So, while I was in Switzerland for training last summer, I stayed in a little town called Rapperswil, which is south of Zurich. There was a great little hotel with a microbrewery called the Speer.
Now, I wasn’t a big fan of beer before going to Switzerland, but I got hooked on the Speer’s summer brew. Also drank lots of Feldschlossen, cause that’s what they had in the bar at the train station in Uster.
So, I want to try more beers, but I don’t know what I will like. I know I don’t like Guiness, it was a bit heavy for me.
I tried Blue Moon tonight, and it was pretty good.
One of the all-time classics is Pilsener Urquell. It is the only genuine Pilsener as it is brewed in the town of Pilzn. The brewery has been in continuous operation since 1649 (although the website mentions 1842). It has a crisp, hoppy finish and is so dry you will fart dust.
The Japanese beer Sapporo is also quite good. More tempered in its ratio of malt and hops it is a natural accompaniment to sushi nigiri.
The Mexican lager Modelo Especial is a superb tawny brew that ranks among the world’s fine beers. Its solid and well balanced flavor stands up to spicy Mexican food and puts out the fire.
One of the finest beers is Harp Lager. Its clean and sparkling flavor refreshes like few others.
Another superb beer is Ace Lager from El Salvador. Its faint floral aroma combines with silky smoothness to provide real drinking pleasure. I’ve had people who do not like beer extoll this brew.
These are just a few to start with. I’m sure that others will check with a multitude of suggestions. I have purposefully avoided mentioning microbrews and stuck to more commonly available brands.
Do try a black and tan made with Guiness Stout and Harp lager. The combination is fantastic and you are able to control the ratio of beers you taste by how you tip the glass.
I’m a fan of big, hoppy, strong beers. But I take it that you prefer lighter brews. Zenster has some excellent suggestions, and I’ll stick with his idea of suggesting a few of the more readily-available brews…
Sam Adams Boston Lager is a good beer. Crisp and clean, with a somewhat spicy floral hop finish.
Bohemia, a Mexican beer, is an excellent example of a Pilsener-style light lager.
Steinlager, from New Zealand, is a decent, cheap, readily available brew that actually has some character to it.
If you’re in the US, you shouldn’t believe the common notion that American beer is crap. Sure, Bud is, and all of it’s ilk, but America’s microbrews are as good as, if not better, than most of what you can find on the import rack, and oftentimes, they’re cheaper. PLUS, you get the added bonus (especially important when dealing with your pilsners) of freshness.
If you can find it, anything by the Magic Hat brewery is delicious, and their #9 is a light, fruity introduction to the world of pale ales. I’d recommend something in an IPA, as well. Assuming you like the hoppiness of pilsners and european lagers, this is the ale equivalent. Light on the malt, and heavy (and I do mean heavy) on the citrusy, floral hops. Check out Victory Brewing’s HopDevil, or Harpoon IPA. Anything with an IPA on the label that costs $7 or so for a six pack is worth a try. I’d recommend going for one of the better ones for your first try, to see if you like the style, and if you want to cheapen it up after that, you can work your way down the price scale. But if you start out cheap, you might just buy crappy beer, and reject the style out of hand, even though that one example may just have been a poor one.
So, in conclusion, BUY AMERICAN. The fact is, american beer is delicious, and it’s gotten a bad rap for far, far too long, thanks to the crimes against beer that have been perpetrated in the glass lined tanks of old Latrobe, and the beachwood barrels of St. Louis.
Spudweiser’s highly touted “beechwood” aging involves tossing handfuls of beechwood chips into the brewing vat during the final stages of production. Look carefully at the history of their labels to see when they introduced such delightful ingredients as corn and rice. Their beer is salty, so as to stimulate your thirst for more in a most dishonest way. I firmly believe this saline property is what makes it so popular amongst America’s Hispanic population. They, of all people, should know better seeing as how often Mexican brewers do such a fine job (so long as no one mentions Corona’s swill).
Yeh, I have tried Budwiser. I will drink it, but it is really not my favorite, and if I have a choice, I will avoid it.
I did also drink Schneiderweissen (sp?) while I was in Switzerland. It was served with a lemon slice, which added a different dimension, but not sure I would normally go with the lemon.
BTW, when I got off the plane at the Zurich airport, I saw a bar that was selling “imports”. I had been up for about 24hrs at this point, and my brain didn’t wrap around the fact that “imports” are beers like Bud, Coors, Milwaukee…
Once I got some sleep, it made sense, but my brain kept saying, “Bud is not an import. It’s brewed less than 20 miles from my house!!! Where did this plane take me again?”
