Today's category is: BEER
1. Blue Moon Belgian White Ale: My drink of choice at the sellout's 30th this past weekend, and probably my favorite tasting beer. Period. I used to love dark beers only (Guinness, etc.) But this is excellent, light, and flavorful; it has a real wheaty flavor to it. And you can put a slice of orange in it! Beer with fruit . . .now its a health food!
2. Kennebec River Brewing Company "Loggerhead Lager": The best beer I've only had twice . . .and cannot, for the life of me, find anywhere in the state of Maine. The Forks is a town about 50 minutes north of us, famous for all the whitewater rafting, hunting, and snowmobiling lodges. They also sport a small brewery at Northern Outdoors, which is a large sporting camp (and home of last year's Raider Society symposium). The Loggerhead Lager is a winter beer and it is absolutely wonderful. It reminds me of the Blue Moon . . .but a little darker and grainier. Wonderful flavor packed by wonderful memories of time spent in The Forks. If anyone knows where I can get this, please tell me!
3. Oak Pond Brewery Dooryard Ale: Up in Maine, they call people's driveways their "dooryards." I havent gotten used to this yet. OPB is practically right up the road in Skowhegan . . .although I havent been there yet for the tasting and tour. We had a keg of this at my friend AJ's bachelor party. A good ale that is not overpoweringly dark and bitter . . .like I find many ales to be. A really great body to it too. OPB's slogan is "Try it cuz its local . . .drink it cuz its good." Okay.
4. Red Hook ESB: Speaking of memories (Loggerhead ale), no drink imaginable conjures up better memories than Redhook brews. I chose ESB because its their signature beer . . .but I could pretty much put any Redhook creation up here and it would work. They are my favorite brewery: hands down. Redhook sustained me through my years at UNH, since the brewery is right in Portsmouth NH (and there is one in Seattle too). I can think of no better way to spend an afternoon than sitting on the deck of the Tin Palace on Main Street in Durham, enjoying a cold Hefeweisen with JR, Brian, or Strazzer. Even Amanda likes Redhook . . .and she hates beer.
5. Sam Adams Boston Lager: Ah . . .the old standby and everyone's favorite. But for good reason. But here is something unique about Sam Adams: with most beers, as you "consume more" they all start to "decrease" in taste--in my opinion anyway. But with Sam Adams Boston Lager, I notice that the flavor intensifies the more . . .um . . .affected I become by it. And I like that. Plus they used to have the commercial with the hot girl with the German accent in the "House of Beer." So its got that going for it.
Runners Up:1. Sea Dog Brewery blueberry wheat ale
2. Molson Canadian-it tastes SO GOOD when its ice cold on a summer day
3. Guinness-I had to include this because I am Irish and I do love it
4. Killians Irish Red
5. Erin's Way Brewery's "Chelsea Stout." Hopefully I'll get to try it someday . . .
14 comments:
I am a big fan of all sorts of porters, but if you want to be surprised by a beer try Leinenfiugel's Sunset Wheat...It won't let you down.
I also love the white beers... You should try Hoegaarden Belgian White. The real thing.
I agree Hoegaarden is a very good beer. We drank it during the whole week of the German fest. Jared just do me one favor, stop putting fruit in your beer, what are you a HOMO? That's like the people that put ice in the glass of beer. New Castle is also one of my favorites.
Yes Newcastle just about made the list. I have tried the Leinenfiugel's Sunset Wheat and it IS very very good. Thee are just so many beers to choose from . . .but i tried to narrow it down to five . . .very hard to do
jared:
Thanks for your comments re: our Kennebec River Brewery, lager - glad you like it. Please email me your postal address as I'd like to send you a "thankyou" from the brewery. Use our rafting@northernoutdoors.com address. I'm working on a list of local folks who stock our beer and should have something to you shortly... best, Russell Walters, President, Northern Outdoors.
I'd agree that you've made solid choices. But I thought everybody in Maine drank Allagash?
1. Guinness
1. Beamish
B. Sam Light
IV. Sam Adams
5. whatever is cold as long as it's not a Bud Light, Bud Heavy(Budweiser), or Miller Lite
Budget picks- Coors Light and Miller High Life
I expect to see 5 favorite scotch and wine lists to come...
I vote fer these ones:
9. Michelob ULTRA
7. Iron City (Pittsburgh)
0. Blatz (Milwaukee)
8. National Bohemian(Baltimore) Natty Bo!
4. Carling Black Label
6. Billy Beer
4. Schafer Light
2. Busch Bavarian
4. Anything from Genesee Brewing Co
ABSOLUTE BEST. Colt 45!!
Jared, you forgot to list the beers Pee-Pop, George and I like; Ballantine, Pabts Blue Ribbon, Schlitz and Ortlieb.
I think Pabts Blue Ribbon and Schlitz were Pee-Pops favorites.
Oh I forgot, M.I.L. and Aunt June liked Boon's Farm Wines assortment of fine wines better then beer.
i didnt forget PBR . . .that will come up when I do my list on "top five things that taste like pee-pee" blog.
actually, i guess pabst is good compared to stuff like bud light, natural light, and AMSTEL LIGHT!
the M.I.L. used to like sitting outside drinking our Rolling Rock beer.
My current #1: Old Brown Dog (Smuttynose)
Where's Geary's on the list from Mainers?
Current cheap piss-water choice of UNH students (judging by the half-full and empty cans strewn around our building): Keystone Light
All-time honorary top ten: Guinness (makes you strong!)
And, thank you to the MIL for including Rolling Rock ("From the glass-lined tanks of Old Latrobe, we tender this premium beer ...") My all-time choice for a delicious and modestly-priced brew (runner up is Stella Artois)
Hot day choice: four or five icy Corona's with a slice of lime in the neck.
Hey Jared, this blog entry should re-appear every couple o' months!
Randy (NH)
I noticed a runner-up was Seadog Blueberry Wheat. You've GOT to try Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale; I like it WAY better than the Seadog. Also, no idea if this is any good, but I'm intrigued by a beer over here in England called "Hobgoblin." Great name, scary label. And you'd better get some Czech beers added to your list or Milan won't speak to you anymore! (By the way, come with us sometime to the Czech Republic--a genuine invite--and you will have about 6 half liters of local brew every night, and your bill will come to $4.20. I am DEAD serious.)
Locally, you can buy Kennebec River Brewery ales at Damon's on Route 201, Madison Ave.
Enjoy.
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