Beverage recomendation....

[mwaltd]

Hi all. Looking to branch out my choices in the adult beverage department. As far as brews go I drink hard cider, usually Horsnby's crisp apple. (always been more of a bourbon guy) With all the talk of micro brews and home brewing Im curious to try some. So Im looking for recomendations. I have only tried a few beers 2 of which i enjoyed Michelobe Ultra which I dont care much for now, cant exactly explain why. And Corona, but the down side to it was being bitter to me. I can probably garuantee I would not go for any stouts or dark beers.

So theres the info I have to offer, I will let the brew experts take it from here. Thanks in advanced

[mellowdave]

If you like ciders, try something "white" a Weissenbier. Add some lemon, and you're good. Ill revisit this post with brands once I go down stairs and peruse my bottle collection.

[Airmonger]

I go for a blonde ale. Crisp, clean and easy! After that try a red ale. The bitterness in a corona probably came from the lime. I cant ever remember tasting a bitter corona, but my average IBU is higher than my IQ.

[mike r]

Hefeweizen
beer_marquee_hefe.jpg

I'm a strong ipa sorta person but i like this in summer

[evldave]

If you liked the Michelob, I would start with lagers - they are the 'softest' beer, fairly light flavor, with little aftertaste.

Ales start to run stronger than the lagers. Going with a lighter ale, like maybe a Blue Moon with an orange, would work. I spent a long time drinking amber ales, but those can be heavy (Fat Tire and Alaskan Amber are two of my favorites).

Going out on a limb, if you like bourbon, and maybe even a little smokey flavor, you can try a porter (Black Butte is my Porter of choice)

If you want to go mainstream, since you won't have that great of a local brewery selection there in NC, you can try Sam Adams, Heinekin, Widmer Hefeweizen (my beer of choice, in fact I just finished Widmer's Bridge-to-Brews race where we start and finish the 10k at their brewery).

Since you haven't tried beer much, all the above are 'american style' beers. I would try a Belgium Hefeweizen (completely different taste than american).


Sometimes it's best to just try things out. You can order many microbrews from Liquid Gold -->http://www.northwestliquidgold.com/

If you can, find a place locally that has a wide selection of beers. Start with the lagers, move to the ales. It's like Jelly Belly Jelly Beans - there will be a flavor for everything!

Welcome to the club

[keezer37]

Definitely start out with the lagers and ales. Nothing fancy. From your comments, I'd venture to guess you might find pale ales and India pale ales bitter. Everyone's taste is different. I've been dabbling in microbrews since the early nineties and I will say one thing is certain, everybody and his brother is in this brewing game now. There are some bad beers out there so don't give up too easily.
Some spiced and fruity beers are fine but for me they get old real quick. Another issue is you think you like a beer but soon fall out with it. It's may not be you. It may be the beer. Many of these brewers also lack consistency. Further, some of these beers sit in the store way longer than they should. This will also affect the flavor.
I have my personal favorites now. One that is a smooth, even tasting warm weather beer is Magic Hat #9.

[/dev/m416]

... since you won't have that great of a local brewery selection there in NC ...

Would be a mistake to miss out on all the local craft beers here in NC - http://www.ncbeer.org/. Many have tap rooms that allow for free (or nearly free) tastings that will let you sample styles you might normally dismiss, letting you make up your own mind as to what you like and why. Enjoy the journey!

[mwaltd]

Thanks guys. I recognized a few of the names recommended. So this evening I will pick up a pack or two based on yalls input and report back

[haynesdad]

homebrewing is the way to go. Initial equipment cost is high, but will pay off the longer you do it. There is something very satisfying about tweaking your beer to what you want exactly. Been doing it for 5 years or so and have done 50 or so batches. Average cost per batch is around $30 and yields 48 or so beers.

Basically you just start with a commercial beer you sort of like, figure out how to make it, and then change the formula until you get one thats right for you.

[toymaster]

Don't be too hasty on judging dark beers now. My personal favorite is Shiner Bock. Shiner is a microbrewery in Shiner texas. I really do not like their other beers but when I drink a long neck it is usually a Shiner Bock or a corona with a lime in it. In the last few years I have found them outside of texas so, you may find one at the alcohol store. It does not hurt to try! Corona is found in almost every country I've visited. If you are ever in Kenya try Tuskers. My advice is always sample the local beer when traveling, 'tis part of the experiance.