Beer chop?
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Your Beer of Choice? (29 Viewers)
- Thread starter Tommy
- Start date
Confession...I don't like beer. Cocktails, yes. Whiskeys, yes. Wines, sometimes. But beer has always tasted like bitter, fermented disappointment.
That said...I want to like it. But I'm a total noob. You know that clueless guy at the bar who has heard of "IPA" but otherwise has no idea how to order a beer...just fumbles and randomly throws out words like hoppy, head, and stout? You get second hand embarrassment...the whole place turns uncomfortable until the bartender shows some mercy and hands him whatever they're overstocked on? Yep...that's me.
And worse, I'm moving to Germany where, as I understand, they deport you if don't order beer properly. I don't want to be deported.
So...help?
That said...I want to like it. But I'm a total noob. You know that clueless guy at the bar who has heard of "IPA" but otherwise has no idea how to order a beer...just fumbles and randomly throws out words like hoppy, head, and stout? You get second hand embarrassment...the whole place turns uncomfortable until the bartender shows some mercy and hands him whatever they're overstocked on? Yep...that's me.
And worse, I'm moving to Germany where, as I understand, they deport you if don't order beer properly. I don't want to be deported.
So...help?
seyff45
Two Pair
What types/brands have you tried so far? Knowing that will help others guide you. There's more to beer than IPAs, which is a good thing, since it's a style I'm not fond of (I prefer cream ales, ambers, English mild/bitter, and Irish red). If you find most beer bitter, something in a Helles style may be your best bet, or a wheat beer (look for "weizen" somewhere in the description).
This guide is a decent start : https://www.seriouseats.com/guide-german-beer-styles
If you can buy singles at a local beer outlet, get singles of a few different styles and try them. Kinda like samples for chips.
Not your first beer of the evening is it?
I've had your typical canned supermarket beers (Heineken, Corona, Coors, etc. - I'm guessing the sluggos of the beer world) and did not find any enjoyable. I had a Guinness once and it was maybe the one beer I enjoyed. In an attempt to educate myself, I ordered a flight of 5 beer shots. Bartender asked me what styles I wanted to taste. I said, "surprise me." She did - which is to say I have no idea what she served me, but remember thinking some had potential. I liked an artisanal sour once, but a friend told me it was not a real beer.
So, yeah, I'm really pathetic in this area. Spun positively, consider me mostly a blank slate. Maybe this is a better question for the group: when I next go to the bar, what 2 beers should I order? I'm happy to report back my thoughts on the flavors and maybe folks can help direct me based on how I react to those.
The link you sent is a good reference.
ashetoother
Sitting Out
mcfilthy
High Hand
I'm in NC could ship some stuff to people if wanted maybe.
I would strongly suggest you take a Saturday afternoon and go to one of your local, highly regarded craft breweries. I recommend going directly to the brewery over going to a bar or even a craft brew pub with 50 selections on tap. Because a good craft brewer has two jobs. One is to brew great beer, and the other is to be a craft beer ambassador. Every craft brewery owner I've ever met LOVES to talk about their beer and loves to teach new beer drinkers about craft beer. And make sure you pick one that serves flights. If you don't know, a flight is 4-6 glasses of about 4 ounces each. You'll be able to try most everything he makes, and you won't feel bad if after a few sips of something you hate, you don't finish it.
Also, every craft brewery I've ever been to (easily over 100) gives free tastes - an even smaller sample than a flight glass. Just cozy up to the bar, or as close as you can be to where the servers are working. You may not get the owner, but the server should be very knowledgeable about every beer they serve. Tell them you're a n00b. Tell them you want a flight, but you don't know exactly what you like. Let them take it from there. They should explain the flavor profiles, and if they don't offer, don't be shy to ask for tastes of a few (probably not ALL) of them first. As long as the place is not too crazy busy, you'll learn a LOT about craft beer, and get some ideas what you might like and want to further explore.
Guiness is an Irish dry stout. Irish stouts typically have notes of roasted coffee, and sometimes chocolate and vanilla. Irish stouts are typically low in ABV, around 4-4.5%. They are great beginner beers due to the low alcohol and are usually enjoyed by people who love coffee. It's my wife's favorite style, and she is not a big beer drinker.
But be careful. There are other types of stouts, some of which will have much higher alcohol levels, even up to 14% ABV or even more. These are typically identified as "Imperial" stouts. And Milk stouts are also very different, as they are sweet rather than dry like Guiness.
Ok, good, you know what a fight is.
Not exactly sure what the "artisanal" part is, but a sour is most definitely a "real" beer. They have been brewing them in Europe for hundreds of years. There are two main types that I know of - wild sours that are brewed with unique bacteria that naturally give them their sourness, and kettle sours that have lactic acid added during the brewing process to emulate the sourness of a true wild sour. They can be an acquired taste, but due to the vast differences compared to non sour beers, sometimes a person who doesn't like a lot of traditional beers will like sour beers better. They often can have fruit added to them, which also adds to the differences from traditional beers and makes them very tasty.
Some styles you might want to try before going to Germany would include Hefeweizen - German wheat beer, Bocks and Doppelbocks - rich, dark lagers. The "doppel" means double, so these can be high alcohol. Pilsners - these are light, refreshing beers, but also very traditional in their flavor, and probably most similar to American and Canadian traditional lagers - grocery store beers as you called them. Two very popular sour beer styles that come from Germany are the Berliner Weisse, and the Gose. These are typically light and refreshing, with a lot of bubbles, and I would highly recommend trying either or both. They are similar, but the Gose has a touch of saltiness to it. It's another style that my non-beer loving wife enjoys.
Any more would probably overload for you, so go forward young man and explore the world of beer! And please, do report back.
Thanks helpful info! I will seek out Stouts, Hefeweizen, Bocks, Doppelbocks, Pilsners, Berliner Weisse, and Gose. I have my list!
The artisanal part is this guy made them in his backyard and bottled small numbers and sold them to local stores who resold them. Not a commercial operation by a long shot.
This is perfect advice.
I'll go a step further, go on a random weekday afternoon when they aren't busy and you'll learn more than you care to from the person behind the bar.
A busy Saturday would be a bad time to do this.
seyff45
Two Pair
Draft Hefeweisen. No head. I actually like it! Kind of sour. Not so bitter....or maybe the right kind of bitter? Taste lingers. Kind of nutty. What makes this beer different from others?
I followed this up with a Berliner Weisse. That was my favorite beer I have had to date. It was sour and had a berry flavor. Light on the bitter. Great suggestions @TX_Golf_N_Poker !
For one, the primary grain is wheat rather than barley. And it uses a specific yeast that creates some of the esters that you taste and smell. Most people taste a bit of banana and cloves in a properly made Hefe.
Was it a local brew or from a German brewery? Do you remember the name?
bsdunbar1
4 of a Kind
A fan of pretty much any IPA made by Toppling Goliath
bsdunbar1
4 of a Kind
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seyff45
Two Pair
Fidens Triple Jasper with Nelson. 4.68 overall on Untappd and truly incredible
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Chubbs
Two Pair
Myrcenary Double IPA by Odell Brewing Co.
don’t have any signage, just a growler and a disc golf disc
don’t have any signage, just a growler and a disc golf disc
And? What do you think?
Its very good, I always wait to judge NEIPA until they have been kegged for a week or so, but this will age very well.
seyff45
Two Pair
Very HHHazyyy
bsdunbar1
4 of a Kind
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