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Don't get me wrong, there are few things better than palming a liter of Helles on a warm day in a beer garden in Munich. Having a child is one thing that is better and that might be it.
It's just, I don't always want to drink that.
Want a great porter at the average bar in Munich? Good luck.
You can now go to cities like Omaha and Des Moines, and get very good or great porters, as well as very good or great lagers.
20 years ago, the answer to this question was an absolute "no."
Now, I think it might be "yes."
I will put most Stone beers up against any beer made in Europe, except for a couple of great Belgian ales that are so good they are probably the result of a deal with with the Devil.
Exactly. When I moved to Chicago, I was shocked at the sheer availability of quality brews. That's not something that surprised me when I visited large establishments. However, I was surprised by the number of small bars that carried quality beers of all different varieties. Even more surprising was the fact that they manage to move enough product that the beer is never stale, and quite affordable in many cases.
One of my friends is a bar owner, and he claims he makes a higher profit margin on his cheap beer (PBR, Miller, Buttwiper, etc), but he offers the higher quality stuff because it keeps many customers coming back. He doesn't raise his prices because some folks will opt for the cheaper stuff and he can't move the expensive stuff. It's a fine line they are walking, and I appreciate the effort of bar owners like him.
Come on now. You can make a decent case against the USA having the best brew (although I still think we do) but you can't make a case against us not even be close. That's not even close to a good argument.
And you don't have to take my word for it. Just look at the top 250 beers from beer advocate. A majority are American brews.
I've been to Belgium and had beer there just like I've had beers here in the States. You can make an argument for some Americans beers being good but across the board Belgian beers are far superior.
Ummm...ok. Thanks for your detailed dissent. We've learned a lot.
You asked a simple question. You did not ask for a 'detailed dissent'. And the answer is unequivocal. Belgian beer is the best in the world. Full stop. It's not even close.
Don't get me wrong, there are few things better than palming a liter of Helles on a warm day in a beer garden in Munich. Having a child is one thing that is better and that might be it.
It's just, I don't always want to drink that.
Want a great porter at the average bar in Munich? Good luck.
You can now go to cities like Omaha and Des Moines, and get very good or great porters, as well as very good or great lagers.
20 years ago, the answer to this question was an absolute "no."
Now, I think it might be "yes."
I will put most Stone beers up against any beer made in Europe, except for a couple of great Belgian ales that are so good they are probably the result of a deal with with the Devil.
I want to try these Belgian Ales! Are any available in Colorado? Can you share the names?
For a long time I drank mostly imported pilsners and ales, but with the local craft brewing explosion,
I have been drinking locally & fresh for the last 10 years. Didn't used to be a fan of porters & stouts and now they are my favorites. With the incredible variety available, I'm always trying something new.
And just out of curiosity, what is the European version of Bud or Coors?
I want to try these Belgian Ales! Are any available in Colorado? Can you share the names?
For a long time I drank mostly imported pilsners and ales, but with the local craft brewing explosion,
I have been drinking locally & fresh for the last 10 years. Didn't used to be a fan of porters & stouts and now they are my favorites. With the incredible variety available, I'm always trying something new.
And just out of curiosity, what is the European version of Bud or Coors?
The following high-quality Belgian ales should be available at a halfway-decently stocked liquor store:
1) Chimay. Comes in Red, White, or Blue, supposedly in that order of quality but it's a difference of small degrees. Chimay is one of approximately 7 or 8 labels that qualifies as a "Trappist" ale, meaning it is brewed by monks on the monastery premises.
2) Delerium Tremens. The pink elephant and upright strutting crocodiles on the label says it all about what to expect if you drink a bit too much of it.
3) Hoegaarden. This is the style that Blue Moon is modeled after. If you want to know what this style is actually supposed to taste like, Hoegaarten is a good introduction.
4) Leffe. Often derided by Belgian beer aficionados as the Budweiser of Belgian ales, it's still a solid entry-level example of the style if you ask me; after all, calling it the Budweiser of Belgian ales is like calling the BMW 3-series a poseur car: it's still a freckin' BMW.
5) Duvel. Flemish for "Devil." Open a 750ml bottle of it and make a deal with the man down below.
And just out of curiosity, what is the European version of Bud or Coors?
Varies by nation or region. In Ireland, probably Harp. In Scotland, Tenent's. In England, Carling (though technically a Canadian label). In the Netherlends, Heineken. In Germany, Warsteiner and Beck's. In Belgium, Stella Artois. In Italy, Peroni and Moretti. Et cetera. There may be even lower-grade stuff that doesn't make it to America, but these are the ones you'll find in just about any pub in their respective countries, just like you'll find B/M/C in just about any American pub.
BTW, Budweiser (the American version) is actually fairly popular in Europe, if for no other reason than the sheer novelty of it.
Those of us from St. Louis (At least the younger people) don't even drink Budweiser. We'll drink Bud Light if there is nothing else around (Actually most of my friends prefer Miller Lite if we're going cheap gas station lager). Funny thing is a lot of local bars actually sell Budweiser cheaper than they do Bud Light just to get people to drink it.
Not necessary though as St. Louis has a great local craft beer scene, and we have some nice bars with decent beer selections.
The following high-quality Belgian ales should be available at a halfway-decently stocked liquor store:
1) Chimay. Comes in Red, White, or Blue, supposedly in that order of quality but it's a difference of small degrees. Chimay is one of approximately 7 or 8 labels that qualifies as a "Trappist" ale, meaning it is brewed by monks on the monastery premises.
2) Delerium Tremens. The pink elephant and upright strutting crocodiles on the label says it all about what to expect if you drink a bit too much of it.
3) Hoegaarden. This is the style that Blue Moon is modeled after. If you want to know what this style is actually supposed to taste like, Hoegaarten is a good introduction.
4) Leffe. Often derided by Belgian beer aficionados as the Budweiser of Belgian ales, it's still a solid entry-level example of the style if you ask me; after all, calling it the Budweiser of Belgian ales is like calling the BMW 3-series a poseur car: it's still a freckin' BMW.
5) Duvel. Flemish for "Devil." Open a 750ml bottle of it and make a deal with the man down below.
Drover, Thanks for the list. Look forward to trying these.
NO! NO! NO! The best Chimay is the blue label by far: Grande Reserve. And make sure it is the big bottle with sealed cork, not the tiny bottle with caps. Makes all the difference in the world. This is quite possibly the very best widely available beer on the market.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drover
The following high-quality Belgian ales should be available at a halfway-decently stocked liquor store:
1) Chimay. Comes in Red, White, or Blue, supposedly in that order of quality but it's a difference of small degrees. Chimay is one of approximately 7 or 8 labels that qualifies as a "Trappist" ale, meaning it is brewed by monks on the monastery premises.
2) Delerium Tremens. The pink elephant and upright strutting crocodiles on the label says it all about what to expect if you drink a bit too much of it.
3) Hoegaarden. This is the style that Blue Moon is modeled after. If you want to know what this style is actually supposed to taste like, Hoegaarten is a good introduction.
4) Leffe. Often derided by Belgian beer aficionados as the Budweiser of Belgian ales, it's still a solid entry-level example of the style if you ask me; after all, calling it the Budweiser of Belgian ales is like calling the BMW 3-series a poseur car: it's still a freckin' BMW.
5) Duvel. Flemish for "Devil." Open a 750ml bottle of it and make a deal with the man down below.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddyline
Drover, Thanks for the list. Look forward to trying these.
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