Come October, the Optimator goes into the regular rotation at the Casa -jmcd. Good stuff!
and NTDIA (need to do it again)!!!
Franziskaner also very good. Had Hacker-Pschorr (sp?) and liked it. HB too. Also recall enjoying Ingobrau (Ingolbrau?) sort of… truth to tell, was very hammered at the time. It might’ve sucked.
Warsteiner Pils
Licher Pils
Bitburger Pils
Red Hook ESB.
Back in the 80’s, I use to home brew a lot. I’ll have to go with one of my own homebrews as the best, but for ‘store bought’, most anything other than the ‘American’ style lagers…They do not have enough body, flavor, and richness for my taste.
I do love most all micro brews and of course, I have a favorite brew pub. If you don’t know what a brew pub is, it is a pub that brews it’s own beer on site, not to be sold for offsite consumption. A micro brewery is a brewery limited to how much beer it can produce a year. Micros also cannot sell on site.
Home brewers can and do brew some of the best (and worst) beers in the world. That said, that is how the Micro/Brew Pub revolution began. It really started the whole taste revolution in all the different styles of beer.
A couple of facts that I can attest to is home brew will never give you a hang over. That is due to the yeast present in homebrews. The yeast is basically a vitamin B complex which works with the body to help prevent the hang over. Also, the home brew revolution actually got the boost from Jimmy Carter when he signed a law that allowed people could brew their own beer and wine from home. This was always against the law before Mr. Carter came into office because of the government was afraid for people to make their own alcohol. Distilling the wine/beer/grains at home (moon shining) is still illegal. Another thing the ATF is holding on to!!!
Cheers/Prost…here is a link to the different toasts of other countries:
Bitburger…then Guinness.
Indeed! At the October fest, I had at least a liter from each brew house (8) lost track after that! Woke up feeling great!
A buddy of mine does home brew, he made this one called Dogbolter? Was reddish and was like candy.
One of these days, I want to start doing it.
“He who drinks beer sleeps well, he who sleeps well cannot sin, he who does not sin goes to heaven” 16th century monk:cool:
I like Hacker Pschorr or Franziskaner a little more. For whatever reason, Paulaner gives me mud butt.
Harpoon UFO is my current favorite in this style of beer. Not sure how easy it is to get outside of the northeast US, though. Great in the heat. Actually, it’s pretty great in the cold, too.
+1 on Red Hook ESB 5pins.
Cold weather favs:
Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter
Sierra Nevada Porter
Fuller’s London Porter
Fuller’s ESB
Monty Python & The Holy Grail Ale
Chris Sheehy
Fransizkaner is my favorite hefe. I’m often in Germany for business and I could live on the stuff. It has a bit more wheat to it than Paulaner, but no too much. It’s on draft in much of southern Bavaria and you can find it in the states at stores with a good beer selection. Look for the monk on the label.
I’m no beer conniseur but I’ve fallen head over heels for King Midas Touch which is brewed by Dogfish Head Ale (www.dogfish.com) I think.
Hooray beer!
I’m going to Munich in July and plan to sample some Paulaner Hefe from the source, although I do tend to favor Franziskaner more.
Another excellent brew not mentioned so far is Duvell. Excellent.
As for best on the planet, I do have to go with others for:
Trappist Westvleteren 12
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/313/1545
A buddy of mine brought a couple bottles back from Belgium and it is amazing. Completely in a different league than the large breweries. I’d equate it more to a fine scotch or wine based on the complexities of its flavor.
I’m a simple man, Sam Adams Boston and Winter Lager is the only beer I drink. I wish they made in a Red State.
Hard to say, I drank my share of beer. That being said I would seperate it into two types. The first is just sitting around & b.sing beer. For that I would go with Guinness. The second is outside, summer day, float trip type beer. For that I would say Pabst. Been a fan of that beer for quite some time. I realise Pabst is not on the same level as many of the beers mentioned but on a hot day I find it refreshing & easy to drink compared to something with more weight
Ommegang Rare Vos
Guinness Extra Stout
Sierra Nevada Porter
The Widmer is good stuff.
Shiner Bock…although I enjoy it on occassion, it is not a true bock beer: it is died…Shiner’s blond on tap is pretty good…don’t care for it out of a bottle…right now I’m sporting a keg of Boulevard unfiltered wheat which is a pretty good hefeweizen…not as tart/tangy as some…over the weekend, I had some of the Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout which I enjoyed quite a bit…my #1is Guiness from the tap (specifically in the UK …I swear it has subtle changes crossing the ocean)…Been into IPAs quite a bit over the last year or so…I really enjoy them. When I bought the Sierra Nevada ESB I was disappointed when I got home to find out it was not a traditional ESB (Extra Special Bitter), but it was their ESB (Early Spring Brew).
One of the best in the world and my #2 is Trumar Pils…very much like Stella, just slightly better
ETA: I do like Sam Adams Boston Lager and a number of their other brews…the Cranberry Lambick is disgusting stuff!
Also, the hooooooray beeer comment above reminded me of Red Stripe which is also another stellar brew IMO, it would probably end up in my top 5
Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambick is hands down the most disgusting crap I’ve ever tried. It’s weird because I like every single other thing that they’ve put out. The “Double Bock” they do is pretty superb.
I’ve never been much of a hefe fan, I like a bigger hop presence in my brews. But every style has it’s place (even the fizzy yellow pisswater “beers”). 
I’m a Shiner Bock man myself, I even named my dog after the stuff.
Red Hook ESB is tops too, plus I can save the pop-top bottles for use on my home brews 
I like their 60 & 90 Minute IPA’s, and their Burton Baton 10% IPA aged in oak barrels.
Don’t drink much German beer any more, just US craft brewery top fermented ales, stouts, and porters mainly.