Pick which Ale, Stout, or Pilsner I should try this weekend.

Cafe Society
1

Mrs. Rancid and I are headed to the big city for our anniversary this weekend, and will be headed to a place we visited last year. Barley’s was a great restaurant with a nice selection of ales and the like. Problem was that Mrs. Rancid was expecting, and since she couldn’t consume, I went without too.

We are headed back and are ready for action this time!

Check out the selections here to vote for what you think I will enjoy the most. Make sure to scroll down to see the selections from their own brewery.

I will probably try two different brews for sure, so feel free to pick your top two.

Thanks.

2

That Imperial IPA sounds amazing. I think I’d start with that. I’d also try their Barley’s Pilsner.

3

Start with the lightest and work your way down. Hefeweizen or pilsner, then the pale. Follow with the Scotch or the IPA, then the Imperial IPA, then the stouts. End it with Old Rasputin.

4

…and have Mrs. Rancid carry my drunk ass home! :slight_smile:

I’m a fan of the thick stuff, Oak Barrel is a favorite, so I’m not scared to go straight for the hard core stuff.

I think you must have some tolerance silenus. Come to think of it, I think I have seen you post in every alcoholic thread ever started on these boards.

5

Speaking for myself, I’d probably skip the pilsner and the wheat beer. Almost without exception I am disappointed with American attempts to make these styles. They always leave me longing for the European version.

I would absolutely try the Russian Imperial Stout. If made well, it could be sublime. If they have any of that barleywine while you’re there, I’d be sure to try some of that too. As these are both very high alcohol beers, they may serve them in smaller glasses. This may save Mrs. Rancid some heavy lifting at the end of the night.

Among the beers that won’t send your drunk ass howling into the night, that IPA sounded pretty good to me.

6

[QUOTE=RancidYakButterTeaPartyI think you must have some tolerance silenus. Come to think of it, I think I have seen you post in every alcoholic thread ever started on these boards.[/QUOTE]

I try. :smiley:

I tip the scales at slightly over 200lbs, and I generally have the capacity of an elephant. With beer I can drink all night, no problems (as long as someone else is driving!). Just never get me near tequila. I love margaritas, but tequila wipes my ass out every time.

ps. Old Rasputin is fine!

7

Dunno about where you are, but here the bars will ususally either sell or even give you a little sampler of beer in laege shot glasses or small highball glasses so you can try them all .

Yes, we are very civilized here :smiley:

8

The Imperial Stout, the two Scotch Ales, and, if they have it (the link says “Coming Soon”) the Smoked Porter.

IMO, Ale is “light beer.”

9

Thanks for the tip, I will inquire about such practices. We are in Columbus though.

10

Ask for a “taster” or if they offer a “sampler tray.” It might even be on the menu. :smiley:

11

I’d go with the pilsner, as it is summer time. I prefer lagers during the summer; they just seem cooler and lighter.

If the weather is cool that night, I’d go with the Scotch Ale. A good scotch ale can really take the chill offf.

12

OOO… Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout will knock your socks off. It isn’t exactly warm weather beer, though. It’s heavy, highly alcoholic (like 8 or 9% ABV), thick, dark, rich, malty, toasty. I couldn’t really drink more than one or two of these at a sitting. But if you like really strong stouts (regular Guinness is Bud Lite compared to this stuff), give it a shot.

I’ve never had Four Seas Imperial IPA, but I’m a bit of a hop head, and Imperial IPAs are a hop lover’s wet dream. Judging by the hops it has, it’s gonna be a West Coast-type IPA with a predominately citrus hop profile, and a boosted alcohol content, probably also in the 7-8% range. If you don’t like tons of hops in your beer, then this one is definitely not for you.

For something a little more middle-of-the-road, the Barley’s Pale Ale sounds pretty good to me. I always try a brew pub’s flagship beer; it gives me a good overview of what they think a good beer should be. I would say the Pale Ale would be a good place to start before you assault your tastebuds with anything heavier.

I also like to try the cask-conditioned beers wherever I go. Unfortunately, I’m usually disappointed by them, but the rye IPA sounds intriguing.

If I had to pick only two, I’d go with the Barley’s Pale Ale, followed by the Four Seas Imperial IPA or Old Rasputin Stout.

13

That was a good beer reccomendation post, puly, thanks.

14

No opinion on the beers, but good on you for this, mate!

15

Try the Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold. One of my favorite beers and they have it on tap. Hooray.

16

It was the least I could do.

17

The results are in!

I went with the Russian Imperial Stout, and I’m glad I did. I really prefer a dark, thick, brew like this–and this one was perfect.

It is thick with some almost chocolatey undertones. A great tasting stout, which I would reccomend to anyone who gets a chance to try it. It was so good, that I had to have a second, and therefore didn’t try any others…this time.

At another establishment I had the Newcastle Brown Ale from the tap. This stuff pretty much sucks in my opinion. Might as well had a Bud Light.

And finally, at Gordon Biersch, I went with their Dunkles. A dark beer, unfiltered, with a mild taste really. Not great, but not bad. Very easy to drink, as it has an almost flat quality to it. Nothing could compare with the Russian Stout though, so my tastes might have been biased.

Thanks to everyone for the tips and suggestions, and happy beer drinking to all of you.