squirtdad

this is super nice summer beer

Scarbo

Here's a delightful one that was new to me. It's from Firestone Walker Brewery in Paso Robles, California (you know--L'Eroica California country). It's really hoppy, which I like, but really refreshing at the same time! I highly recommend it.

ryansu

I tend towards IPA's but I also have the beer junction in my neighborhood with 35+ beers on tap not too mention whats in all those refrigerated cases, and not a light beer to be found. So I drink whatever strikes my fancy. My cup runneth over with choices. If pressed I did enjoy this the other day
[IMG]BeakBreakerPour-1 by Ryan Surface, on Flickr[/IMG]

ThermionicScott 

PSA: It's Negroni Week!

www.negroniweek.com

ecnewell 

Now that the cold has subsided, it's time to shift from dark (stouts and porters, bourbon and whiskey) to light (pale ales and lagers, gin and vodka). Maine Beer Co. "Peeper" is a favorite when I can get it. Founders "All Day IPA" also stocks the fridge with regularity.

Andy_K 

You should have told me sooner. I had this beer this weekend:



One of my all time favorites in any season.

iab

Just received a gift from my coworkers. The good stuff.

dweenk

This.
Our Beers - RaR Brewery

Specifically the Groove City, but the Nanticoke Nectar is pretty good if you want more hops.

A Cambridge Maryland small brewer. I think Groove City is more of a Belgian beer, but what the hell do I know -I'm not a brewer.

Slightspeed

Can't pick just one. I alternate Guiness Draught, 805, and Fat Tire. If I had to pick one, probably 805, another Firestone product. I liked Yingling in Florida, but can't find it out here in CA.

Vonruden

Good summer beer, pairs well with Tater tots

Delmarva

Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre

ecnewell 

+1 for Luponic Distortion! Our food co-op carries this regularly, so it finds its way into our fridge often.

We also just tried a new brew from Firestone Walker, Leo v. Ursus: Adversus Double IPA. 8.2%, super hoppy as expected, but not overwhelmingly bitter as can happen with a DIPA. Really quite wonderful.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2210/285687/

Camilo

I'm hoping that before I die, the boutique brewers will refine their craft enough so they can brew a good pilsner. But that takes decades of experience and refined brewing not just a few years and a cool name and label.

A good, bitter-ish pilsner is my go-to ever since I visited (then) Czechoslovakia in the 70s. Every once in a while I find a really good boutique pilsner on tap, and I'll try every one I see. But you can't beat hundreds of years of refinement and I have settled on these just because I an usually find them (Urquel is easy to find, the other more difficult):





If you like a good solid pilsner or lager (not the yellow water that some are) and haven't found Czechvar yet, try to find it, it's great. Czech Budweiser (Budvar) is also a good beer if you can find it.

I'll have to say I've had a few good IPAs, and I always ask my IPA-loving friends to recommend one, but I just can't rely on the ones that are readily available to do what I want beer to do: be tasty, drinkable and refreshing.

OH - I really enjoy a good, dry gin martini with olives. Saffire or Hendricks if I'm feeling affluent.

And boilermakers with PBR and Jim Beam - mixed in the beer can - when fishing.

thinktubes 

Well, I would like to have a Half Acre "Gone Away", but it has gone away.

It's only available September thru March.

gomango

We're a soccer family.

I've coached and our boys played club soccer for the last fifteen years or so.

This year Minnesota was lucky enough to end up with a MLS franchise.

The games have been a blast and Surly beer made them better by issuing an "official" game beer.

Rising North.

Also available at our local favorite beer store by the name of the "Ale Jail."

Just a great summer beer on the patio.

jimmuller 

Best pilsner I ever had was in Zurich at some outdoor restaurant, good enough to make me appreciate pilsners almost. Don't know what it was. It's been a few years though.

vtchuck

As any home brewer will tell you, lager beers are among the most challenging to brew, with even minor flaws apparent in the final product. I have found a couple of domestic brews that I think are quite good:

Von Trapp Golden Helles and Victory Prima Pils. I have only sampled these on tap. Don't know about the bottled product.

An outlier also worth mentioning is Narragansett Oktoberfest. Only available seasonally in 16 oz cans. Delicious.

Unlike most "Octoberfest" beers, which are often ales and darker and heavier than they should be. Just my $.02

ecnewell 

Jack's Abby out of Framingham,
Mass. specializes in lagers, and brews some outstanding beers. They've got 24 different lagers on tap at their tasting room with a remarkably broad flavor profile.
My favorite is the Hoponius Union, an India Pale Lager.

Prost!

squirtdad

Belgium style Wit at Hapas Brewery on Lincoln Ave in San Jose (met @gugie there for a beer when he was in town)

DiegoFrogs

I agree with other recent posts about Pilsener style beers.

I find I'm turning into my father as I age, and he fell in love with the style in Germany and Austria. Now I don't drink so many strong-flavored beers, but these sophisticated and well-balanced beers.

I think that Victory's Prima Pils is an excellent example. Oh, how I miss this fantastic Pennsylvania brewery! I also love Czech Budweiser (labelled as Budvar Budejovicky here in Sweden), Pilsner Urquell, Jever Pilsner, Bitburger, Swedish Melleruds pilsner, Zubr, and Hofbrau.

Tonight I just bought a locally brewed Pilsner, Brewskival Pilsner. Since you can't buy beer with respectable alcohol levels cold here in Sweden, I'm waiting patiently for it to cool down. Kind of expensive, though, at just over 3 US dollars per 330 ml bottle.

My go-to beer the past couple years has been a Swedish 'Ekologiska' lager in 500 ml cans. A bit lower in alcohol compared to the non-eco version, and therefore cheaper with a nicely balanced flavor.

Alcohol is super expensive here in Sweden, so I love going back home and ordering Yuengling Lagers at the bar for less money than I pay to drink beer here in my own house.

gugie 

Oh, yeah! Warm day, that, went down smoooooooooth.

DiegoFrogs

I should add that I've been travelling a lot lately to Belgium on brief work trips, and I'm warming to Belgian beers. Leffe Blonde is nice, but I have a hard time drinking the very-high-alcohol beers that they love. Mostly I will have a Maes Pils or a Jupiler.

noglider 

I have some homemade Russian red wine which a guest from Russia brought to me. It's pretty sweet but the texture is pleasant, rather velvety. She brought it in a Sprite bottle with Cyrillic writing on it, so that's fun.

High Fist Shin

This. A very nice Highlands Scotch. Friendly in the Japanese style. Or perhaps it inspired the fruity, light Japanese whiskeys.



-Shin

High Fist Shin

And these. Some of the finest beers on earth (Well. I think they are the best and fortunately, many agree with me).



-Shin