Some competitions are just awesome!

[Leevibe]

Lately it seems we just keep putting in more hops. But I kind of like it. I'm in an IPA phase. Chocolate? Not so much.

[micromegas]

Chocolate beer, banana beer, etc.... the Belgians invented that

Americans have good beer too (you can ask Forrest). I went all american last week and tried some "Sierra Nevada" and an "Anderson Valley" stout and they were really good.

[peAk]

Lately it seems we just keep putting in more hops. But I kind of like it. I'm in an IPA phase. Chocolate? Not so much.

Totally agree

While I like IPA, it's taken over a bit too much IMO. When you go to a bar with 50 beers on tap and half of them are some form of IPA (APA, DIPA, etc.) that's just too much.

I don't care for the chocolate stuff. That said, one trend that is happening that I do like is pepper beer (Habanero, Jalapeno, etc.) because everything made spicy is better....hehe.

[alanp]

There's the ferret thing I suppose, but we don't talk about that.

A form of entertainment that Nanny Ogg rates higher than Grand Opera.

[juansolo]

There's the ferret thing I suppose, but we don't talk about that.

A form of entertainment that Nanny Ogg rates higher than Grand Opera.

[Muadzin]

All that talk of English pies reminds me why British cuisine still has the same reputation as German humor.

[juansolo]

All that talk of English pies reminds me why British cuisine still has the same reputation as German humor.

This is very true. But British pub food is 2nd to none.

[Muadzin]

I'm skeptical about the culinary qualities of food being served in bars. Not just in the UK, but everywhere. If I want food, I go to a restaurant, not a bar. Food in restaurants, drinks in bars.

All this talk of British food however has given me a craving for a curry though. We do have some Indian restaurants over here, but nothing on the scale and variety as you guys. Or fish and chips.

[pickdropper]

Have a guitarist friend who lives in the States, but is originally from around here. So 2-3 times a year he comes back to visit family. He almost always nips in and we always go to the pub so he can have a proper pie and a pint.

Last time he was here as we mentioned that surely with all the micro breweries in the States he must be able to find some good beer? He responded that he went to a beer thing thinking that, and he complained that they're always putting extra 'stuff' in their beer, chocolate beer was one he remembered. "Who wants beer that tastes of chocolate?!".

Amused me anyhow.

I think the first Chocolate beer I ever had was from Youngs, so the U.S. aren't the only wankers throwing goofy stuff in beer.

The U.S. microbreweries do seem to focus on trying to put the absolute worst stuff in beer, however.  I think it's Rogue that makes horrific beers such as "Bacon and maple" and "chocolate peanut butter horror" or something like that.  Both are ridiculously awful.

I like a good IPA as well, but the whole "hammer em with hops" thing has gotten a bit silly, too.  There are still some fantastic Ales and Stouts coming out of England.  I'm a huge fan of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, but I suspect the stuff we get here pales in comparison to what's over in the UK.

[alanp]

The NZ tendency with craft beer is to kill people with hops, or try to. One theory I heard is that it is a backlash against all those years of Double Brown, DB Draught, and Tui.

[micromegas]

I'm a sucker for Trappist beer, or brown and amber ales, or dopplebock... but don't amuse strange flavored beers (although I like some lambics I've tried).

here you have an article about hypster beer 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bon-appetit/11-beers-made-with-breakf_b_4676216.html
I'd try those though... don't know much about breakfast beer but some about beer for breakfast.

[juansolo]

I'm a sucker for Trappist beer, or brown and amber ales, or dopplebock... but don't amuse strange flavored beers (although I like some lambics I've tried).

here you have an article about hypster beer 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bon-appetit/11-beers-made-with-breakf_b_4676216.html
I'd try those though... don't know much about breakfast beer but some about beer for breakfast.

Do like Westmalle Dubel, that's one of my favourites. Only Lambic that I've found that I like is Oude Kriek which is bloody gorgeous, but very, very expensive to get here. Otherwise on a hot day, Maes Pils. Just give me a cold crate of that and I'm a happy chappy.

If I find myself in Belgium I'll always come back with stocks of Westmalle and Maes (and a couple of huge boxes of Lionadas chocolate also).

Oh and when in Austria/Germany, Ein gross weissbeer bitte! (I can order beer and fuel in about 5 languages). Love that stuff. The closest thing we get to that here is Hoegaarden, but it wasn't as nice as Pauliner that seemed to be what everyone had on our last trip.

[GermanCdn]

Oh and when in Austria/Germany, Ein gross weissbeer bitte! (I can order beer and fuel in about 5 languages). Love that stuff. The closest thing we get to that here is Hoegaarden, but it wasn't as nice as Pauliner that seemed to be what everyone had on our last trip.

Paulaner Hefeweisen is fantastic.

[juansolo]

Oh and when in Austria/Germany, Ein gross weissbeer bitte! (I can order beer and fuel in about 5 languages). Love that stuff. The closest thing we get to that here is Hoegaarden, but it wasn't as nice as Pauliner that seemed to be what everyone had on our last trip.

Paulaner Hefeweisen is fantastic.

That'll be it, it was absolutely gorgeous stuff.

[micromegas]

Oh and when in Austria/Germany, Ein gross weissbeer bitte! (I can order beer and fuel in about 5 languages). Love that stuff. The closest thing we get to that here is Hoegaarden, but it wasn't as nice as Pauliner that seemed to be what everyone had on our last trip.

Paulaner Hefeweisen is fantastic.

That'll be it, it was absolutely gorgeous stuff.

It is indeed! I actually prefer it to franciskaner.
My prefered german beer at this moment is this one: Hirschbräu Doppel-Hirsch. It has won a world cup award, but better than that, it has won "my" award . If you can find it, try it.

A friend of mine who lives in Belgium just recommended me the Waterloo dark beer. I think I'll try that one this weekend.