choppy wrote:

lemur68 wrote:April 28. You, me, Doc, any other takers--it's on. It'll be my second time.

I'm in.

Word. We'll make this happen.

I'm hoping i can convince Viva La Foxx to come up from Chicago early on June 9, too, so we can take them there before our Cactus Club gig that night.

I just returned from a promo night for this brewery from Westchester County, NY. They had some truly excellent beer, especially their "Liquid Gold." It would be hard to find outside of the New York Metro area, but very good if you can.

Mazec wrote:

Right you are, sir.

Arrogant Bastard has some great stuff as well. Also, that Rogue one with that bald bespactacled guy on the bottle is killer.

But nothing will beat that expensive, anonymous Belgian beer that I mistook for a bottle of champagne one winter morning. I like to dream that Belgium is a land of infinite glories, where excellent beers are cheap and where waffles fall from the sky on Christmas amidst the powder-sugar snow.

My 11-hour stay at Brussels Central Station belies this expectation.

Well Chris, I think the empties from some of that delicious beer we drank on my birthday (Black Friday) is still on my porch. Hmmmm. Yes it is. Looks like we had some Left Hand, Sierra Nevada, and Goose Island. There are also some random bottles of wine and Bourbon. From what I can recall of that night, there were others, but I digress from the topic. You chose well by mentioning Delirium Tremens. In my humble opinion, Belgium is to beer as wine is to France. It's a great place to start. I'll stick with this type since there are too many to mention. Characteristically, we're looking at really hopped, effervescent beers. Try not to drink too many of these on a first date. It will end badly. Next, skip over the pond to Vermont. As mentioned in an earlier post, Magic Hat. Outstanding beer but I wouldn't leave the state without visiting McNeill's in Brattleboro. In New York, my vote is cast with Ommegang. It's cheaper than the Belgian beer of its caliber and just as good. In Delaware, there's Dogfish Head. Jog, or stumble in this case, to Canada and try the Unibrue beers. Again, a belgian style that will knock you on your ass. Moving West, Michigan beers fair pretty well. Bells and New Holland make some good ones. Before this gets too deep, let me mention Oregon. Rogue Brewery from Newport rules and if your in Japan and really want a good beer, have a Hitachino. Drink these now while the weather is permitting. Soon it will be light ale and pilsner time. That is all

Dugong wrote:Belgium is to beer as wine is to France. Characteristically, we're looking at really hopped, effervescent beers.

Not that I dislike Belgian beers, but I gotta stick with my ancestors, the Krauts. Belgian beer is far too interested in hops and not nearly enough in malted Barley. Hence, my issues with many American craft brewers. But, alas, this is a matter of taste. Any beer drinker worth her/his salt will figure out riht quick heter they like hops or malt and choose their styles accordingly.

Or this:
[/quote]

i drank this on tap in the czech republic and it was fucking the best beer ever.
it has just started to be imported here, and its good, but on tap its fucking genius.
im also an alcoholic and buy sweet sheery by the flagon...

[/quote]Not that I dislike Belgian beers, but I gotta stick with my ancestors, the Krauts. Belgian beer is far too interested in hops and not nearly enough in malted Barley. Hence, my issues with many American craft brewers.

I totally understand that line of reason, but I think that's what makes American craft beer unique. As far as American beer goes, however, I have yet to find a lager, or pilsner that matches up to it's European counterpart. In fact we've gone so far as to even lift the name from the Czech's as in the case of Budweiser. Are there any American beers that can hold a stick to the likes of any German, Czech, Polish, Austrian, or Dutch beer in the pilsner/lager style? We should stick with what we're good at and that is, in this case, craft ales. Happy Mae fest!

Okay, seriously Chicagoans!

Goose Island! Do none of you feel it's worthy of mentioning among all these beers? Absurd! Goose Island is world-class. No doubt,.

Anyone here ever try Aventinus?



It's produced by the G. Schneider & Sohn brewery in Kelheim, Germany. It's a Weizen-dopplebock, a very strong, dark wheat beer. It has some really powerful clove and banana esters, and the combination of dark malts and the wheat combine to form notes of caramel, chocolate, and dates or raisins.

A very unusual brew. If you like dark beers and wheat beers I encourage you to try it. They have it on tap at The Map Room here in Chicago, and I believe Quenchers has it in bottles.

Dopple and tripel bocks have been an enigma for me. Just can't develop a taste for them and i thought i loved all beer.