Why Can't I Get Into Craft Beer?

[happy hooligan]

Stones Vertical Epic 09-09-09 comes out today!

 

[Johnny_5]

Originally Posted by milosz

I've never been able to choke down an IPA. I guess that places me firmly in the anti-hops category? I like hefeweizens/weisbiers most of the time now, even something too-sweet like Blue Moon over American domestics. If there's nothing like that available, I go with Harp. If no Harp, Bud (which isn't that bad IMO). Occasionally I like a Negra Modelo with the glass drizzled with lime.
No dude. No way. I posted earlier in the thread about my venture into craft beer. I was the same boat as you and the many people who just don't "get" the whole fuss about hoppy brews. People need to look at it like many other things that take time to appreciate, for example, wine. Barolo, barbaresco, and other nebbiolo based wines are considered to be some of the best wines to come out of Italy but beginners often cringe when they taste them because they can be very tannic and acidic, similar to good craft beers which are very bitter and dry. The reason why 95% of people who appreciate these wines actually appreciate them is because they have drank a lot wine and have learned to appreciate good wine like the ones that I mentioned. The bottom line is it takes time times to learn to like these beers. It's very rare for some average joe to pick up a six pack of a well respected craft beer and like it.

Originally Posted by Connemara

I also like Sierra Nevada.
If only they didn't change the recipe....

 

[cheessus]

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

I agree HORNS (although not about your football fandom - Go Bucks!)

You know which "hop head" beer I really don't understand?... Magic Hat #9. I choked on it the first time I tasted it.


Really? I may be remembering it wrong, but I never really though of Magic Hat #9 as being hop-heavy. I remember it as being quite sweet and light. My definition of hop-heavy would be Peroni, which I hate.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by why

They ordered cappuchino at dinner? Hahaha. That's another reason there's no Starbucks in Italy.

It was actually between dessert courses. I thought most places only offered coffee and espresso drinks after dessert, because the flavor would overpower the dessert. I apparently was wrong. I also learned how to use sign language in Italian.



Anyway, to everyone who's responded in the thread, thanks. I've seen some recs that I see in the store from time to time. I'll give them a try.

 

[Xiaogou]

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

Go for the beer. The food is sub-par but edible.

The beer at Barley's is generally pretty well done if you feel like an actual local micro-brew rather than a Gordon Biersch style cookie cutter.

Good call. I highly recommend Barley's for the beer.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by flashkobalt

Just tried a Franziskaner hefeweizen last night...delicious

my fav

 

[dl20]

Originally Posted by Johnny_5

No dude. No way. I posted earlier in the thread about my venture into craft beer. I was the same boat as you and the many people who just don't "get" the whole fuss about hoppy brews. People need to look at it like many other things that take time to appreciate, for example, wine. Barolo, barbaresco, and other nebbiolo based wines are considered to be some of the best wines to come out of Italy but beginners often cringe when they taste them because they can be very tannic and acidic, similar to good craft beers which are very bitter and dry. The reason why 95% of people who appreciate these wines actually appreciate them is because they have drank a lot wine and have learned to appreciate good wine like the ones that I mentioned. The bottom line is it takes time times to learn to like these beers. It's very rare for some average joe to pick up a six pack of a well respected craft beer and like it.




Good post. I'm still getting there myself but do enjoy a very hoppy IPA to nearly everything else out there. Racer 5 has been the hoppiest beer I've come across and I can't get enough of it. Stoudt's double IPA is another winner though much less hoppy. DFH 120 IPA is definitely in the extreme category but is actually quite void of hop flavor in light of all the sugar used.

dl

 

[dusty]

Originally Posted by cheessus

Really? I may be remembering it wrong, but I never really though of Magic Hat #9 as being hop-heavy. I remember it as being quite sweet and light. My definition of hop-heavy would be Peroni, which I hate.
#9 is a fruity girl beer and Peroni just blows, but it isn't especially hoppy either. You should try a bottle of Stone Ruination. [drinking right now: Great Lakes Burning River APA]

 

[ChicagoRon]

Originally Posted by cheessus

Really? I may be remembering it wrong, but I never really though of Magic Hat #9 as being hop-heavy. I remember it as being quite sweet and light. My definition of hop-heavy would be Peroni, which I hate.
"Hop-head" was meant in the context of "Fanatic beer lover", not necessarily to say that particular beer is over-hopped. I just think it's over-hyped, and not particularly good tasting. Fortunately, there's something for everyone. If you like it, drink it and enjoy it. I'm sure people hate some of the beers I drink.

 

[flashkobalt]

Having a Schofferhofer tonight...Friday is now even more satisfying

 

[unpainted huffheinz]

Originally Posted by HORNS

I think a lot (read: the majority) of craft beer in the U.S. is crap. These brewmeisters love to throw in as much hops or, on the other hand, as much malt as possible, thus creating a way out-of-whack beer with no balance. Everything is too much of an extreme here, and I suppose it's going to take generations for us to get it out of our system and start making balanced beers.

Craft brewing in the US suffers from a lack of attention to the ingredients. Apart from the regional level breweries at the Harpoon and Goose Island level, the smaller ones lack malting facilities, do not maintain yeast libraries, and are reliant on generic goods from brewing supply houses. In Belgium or Germany, even the smallest brewer has their own yeast strains, and negotiates for consistent barely and hop supplies. And then there is the water issue. Breweries in Europe were founded atop wells since water was the most difficult ingredient to carry centuries ago. Many European breweries still use the equivalent of mineral water to make their beer, which imparts specific characteristics you can't get with filtered public sources.

The tendency to throw a bunch of ingredients together for novelty effect also hampers the development of more refined brews. "Try our Pumpkin Spice Double Bock!" No thanks, try spending years or decades getting to even half the level of Paulaner Salvator first.

That said, watch our for the breweries in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. If they ever team up with the local farmers, they will make the best beer in the US. Some of them are pretty close right now.

 

[downwithianbrown]

I would second unpainted huffheinz on this. I am by no means a beer afficianado, but i do tend to think that alot of american craft brews seem like novelty acts. It's all blown way out of proportion in an attempt to make a highly unique product. The end result, at least for me, is beer that seems more like an exercise in needless muscle flexing than something that is natural. I usually drink guiness or stella, but i don't mnd some craft beers like ipas and stuff with a meal, the difference I think some of these younger guys don't see is that you should start drinking craft beers with meals. Order a heffeweissen or an IPA with some fried fish or a super dark stout with some pubs stew or shephards pie. that will help you develop the taste for it. I think these younger guys are buying a 12 pack of some craft beer and dirnking it to get wasted, which isn't a good idea. I still don't like drinking craft beers when I'm looking to party. I'd much rather throw down 15 budweisers or even heinekens or whatever then deal with the agony of consuming 200 oz's of some artisanal brew.

 

[Johnny_5]

In all fairness, pumpkin ale is not some new concoction that some young brewer just dreamed up to set himself apart from the competition.

Why would you want to drink 12 budweisers to get drunk? That's disgusting. After acquiring a taste for good beers I can't even stomach a bud or something comparable. The beautiful thing about craft beer is that the alcohol content tends to be higher than the other widely available brews. Therefore, you don't have to drink a 12 pack of budweiser to get lit, instead, you can sip a few finely crafted beers, savor it, and enjoy a good buzz.

 

[RedLantern]

I don't think there's anything wrong with drinking a ****-ton of cheap beer. Just cause I like steak doesn't mean that I don't wanna wolf down a few cheeseburgers on occasion...

 

[dl20]

Originally Posted by RedLantern

I don't think there's anything wrong with drinking a ****-ton of cheap beer. Just cause I like steak doesn't mean that I don't wanna wolf down a few cheeseburgers on occasion...

I get your point but i'm not with you on the analogy. Burger king burgers are good in their own right just in a different way from a steak at peter lugers. Bud is ****; it has no flavor and tastes like toilet water. Its like saying I like a great meal sometimes and like eating food that tastes like garbage other times.

dl