Just Saying -- the soapbox thread

[nzCdog]

Fascinating

[alanp]

What are some stupid prejudices -- that don't HURT anyone -- that you can't seem to shake?

For me, it's that I won't touch American beer. As in the USA.

I've heard too many horror stories about Bud, and Coors, and how beer from the USA is like love in a canoe -- f***ing close to water.

Intellectually, I have heard that there are a lot of microbrews that are very tasty indeed from the States. But I can't bring myself to try any beer from the land of love in a canoe.

Anyone else?

[juansolo]

True story: A friend and I, in our early 20's, went to Florida on holiday, out of season. To everybody's amusement, we didn't hire a car. Instead making our way around on public transport, though for a couple of things we had to book coach trips. I'm not sure why we did those things, but it did make it all more fun strangely. Anyhow we had a trip to Busch Gardens, the theme part owned by the makers of Budweiser. We did the rides, with no queues to speak of we polished off the park pretty quick so decided for the brewery tour at the end of which you could sample two beers in the concessions tent... We got talking to the pretty young thing behind the bar about how we couldn't possibly form an opinion on what Anhuser Busch had to offer on meerly two beers, turned the accent on strong (the one place it works...) and as the place was empty and we were keeping her company, we proceeded to sample every beer they had, and to a great quantity. I vaguely remember asking several coach drivers if we'd come with them and if they'd please take us back to our hotel... So their beers are effective at least.

What doesn't work is foreign beers being transported over there. We went to an Irish bar and quite frankly their idea of what Guinness or Murphy's is, is not what we get in the UK. But again that's a regional thing, because stuff brewed under license here is often bloody awful. Heineken brewed in the UK crap, but in the Netherlands it's really quite alright. Aussie beer is without exception just fizzy yellow water and I can't believe that Aussies would stand for that back home.

Personally I mostly drink Belgian beer. It's just bloody lovely. Though I suspect when brexit is in effect, bobbing over to restock is going to be a thing of the past

[EBK]

I often worry that visitors to the US will try Bud, Coors, or Miller Lite, thinking that these liquids are the ambassadors of American beer (afterall, they market themselves as such).  These are all terrible products. To me, they are only tolerable on a very hot day, served very very cold with a better beer as a chaser.

In the US, Foster's is marketed as being "Australian for beer."  I asked an Australian if they had better things to drink than that stuff, and heard a similar opinion to how I describe Budweiser.

Personally, I'm a fan of IPAs. 

By the way, if you ever visit Legoland in Florida, you have to smuggle in your own beer.   

[alanp]

What doesn't work is foreign beers being transported over there. We went to an Irish bar and quite frankly their idea of what Guinness or Murphy's is, is not what we get in the UK. But again that's a regional thing, because stuff brewed under license here is often bloody awful. Heineken brewed in the UK crap, but in the Netherlands it's really quite alright. Aussie beer is without exception just fizzy yellow water and I can't believe that Aussies would stand for that back home.

Asahi Super Dry is a good example of that, here. The two litre cans (screwtops, with a plastic handle on the side) are very tasty beers, and, like the name says, dry beyond belief. Well worth getting.

The bottles and normal cans, on the other hand, are "Brewed Under Licence" by people who don't seem to understand how to brew Asahi Super Dry (rice is involved, as well as hops and barley), and it's not worth the bother.

[thesmokingman]

the top of the heap beers from bud, miller/coors are pretty godawful (and they know it and make "microbrews") ... some of the legacy brands (grandpa's beer) are better, and generally not as liked by the public because they aren't as easy drinking (looking at you Pabst, Schlitz, Hamm's, Stroh's, etc) ... some of the regionals are even better like Yuengling (who took over the Busch Gardens brewery in Tampa) and Shiner ... then of course there's the litany of microbrews overdoing it with the hops, occasionally crafting something brilliant, and generally pricing themselves out of being an everyday brew. I tend to buy grandpa beers on the regular and sprinkle in the regionals and microbrews for special occasions.

[midwayfair]

What are some stupid prejudices -- that don't HURT anyone -- that you can't seem to shake?

For me, it's that I won't touch American beer. As in the USA.

I've heard too many horror stories about Bud, and Coors, and how beer from the USA is like love in a canoe -- f***ing close to water.

Intellectually, I have heard that there are a lot of microbrews that are very tasty indeed from the States. But I can't bring myself to try any beer from the land of love in a canoe.

Anyone else?

This is actually sad. Look at the top rated beers on Beer Advocate for example. Of course most of those can be hard to get even for those of us in the US and it's better to drink the best bread you can get locally anyway. I think Belgium probably has the highest rating per capita for sure though ...

Things changed a couple decades ago now. In part it has to do with relaxed laws permitting brewing in more places, but also just the spread of knowledge and marketting reach thanks to the internet.

[juansolo]

I think Belgium probably has the highest rating per capita for sure though ...

Talking about beer has made me crack open a bottle of Westmalle Dubbel. Drinking from a chalice... Because you gotta have the right glass man!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/208/674/

[thesmokingman]

lol for kicks, this evening I managed to find Genesee cream ale in a 12 pack at the neighborhood liquor store ... I don't believe I've had the pleasure yet ... I seem to recall having Little King's cream ale once upon a time

[midwayfair]

This is what I'm having.



I mean, I have to, I can't let it go bad in the cellar ...

[alanp]

You can't rush this whisky, but it's bloody nice. Very strong peaty smoke in it.

And if the cat is nearby, you can be childish and make bird noises with the cork against the side of the bottle.

[somnif]

My current drink:



Perfectly normal coffee. Nothing special about it. Absolutely and utterly normal.


...../twitch

[Muadzin]

Heineken brewed in the UK crap, but in the Netherlands it's really quite alright.

That's funny, because in the Netherlands Heineken is mostly known as canal water. Lowest of the low. How it managed to label itself abroad as a quality foreign beer is a mystery to us. 

[EBK]

I've given up on beer in a green bottle.  Always skunky when I've tried it.

Also, here is a handy list of beers that are likely crappy and best avoided:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AB_InBev_brands 

In US restaurants, InBev beers are often all that is available, but there is sometimes a footnote on the menu that says something like, "Ask your server about additional local or seasonal beer selections."  Fun random story:  My younger brother drove to Canada once and was asked at the border what his occupation was.  He replied, "I'm a server."  He was detained and his car was ripped apart in a multiple-hours-long search for drugs.  Apparently, "server" means drug dealer up there.  In the US, it is just a gender-neutral term for waiters and waitresses.

[juansolo]

Heineken brewed in the UK crap, but in the Netherlands it's really quite alright.

That's funny, because in the Netherlands Heineken is mostly known as canal water. Lowest of the low. How it managed to label itself abroad as a quality foreign beer is a mystery to us. 

FWIW it tastes better there than under license!