Beer and the drinking thereof.

[gomezcat]

Per Mike's sugestion in the thread on the main board, about gametime food and drink, I'm starting this one.
My favourite pub is the Ship in Croydon, South London. It has an alternative vibe, they play loud rock and punk, no one is judged by the way they look and they do some decent beers. Oh, and the chavs avoid it like the plague.
My favourite beer would be something like Spitfire by Shepherd Neame, which is a brewery that is relatively local to where I currently live (i.e. the borders of Kent/ South East London).

[shirtsleeve]

There's a nice local brew pub that has their own on tap. Plus they carry about any beer imaginable in the bottle.

For the major brewers, I like Sam Adams Boston Ale. For some of the smaller ones, Smuttynose IPA, Steel Rail Pale, and Wachusett's Green Monster.

Mostly I like to drink my own concoctions. I brew a partial mash Amber Ale thats triple hopped. Usually hydrometers out around 9% alcohol and is best served slightly chilled to allow the aromas from the hops to fragrent the beer.

For the faint of heart, I brew a light ale thats a bit less intense.

[nhpatsfan]

I'm a Sam fan. Also pick up Long Trail Ale when I drive through VT. Anyone had Alaskan Amber? Yum

[wistahpatsfan]

Make my own 6-grain stout and a Sam Boston Lager type with friends. When I'm out, it's always Guiness. Best pub in Ireland is McGann's in Doolin, Clare. Best one in US is McSorley's in Manhattan-McSorley's Dark and Light-pellet stove in the middle-feels like 1875 in there. Why anyone would drink wine instead of beer is beyond me.

[Mike the Brit]

Just finding my way here in Cambridge, MA. Really enjoyed an evening in a bar called Shays near Harvard square. Excellent draft beers (but would you come all the way to the U.S. for Boddingtons?) and a nice little sunken terrace to look out at the world from.

http://www.harvardstudentagencies.co...&ListingID=142

Back home, I'm not in love with any of the Oxford pubs (Inspector Morse viewers will have seen inside most of them!) as they are at present. But the Kings Arms is the Kings Arms. All human life is there! And they have Youngs beers, which I'm fond of.

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...gs_Arms/Oxford



I have two favourite Dublin pubs: the Porterhouse, which brews its own beer and has the best Red beer I have ever drunk. In fact, if I could only drink one brewery's beer, it would be the Porterhouse's.

http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/templebar.html

Then there is the Cafe En Seine. I can't think of a better place to be on a Friday night. If you don't have a good time there, I fear that you aren't capable of having a good time at all ...

http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/d...ine-dublin.htm

I'll be off to Berlin in January and will report back. The Kulturbrauerei in Prenzlauer Berg is a great place -- former brewery converted into theatre/galleries/bars/restaurants/nightclub.

Truth is, though, these days I spend more time thinking about how much I like bars and pubs than sitting in them ...

[Mike the Brit]

Originally Posted by shirtsleeve

There's a nice local brew pub that has their own on tap. Plus they carry about any beer imaginable in the bottle.

For the major brewers, I like Sam Adams Boston Ale. For some of the smaller ones, Smuttynose IPA, Steel Rail Pale, and Wachusett's Green Monster.

Mostly I like to drink my own concoctions. I brew a partial mash Amber Ale thats triple hopped. Usually hydrometers out around 9% alcohol and is best served slightly chilled to allow the aromas from the hops to fragrent the beer.

For the faint of heart, I brew a light ale thats a bit less intense.

I was in the city this evening and ordered a Sam Adams Boston Ale with my dinner (spicy noodles). Very nice it was, too.

9% -- you're not kidding about it not being for the fainthearted. In general, that's me, although I like Duvel (which is probably around 8) and used to adore Courage's Imperial Russian Stout, which has now been discontinued.

Had a great bottle of Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout last night to console myself for being far from people I care about and generally feeling miserable. Cost $4.50 -- but it worked a treat!

[shirtsleeve]

Originally Posted by Mike the Brit

I was in the city this evening and ordered a Sam Adams Boston Ale with my dinner (spicy noodles). Very nice it was, too.

9% -- you're not kidding about it not being for the fainthearted. In general, that's me, although I like Duvel (which is probably around 8) and used to adore Courage's Imperial Russian Stout, which has now been discontinued.

Had a great bottle of Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout last night to console myself for being far from people I care about and generally feeling miserable. Cost $4.50 -- but it worked a treat!

Funny thing is, when I brew that Amber, and I tap the keg, I suddenly find myself surrounded by fast friends with mugs in their hands....That brew goes over BIG with my fellow hop headed amateur alchemists. About 3 mugs full seems to impart a funny change of personality, though.

Glad you liked the Sam Adams Ale. Figured it'd be about as close as you could get to some of the fine ales back home.

[CTPatsFan]

With 4 kids under 9 and a relatively short-leash during football season, I don't make it out too often if it's not business related. There is a little, local dive-bar that everyone in town cuts their illegal & legal bar-hopping teeth on, The Olde Town Tavern, that I make it to a few times a year. Everytime I go, not matter what night of the week it happens to be, I see the same people sitting in the same spots. And I don't think they're working on the same schedule as me.

I'm not beer snob, I'll drink just about anything you give me, but I've always been a Sam Adams fan since the day they introduced me to beer with flavor. Not flavored beer, mind you, I'm not a fan of their Winter Lager, Summer Ale, Cranberry Lambic or Old Fezziwig (or anyone else's). You can give me anything else from their line and I'm a happy man. When the pants get too tight, their Light is a pretty decent beer. I've been drinking a lot of it lately.

You can't beat local micro's though (unless you have the time, energy, ambition and attention to detail to brew your own-I have none of the aforementioned qualities). My favorite brewery is the Olde Burnside Brewing Co. in E. Hartford, CT. Their standard is Ten Penny Ale which is a Scottish Ale style. Some other notables by them is their Dirty Penny, which is a Black & Tan style, and their Highland Piper Tartan Ale, a chocolate oatmeal stout. They do defile their list with the Highland Fling Spring Ale which has some evil fruity quality to it. I guess enough people like fruits and spices in their beers to offer them. Just keep them away from my glass.

Cool post. I look forward to reading about everyone's favorites.

[gomezcat]

I do like Sam Adams. It's the only one of the good American beers that I have tried, but I'm more than willing to try any others when we do finally get over the Pond.

[Clonamery]

Originally Posted by gomezcat

I do like Sam Adams. It's the only one of the good American beers that I have tried, but I'm more than willing to try any others when we do finally get over the Pond.

Sam Adams is the only mass (quantity, not region) produced American beer that I care for....I'll try any micro beer at least once. But I find myself drinking Smithwicks, Harp, Boddington withan an occassional stout (Murphy's or Beamish).