Best Beer in the United States
 

At one time, this question would have been an oxymoron, but no longer. I have come across only two beer-related threads in this forum, surprisingly, so thought I would start this one up. I know from meeting lots of FTers in all parts of the world, that this is a common lubricant to which many are acquainted. And since we have seen a veritable eruption of micro/craft breweries throughout the continent, I am hoping to get some good recommendations for my future travels across America.

Now I realize no single beer can really be considered the "best", so feel free to offer a couple of recommendations, in the lager [and pilsner sub-species] and ale categories.

I have never been overly impressed with US-brewed lagers, finding them lacking in character, body and other attributes I consider essential in a good beer. However, on a hot summer's afternoon in a ballpark, I guess just about anything passes, though SAM ADAMS likely ranks best except where there is actually an in-park micro/craft on offer, as in Denver.

For American ALES, I was knocked back by an ANDERSON VALLEY AMBER a few weeks back at the Beer Bar of the FOUR POINTS LAX. Classic with a full mouthy character.

Let the posts begin...

Best in the US?

Imported German wheats.

:D

This fan of the Hefeweizen has found a US brewed wheat beer that IMHO gives taste and pleasure equal to any from Europe. It is called Celis White and is brewed in San Antonio, with distribution spotty around the US. It is brewed by oldtimers who brewed in Belgium for many years before coming to the States and they claim that they located in San Antonio because it had water quality most suitable to their product.

Best beer in the US is the one you're buying for me. I'll have a Fat Tire, please. :D

Celis is pretty good, or at least it was before being acquired by one of the Borg beers (Miller?). It disappeared there for awhile, at least in my area at the time, and I never went back.

As I recall, it was spicier than typical hefeweizen.

There are definitely some great breweries in the US. I am amazed at how far the US beers have evolved in the last 15 years. Of course it is a matter of taste but my favorite brewery is New Belgium, and my favorite beer is New Belgium Abbey. I have a soft spot for Belgium beers.

Well you see there's the problem. You're in the wrong forum. For beer related discussion you want to go to "Qantas Frequent Flyer" :D

Hear Hear, also an excellent Hefeweizen is Pyramid Hefe brewed in Berkeley.

Most US beers are quite simply, lacking. That's in general. What are they lacking? Taste for one, which is highly important to me.

I make sure to have a steady supply of Beck's, Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Newcastle Brown on hand.

Those are real beers.

I really like their Black Ale

One of the finest beers in the world is Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout by North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg, California. Just very little of it is made making it hard to find. And expensive (almost at the Belgian abbey ale prices). And for Hefe, Widmer makes a very good mass-market one (every bit as good as Spaten).

In PWM, I'm a great fan of Shipyard Export Ale. Closer to home, Goose Island Honker's Ale.

Beck's and Stella? :eek: You might want to talk to someone German and Belgian before you tell anyone else about what's in your fridge..... ;)
German only drink Beck's overseas and will never touch the stuff at home.

Try to find something like Grolsh, that won't raise eyebrows.

Cheers

Those are really not that good Crowes. Hoegaarden I'll agree with you, but the rest are only really good in a "It's hot, I've got a cold beer" kind of way. Stella and Becks in particular are your Bud and MGD of European lagers, especially in the UK.

As for American beers; for micro-brew I'll take Rogue Brewing Co (Oregon) as they really are pretty much perfect and Henry Weinhards on a mass produced kind of level. I'll even admit to quite enjoying an ice cold six pack of Miller High Life on a really hot day occasionally :D

With all due respect, Ewwwwwwwwww! :eek:

I don't rate Fat Tire the best amber in Fort Collins. I personally prefer O'Dells 90 Schilling for the best amber in Fort Collins. :)

For my favorite, I personally prefer Deschutes Black Butte Porter from the Deschutes Brewery - Bend, OR. I love the taste of this beer and it definitely is smooth on my palate. ^

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 :rolleyes:


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! ;) )

Budlight ... extra text added to meet minimum length requirements.

Anything from the Lagunitas Brewing Co. based in Petaluma, California.
www.lagunitas.com

Otter Creek and Long Trail, perhaps available only in my native Vermont.

Red Hook Double Black Stout
Yuengling black and tan

The best beer is the Belgian Trippel-style ale that I brewed yesterday from nothing but malted barley, hops, yeast, water and (because it's a Belgian) candi sugar! Actually, I can't say that until I see how it turns out in a month or so.

There are some wonderful beers in the U.S. Saying all US-brewed beer is flavorless is the same as saying all American restaurants serve tasteless food. If all you know is bud/miller/coors, or mcdonalds/burger king/pizza hut, you are bound to have that opinion. But if you get out there and look around, you'll find that there are countless interesting beers (and restaurants) that merit trying. They're not hard to find either.

I was a UC Davis fermentation Science major in the 80s and I felt it was my career duty to develop my knowledge base by sampling as many beers as I could during my college days and the subsequent years:D .

Taste is primarily subjective and for many taste preferences will change over time. I've gone through periods where I preferred stouts, porters, ales, pilseners, tripels, etc.

My #1 all-time pick for American beer:

1992-93 Geary's Hampshire ale (Maine seasonal brew);slogan is something like "Only available while the weather sucks"

Surprised no one mentioned
 

Old Dominion Ale and Old Dominion Summer Wheat from Virginia. Mmmmm.

Harpoon India Pale Ale - best for those hot days.

I judge all American microbrews by Sam Adams - a good standard; there are some better and some not as good.

Seattle beer
 

I'm rather fond of Full Sail Pale Ale. And anything from Fish Tale down in Olympia is rather good.

Although my all time favorite based on name is Missoula Brewing's Old Bongwater Brown. Followed by their Moose Drool.

Snohqualmie Brewing does a good job with their PGA, aka Pretty Good Ale.


Lots of good beer gets brewed in America. In fact some would argue that brewing in America is the best in world because we aren't bound by traditional brewing technique. Would necessary completely agree but I would agree that we are the mad scientist of the beer community.

check out www.beeradvocate.com, dedicated amateurs running a good beer site.

I'll be in Michigan in october so will look out for Oberon. We're also planning a stop in Milwaukee to try out some microbrews - any recommendations?

I've tried Otter Creek - which was very good. Our hotel owner in Stowe procured some for us last time we were in Vermont.

I've always been partial to an Anchor Liberty Ale, indeed most of the Anchor beers from SF. Anchor, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Sam Adams being the only non- Miller, Coors, Bud that are easy-ish to find over in the UK

Then again, I also love the Dusseldorf Schlosser Alt beer so perhaps my taste isn't yours.

If you're ever in Scotland try the Innis & Gunn which is fermented in whisky casks - interesting flavour!

Mileage Run To A Brewery?
 

And the Old Dominion brewery (with restaurant attached) in Ashburn, Virginia is only about three miles from Washington Dulles Airport should you have a couple of hours to spend sampling some of what's made there.

On weekend afternoons they offer free tours with free beers (and it says a lot about the company that the most frequent guides giving the tours are either Old Dominion's president and founder or its head brewer).

See their website at www.olddominion.com for details.