When did you discover 'good beer'?

[Paul Pless]

I could count the number of Miller beers that I've consumed on one hand. Even as a kid, I thought it was foul swill.

Apparently it was early on for some of us. No such luck for me. When my home county in Alabama legalized draft beer I thought I had reached the pinnacle of beerdom. I think I was about nineteen then, maybe twenty. Up until then it was High Life in a can for me. . . Now I know better, and am happy to live in a state blessed with good beer.

[Tom Montgomery]

I discovered good beer in Germany in 1974. I was 19 years old.

[hanleyclifford]

The best beer comes from Holland.... Heineken.

[Mrleft8]

Real Heineken is good.... But it doesn't get shipped to the USA. If you think the Heineken that you buy at the store in Edgartown is good, you'll probably like Rolling Rock too.
I discovered good beer at a very young age. Probably 3-4..... But then it was a long time until I became 18, and could buy it. By the time I was 19 I'd been inured to cheap beer by economic circumstances. Now good beer is almost as cheap as cheap beer, so it's a no brainer.

[hanleyclifford]

Rolling Rock is an ok beer, but lacks that peculiar "bite" that Heineken delivers.

[Tom Montgomery]

Beer is like bread. The fresher the better. There is nothing like living in a town with it's own brewery and the beer served on tap at a local gasthaus.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

The "bite" in Heineken is also called "hoppy", or "the Hopps".

[tigerregis]

In my ad days Heineken was not brewed in the USA because they wanted it imported. There was no Heineken Light because they wouldn't debase the brand. Their version was Amstel Light. They were the single largest user of trans Atlantic containers. It is cheap beer because the recipes use 20% corn to create the sugar which ferments into Alcohol. Since all Canadian Breweries ex Moosehead are foreign owned, I only buy local craft beers.

[skuthorp]

When my Bavarian neighbour made some with an alcohol content of 20%. Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing..................

[Paul Pless]

The best beer comes from Holland.... Heineken.

Oranjeboom

[TomF]

I started drinking Newcastle Brown Ale in my 1st year of university ... before that, only drank crap. Still like Newcastle, but I prefer things much hoppier now as my usual tipple.

In 3rd year university, a brew-pub opened up in the city where I lived, and it's been decent beer ever since. I've never understood why the major market brands have remained major market brands.

[carlg]

I first discovered good beer in English and Irish pubs. I didn't like much domestic beer until I discovered Bell's Oberon and Two Hearted Ale.

[Mrleft8]

The "bite" in Heineken is also called "hoppy", or "the Hopps".

The "bite" in Heineken is also called "Skunked", or "Cooked"....

[Paul Pless]

I first discovered good beer in English and Irish pubs. I didn't like much domestic beer until I discovered Bell's Oberon and Two Hearted Ale.

Bell's! Amazing beer. Lucky you to be only 20 miles or so from his brewery. . .

[BrianY]

The best beer comes from Holland.... Heineken.

Ahhh....a bit of beer wisdom from someone who obviously knows nothing about beer.

Heinken is a middle of the road brew - not swill by any means but certianly nowhere near the "best" beer. It's the Budweiser of Europe. Because of the green bottles, it's almost certainly skunked to some degree by the time we get it in the US, but some folks seem to like that flavor (thus explaining the otherwise unexplainably wide appeal of Corona....) From a keg, it's a bit better but nothing particularly special or wonderful.

[Garret]

I discovered English beers @ about 16 or so (being tall, I started being able to buy @ that age). Watney's Red Barrel was my first & then moved through various other English brews - preferring something with some bite.

A friend started a micro-brewery here in VT (Magic Hat) & by being more closely involved with how beer is made through him, I got more edumicated about beer & now buy only local brews. Of course, since the best beer is free beer, I'll drink most anything if offered . I don't get the light beers though - especially stuff like Coors Light. I mean, c'mon, regular Coors (aka Rocky Mountain Koolaid) is already too light!

[David G]

I discovered good beer at a very young age. My father was a home-brewer.

I discovered commercial micro-brews thanks to Sierra Nevada Brewing in Chico CA, about the mid-80's. Since then, I've tried to keep up with all the marvelous micro-brews that are available... but I can't even keep up with the local ones. It's nice to live in a hotbed of craft brewing - what Michael Jackson called "Beervana".

[Garret]

Real Heineken is good.... But it doesn't get shipped to the USA. If you think the Heineken that you buy at the store in Edgartown is good, you'll probably like Rolling Rock too.
I discovered good beer at a very young age. Probably 3-4..... But then it was a long time until I became 18, and could buy it. By the time I was 19 I'd been inured to cheap beer by economic circumstances. Now good beer is almost as cheap as cheap beer, so it's a no brainer.

The Heineken in Amsterdam is a totally different brew than what we get. Far less skunky &, while it still has a bit of bite, is much smoother. I do have a soft spot for the little Heinies (7 oz.) you get in the Carribean though.

[Canoez]

Apparently it was early on for some of us. No such luck for me. When my home county in Alabama legalized draft beer I thought I had reached the pinnacle of beerdom. I think I was about nineteen then, maybe twenty. Up until then it was High Life in a can for me. . . Now I know better, and am happy to live in a state blessed with good beer.

As soon I had a beer I discovered what good beer wasn't. I don't recall specifically what the swill was, but that's what it was.

[Canoez]

The Heineken in Amsterdam is a totally different brew than what we get. Far less skunky &, while it still has a bit of bite, is much smoother. I do have a soft spot for the little Heinies (7 oz.) you get in the Carribean though.

Probably more than 7oz...

[Rum_Pirate]

A full bodied, clear and refreshing lager with 5.2% ABV


How do you like your beer served?










Original Gravity 11.6 - 11.9°P
Alcohol by Volume: 5.1-5.4%
Bitterness (BU) 14-16
Colour 5.5 - 7.5 EBC
Calorific value 120kcal/275ml

[Garret]

Probably more than 7oz...

Not sure, I remember in Sint Maarten in the 90's they were 2 for a dollar during happy hour. Might've been 8 oz - but they were definitely smaller than 12.

[Mrleft8]

The Heineken you get in the Caribbean is the same Heineken the rest of the world gets, and it's much better than the US version. It's not as good as the Heineken you get in Holland, or northern Germany, because of the travel involved, but it's better than Carib, which is much like Corona.

[Mrleft8]

Not sure, I remember in Sint Maarten in the 90's they were 2 for a dollar during happy hour. Might've been 8 oz - but they were definitely smaller than 12.

I think that Noey was commenting on the bikini clad heinies in the picture.... Not the beer....

[G.Sherman]

Dropped the BUD and BUDLITE when I had my first microbrewed porter...... there is a reason Bud looks like urine.

[Canoez]

I think that Noey was commenting on the bikini clad heinies in the picture.... Not the beer....

[John Bell]

For me it was when I spent about 6 weeks knocking around Great Britain in 1988, drinking in little pubs up and down the island. The food in Britiain was generally inedible except for street vendors selling fish and chips or kebabs, so the only way I could get my necessary daily caloric intake was quaffing pints for about £1 each in smoky little pubs where there were no barstools or tables. It was there I acquired my taste for bitters and IPAs. Since then, I've despised American mass-market beers and will only drink them if you're paying for them.

[Paul Pless]

John,

Is Sweetwater still doing well? Are they still in that ****ty industrial park in the middle of cracktown? I well remember their 'brewery tours' - what a party!

[The Bigfella]

About 5 minutes ago. I'm amazed there's still half a bottle left.

I'd have rather got something better than a metal cup with ice in it to drink it from though.... but its been a long day.

[John Bell]

John,

Is Sweetwater still doing well? Are they still in that ****ty industrial park in the middle of cracktown? I well remember their 'brewery tours' - what a party!

Sweetwater is still doing just fine, thriving even. If you came to my house you'd be offered either their 420 ale or their IPA. Their brewery tour should come with cab fare. Same with the one over at Red Brick. Oooph.

[Hwyl]

I'm still searching, quite a journey.

[ccmanuals]

Legal age in upstate NY was 18 so any beer was considered "good beer".

As I was in the Rochester area at the time this was the beer of choice.

[Bram V]

I discovered good beer when I was about 18, I was a bit quick with the first few, at 14, which was a time when I enjoyed Bavaria and Heineken. I now drink Brand, Hertog Jan and Alfa which are very distinct. I also brew my own beer, and the best I tasted was a hoppy dark barleywine I forgot for about a year, sadly, only two bottles were forgotten, so I made a new batch to be kept for a year and a half.

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

I guess about 25 years ago a buddy gave me an Anchor Steam Liberty Ale and I was like whoa this is MUCH BETTER BEER! Then I progressed to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale drank that for a while but both of those beers were not readily available at most bars. Then came Sam Adams and IMHO that changed the beer game forever. I would have to say Sam Adams has made it possible to get good micro brews everywhere because before that your choice was Bud or Miller.
I still enjoy a good ol Sam but lately this summer I've been drinking Leinenkugel summer shady or my new standby Stella Artois

[Bram V]

How do I know you are qualified to know what good beer is? How do I know I can trust your judgment in good tasting beer?

Well, for one, I reject Heineken, I also study the subject more than weekly, and have done so for over fifteen years. If I must, I'll study some good beer again this night.

[Garret]

I think that Noey was commenting on the bikini clad heinies in the picture.... Not the beer....

Well - no one ever accused me of being too bright............

[Garret]

Legal age in upstate NY was 18 so any beer was considered "good beer".

As I was in the Rochester area at the time this was the beer of choice.

Many moons ago I worked as a beertender. We had Bud, Molson Export & Genny Cream on tap. During slow lunches, I'd ask patrons (who were snooty about GC) if they could tell me which glass was GC & which was Molson. I was surprised at how few could - as were they. GC is pretty tolerable for a cheap beer.

To really date myself, I remember Nastygansett @ 3 Imperial Quarts (40oz) for a buck.... That was the store price, @ the brewery was even cheaper!

[John Bell]

I was surprised to find out the first time I went to Holland that Heineken is actually drinkable compared the skunky version we get in the States. I still would not classify it as "good", but it was at least palatable.

[Tom Montgomery]

Stella Artois?

Read the ingredient label. It is brewed with rice just like Budweiser.

If I want a pilsner style beer I go with the original: Pilsner Urquell.

[tigerregis]

Beer in bottles starts to go down hill after six weeks. The Heineken guys in Canada recommended cans. About Heineken in Germany, not a chance because of the corn content. German Law says water, hops and barley only!

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Stella Artois?

Read the ingredient label. It is brewed with rice just like Budweiser.

If I want a pilsner style beer I go with the original: Pilsner Urquell.

No I know I've always said it tastes like a really gooooood budweiser. What can I say I kinda like it in the summer served from the tap in the SA chalice

[wharf rat]

1974. I spent a couple of weeks in Vancouver BC and was introduced to Uncle Ben's. Best beer I had ever tasted, perhaps even to this day. Uncle Ben's brewery apparently ran afoul of the unions and disappeared way back when. Unfortunately it ruined me for drinking industrial beers--including most imports.

Today I live in Beervana and even my local pizza place (Wild Rivers Pizza--a little four store chain here in southern Oregon) manages a decent home brew. Many small towns here in Oregon have some sort of microbrewer cranking out some pretty wonderful beers. Oregon State was even offering a brewmasters course (and may, still) putting some pretty gifted craftsman/artisans on the market. Many have stayed in Oregon really raising the bar in terms of selection and quality. Rogue for example:



Voodoo Doughnuts is a Portland chain, just expanding to other towns, and probably coming to a city near you, btw. This personally doesn't appeal to me, but I love the creativity. I do like their Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout.

Feel free to continue your argument about Heineken's and other industrials...

[JimD]

In my early thirties. And quit alcohol of all types in my late forties. So I had about 15 years of good beer. Not a bad run.

[TomF]

I always love the beer argument, the whole world is out of step but me.

Actually, I think most of the beer-drinking world outside North America was in step, and somehow we fell out of step. Though that's significantly changed ... both with the emergence of micro-breweries, and the major companies' response to diversify some of what they make.

Mass-brands still have major appeal for a market niche that drinks for effect, and would find it tough to slosh down a dozen or so in a sitting if the beer had as much body as a typical micro-brew. For others, I can only think brand allegiance is a triumph of marketing over reason.

[BrianY]

The Heineken you get in the Caribbean is the same Heineken the rest of the world gets, and it's much better than the US version. It's not as good as the Heineken you get in Holland, or northern Germany, because of the travel involved, but it's better than Carib, which is much like Corona.

ACCORDING TO THE HEINIKEN WEBISTE: The beer is the SAME in 95% of the world. In the rest of the 5% (i.e. Ireland and Sweden), the recipe is altered to accomodate local regulations, ususally dealing with alchohol content. ALL Heiniken is brewed in the Netherlands.

It's the same gosh darned beer everywhere except for a very few places and the differences between the "special" versions and the "regular" version are going to be undetectable by anyone other than a true expert.

If the beer tastes better in one place than the other, it's because of its age and the way it was handled by the importer, distributer and retailer.

[Tom Montgomery]

If the beer tastes better in one place than the other, it's because of its age and the way it was handled by the importer, distributer and retailer.

Yep. As I said, the fresher the better. Age, improper storage, and light degrades the flavor. That is why most beers are distributed in a dark bottle. Clear and green bottles are inferior means of protecting the beer from light.

The same goes with olive oil, by the way.

[BrianY]

As long as it's not spoiled or brewed incorrectly - and none of the commercial examples out there today are brewed incorrectly - a beer is "Good beer" if you like it and if it serves its intended purpose. Period.

When people talk about "good beer" they're actually talking about preferences rather than any objective standards. There ARE NO objective standards for beer quality. Beer quality judging is entirely subjective. The few objective standards that do apply to beer can tell you if a certian beer conforms to generally accepted style guidelines or not (i.e. is it a Dry Stout or a German Pils) but they tell you nothing about whether the beer is "good" or not.

In any case, ALL beers are "good" AND "bad" depending on how you judeg them. For example, an excellent, world-class continental pilsner is a TERRIBLE British Bitter and vice versa. When it comes to judging beer, you have to consider what standards your judging it against.

[Rum_Pirate]

ACCORDING TO THE HEINIKEN WEBISTE: The beer is the SAME in 95% of the world. In the rest of the 5% (i.e. Ireland and Sweden), the recipe is altered to accomodate local regulations, ususally dealing with alchohol content. ALL Heiniken is brewed in the Netherlands.

Really?

I think that site needs updating as Heineken has been brewed by the Windward & Leeward Brewery Limited in St.Lucia since 1975.

There web site also states that Heineken has been brewed in over 110 breweries world wide.

http://www.pitonbeer.com/info.asp?Sec=1&SSec=1

Heineken beer, the Windward & Leeward Brewery Limited’s flagship brand and jewel in the crown of our strong portfolio, is truly an international brand of repute with worldwide sales in excess 20 million hectoliters annually. Brewed since 1864 (and here in St Lucia since 1975) in over 110 breweries world wide, Heineken’s passion for beer and quality ensures that Heineken tastes the same all over the world. The Heineken Company and WLBL have made it their mission to brew the perfect beer time after time. Only the perfect ingredients go into Heineken, which includes selected hops, barley, the unique Heineken A yeast (developed by Dr. H Elion) and crystal clear water so vital in the brewing of beer. It is no wonder that here in St. Lucia, where rivers abound; it surely could only be Heineken. Visit: http://www.heineken.com See also http://www.heinekeninternational.com...tdstlucia.aspx

It is also brewed in Australia.

[katey]

My first beer (I was 14) was a Guinness. So were the next 50 or so. It was years before I would drink anything I could see through.

[ccmanuals]

These days I prefer a Corona.