What does sex in a canoe and American beer have in common ?
They're both f'ing close to water

The best beer in the US tho, imho, is a Falstaff. Cheap but good

Found out last week that the Trader Joe's in Springfield VA has Chimay 75 cl for $7.50 or $8.00 (depending on the variety).

But right now I'm drinking a Sea Dog IPA.

Ah, the folks responsible for Ballantine Ale, no? Used to come with a rebus under the crown.

Not too much experience of US beers but I've always enjoyed Sierra Nevada Pale Ale when on the west coast. I usually have a Shiner Bock when in DFW AC. Not as tasty as Sierra Nevada but packs a nice punch.

Of the "big" US brands I usually go for Sam Adams. Failing that Killian's Irish Red which seems to be fairly widely available.

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat

I like Shiner Bock from Texas.

If you say so


Odells 90 shilling is probably my favorite. also a fan of shiner bock, breckenridge brewery avalanche, Rail Yard Ale (you can see I spent some time in Denver area).

If I drink non-US beer then I am looking at Murphy's. Most of the time it is too hot in Texas to drink anything but a very ice cold light beer. They go down like water, go figure.

I was thinking of posting a smart-... response about no American beer being good ... but then I recently had a really nice experience with a microbrew out of Michigan. The brewery is Bell's. The beer is called "Oberon." They also make a wickedly good Amber, but it's Bell's Oberon that takes the cake. If you're ever up in Detroit or elsewhere in Michigan, it's really worth tracking down. Not very expensive, either.

Pyramid has a brewery in Berkeley, but they are actually from Washington State.

I think you are looking in the wrong places. There are lots of great American breweries - one right in Chicago (Goose Island). As for the European stuff - there are many that are far better than the ones you listed (i.e., no Belgians???? - Stella doesn't count).

Blackened Voodoo ...and a pail of spicy mud bugs... ^

Actually, Celis While isn't a hefeweizen, it's a Belgian-style wit. Hefeweizens are prepared in accordance with the German Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law) of 1516 and contain nothing other than grain, water, hops and yeast. Wit beers, like other Belgian styles, are flavored with spices such as coriander, Curacao orange and the marvelously-named blend "grains of paradise".

Call Celis White or any of his other beers a hefeweizen anywhere near Pierre Celis and be prepared to duck (and I don't care if he is in his eighties, he'd still take a swing at you).

Celis White is back in U.S. production after its Miller misadventure; it's being produced by the Michigan Brewing Company in Webberville, MI. Pierre Celis no longer has any connection with the brand bearing his name and he's not happy with it. So he's offering his own version that he feels is truer to the original Celis White. It's brewed in Belgium, and imported to the U.S. under the name "Ertvelds Wit".

By the way, Celis White/Ertvelds Wit is the second world-class wit beer for which Pierre is responsible. When he still made his home in Belgium, he gave the world the original Hoegaarden Wit in the early 1960s.

As for what's the best beer? Frankly, the question is as unanswerable as, "what's the best food?" My usual response when I'm asked that question (and I do get asked it regularly when people learn what I do for a living) is that it's ultimately a subjective decision and my answer would vary at least daily depending on where I am and what I'm in the mood for.

Gregg Wiggins
columnist, Brewing News/correspondent, American Brewer magazines

The US definitely has its share of mediocre beers, but you can find tasteless beer pretty much anywhere in the world. Anyone who posts that there are no good beers in the US has obviously not been around. The Northwest and Denver areas have become hubs for some great Micro/Craft Breweries. I would suggest attending one of the many beer festivals in the US. The Oregon Brewers Festival in Portland is my favorite.

Harpoon Ale (from Boston) gets my vote! Their UFO (Un-Filtered Offering) Hefeweizen wheat beer (served with a lemon) is fantastic! see: http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/

(On topic for this thread - on the "Fun Facts" page of the Harpoon Brewery, it states that: "The growth of the specialty (craft or micro) beer segment has resulted in more breweries in the US than any other country in the world." see: http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/brewer...acts/index.htm )

Greg Wiggins said it perfectly:

As for what's the best beer? Frankly, the question is as unanswerable as, "what's the best food?" My usual response when I'm asked that question (and I do get asked it regularly when people learn what I do for a living) is that it's ultimately a subjective decision and my answer would vary at least daily depending on where I am and what I'm in the mood for.

There is no such thing as the Best. It depends on what you like.

For Me:

Dependable (in most cases Sam Adams, the seasonals with the edge.

Always reliable, although not the real thing: Guinness on tap with a good cigar.

New Jersey: Dorians Red Hand Ale (You will have to come to Jersey City to find otu what I am talking about.)

Texas: Shiner Bock

New ORleans: Avidas or Fat Tires

California: the special beers at the Four Points LAX or Newcastle.

The microbrews are also interesting and tasty.

I like the beers in Canada which have a slighter bite and fresher taste.

It's funny... I tried this Alt in Dusseldorf and was underwhelmed. Tasted watery. Sorry but not a big fan of those (unlike many a Flyertalker.) (The PEPSI though was fantastic! )