Budweiser

[Harmonious]

Good call on the Red Hook! Red Hook ESB is number 3 on my top ten best beers list. Our local supermarket chain used to frequently carry it on sale for under $5.00 a six pack but lately it's harder to find and usually runs about $7.00 or so. Supply and demand, I guess.

I had heard that the hops crops were really bad over the past couple of years, which meant in increase in production costs. I noticed that most decent beer here in Florida is in the $7.00 range.

Costco now has beer under the Kirkland name, they say it's made by microbreweries in the Northwest. I think there's a german lager, amber ale, heifeweizen, and pale ale. 6 each in a case of 24 for, I think, $19. Really good stuff for the price. But nothing like a Redhook ESB, for sure. I remember when it was called Ballard Bitter. Ah, the good old days. BTW, what is your Top Ten? Maybe I'm missing out on a gem down here in FLA.

[Slammin' Sam]

BTW, what is your Top Ten? Maybe I'm missing out on a gem down here in FLA.

Well, since you asked:

1. Thunderhead Cornstalker Expresso Stout 2. Spilker Hopluia 3. Red Hook ESB 4. Paulaner Hefeweisen 5. Tusker 6. Abita Restoration Pale Ale 7. Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout 8. Empyrean Luna Sea 9. Pilsner Urquell 10. Shiner Bock 1, 2, and 8 are only available locally as far as I know. 10 is brewed in Texas so it might only be available regionally although it makes it's way up here every now and then. Same with 6 except it's brewed in Louisiana but we have it up north in Nebraska. Happy Drinking!

[rogerw]

... Budweiser bottles were being promoted for only $5.(Considering most beers e.g. corona $9) I may get some bad replies since it's America's beer but it is truly atrocious.

You don't like headache in a can? IMHO it is the worst beer I've ever had. I can always identify it by the headache I get within 10 mins of drinking some of it. I have no idea why its so popular in the states, unless it is cheap.

Unfortunately you probably can't get some of the really excellent micros that are brewed here. Like others have posted, some of them are really excellent. I've switched over to them entirely over time. I'm a big fan of Victory and Rogue breweries. Pretty much anything either of these two put out is quite good.

[pxc]

Those of you into microbrews should check out 3 Floyds. http://www.3floyds.com/our-beers-2/

Ignore the weird hippie skull crap and just try to find a distributor near you. Easy to find in Indiana, and in the mid-west they're considered one of the best.

If you cant' decide, try Robert the Bruce!

[michaeljames92]

You don't like headache in a can? IMHO it is the worst beer I've ever had. I can always identify it by the headache I get within 10 mins of drinking some of it. I have no idea why its so popular in the states, unless it is cheap.

Yeah I started feeling sick after having it, and didn't finish the last bit in the bottle. It is S***house

[Slammin' Sam]

You don't like headache in a can? IMHO it is the worst beer I've ever had. I can always identify it by the headache I get within 10 mins of drinking some of it. I have no idea why its so popular in the states, unless it is cheap.

Funny, that headache thing happens to me too but only with Coors. I've tried Rogue BTW...really good stuff!

[JaredSS]

While at the Casino the other night watching the world cup among other things, Budweiser bottles were being promoted for only $5.(Considering most beers e.g. corona $9) I may get some bad replies since it's America's beer but it is truly atrocious. I am never drinking it again and put it up with Corona in terms of over rated beers.

I'm not a drinker, but is Budweister still an "American Beer", I thought they were bought out by a company somwhere in Europe, Belgium maybe...?

[microcrayfish]

Tuatara Pilsner is the best beer ever crafted though. I wish the world could taste it, but as far as I know, it's only available in NZ.

I'm gonna have to try find some of the Tuatara. Pilsner is my favourite style of beer so it's good to know there's a world class one being brewed here in NZ. Ironically enough I've eaten at two of the restautants that their website says carry the beer in my city recently and opted for other Pilsners both times

. There's a really good bottle store not far from my work so I might pop in and see if they stock it. Regarding Budweiser, I've only ever had it a couple of times but it's just like any mass produced beer - not a lot of flavour and aimed at people who drink beer for the effect and not for the taste. The problem with drinking it in places like NZ and Australia where the OP is from is that you end up paying high prices for a crap beer just because it's imported or "foreign" (even though most of the time they're brewed locally under licence). You pay good beer money for a crap beer and end up feeling all the worse for drinking it.

[Harmonious]

Well, since you asked:

Nice list. I will have to try the Abita Pale Ale next time we head over to New Orleans. I am really a fan of their Amber, but have never tried their Pale Ale. Unfortunately, very few of these are available down here, at least so far as I've seen.

[Chilli Dipper]

I'm not a drinker, but is Budweister still an "American Beer", I thought they were bought out by a company somwhere in Europe, Belgium maybe...?

InBev (a Belgian-Brazilian brewing conglomerate) gave Anheuser-Busch an offer they couldn't refuse a few years ago. All of Anheuser-Busch's operations are still headquartered in St. Louis.

[Fatphil]

Actually Bud is owned by the Belgians. InBEV.

[Fraser]

A couple of years ago I was on a business trip to St. Louis and went into a fairly shabby looking steakhouse near our hotel and once our dress had passed the muster of the maitre d' we were seated at a table beside a rather fancy cabinet which held one bottle of Budweiser in it. We thought it was a bit of a joke and started laughing at it until the waiter came over and pointed out the small plaque underneath it. It was one August Busch IV had drunk on his last visit to the restaurant. I'd thought with his money he'd have graduated to something a little better

I am not a beer geek at all but I agree Bud isn't very good. I'd rather drink Bud Light.

The only time you'll really see Foster's anywhere in Australia is at hotels catered to the international crowd who wrongly thing Foster's is what Aussies drink!

As a general rule I favor craft brews and microbrews like Fat Tire, Boulevard, 311, etc., over the mass produced swill like Budweiser. The best kept secret in the Midwest is Leinenkugels, which produces several different varieties of craft beers that sell for about the same and often less than Budweiser & Miller. A Leinie will put just about anything Anheuser-Busch, Miller, or Coors produces to shame. Another good beer is Shiner Bock, widely available in Texas and a few other states.

+1

Leinenkugels is available here in VA now. Good stuff!

I too like microbrews the best. Samuel Adams, in the old days when it was microbrewery, had great beer.

Technically Sam Adams is still a microbrewery...not many micros that are listed on the NYSE though!