What shoud I be drinking?

[2D8HP]

Thanks for all your suggestions! After starting this thread I did sample an "English Brown Ale style of Beer", that was brewed in California which I liked (Downtown Brown), and I looked on the Anchor Steam website and it looks like besides "the classic" Anchor Steam (which I didn't like as much), they have other styles that may appeal to me more, and would help me "keep it local".
Now I'd like to ask everybody not what you'd think I'd like, but what do you like (beer, cider, wine, icecream that makes for a good milshake etc.)?


Mostly I drink water, after that tea, sometimes coffee, after that chocolate ice cream milkshakes, then beer then wine. I prefer the taste of bad/cheap wine to bad/cheap beer (my wife laughs at how when we met, I recoiled when she offered me a "Coors"), but I prefer a beer I like better still, which brings me to ask for advice.
I am of mostly Irish descent and I work in (and for!) the City I San Francisco. My problem is that among commonly available beers that I'm familiar with I prefer the taste of NewCastle Brown Ale to both Guinness (from Ireland) and Anchor Steam (from San Francisco). This makes me feel a little bit unpatriotic. What beer should I drink instead?

[DodgerH2O]

Drink what you like? I dunno, seems obvious to me.

Edit: Sorry if that wasn't helpful, I just am not sure I understand your question. It looks like Anchor makes a brown ale, you could try that. Also porters and stouts tend to be similar (but stronger) flavors to brown ales.

[Razade]

Mostly I drink water, after that tea, sometimes coffee, after that chocolate ice cream milkshakes, then beer then wine. I prefer the taste of bad/cheap wine to bad/cheap beer (my wife laughs at how when we met, I recoiled when she offered me a "Coors"), but I prefer a beer I like better still, which brings me to ask for advice.
I am of mostly Irish descent and I work in (and for!) the City I San Francisco. My problem is that among commonly available beers that I'm familiar with I prefer the taste of NewCastle Brown Ale to both Guinness (from Ireland) and Anchor Steam (from San Francisco). This makes me feel a little bit unpatriotic. What beer should I drink instead?

I mean, there's always Rogue on the West Coast. Deadman's Ale is pretty solid if you like Newcastle. Though I honestly prefer Newcastle to most else.

[Fishybugs]

I second Rogue. Their Hazelnut Brown Ale is great. Deadman is good, but a little more bitter.

[Razade]

I second Rogue. Their Hazelnut Brown Ale is great. Deadman is good, but a little more bitter.

This. Easily my favorite beer. It's got a nice ale flavor with a hint of hazelnut at the tail end. It's delicious if hazelnut flavor is your thing. I make a Roche mixed drink with half Chocolate Porter and Half Hazelnut Brown. There's a pasty place here in Phoenix that used to carry it but replaced it with Deadman. I found out on my birthday and it bummed me out the rest of the night.

[veti]

I am of mostly Irish descent and I work in (and for!) the City I San Francisco. My problem is that among commonly available beers that I'm familiar with I prefer the taste of NewCastle Brown Ale to both Guinness (from Ireland) and Anchor Steam (from San Francisco). This makes me feel a little bit unpatriotic. What beer should I drink instead?

There is nothing wrong with drinking foreign beer.

Guinness is massively oversold. The Guinness brewery has quite possibly the slickest global marketing team in the whole world. They're responsible for the "Irish pubs" that started infesting every major town in the English-speaking world (and many other parts, for that matter) in the 90s, and for the continued popularity of St Patrick's Day long after most saints' days have been forgotten. So kudos to them, they are very good at selling beer. But the beer itself is, frankly, bleh.

I make no comment on American beer. I hear some of it is good, but if so it's not exported to any country I've lived in.

I love British beer, possibly because it's what I grew up with. If I could find a reliable source of Speckled Hen or Black Sheep or a decent IPA, I'd be a happier bunny than I am. But I also like Belgian, German, Czech and Slovak beer, and there are some local (New Zealand) brews that are pretty good, although they take some finding.

Drink what you like. Nationalism in beer is folly.

[Xyk]

My favorite breweries are Odell, Firestone-Walker, Real Ale, 512, Hops and Grain, and sometimes Dogfishhead. I don't usually drink brown ales, but Dogfishhead Indian Brown is pretty solid. Guinness is the budweiser of stouts, it's garbage. If you like the maltiness of brown ales, you might try Odell 90 Shilling, which is a Scottish style ale from Colorado.

[Razade]

My favorite breweries are Odell, Firestone-Walker, Real Ale, 512, Hops and Grain, and sometimes Dogfishhead. I don't usually drink brown ales, but Dogfishhead Indian Brown is pretty solid. Guinness is the budweiser of stouts, it's garbage. If you like the maltiness of brown ales, you might try Odell 90 Shilling, which is a Scottish style ale from Colorado.

Was about to say "You sound like you're from Austin". You are in fact in Austin which explains that. Odell's a good choice with most of their beers honestly.

[qechua]

Guinness is an odd one. I used to like it, then I tried it in Dublin, and it was amazing, then I had some at the actual brewery, and it was even better, and now I can't drink it outside of Dublin because it seems awful. I know a load of people say it, but if you get a chance to try Guinness in Ireland, Dublin and/or the Guinness brewery, do it, because it's a very different drink (although I'm not a real Stout drinker, so I might still be way off)

But yeah drink what you like. If you don't know what you like, you can find out. Certainly in the UK, it's entirely acceptable to ask to try a bit of something from a tap (lager, ale, cider etc.), depending on the pub and how regular you are, you'll get somewhere between a shot and a quarter pint of it to smell and taste. Don't push it too far (if you're going to try something, you buy at least a drink at the end of it, even if it isn't what you tried) and you'll be fine. When I was in San Francisco last year, I managed to get away with it, but I don't know how acceptable it is and how much my British accent saved me from being told off.

On American beer, I'm undecided. I felt a bit bad, because after we went wine tasting around Santa Rosa (which was nice, despite me not being a wine person), we headed into town and did a beer tasting. 7 beers, all hand crafted local brews, didn't like any of them, even though we'd been told (by several vineyards) it was a really good micro-brewery/bar. They asked me what I thought, and, being the good British Citizen I am, I said they weren't bad, but if they didn't mind could I please have a bottle of Doombar instead of a pint of one of theirs :smallsmile: On the flipside, some of the American concoctions I've had at beer festivals over here have been pretty good, so I'd certainly be open to going back in a couple of years and touring the country looking for good brews, as long as they've got something like a Doom or a Spitfire on standby.

It was also pretty funny seeing how many places in/around Vegas and San Fran were serving NukeyBrown as if it was some exotic drink :smallbiggrin:

[Knaight]

I make no comment on American beer. I hear some of it is good, but if so it's not exported to any country I've lived in.

Most of it isn't even exported out of the state that contains the brewery, and even if it is it often only reaches nearby states. In the case of the OP, Oregon is one of the big microbrewery states and right next to California, so there should be good options. I can only speak for Colorado breweries - Odell's is good, New Belgium is decent, Great Divide has a couple of good beers, Big Beaver has some good beers (though they also have some crap), Equinox has good beer, Horse & Dragon has some decent stuff, and there's a few others that I know I've had but have forgotten names of.

None of it is exported internationally as far as I know, and I only know that New Belgium makes it out of state at all.

[Scarlet Knight]

I'm sure San Fran has alot of good craft breweries that will match your taste and I hear Ancor Brewing has a good rep and will keep your dollars in the good ol' USA.

[Winter_Wolf]

Mostly I drink water, after that tea, sometimes coffee, after that chocolate ice cream milkshakes, then beer then wine. I prefer the taste of bad/cheap wine to bad/cheap beer (my wife laughs at how when we met, I recoiled when she offered me a "Coors"), but I prefer a beer I like better still, which brings me to ask for advice.
I am of mostly Irish descent and I work in (and for!) the City I San Francisco. My problem is that among commonly available beers that I'm familiar with I prefer the taste of NewCastle Brown Ale to both Guinness (from Ireland) and Anchor Steam (from San Francisco). This makes me feel a little bit unpatriotic. What beer should I drink instead?

Why is it imperative that you drink beer? I mean, I've had a variety of beer and enjoyed several of them, but what's your real purpose here? Is your goal "tastes good, has alcohol?" Personally I cleave unto mead, but that's not really easy to find or all that cheap. Beer wise, I used to drink Alaskan Amber. It's made its way at least as far to the south and east as Wisconsin, probably it would have gotten to SF before then. Or are you specifically looking for black beers?

[2D8HP]

Is your goal "tastes good, has alcohol?" Personally I cleave unto mead, but that's not really easy to find or all that cheap.Yep that's it! I've tried mead and liked it! (And yes the reason I knew it existed at all was because of the D&D PHB) But I've only found mead at BevMo! And I'm looking for good taste without having to go to so specialty shops or "brew pubs" and I really don't want to keep asking for "samples" only to settle for the least bad out of three (more than three samples and I feel like a mooch!). I've also liked mulled wine, but again that's something I have rarely encountered. I don't want to learn better the taste of "hard liquors", because I've already found gin to be foul, vodka to be tasteless (I mean what's the point of "premium vodka", that it may taste more or less like gasoline?), and Whiskey? I just don't want to find one I like because it could be way too expensive and it has way too much alcohol per cup! I'm really looking for a "heart healthy" version of a malted chocolate icecream milkshake that's a little warmer and not so stomach expanding! NewCastle tastes like that to me!
Most light color beers don't seem to have enough flavor, and most dark colored beers seem too bitter.
The Anchor Steam I've tried just didn't seem as sweet as NewCastle and I can't exactly put my finger on why I don't like the taste of Guinness as much, but I don't. Twenty plus years ago I remember Beck's Dark as being tasty and easy to find, but I don't see it anymore. I'm looking for an easy to find tasty drink at places that have sandwich's and other simple food, but I want to spread the wealth to more than just England (I already buy Parker pens and before my son was born I spent too much money keeping a Triumph running), but I don't want to go on a quest, so I'm hoping to learn of something commonly available, without my having to sample more than I want to.
Thanks

[Knaight]

I don't want to learn better the taste of "hard liquors", because I've already found gin to be foul, vodka to be tasteless (I mean what's the point of "premium vodka", that it may taste more or less like gasoline?), and Whiskey? I just don't want to find one I like because it could be way too expensive and it has way too much alcohol per cup! I'm really looking for a "heart healthy" version of a malted chocolate icecream milkshake that's a little warmer and not so stomach expanding! NewCastle tastes like that to me!
Gin and vodka are both usually mixed with something for a very good reason. There's a good chance that you don't like strong alcohol flavor itself, and in that case hard liquor is out in general. Absent that though, there are a lot of options that may be more to your taste beyond the big three. Sambuca is a good example; if you like anise you will probably like it (Ouzo has the same issues as whiskey, so I wouldn't recommend it).


Most light color beers don't seem to have enough flavor, and most dark colored beers seem too bitter.
Judging from this, I'm guessing that your issue is with hop concentration. There's a type of beer called barley wine which you may really enjoy, and while I have no idea what barley wines are available locally, it's worth a shot.

[Aedilred]

I had Guinness in Dublin and it tasted exactly the same as Guinness I've had in the UK. I'm sceptical of the claim that "it tastes better in Dublin" because as far as I can tell, it doesn't. That said I can imagine that it can taste different, depending on which market it's made for (with varying ABV) and the local water if not brewed centrally. As far as I'm aware, though, all Guinness sold in the UK, US and Ireland is brewed in Dublin and so should be pretty much identical by range.

[Winter_Wolf]

Oh, is there a Ram Brew Pub in/near SF or convenient? They have some stuff I consider a good baseline to work from. Not real cheap, but I think you can get a flight of beer ("sample size" glasses, usually 4-8 varieties) for a reasonable price. Porters are a happy medium between black beers and ambers.

If you're desperate you can ask your local grocery to stock a type/brand of beer you like. www.bnektar.com makes what passes for affordable mead in a variety of favors (with cool/cheesy names like Zombie Killer or Necromangocon) and you might be able to convince a local store to carry something of theirs. Bottled stuff tastes better than draught. There's a bar near where I used to live that had it on tap, but either it suffers from keg storage or suffers from the tap nitrogen system. Bottles are better.

[Vizzerdrix]

Zima! All of the Zima!

[shawnhcorey]

You should drink a glass of water after every alcoholic drink. A big part of a hangover is that your cells get dehydrated. Drinking some water after each alcoholic drink reduces the hangover.

Kilkenny beer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilkenny_%28beer%29) is another from the same company as Guinness. Similar in taste but not as bitter. Should be available where you can buy Guinness.

[veti]

Yep that's it! I've tried mead and liked it!

I have no idea what's available in your area, but have you experimented with (hard) cider?

Also, a kind of yellow beer that has more flavour than most is wheat beer (what the Germans call Weissbier), which I was quite addicted to for a while.

[Remmirath]

It sounds like you might possibly like Weissbier, as stated above, or Belgian whites. Your pattern of beer-dislike seems kind of similar to my brother's, and I know he's very fond of both of those -- although, of course, this might not hold true for you. (Me, I like some examples of just about any beer, although I do trend towards liking dark beers and away from IPAs.)

B-Nektar is pretty good, and it's very easy to find around here (but I'm in Michigan, so I don't know how easy it is to find in other states). I'm not much of a honey mead person -- it's usually too sweet for me -- but my family loves the stuff, and it seems decent. I do like some of their special beverages (the aforementioned ones with interesting names), but to me they wouldn't work in place of a beer.

I've seen some chocolate stouts around here, and some of them are even not bad. They're all from small breweries, so I wouldn't expect them to be in your state, but maybe something like that?


There is nothing wrong with drinking foreign beer.

Guinness is massively oversold. The Guinness brewery has quite possibly the slickest global marketing team in the whole world. They're responsible for the "Irish pubs" that started infesting every major town in the English-speaking world (and many other parts, for that matter) in the 90s, and for the continued popularity of St Patrick's Day long after most saints' days have been forgotten. So kudos to them, they are very good at selling beer. But the beer itself is, frankly, bleh.

I make no comment on American beer. I hear some of it is good, but if so it's not exported to any country I've lived in.

I love British beer, possibly because it's what I grew up with. If I could find a reliable source of Speckled Hen or Black Sheep or a decent IPA, I'd be a happier bunny than I am. But I also like Belgian, German, Czech and Slovak beer, and there are some local (New Zealand) brews that are pretty good, although they take some finding.

Drink what you like. Nationalism in beer is folly.

Aye.

The thing about Guinness (and Heineken, and a number of other beers that I've heard aren't considered particularly good in other parts of the world but are here) in America is that they are much better than the American beers that you can reliably find in any restaurant or bar. If it's a choice between Bud or Miller or whatnot, I will take Heineken or Guinness in a heartbeat. One tastes like beer. The other doesn't.

There are a lot of good American beers, but they're mostly craft beers made by smaller breweries, so you don't find them even out of state much less out of country. I happen to live in a state with a lot of good ones these days, so that's nice -- but not even all of the restaurants here carry them, and once I leave the state, I'm not going to find them. One can, however, purchase them in most liquor or grocery stores around here, and I do.

[Razade]

Yep that's it! I've tried mead and liked it! (And yes the reason I knew it existed at all was because of the D&D PHB) But I've only found mead at BevMo! And I'm looking for good taste without having to go to so specialty shops or "brew pubs" and I really don't want to keep asking for "samples" only to settle for the least bad out of three (more than three samples and I feel like a mooch!). I've also liked mulled wine, but again that's something I have rarely encountered.

Is there a reason you don't want to go to specialty shops? Bevmo is really good with its prices and if you have Total Wine they're really good with prices too. They also have a wider selection than typical grocery stores.

You can also just...make your own mulled wine? It's honestly really easy. Get some wine, cheap wine is better than expensive, boil it with spices and flavors of your choice and you're good to go. You can rebottle it as well.



Most light color beers don't seem to have enough flavor, and most dark colored beers seem too bitter.

It just doesn't sound you like...beer...If you've found ones you like stick with those.




The thing about Guinness (and Heineken, and a number of other beers that I've heard aren't considered particularly good in other parts of the world but are here) in America is that they are much better than the American beers that you can reliably find in any restaurant or bar. If it's a choice between Bud or Miller or whatnot, I will take Heineken or Guinness in a heartbeat. One tastes like beer. The other doesn't.

There are a lot of good American beers, but they're mostly craft beers made by smaller breweries, so you don't find them even out of state much less out of country. I happen to live in a state with a lot of good ones these days, so that's nice -- but not even all of the restaurants here carry them, and once I leave the state, I'm not going to find them. One can, however, purchase them in most liquor or grocery stores around here, and I do.

Yeah...no...this might have been true in like the 80s but most bars have a good selection of local beers from their area now. There are at least four different breweries in the city I live in and every pub, bar and dive carries their beer and a city a few hours away has a brewery so ubiquitous that every other restaurant don't even carry most normal beers.

[Vinyadan]

For wine, if you like sparkling wine, there is Franciacorta Satèn, which should have started being exported. It is different from other sparkling wines because the pressure in the bottle is lower, which means that the little bubbles hit your mouth less hard than usual and you can savour it better. If you want a "normal" dinner wine, pinot grigio is usually good. If you have picky guests, I suggest not going below 4 $ for a bottle.

As for beer, I agree with those suggesting south German beer (Augustiner, Paulaner, Franziskaner...). Altbier is different, but it also is good.

As for coffee, I keep myself as far as possible from American and generally North European coffee. People north of Austria seem not to have learned how to do it, although I have heard very good things of Irish coffee. In general, Arabs, Turks and Southern Europeans can make coffee. I suggest trying the moka pot, although I can understand that people may not like espresso or consider it unhealthy. Less caffeinic (and less bitter) options are cappuccino, marocchino and mocaccino.

I am sorry I cannot warn you against the worst beer I ever drunk, which was a Chinese beer (I don't know its name, because it was written in Chinese characters). It was very sour and completely lacked body. It was like sour sparkling water with a bad background taste.

[Aedilred]

I am of mostly Irish descent and I work in (and for!) the City I San Francisco. My problem is that among commonly available beers that I'm familiar with I prefer the taste of NewCastle Brown Ale to both Guinness (from Ireland) and Anchor Steam (from San Francisco). This makes me feel a little bit unpatriotic. What beer should I drink instead?
Have you tried Murphy's? That's non-Dublin Irish beer that's fairly widely available, although still fairly mass-produced as far as beer goes.

Also don't be fooled by Guinness marketing, as someone mentioned above. While it's decent enough as far as it goes, its patriotic Irish credentials are actually fairly flimsy (I shan't link or go into more detail, for fear of board rules, but some research should turn up the relevant information). That it's become "the drink of Ireland" is down to its advertising expertise more than anything.

I also feel like pointing out that, as far as I can tell from your post, you're American. :smallwink: I know Americans are fond of "adopting" countries where they have ancestry, but still. I think the obligation, inasmuch as it exists, to appreciate Irish produce, is pretty much void for those born, raised and resident outside Ireland.

Having said that, it might be worth trying Irish whiskey. I don't think it's quite as good as Scotch (within obvious parameters) but it's still pretty decent.



Most light color beers don't seem to have enough flavor, and most dark colored beers seem too bitter.

I find this slightly surprising, if only because light beers tend to be relatively hoppier and thus more bitter than dark ones, which tend to have more malt and thus taste richer, sweeter, yeastier, but not so bitter. Of course it depends what you mean by "dark coloured beer" - whether this is ruby beer, for instance, or something closer to porter.

Having said that, I think to an extent "not enough flavour" isn't too much of a problem with beer, for me. I like session beers, which I can drink exclusively over a period of several hours, and so a subtle flavour is preferable to a strong one which can become overpowering, sickly and generally offputting. My favourite session beers are from Bath Ales (Gem or Spa) and Hexhamshire (Devil's Water and Devil's Elbow). But the Hexhamshire beers are nearly impossible to find even in the UK and I don't think I've seen Spa available outside a proprietary Bath Ales pub, so Gem is the only one that's easy to get your hands on. Sharp's Doom Bar, St. Austell's Tribute, Adnam's Explorer, and Badger First Gold and Fursty Ferret are also favourites of mine that can be relatively easy to find, bottled if not on tap. London Pride isn't bad but I've gone off it after over-indulging once too often; Old Empire is another, but it's strong and very pale, so possibly not for you.

Really though I almost always go for guest ales whenever it looks like I might like them. Much like with French cheeses, life's too short to pass up on the opportunity to try a new beer.

[Winter_Wolf]

I am sorry I cannot warn you against the worst beer I ever drunk, which was a Chinese beer (I don't know its name, because it was written in Chinese characters). It was very sour and completely lacked body. It was like sour sparkling water with a bad background taste.

I'd say it sounds like REEB, but that's got it written large on the bottle. Also, anything where the product name is just a reverse spelling of said product is good to avoid. Beer going in, REEB coming out. Via the same orifice.

But seriously you've described at least half of the Chinese beers out there. I'd almost be heartbroken if you were talking about Harbin pijiu. My top pick for Chinese lagers.

[2D8HP]

Lot's of suggestions. Thanks!
Is there a reason you don't want to go to specialty shops?Too darn many choices! I wouldn't know what to pick. Also I'm not looking for "unique finds", I'm looking for the something that can be easily and commonly found in most restaurants and bars that serve food that I like nearly as much as NewCastle, which is increasingly hard to find anyway (this might not even be possible, McDonalds are everywhere, and you know just what you'll get, but McDonalds is hardly "fine cuisine").
It just doesn't sound you like...beer...If you've found ones you like stick with those.That's just it! I probably like most wine better than most beer, but the most tasty drinks I've had were beer, in fact very much better tasting (to me) than the best wine (or other drinks), but I've simply haven't had many that were that good. I suspect that there are more quality beers that are commonly available in Commonwealth, and E.U. Nations than here, but I'm not going on a jet, just for a pint!.
Have you tried Murphy's? That's non-Dublin Irish beer that's fairly widely available, although still fairly mass-produced as far as beer goes.Nope I haven't, thanks for the suggestion!
Also don't be fooled by Guinness marketing, as someone mentioned above. While it's decent enough as far as it goes, its patriotic Irish credentials are actually fairly flimsy (I shan't link or go into more detail, for fear of board rules, but some research should turn up the relevant information). That it's become "the drink of Ireland" is down to its advertising expertise more than anything. I also feel like pointing out that, as far as I can tell from your post, you're American. :smallwink: I know Americans are fond of "adopting" countries where they have ancestry, but still. I think the obligation, inasmuch as it exists, to appreciate Irish produce, is pretty much void for those born, raised and resident outside Ireland.Very true! It's just that after owning an old Triumph (and very briefly a MG) I think I've sent enough money England's way already (besides NewCastle is getting harder too find anyway!), and the whole world sends money Germany's way. I'd just want to keep it in the States if I can, except for Texas!:smallwink:Kidding!

Much like with French cheeses, life's too short to pass up on the opportunity to try a new beer.I don't know about that, I've "sampled" some pretty bad cheese!:smalltongue:

[Razade]

Lot's of suggestions. Thanks!Too darn many choices! I wouldn't know what to pick. Also I'm not looking for "unique finds", I'm looking for the something that can be easily and commonly found in most restaurants and bars that serve food that I like nearly as much as NewCastle, which is increasingly hard to find anyway (this might not even be possible, McDonalds are everywhere, and you know just what you'll get, but McDonalds is hardly "fine cuisine").

I mean...you should ask the people who work there. Most are happy and knowledgeable but it's sometimes a crapshoot. The thing is that your bars and places you eat are going to have a narrow selection. You live in the Bay Area though, you should legit be able to find anything. LA and San Fran are so diverse it's not even amusing.


That's just it! I probably like most wine better than most beer, but the most tasty drinks I've had were beer, in fact very much better tasting (to me) than the best wine (or other drinks), but I've simply haven't had many that were that good. I suspect that there are more quality beers that are commonly available in Commonwealth, and E.U. Nations than here, but I'm not going on a jet, just for a pint!.

Like I said to another poster this just isn't the case anymore. You live on the West Coast so you have access to some of the greatest beers America is producing. Rogue, Ommegang, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Elysian, Four Peaks has Kilt Lifter which is amazing and very much like New Castle. The list goes on and on. Europe does not have the variety of beers the U.S is producing anymore. It's just that most of them are very region specific and don't go over seas. Not to say that foreign beers are bad. Belgium makes some of the best damn beers you'll ever have. But to think that Europe has some kind of monopoly, it just doesn't. Hasn't since at least the late 80s. Craft brewing and Micobrews started popping up in the early 90s and its just been one crazy boozy adventure from then on.

[saharhostnile]

Drink what you like? I dunno, seems obvious to me.

Edit: Sorry if that wasn't helpful, I just am not sure I understand your question. It looks like Anchor makes a brown ale, you could try that. Also porters and stouts tend to be similar (but stronger) flavors to brown ales.

's not necessarily condescending though either. The emphasis makes it so. "Do you really think that's the best way to do that?" is a genuine inquiry, you're trying to find out if that's actually their opinion or what they're presenting "Do you really think that's the best way to do that?" is a condescending statement.

[Maelstrom]

Though I agree that the US has an amazing variety and selection of beers, starting in the late 90's, the statement "Europe does not have the variety of beers the U.S is producing anymore" seems to come out of nowhere. Just as in the US, the number of microbrews has mushroomed in the past decade, so the variety, if anything, has increased.

To the original poster, keep trying new things, and drink what you like! No matter where it's from!

[2D8HP]

Thanks for all your suggestions! After starting this thread I did sample an "English Brown Ale style of Beer", that was brewed in California which I liked (Downtown Brown), and I looked on the Anchor Steam website and it looks like besides "the classic" Anchor Steam (which I didn't like as much), they have other styles that may appeal to me more, and would help me "keep it local".
Now I'd like to ask everybody not what you'd think I'd like, but what do you like (beer, cider, wine, icecream that makes for a good milshake etc.)?

[Winter_Wolf]

I live currently in Wisconsin, prides itself on dairy, including ice cream. But really, "moose tracks" ice cream makes a good, if chunky, milkshake. We're blessed with "micro-dairies" like most states are with micro breweries. But West Coast represents with Umpqua ice cream. Oregon isn't that far from SF. Their oreo ice cream is a pretty good candidate for a banging shake.

I stick to Redd's hard apple cider or occasionally spring for mead. But then, I can get mead on tap and bottled pretty easily, even imported stuff. Danskmjod is a good tasting one, but hell of a hangover and even sore throat. Felt like I'd been inhaling cigars the previous night; one does NOT want to actually inhale cigar smoke. Otherwise heavily restricted due to health reasons.

[Gnomvid]

For Beer my all time favourite hands down is Essel Bräu but the problem is that it's only available from the pub that brews it in Essel Germany so I haven't had any since '91 :smallannoyed: for Cider it's swedish ciders all the way here in the UK Kopparberg (copper mountain) cloudberry or strawberry/lime when available otherwise pear, it's really too bad that the blueberry one is not available here it's also very nice, otherwise I'm a rum man especially partial to Captain Morgans spiced Rum, but Sambucca is a close second, not very familiar with mikshakes only ever had a couple the majority of the less then a handful while in the Seattle or Sutter (California) areas, I do enjoy a root beer float (guess it does not count as a milkshake) but then I've only had two and the same concept but instead of root beer it was ginger beer at a pizzeria in Glasgow.

[Maelstrom]

... mikshakes only ever had a couple the majority of the less then a handful while in the Seattle or Sutter (California) areas, I do enjoy a root beer float (guess it does not count as a milkshake) but then I've only had two and the same concept but instead of root beer it was ginger beer at a pizzeria in Glasgow.

It's horrible, the liquidy excuse they call a milkshake here in Europe. Coming from California, I order one every now and again thinnking 'well maybe, this time, it'll be done right!' Or not!

Mmmm, Soda beers, another thing I miss. Root Beers, Sarsaparilla, Ginger Beer, Birch beer, Creme Sodas...

Reflecting back, maybe that's why I've lost weight (it's not the running!) ;)

[Dotafanatic]

Irish coffee of course?

[Number Seven]

Mostly I drink water, after that tea, sometimes coffee, after that chocolate ice cream milkshakes, then beer then wine. I prefer the taste of bad/cheap wine to bad/cheap beer (my wife laughs at how when we met, I recoiled when she offered me a "Coors"), but I prefer a beer I like better still, which brings me to ask for advice.
I am of mostly Irish descent and I work in (and for!) the City I San Francisco. My problem is that among commonly available beers that I'm familiar with I prefer the taste of NewCastle Brown Ale to both Guinness (from Ireland) and Anchor Steam (from San Francisco). This makes me feel a little bit unpatriotic. What beer should I drink instead?

Killian's Irish Red is the smoothest lager I've ever encountered. If you want something stronger, try Burnett's Spiced Rum. It's like candy that gets you hammered.

[Telonius]

No idea if you can get this in California, since it's brewed in Virginia; but Devil's Backbone makes some excellent dark beers. Legend makes a pretty good brown ale as well. Of the more nationwide-ish beers, Brooklyn Chocolate Stout is pretty decent.

[Flickerdart]

for Cider it's swedish ciders all the way

This. Rekorderlig pear cider is my #1 jam.

[TheChelaxian]

Water, sweet tea, coffee, milks, root beer.

[Jaycemonde]

I can tell you what not to drink: grain vodka from Texas. Tastes like hot cough syrup.

Being more positive, I honestly like Shiner's Indian Pale Ale. Everyone I know says it's way too hoppy and bitter, but I like it. I also like drinks that are offensively fruity, like Seagrams and Smirnoff screwdrivers, so I can't really say what's good in the middle ground of normal beers.
I'm also probably a plebeian, I don't know. I just get whatever I recognize and like, I'm not very deep into the world of craft booze.

[Algeh]

I know you've moved on to what the rest of us are drinking, but one thing that I know I did a lot when I was newer to drinking and trying to figure out what I liked was to order "taster trays" at breweries. Most large, visitor-friendly breweries (and even some restaurants) will have an option on their beer menu to order a taster collection with, generally, somewhere between 4-6 different beers on it (served in small glasses, usually on some kind of paddle or tray). Some places this will be one of each of their beers or a pre-set selection, and at other places you may be able to choose that many from a large list.

Since you're paying for the sample tray there's no implied obligation to order a pint of any of them, and that way you can try a bunch of different styles to help map your preferences.

Personally, I like imperial-style stouts. I also like reds in the summer when it's too hot for imperial stouts, and will tend to order barleywines when they're available. When I strike out on beers I'm willing to drink (I dislike IPAs, which are the most common kind where I live), I tend to order a tall glass of soda water and a whiskey, particularly if it's hot. (In the winter, I might get hot tea instead of the soda water.) The key to a lot of hard alcohol is to mix it with something non-alcoholic if you actually want to drink rather than sip it, and soda water is the most neutral mixer.

Mostly, I don't like sweet drinks, so I drink coffee in the morning, water all day, and either water, beer, or whiskey at night depending on whether or not it's an alcohol-friendly night. (I'd say well over two thirds of what I drink would be plain water, with coffee a distant second. Water is cheap, has no calories, and is drinkable straight from the tap where I live so I never run out of it and have to go to the store. Also, when you spill it on yourself or the carpet it's only a short-term problem rather than something that will stain.) If I'm out someplace and thirsty, I'll tend to order iced tea if it's not a situation where it's reasonable to order water (such as when I'm going through a drive-thru and just getting a drink without a food order).

If I do get a sweet drink for some reason, I tend to get a milkshake. Sonic used to have a coffee milkshake that wasn't too sweet on their breakfast menu, then they got rid of it a while back. I miss that thing.

[MagmaCam]

whatever makes you happy go wild!!

[Knaight]

I know you've moved on to what the rest of us are drinking, but one thing that I know I did a lot when I was newer to drinking and trying to figure out what I liked was to order "taster trays" at breweries. Most large, visitor-friendly breweries (and even some restaurants) will have an option on their beer menu to order a taster collection with, generally, somewhere between 4-6 different beers on it (served in small glasses, usually on some kind of paddle or tray). Some places this will be one of each of their beers or a pre-set selection, and at other places you may be able to choose that many from a large list.

I've done this too, and it's often a way to find good beers - there's a local place that has a taster tray of 8 beers, of which 2 were excellent and another 3 were decent.

[anjxed]

Hey so me and my girlfriend are planning to buy alchoholic beverages for the future.

I'm thinking Jaegermeister, Johnny Walker or Jack Daniels. Any opinion on them. Btw I'm not American or European so Only brands known internationally is what I can buy.

If it helps, I dont like wine but I like beer

[Gnomvid]

Hey so me and my girlfriend are planning to buy alchoholic beverages for the future.

I'm thinking Jaegermeister, Johnny Walker or Jack Daniels. Any opinion on them. Btw I'm not American or European so Only brands known internationally is what I can buy.

If it helps, I dont like wine but I like beer

I can't comment on Burbon's nor Scottish or Irish Whisky's other than I don't enjoy products that remind me of turpentine or furniture cleaners.
I used to like Jaegermeister from when I was in Germany but either the recepie has changed (unlikely) or I just don't quite like the herbal combination any more as I now find it hard to enjoy, no gimme Rum (except ones made from burned sugar that's the black ones) especially Captain Morgans spiced any day, or Havana Club.

[Jay R]

You need to recognize one important fact before this will start making sense:

"Beer" is a generic word that includes many very different drinks.

Guinness is a dry stout. Newcastle is a brown ale. They aren't different levels of quality of the same kind of drink; they are different kinds of drinks. If you like dry stouts, Guinness is a rather good one. If you like brown ales, then Newcastle is a rather good one.

If you want an Irish beer that is closer to Newcastle, then go to any good nearby store and ask for a recommendation for an Irish ale. There are several, and I'm not an expert. Besides, you want one easily available where you live.

But why bother? You like Newcastle; drink Newcastle.

[rajgupta]

brew your own

[anjxed]

brew your own

I have neither the equipment or time.

I guess i like pale lagers(i think thats what its called)

And I was asking about hard liquor :p the beer thing is just for reference if I would like a hard liquor over another one based on what I like

[Goodkill]

i liked Coors, partly because it's nostalgic of my early drinking days when i drank way too much. i only started drinking it because it was one of the few vegetarian beers i could find. so anyway you might not like my taste in beers. i don't drink very often anymore ...

i heard from someone at a bar that Troegg's Nimble Giant was really good though expensive, though you probably can't get that in the UK. my personal favorite in beers was a gluten free beer called Redbridge from anheiser busch. it's about $30 a case but well worth it.