A Bad Beer Thread

[David Weaver]

In my humble opinion, IPA is a pox on the beer market. There are some liquor stores these days that have practically nothing but Bud, Miller and various IPAs. Meh.

I prefer a good, dark, meaty beer.

Ditto that. I also don't drink IPAs. It is almost as if they became like a viral beer about what...10 or 15 years ago? Every trendy household my wife and I went to around here had "IPA" in the coolers, and it was impossible to get a decent beer at a picnic otherwise.

[Justin Ludwig]

Shawn, you just need the right gateway IPA. I used to dislike IPAs as well, but then I had just the right one...now I'll drink just about any.

I will say that I don't care for the bourbon-barrel aged beers. I like bourbon, but the two together just doesn't do it for me.

I'm real close to making the jump to all-grain brewing, and I'll probably just do the brew-in-a-bag method, at least to start. Been doing kits for 10+ years, but have started to do more since I installed a dual-tap kegerator almost 2 years ago and ditched bottling. I hated bottling (specifically, washing and sanitizing the bottles), so I didn't brew much.

Bottling does suck. It's my biggest deterrent in brewing. Have you tasted a wine-barrel aged beer? Prairie Artisan (2 hours from me) the maker of the "Prairie Bomb" (which is starting to get national attention) makes a fabulous Wine Barrel Noir.

I almost became a beer snob when I started to brew, and then I met a couple of guys that were quite "snobbish." I'll drink anything my tongue allows down my gullet.

[Jason Roehl]

I'll drink anything my tongue allows down my gullet.

Yep. That's why I can now drink all those light beers (I don't buy them for myself) when my buddies offer me some. There's just no flavor to be offensive that I can taste.

[George Bokros]

I drink mainly Moosehead, Labatts Blue and Molson Canadian

[John Coloccia]

Ditto that. I also don't drink IPAs. It is almost as if they became like a viral beer about what...10 or 15 years ago? Every trendy household my wife and I went to around here had "IPA" in the coolers, and it was impossible to get a decent beer at a picnic otherwise.

The thing is, I don't even mind a good IPA. It's not my favorite by any means, but it's drinkable. I'm just taken aback that sometimes it's nearly impossible to find anything but IPAs in the cooler. Fortunately, I also have stores nearby that are AMAZING. For example:

http://www.manchesterwineandliquors.com/Beers.html

Here's a list of beers they carry. They're not all in stock all the time, but believe me the selection is better than anything I've ever seen:
http://www.manchesterwineandliquors....SAVAILABLE.pdf

[Phil Thien]

I'm actually plenty happy with American lagers.

I really can't stand anything with weird flavoring. Don't want blueberry or pumpkin spice or anything like that in my beer.

I also don't like anything with a real high alcohol content. I recently got something at Whole Foods (wife and I were having a bite to eat) and was startled at the alcohol content. Had to be 15%. I could not drink it.

The people I know that are really into the craft beer scene seem to be on the road to alcoholism, at least from where I'm sitting. I've seen friends stock up on previously-unheard-of-to-me products only to blast through three six-packs over the weekend. Can't see how what they're doing is any different than the guy buying a 24-pack of Milwaukee's Best on Saturday and finishing it off on Sunday (except they're spending a lot more money).

[Jason Roehl]

Yeah, that's a lot of beer, Phil. I can't say I'm on the craft beer "scene", but I just like good beer with lots of flavor. Most days, I'll have a pint, occasionally 2-3, sometimes none.

It's actually pretty tough to get a beer much over about 11%, as the brewing yeast die from the alcohol unless they're specifically bred to handle higher alcohol content. If you're used to American lagers, even a 7% beer would likely taste "boozy" to you.

Beers can be paired with food just like wine. American lagers are so neutral they go with just about anything. But if you have a strong-flavored beer, it's going to go better with a food that is also strong-tasting, but with complementary flavors.

[Judson Green]

Doesn't Wisconsin still rank #1 for binge drinking?

[Phil Thien]

Yeah, that's a lot of beer, Phil. I can't say I'm on the craft beer "scene", but I just like good beer with lots of flavor. Most days, I'll have a pint, occasionally 2-3, sometimes none.

It's actually pretty tough to get a beer much over about 11%, as the brewing yeast die from the alcohol unless they're specifically bred to handle higher alcohol content. If you're used to American lagers, even a 7% beer would likely taste "boozy" to you.

Beers can be paired with food just like wine. American lagers are so neutral they go with just about anything. But if you have a strong-flavored beer, it's going to go better with a food that is also strong-tasting, but with complementary flavors.

Okay excellent points.

But Ratebeer.com's top 50 has plenty of products above 11% (and several above 15%), and only a couple of the site's top 50 are below 8%.

7% or 8% is okay, much above that and I do start to feel like it is too "boozy" (very good word for that, now I'll know what to tell my friends that try to give me the strong stuff).

And in terms of food pairing, that is primarily when I drink beer. I'm out for dinner (steak, pizza, whatever) and I'll get a beer, and I don't want the meal to be about the beer. So you're right, for me, an American lager is really ideal.

The other time I'll drink a beer is after (for example) mowing the lawn or completing a project around the home, and I want something refreshing.

So maybe it is the times I'm consuming that dictate my preferences.

[Phil Thien]

Doesn't Wisconsin still rank #1 for binge drinking?

Pretty sure you're correct.

[Richard N Elliott]

I never met a beer I didn't like! And I've met a lot!

Hi-ebber, and day is always a hi-ebber, I do prefer Porters and Stouts and "fruity" beers and IPA's are at the bottom of my list...

Soon's I retire, or before if I get a chance, I'm gonna start makin my own.

[Kevin Bourque]

I don't drink anymore, but when I was in college (early 80's) we used to buy Bartell's Beer by the case for $3. If we returned all the bottles they gave us $1 back. I'm not sure if it was the beer that was naturally horrible, or the fact it was sitting around in a Scranton warehouse for 9 years before we bought it that made it taste so bad.

[Stew Hagerty]

I'm not a fan of IPA's in general.

Next to a good pint of Guinness, my favorite beer is Orkney Brewery's Skullsplitter.

[Rick Gibson]

Never found a German beer I didn't like. Good taste, no additives and it's about the same price or slightly cheaper than many or the Canadian beers I would otherwise be drinking.

[Erik Loza]

I never met a beer I didn't like! And I've met a lot!

Hi-ebber, and day is always a hi-ebber, I do prefer Porters and Stouts and "fruity" beers and IPA's are at the bottom of my list...

Soon's I retire, or before if I get a chance, I'm gonna start makin my own.

+1.... There are those I don't care for or would not buy but ask a dozen guys, get a dozen answers.

The only tuly "bad" beer I ever had was back in college, when one of my roommates tried home brewing with a group of his buddies. They were all high on weed 90% of the time, so whatever they brewed tasted like crap no matter the recipe.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA