Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Let's Talk Beer

I may have mentioned that my wife and are big wine people (though by that I really mean red wines), and I'm also a big scotch drinker (as well as gin and sometimes tequila). But my first love was beer, and I remain a big fan of good beers to this day.

And Fall is the best time for Beers, IMO.

In general, IPA's are my favorite beers, but I'm a big fan of the fall flavors, such as Oktoberfest, Harvest Ales and Pumpkin Ales. Of course, I really like all kinds of different beer, and try not to limit myself to any real type.

My tastes over the last few years have rested firmly on local breweries and craft beers, which was really inspired by my absolutely falling in love with Harpoon IPA right around the time Legion World came into existence. Harpoon remains my favorite brewery and my favorite IPA, though they do a variety of other great beers. They also have a great UFO Pumpkin beer.

I'm also lately enjoying Goose Creek quite a bit. Not local to me, but a well crafted beer. I wonder if my SC peeps drink it?

Saranac is another New England brewery that is fantastic. All of their beers are good, and I especially like the pale ale.

Can't say enough good things about Sierra Nevada.

My "regular" default beer, when I find it, is Harp. It's an Irish beer, and it was what I was drinking in college, which lead to my then AOL screen name. Being a nice young lad, I also like Guinness quite a bit as well. Smithwicks is a good beer too, though like Guinness its far better in Ireland; however, Guinness is still at least very good here, while Smithwicks loses more than a little.

I've always been a fan of Sam Adams, and like their Boston Lager. They have my favorite Oktoberfest and their Pumpkin Ale is surprisingly good. I've always loved Cherry Wheat, since I was in high school and that was my "pricey / more than I should be spending beer".

Faraway Lad introduced to a beer called Old Speckled Hen many moons ago, and I still drink it to this day. A nice English beer.

The beer I most want to try that I never had is Pliny the Elder which I may have to go all the way to Philadelphia to try, which is the only place on the east coast you can get it. Sounds like a good reason to meet up with Ex!

I can't stand Coors and I absolutely despise Miller. I can stand Bud, but really only Budweiser ("Bud Heavy") these days. Usually if its a picnic / stag / etc with kegs, I can live with Bud Light. I also have to say I don't know why people go crazy for Dogfish beers. They've never been my favorite. I also can no longer trick Newcastle nor Bodingtons.

Another great brewery is Longtrail in Vermont, but I drank myself silly of the stuff 10 years ago and can't go back. (See also: Jameson Whiskey).

Heferweizen is my year-round choice. Widmer makes the best, but in a pinch any will do. I'm also fond of Anchor Steam, which just became available at our brand new corner deli. Scooooorrrrrrrrre!!

Ahem. Sorry.

I'll drink IPAs in the Spring and Summer, since they are ubiquitious/unavoidable, but they aren't necessarily my first choice. Pyramid makes a Blonde Ale that I like a lot, as well as an Apricot Ale. It sounds goofy but it's not.

My beer of choice with bar nachos is usually Blue Moon, because it's a great deal at our customary Friday nacho place. One really nice shot of tequila, plus one Blue Moon, and I'm in total bliss. Can't beat that.

Fall is the time for Red and/or Brown Ales. Kingpin and Laurelwood Free Range are always good.

Winter is the time for stouts like Guinness. (Yeah, I know. What a cliche', and I'm not even Irish.)

I never liked Hefenweizens for years and years until last summer when my cousin, who makes his own beer, concocted one I really ended up digging. Since then, I've stayed mainly to Widmer (and not that often to be honest), but I've grown to like them more.

I just had an Apricot Ale at a picnic in August but I can't remember if it was Pyramid or not. I liked it but it was one of those flavors I could probably only do 1-2 of.

All nice beers, Cle!

What's an "IPA"?

India Pale Ale.

I like it fine, but I don't have the mania for it that a lot of locals do. It's very much a hot weather beer, and usually has some bitter overtones that make it ideal with spicy foods, IMHO.

I went through the "hysteria" of IPA's in my early 20's too, before settling on my favorite, Harpoon IPA. That's really my go-to, and I don't venture outside of it for IPA's much unless I'm traveling to somewhere where they have real good ones. Plus, I have trouble with spicy foods these days.

I'm normally not that big of a beer drinker (it always makes me feel super-full)... but a Philly-quest with Cobie? Just say when, brother... we'll Pliny the hell out of this city.

As I'm reading this, I just happen to be drinking an oatmeal stout created by Free State Brewery, a local brewery from Lawrence, KS. It's a little bland for my taste, but I do prefer stouts and have since, in grad school, my Irish drama professor took the class out for Guinness to celebrate the end of class.

Love Guinness, and also love Obsidian Stout by Deschutes Brewery. Schalfley's makes an Irish Extra Stout that is to die for, but it appears to be seasonal.

Other favorite beers (though I haven't drank them in awhile): Honey Brown (which has two qualities I admire in a beer: cheap and tasty); 1554 and Fat Tire, both by New Belgium Brewery; and Sinebrychoff, a Porter from Finland.

I haven't tried some of the ones mentioned above, but now I'm curious--particularly about the IPAs.

Oatmeal. You on a health kick, HWW?

Just polishing off the last of a Black Bear stout right now. mr_cleome really wanted a "fall/winter" dish (stew with french bread) tonight so I figured why not?

I now have a stash of beer at home as well. Whenever I end up going home early on a Friday, I whip out a couple of bottles and relax.

Hey, if I can eat healthy and drink at the same time . . .

Ninkasi makes a pretty good oatmeal stout.

Guinness is still my favorite, so far anyway. Granted, there are a lot of brands I haven't tried yet!

Today I succumbed to the persuasive powers of Legion World...



...and bought some Fat Tire.

Also bought Rocky's recommended Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

Anybody for a beer float?

Drinking Shipyard Pumpkinhead tonight (Maine brewery). Fantastic.

San Miguel Beer's Cerveza Negra. Just downing it slowly and savoring the taste.

I just read that Cooking Light magazine recommends Fat Tire to go with a meaty pizza. Also Red Tail Ale. They're "rich, rounded amber ales" with "a mildly hopped, malty brew" to "balance the heft of a melty, well-sauced pizza."

I knew you all would want to know.

[bows]

It's actually mega-rare for me to have more than two beers at a sitting. In fact, most commonly I'll have one cocktail and one beer. At least that way I'm better able to afford my snobbery.

My maximum for being able to get home okay is two, but I stick to one to be safe. When I'm home though, or when I'm not driving, I can go up to four.

Yeah, I'm a bit of a lightweight.

Last night I had a martini (medium, not dry) and a Fullsail Amber Ale... then promptly fell asleep over a book at about 10:15 PM.

Ah, the freewheeling glamour of late middle age...

I've only had Blue Moon once, and fell in love with it right away. It has such a unique flavor. I recommend it to all my friends.

While perusing the package store, I found myself in the middle of a tasting for Mayflower IPA, which is excellent--one of the better IPA's out there, and as I mentioned, I've been branching away from them lately. So I grabbed 6 to compliment my Octoberfest stash. Mayflower is a small brewery in Massachusetts.

Was just over at Saraveza yesterday after work. None of the taps available struck my fancy, so I went with bottles.

Along with some fancy Chex Mix (made in-house) I tried a Japanese "Snow Weizen." Light and crispy, super-dry, pretty much like Kirin but maybe a little paler. Then I moved on to a terrific smoked trout plate (with big-ass slices of crispbread, a wedge of mild cheese, herb mayo, and pickled veggies) and a bottle of Anchor Big Leaf Maple Autumn Red. Very nice, if ya' like Reds.

I examined the dessert-y beers, too, but it was a school night so that'll have to wait for my next visit. I swear, if I were wealthy I'd find an excuse to eat/drink over there at least once a week... until I'd tried every last beer in the place.

That looks like a cool place and right up my alley!