his fridge, and he never had a complaint. He did, however, get all his family and friends hooked on it.
For my mother’s 60th birthday party my father threw a birthday bash involving around 70 or so of their friends. My parents are both light drinkers so they called someone with more beer experience (me) to stock their coolers. Dad insisted on a couple of 12’s of Coors Light and Bud Light and the majority of the beer we provided tended towards mass produced US brews that would appeal to the less sophisticated palates of their friends. I suggested that he give Warsteiner a try and when the party was over there wasn’t a bottle left. We did have lots of Bud Light and Coors Light left. Warsteiner has the added advantage of being reasonably priced, at least in my locale. Other brews of quality and distinction include Bass, Harp, Newcastle, Stella, Rolling Rock and Paulaner. Still, if push comes to shove I would have to say that there’s no place I’d rather be than right here with my redneck, white sox and (Pabst) Blue Ribbon Beer.
I’m not sure from the OP whether the main goal is to provide quality beers or have an enjoyable get together at your house.
If it’s all about the beer, you’ve received plenty of good recommendations.
If it’s about the get together, to hell with our opinions on the best beer. I used to put on a lot of parties and learned the secret, after several not so successful attempts. Your number one goal is to provide whatever beverages your female guests want. Most guys will drink bottled piss (and will attend every party you ever throw), as long as you happen to have a lot of single females around. Talk to the ladies and find out what they want to drink.
I just got back from overseas business and was surprised at the large number of contributors.
A confession: at my last party, two months ago, aside from providing several wines–which I know quite well–and liquor, I also offered these beers:
1)Sam Adams
2)Guinness
3)Bud light
4)Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
What surprised me is that my guests hardly touched the Sierra Nevada, which I thought was supposed to be a very good beer. That said, they loved Sam Adams and Buinness and quite a few Buds were downed, too. (BTW, my guests are generally in their mid 30s to late 50s, affluent, and like good brews.)
Please explain why the Sierra Nevada didn’t go over. No one bad mouthed it, really.
