The All Encompassing Beer Thread


 
What AB/InBev and Miller/Coors do is simply business.
They are in business to make money. Ask a craft brewer why he does what he does and his answer most definitely will be because he loves to make beer.
It's not a money maker - take it from someone who spent the last year researching and forming a business plan for a brewery.

Do the macro's make a "good beer"? That question is relative.
They are good at making the beer they make and would rather spend millions of $$$ on advertising the same product in a different container (wide mouth can, tell me when my beer is super cold, punch an extra hole in the top to stop the 'glug') than make a different beer.
That's their perogative.
They are now delving into the craft side of things because while on the whole, beer sales are down over the last few years, craft beer sales are up.
The market has gotten to the point that they can't simply buy out the little guys like they did when prohibition ended because almost all craft breweries have a strong local following.
Not to mention social media and the backlash AB/InBev and Miller/Coors would take if news like that hit.
I can attest to the fact that Goose Islands quality has not suffered on their bigger releases such as Bourboun County Brand Stout and the Coffee variation. I had both prior to the deal with AB/InBev and after.
They were great then and are great now.

For a great perspective on the beer industry, check out a movie called 'Beer Wars'. It shows everything that's wrong with the systems and government regulations in place right now.
 
Sprecher-Bootleggers-Bourbon-Barrel-Hard-Root-Beer.png


GLENDALE, WI – You read the headline correctly. Sprecher Brewing Company, maker of award-winning beers and gourmet sodas since 1985, added a new product to its lineup: Hard Root Beer. Unlike the non-alcoholic Root Beer Sprecher is so famous for, this is an old-fashioned fermented Root Beer with 5% alcohol by volume (abv).

Sprecher’s new Hard Root Beer has all the flavors and characteristics of Sprecher Root Beer nicely melded with bourbon and oak flavors.

“We had a lot of customers asking for a Hard Root Beer. Since this is a variation of what we do best, two of our Wisconsin distributors – Beechwood Sales and Service and General Beverage – suggested a limited initial roll out to test markets. That will let us know if we need to change anything before we go into large scale production,” said Jeff Hamilton, president of Sprecher Brewing Company.
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I bought some this past weekend and it is dangerously good. I tended to forget that it had alcohol in it.
 
So, today I tasted one of the better IPA's, which I had to go to the Downtown Houston Spec's, but still received the same bitter taste and smell from it. Bear Republics Racer 5. I think since I have tasted 3 of these to the same avail of flavor, they will be avoided.
 
Yeah Nick, IPAs are an acquired taste. I didn't like them at all when I was drinking amber ales, stouts and porters. Started out with milder pale ales (Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) and moved my way up. Some people just don't like that "flavor", and there's nothing wrong with that. Almost gave up IPAs when my wife tried her first one and said it tasted like "bile"... yuck! Then the bile taste mellowed to "grapefruit", and now we're both hopheads....
 
Nick Cosby said:
So, today I tasted one of the better IPA's, which I had to go to the Downtown Houston Spec's, but still received the same bitter taste and smell from it. Bear Republics Racer 5. I think since I have tasted 3 of these to the same avail of flavor, they will be avoided.
Click to expand...


I'm going to preface this with a disclaimer:

However you may feel about the IBU as a measurement, it is what we have. The IPA, by its very nature will be hoppy and more bitter than many beers as a result of the clean overall characteristics of the "baseline" beer. The resulting bitterness in IPAs is a result of the lack of heavy malts to mask the bitterness and balance the beer out over the hops.



The English, shipping beer to India, found "bad" beer in the barrels upon getting to India. Simply, They found the voyage from Englandia to India made bad beer. Thus Hops were introduced to take care of aromas and preserve the overall quality. IPAs are born.

Nick,

You picked up an IPA with an IBU of about 70 in the Racer 5. First of all, If you haven't, try some notable PALE ALES to get a baseline. Drop the "Indias" for awhile. If you want to have another go at the IPAs, hit up the lower end of the IBU scale to start. Redhook makes an IPA (called Long Hammer) that Rates in the 40s on IBUs and is quite nice. Maybe after getting that baseline, you can move up the ladder of IBU ratings with more success. If that is something you are doing.

Start small. The more complex a beer is, the better chance of "overload."


:)
 
Jerry E. said:
I'm going to preface this with a disclaimer:

However you may feel about the IBU as a measurement, it is what we have. The IPA, by its very nature will be hoppy and more bitter than many beers as a result of the clean overall characteristics of the "baseline" beer. The resulting bitterness in IPAs is a result of the lack of heavy malts to mask the bitterness and balance the beer out over the hops.



The English, shipping beer to India, found "bad" beer in the barrels upon getting to India. Simply, They found the voyage from Englandia to India made bad beer. Thus Hops were introduced to take care of aromas and preserve the overall quality. IPAs are born.

Nick,

You picked up an IPA with an IBU of about 70 in the Racer 5. First of all, If you haven't, try some notable PALE ALES to get a baseline. Drop the "Indias" for awhile. If you want to have another go at the IPAs, hit up the lower end of the IBU scale to start. Redhook makes an IPA (called Long Hammer) that Rates in the 40s on IBUs and is quite nice. Maybe after getting that baseline, you can move up the ladder of IBU ratings with more success. If that is something you are doing.

Start small. The more complex a beer is, the better chance of "overload."


:)
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Thanks for the Tips, will do.
 
Has anyone tried the Ales of the Revolution from Yards Brewing? I'm fascinated by them but haven't found a sampler yet.

http://www.yardsbrewing.com/ales


Clint said:
Nice link. Wish I was drinking a home brew or Epic Spiral Jetty IPA. I'd even take a Sierra Nevada or Hop Rising, but no, here I sit (had to walk to sev to get it - out of wine too) with a PBR (lol)
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As much as I like homebrews and micros, PBR is still my go-to for heavy swilling.
 
Jon Des, Haven't seen those. Good reviews?

To no one in particular:

I'm not sure what I do could be called "heavy swilling" (to use Jon' D's Term) anymore. I certainly have my go to session beers. Those beers you take to the lake, or a family get together and sip on all day and it has little to no effect on you even thought the ABV may be 5 or 6% but I just don't go out with the intent of getting one-eyed as quick as possible anymore. I spend, what I think, is good money on beer and want to really enjoy it and life is too short to drink bad hooch. To me, that means pouring it in a glass and smelling the brew. (you do know your nose is part of your taste sense right? of course you do!) Tasting it and trying to pick out the flavors.

I used to be a beer snob; Bash everyone's drink if my opinion of it was bad. (I "knew" more than them right?) Well, No one was listening to the gospel and I was just ****ing people off. Luckily, I was fairly quick in this observation and changed my tune. I drink what I drink, you drink what you drink. My beer is almost always community beer. I have a reserve set aside, but for the most part, everyone knows the fridge is open to them. The other side of that, If I am given a beer while I am out, no matter how bad I perceive it to be, I will drink it. I know I hold my beers in high regard, the least I could do is extend that courtesy to everyone around me. I am truly honored when someone buys or hands me a beer they like. Maybe that is corny, but it is true.

In fact, I think "craft beers" and brewing in general have helped me appreciate the drink for what it is. I've known more than one guy that has declared craft brew single-handedly saved him from a life of Alcoholism. The complexities and wide rage of types and tastes intrigue me. And for all it's complexities and the amount of time, effort, and money that is spent on brewing, researching, and drinking it, it was very likely a random occurrence that we (humans) even found beer to begin with.

Someone already mentioned "Beer Wars" but I think the short documentary "How Beer Saved the World" is something that needs to be seen for those who truly love and want to understand how man and fermented drink are intertwined. The face of the planet could have looked very different if not for beer. Beer wars is more about the business of beer, How beer saved the world is about the impact on history it has had.

TL;DR - I like beer
 
Jerry E. said:
My beer is almost always community beer. I have a reserve set aside, but for the most part, everyone knows the fridge is open to them.
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Years ago a good friend of mine acquired a glass-door cooler for just this purpose and it's always stocked with a wide variety of brands and styles. It's considered proper form to bring a "donation" when visiting him from out of town and because of this I know that over the years he's dispensed far more beer than he's actually purchased!;)
 
Brad Olson said:
Years ago a good friend of mine acquired a glass-door cooler for just this purpose and it's always stocked with a wide variety of brands and styles. It's considered proper form to bring a "donation" when visiting him from out of town and because of this I know that over the years he's dispensed far more beer than he's actually purchased!;)
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That is brilliant with the glass door cooler. Might have to see about that one. Might work well as a Lagering chamber as well.

Family usually brings me something special when they go out and about. Otherwise we have a group of guys go out on bandit runs.:cool:
 
Jerry E. said:
I'm not sure what I do could be called "heavy swilling" (to use Jon' D's Term) anymore. I certainly have my go to session beers. Those beers you take to the lake, or a family get together and sip on all day and it has little to no effect on you even thought the ABV may be 5 or 6% but I just don't go out with the intent of getting one-eyed as quick as possible anymore. I spend, what I think, is good money on beer and want to really enjoy it and life is too short to drink bad hooch. To me, that means pouring it in a glass and smelling the brew. (you do know your nose is part of your taste sense right? of course you do!) Tasting it and trying to pick out the flavors.

Someone already mentioned "Beer Wars" but I think the short documentary "How Beer Saved the World" is something that needs to be seen for those who truly love and want to understand how man and fermented drink are intertwined. The face of the planet could have looked very different if not for beer. Beer wars is more about the business of beer, How beer saved the world is about the impact on history it has had.

TL;DR - I like beer
Click to expand...

My term "heavy swilling" is more along the lines of guzzling one after washing and waxing the car on a hot day. Lawnmower beer, which in my mind is not exactly session beer.

Where does one find "How Beer Saved the World"?
 
Jon Des. said:
My term "heavy swilling" is more along the lines of guzzling one after washing and waxing the car on a hot day. Lawnmower beer, which in my mind is not exactly session beer.

Where does one find "How Beer Saved the World"?
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Ah, understood.

Think I saw it on Netflix.
 
Brad Olson said:
For those who can get ahold of Lakefront beers, the Imperial Stout brewed specially for the 25th anniversary is some pretty good stuff.
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I have tried this...very tasty. Never been a huge Stout guy but it seems fitting for a brutal Wisconsin winter day, right ?

Also I highly recommend Dark Matter by Milwaukee Brewing (I know, all my beer posts include them in some form or another...I'm such a fanboy). Very dark, very powerful almost stout like complex flavor of roasted grain and a hint of coffee maybe. Hearty and again powerful at 10.5 abv. I drank two of these last month at our SPEW at the Alehouse and I was pretty 'buzzed'.
 
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