[GhostUser]

Once on a business trip, about an hour from Flint Michigan, I got a chance to go to a German style place that brewed their own beer. Best I ever had. What's the best you ever had and is it easily available?

 

[remilard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TONYSTAROLDIES

Once on a business trip, about an hour from Flint Michigan, I got a chance to go to a German style place that brewed their own beer. Best I ever had. What's the best you ever had and is it easily available?

That is a tough one. I'll shoot for ten.

Belgian

• Westvletern 12 - Hard to get in north america
  
• St. Bernardus Abt 12 - Fairly well distributed in north america
  
• Tripel Karmeliat - Fairly well distributed in north america
  

American

• Rogue Shakespeare Stout - Easy to get
  
• Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA - Easy to get
  
• Stone Oaked Arrogant ******* - Seasonal, poor distribution
  
• Stone Smoked Porter - Easy to get
  
• Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine - Poor distribution
  

Other

• Samichlaus - Austrian - Fairly well distributed in north america
  
• The marzen version of the Bamberg Rauchbier, don't recall the name - Fairly well distributed in north america
  

 

[Dirty Martini]

I can't say just one, so I'll give you a few of varying styles, in order of preference.

Dogfish Head: Raison D'Etre. This is widely available.

Rogue: Juniper Pale Ale. This isn't widely available & I've only seen it available in the Rogue public houses.

Brouwerij Verhaeghe: Duchesse de Bourgogne. This is widely available in stores that have a good beer selection (like Whole Foods or specialty bottle shops)

Stone: Arrogant ******* Ale. This is widely available.

Terminal Gravity: IPA. This is widely available in Oregon. YMMV.

 

[WonderRandy]

OA and Remi...

I've never seen your selections out here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

But then again "widely available" almost never means Hawaii...

If I wasn't all sober and stuff, I'd promote my favorite, Red Hook.... but I'm all sober and stuff...

 

[Beancounter]

I can't say just one, so I'll give you a few of varying styles, in order of preference.

Stone: Arrogant ******* Ale. This is widely available.

Sadly, it is not widely available.

I used to drink the stuff like water when I lived in AZ, but now that I'm in NH, I can't find it anywhere.

 

[MrFalafel]

Pils Urquell, on draft, in Prague

Paulaner, on draft, in Munich

Fuller's London Pride from a hand-pumped cask

 

[remilard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OregonAmy

I can't say just one, so I'll give you a few of varying styles, in order of preference.

Stone: Arrogant ******* Ale. This is widely available.

Sadly, it is not widely available.

I used to drink the stuff like water when I lived in AZ, but now that I'm in NH, I can't find it anywhere.

That sucks, I know you can get it on some places in the east coast. Most of what I said was reasonably available assumes that you have access to a specialty bottle shop. I do know that in Oregon a brewery has to be blessed by the OLCC before its products can be imported, I imagine other states are the same way.

There are online bottle shops that can ship to most states but obviously the shipping can be prohibitively expensive. Shipping might double the cost for something domestic and reasonably priced like Stone.

 

[nookle]

If ever you go to Montréal, anyone.... there is a little microbrewery called L'amere a boire. It's a teeny little place, but the beer is oh-so-good. They make some really good beer in québec. La fin du Monde is a 9.5% that is GREAT!

Also, here in Halifax, we have the propeller brewery, which is pretty small, but you can get their stuff in most bars here, and apparently, Mtl. is going to start importing. They have a bitter, which, according to husband is incredible.

 

[havocjohn]

For some reason I really liked Swan beer from Australia (sp). It's been a couple of decades since I had one but they were good.

 

[remilard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nookle

La fin du Monde is a 9.5% that is GREAT!

I like La Fin du Monde. Do you mean the beer is great or it is great that it is 9.5% abv because that is really only the beginning in terms of "big" beers.

For the Americans, Trader Joes sells Unibroue (makers of La Fin du Monde) Terrible (I think thats the one) on its private label for $4.99/750 ml. They call it "Vintage Ale".

 

[nookle]

Unibroue makes a few nice little beers. Vintage ale - that's funny.

As to your question - both.

 

[WonderRandy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by remi

Most of what I said was reasonably available assumes that you have access to a specialty bottle shop.

I seriously LOL'ed at that one!!

there is a decent wine market on the other side of the island (3 hours away) that MIGHT have a few good beers... And I can get Deschutes and Sierra Nevada beers (average price $9.99/six pack) at the local liquor store, but that's as exotic as it gets around here....

 

[Vegan Joe]

The best beer I ever had was the one I didn't have after I quit drinking.

With out the alcohol buss that beer delivers, breweries (irregardless of the brand) would go out of business for producing such a terrible tasting beverage.

 

[bigdufstuff]

My own.

 

[Jessica Alana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TONYSTAROLDIES

Once on a business trip, about an hour from Flint Michigan, I got a chance to go to a German style place that brewed their own beer. Best I ever had. What's the best you ever had and is it easily available?

Where? In Frankenmuth?

I was coming in here to just answer "The root kind," but then I noticed "FLINT MICHIGAN" all big in the OP and stuff, and I live in Flint, so I had to actually read it.

 

[GhostUser]

Jessica......i Knew When I Saw Your Big Smile On Your Avatar...We Would Be Friends.

Wow...... Do You Know How Long I Have Been Trying To Get The Name Of That Place?.

And I Went At Night In The Dark Trying To Keep A Customer From GM Informed About Our Product Line...did Not Have Time To Site See.

As Soon As I Saw The Picture From Google I Recognized It.

Thank You For You Input

 

[Loki]

I'm a fan of IPA's. My favourites are Deuchars and Okell's. I doubt you'd get either of them in the US though. But if you see them, go for them.

 

[remilard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdufstuff

My own.

I make good beer but I possess not the hubris to believe that it is world class.

 

[bigdufstuff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by remilard

I make good beer but I possess not the hubris to believe that it is world class.

Perhaps it is the fact that it is my own that I prefer it over others. I don't suspect everyone, or even most, would. I am bias

.

 

[Dirty Martini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vegan Joe

With out the alcohol buss that beer delivers, breweries (irregardless of the brand) would go out of business for producing such a terrible tasting beverage.

I disagree, with the exception of the mass-produced swill that passes for "beer" these days. Even if all beer were non-alcoholic, I'd still drink it because I like the taste.