I've seen a lot of lists lately about the world's best beers, and none of the lists even remotely line up with my own favorites, so I decided to make my own. Though when I travel, I tend to stick with microbrews (in the US) and cask ales (in the UK), and genuinely enjoy those more than any of the following beers (with perhaps the exception of Franziskaner and Fraoch), you can usually only find them in small geographic areas, and I generally can never remember their names. So here is MY list of MY favorite mass-produced, can-get-at-a-good-local-liquor-store beers:
Arguably, not a good beer. It's the "Budweiser" of Scotland, but it has this super smooth head, akin to that on a Guinness, without the weight. Or the alcohol content.
OK one of my all-time favorite beers. You pay almost as dearly for it in the UK as you do in the States, and it comes from an ancient Pict recipe, using heather flowers for an aroma quite akin to a perfume and a brilliant taste to match.
"Scrumpy" means "extra hard." I had this for breakfast once while camping on the Isle of Arran, after being eaten alive by midges while soaking wet. I felt sorry for myself before, and after, I felt like I could take on all the midges in the world at once! It didn't last, but it's practically apple juice, right??
I discovered this stuff while living in Germany, and spent hours practicing how to say it so I wouldn't look stupid. Since then I've managed to impress many a bartender at Old Chicagos, currently the only chain I know that carries it. It's superb and reminiscent of smoked sausage.
This is the local brewery in Tromso, Norway. Used to be the world's most northern brewery, but somebody opened a microbrewery or brewpub or something elsewhere in a more northerly location... but it still rocks. I prefer the Bayer, or dark beer. Plus, they have a giant stuffed polar bear in the bar. They put Santa hats on it at Christmas.
Not Amstel Light, real Amstel. I had it for the first time in South Africa, and didn't even know they MADE the non-light version!
So good. Classic Scottish name. Dark brown and sweet and like 8% alcohol. And it only comes in big bottles. And you can get it at nice liquor stores in the US.
Not the best beer ever - a light lager, rather reminiscent of every other light lager ever. But it will always remind me of Vietnam and drinking out of coconuts while wearing a silly hat. And crawling through creepy Viet Kong tunnels. And learning how to cross the street properly. And everyone else you ask will say the same thing.
Cool and refreshing and it makes you forget that it's 100 degrees with 100% humidity. Which really is OK because you're on a beach in Central America, so who cares if it's that hot?
Arguably, not a good beer. It's the "Budweiser" of Scotland, but it has this super smooth head, akin to that on a Guinness, without the weight. Or the alcohol content.
OK one of my all-time favorite beers. You pay almost as dearly for it in the UK as you do in the States, and it comes from an ancient Pict recipe, using heather flowers for an aroma quite akin to a perfume and a brilliant taste to match.
"Scrumpy" means "extra hard." I had this for breakfast once while camping on the Isle of Arran, after being eaten alive by midges while soaking wet. I felt sorry for myself before, and after, I felt like I could take on all the midges in the world at once! It didn't last, but it's practically apple juice, right??
I discovered this stuff while living in Germany, and spent hours practicing how to say it so I wouldn't look stupid. Since then I've managed to impress many a bartender at Old Chicagos, currently the only chain I know that carries it. It's superb and reminiscent of smoked sausage.
This is the local brewery in Tromso, Norway. Used to be the world's most northern brewery, but somebody opened a microbrewery or brewpub or something elsewhere in a more northerly location... but it still rocks. I prefer the Bayer, or dark beer. Plus, they have a giant stuffed polar bear in the bar. They put Santa hats on it at Christmas.
Not Amstel Light, real Amstel. I had it for the first time in South Africa, and didn't even know they MADE the non-light version!
So good. Classic Scottish name. Dark brown and sweet and like 8% alcohol. And it only comes in big bottles. And you can get it at nice liquor stores in the US.
Not the best beer ever - a light lager, rather reminiscent of every other light lager ever. But it will always remind me of Vietnam and drinking out of coconuts while wearing a silly hat. And crawling through creepy Viet Kong tunnels. And learning how to cross the street properly. And everyone else you ask will say the same thing.
Cool and refreshing and it makes you forget that it's 100 degrees with 100% humidity. Which really is OK because you're on a beach in Central America, so who cares if it's that hot?
4 comments:
I'm using your list for the beer tasting for our building in July. The organizer was impressed with your list and wit and narrative. Any thoughts about which one would be perfect for our residents?
Definitely try the Fraoch heather ale, if you can. You can find it out here in Ft. Collins, so maybe the Party Source or something will have it in Cincy... Also, the Old Jock Ale is good, or something else from the Broughton Brewery.
The party source has it and all of the other frauch beers as well. They come seperate and in a historical "pack," I like the Ebulum elderberry is my favorite.
cool! I've never had the elderberry stuff, though I have seen the packs and thought man, do I have that much spare cash? Stuff's 'spensive!
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