Lets Talk Beers..(Updated...now with Make Your Own Beer Label Maker...for you or your favorite team or Coach...

1.) Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA. Having grown up in Mississippi, a state which doesn’t allow high gravity beer (because that’s, you know, logical and all), I never really had such beers until recently. After I moved to DC a few years ago, I really began to dig the Dogfish Head brewery and, in particular, their IPAs. The 90-minute is my favorite because it’s quite hoppy, somehow fairly sweet, and nearly 10% ABV.

2.) Lazy Magnolia – Once again, it’s a Mississippi thing. You can only get Lazy Magnolia in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, and parts of Florida (maybe you can get it in Arkansas and Georgia now, but I cannot confirm this). Their flagship beer is a brown ale named Southern Pecan. It’s a fine beer and the first in the world to ever use roasted pecans as an ingredient. If any of y’all ever make it to Oxford for a game, just ask for it at any local bar. It’s definitely a bit too heavy and expensive to get blacked out on, but it’s a nice drink to have for a happy hour or with a burger.

3.) Does Yuengling count? If so, then Yuengling.

4.) I’m with you on Becks and Stella. Also, most “[FRUIT]-wheat Beer” (Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, for example) are complete shit and do not do wheat beer as a category any favors whatsoever.

5.) Augustinerbraeu Helles – A golden lager brewed in Munich, Augustiner can only be purchased in Bavaria. There are two beers from that brewery sold in the States (look for ‘em at Whole Foods, they’re called “Export” and “Maximator”), but they’re total crap. The Germans and their beers are like the French with their wines in that they’re provincial and overbearingly proud of them. After a few liters of Augustinerbraeu Helles, you’ll understand why. In my not so humble opinion, this is the lager that every other lager brewed on this planet wants to be.

My wheelhouse: you’re in it.

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA. This is a “POW, right in the kissa” of a beer. It is rich, it is fiercely hoppy, and it got an A- from BeerAdvocate. I like it much better than their Titan IPA.
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA. It’s an excellent example of the style, and mostly available in yellow-snow-inducing 22oz. bottles.

Bear Republic Racer 5 India Pale Ale. 22oz. bottle, 7% ABV.
Found this for the first time in Salt Lake City I was initially attracted to it because a) it’s an IPA and b) it wasn’t made in Utah and could therefore possibly be worth a shit, but what sealed the deal was the fact that I used to race, and the number on my (latest) car was a red number five. It was my fate to drink this beer. Thank Mormon North American Jesus that I did. This is a session IPA, like one of my favorite beers, Harpoon IPA, and it’s great. I tried several different beers while I was out there, but I kept on coming back to this. I might have had two gallons of it. It’s distinctly and bitingly hoppy, but still a very well balanced beer that won’t burn out your palate and stays tasty, refreshing and fairly potent. I’d love to shake the hand of the brewmaster who created it.

Speaking of fast cars and brewed grain beverages, BR also makes Hop Rod Rye. Rye is a flavorful grain, and this beer makes great use of that “bigness” of flavor to almost balance the insane amount of hops they pitch into the brew. This is the equivalent of getting into the ring with a trained fighter – you better know what you’re doing, because Hop Rod WILL punch you in the mouf. It is not heavily carbonated, which really allows the weight of all the ingredients to come through in the mouth feel and the hops and grain to coat your tongue. They do effectively mask the fairly high (8%) alcohol content. If you feel like a “big” beer, this can be immensely satisfying.

I also suggest Dogfish Head Fort. This is a strong (hence the name “Fort”), raspberry beer, but stay with me. This is not a lambic – the berry flavor is subtle – somehow much more so than Abita Purple Haze, despite its having visible raspberry puree sediment in the glass. It’s also 18% ABV and comes either in a champagne bottle with Tara McPherson artwork or, like I had it, on draft. It’s not a session beer, but it was fantastic as a night-cap, which is what I did, or a digestif.

I have a lot to say about other porters, stouts, pale ales, trippels and my beloved IPAs, but this has gone on long enough. Let me know if you want to read some more.

I like my brew to be hoppy or a hefe.

1) Stone IPA from Stone Brewery, San Diego. End of conversation as far as IPAs go. It’s light enough that you can drink plenty of them but strong enough that you can easily drink too many of them. Crispy, delicious, hoppy.

Ranger IPA from New Belgium Brewery, Ft. Collins- makers of Fat Tire and such. Not as hoppy but much smoother going down. I’ll say its better for hot weather.

Sunshine Wheat, also from New Belgium. It’s the older, foxier sister of Mothership Wit but you don’t get that sugar tummy ache after three of them. It’s sweet without being too sweet, it works well as a lawnmower beer, and the quality’s noticable in the ingredients.

Victory Hopdevil- Hops all up in your face like BAM! Not a huge fan of Victory’s other products though.

2) The West is the best. The alkaline pH of the water West of the great divide makes great beer, the inverse of what makes great breads in the East. Arizona is home to Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, Oak Creek Brewery in Sedona, Flag Brew and Mogollon in Flagstaff, and a host of other top-flight breweries. I haven’t had a bad beer from any of those places, and I’ve had a lot of them. I look forward to making a trip to Oregon to explore what they have to offer, I’ve heard great things. Deschuttes is a microbrewery that is slowly expanding their market area.

For you Bulldog fans, make a point to try O’Dell’s 90 Shilling Ale or Easy Street Wheat if you make the trip to Boulder this season. They’re also based out of Ft. Collins and they practice one-upsmanship of New Belgium, kind of a local secret the mountian folks don’t share with the rest of the country. Colorado is another place that’s littered with microbreweries. Breckenridge Brewery by Coors Field is another goodie, I’ve wasted many days there on various trips to Denver.

3) Mainstream beer for me is basically Sierra Nevada, Bass, or Guinness. When its oppressively hot outside I switch to lagers, my faves being Pacifico and Labatt’s Blue. Each has to be chilled on ice as opposed to the fridge, for some reason they taste better that way. My steady cheap beer has always been Keystone Light. Always smooth, never bitter. For domestic macros I’ll do Miller (bottles) or Coors (cans), then anything but Bud products.

4) It boggles my mind when people pay $7.99 and upwards for six Coronas (or $3.50+ each at a bar!). That’s marketing for you, I guess. I’m also a hater of Heineken and Stella. And anything in a green bottle. Did I mention Bud products? I don’t really care for Brooklyn beers either. Worst beer ever? Redbridge, of course from Anheuser-Busch. It’s gluten free, made from sorghum. And it tastes like it.

5) Aside from the breweries mentioned in #2, Highland Brewery (Asheville, NC) makes a Celtic Ale that’s fantastic. The only bottled stout I’ve found worth drinking is Left Hand Milk Stout- not sure where its made but I don’t see it too often. I also like Hazed and Infused from Boulder Beers, it’s light crispy and hoppy. Fairly cheap as well.

Rural Minnesota pick:
2. Premo Light
Seasonal PacNorWest pick:
5. Wreck the Halls

1. What is a new beer that you have discovered?
Over the summer I spent a week in northwest Wisconsin where they sold a New Glarus sampler pack. All I had from New Glarus heretofore was the Spotted Cow, which I’ve always thought was kind of a nondescript craft beer. The sampler had a number of very, very good other beers — Stone Soup in particular caught my attention.

2. Are you more of a fan of regional beers?
I tend towards the locavore movement, which affects my beer consumption as well. Fortunately, Chicago has a lot of great craft breweries in contiguous states, including Goose Island, Bell’s and Three Floyds. When I’m in Denver (I grew up there) I tend towards O’Dells and Avery.

Actually, whenever I’m travelling I try to buy the local ale first, then drift towards whatever national craft beer is on tap.

3. What “mainstream” beer are you partial too, or what is your “go-to” beer for football?
I’m partial to Grain Belt/Primo. I don’t know that it’s really mainstream, but it’s far from a craft/micro brew and I really like it, especially on a crisp upper midwestern fall Saturday morning. You know it’s football season when you’re in the port-o-john and your pee steams.

4. Whats the most expensive beer you have had that was total crap?
I’m on the Corona train here. People squeeze limes into their Coronas just to cover up the pure crappiness.

5. Whats the best beer you have had that NO ONE has ever heard of , or is hard to find?
The aforementioned New Glarus offerings aren’t really available outside of Wisconsin. I like 90 Shilling from O’Dells in Colorado (although I think you can get that outside of CO) but for my money there is a small brewery in the Western suburbs of Chicago called Two Brothers that makes a hopped Red Rye Ale called Cane and Ebel that is tremendous.

1. Total Domination IPA by Ninkasi is quality. Rogue’s XS Imperial IPA and Brutal IPA. Deschutes Inversion IPA.

2. I’m a Northwesterner now, and there’s no reason to drink any beer brewed outside this region – they are the best.

3. Craft ales are the mainstream here and I brew my own. Haven’t touched any Bud products since college.

4. Yuengling, Stella, Killians, Boddington’s, Corona, Bud/Miller products.

5. If you live up here, you’ve heard of these, but most of the country probably hasn’t. Hale’s Mongoose IPA, Bridgeport IPA, Pike’s Kilt Lifter, Elliot Bay Highline IPA, McMenamin’s Hammerhead Ale and Terminator Stout. Pyramid’s Thunderhead IPA and seasonal Snow Cap, Red Hook’s Longhammer IPA, Blonde Ale. Deschutes Mirror Pond and Black Butte Porter. Full Sail Amber and Pale. Widmer’s Hef. Boundary Bay Imperial IPA.

1. This isn’t technically new, but it’s new for me: Schlitz! Schlitz disappeared long before my time, but liquor stores around here have been stocking it again recently. I’ve found it goes nicely with chicken wings and an after-dinner, before-the-night-game smoke.

2. Anything in the Goose Island family is quality; Honker’s Ale is especially good for the fall. As a native Missourian, I have to shill for O’Fallon Brewery, particularly Wheach, a clean wheat beer with a hint of peach. Schlafly Hefeweizen is highly recommended as well.

3. Anything but Miller. If I can get my hands on a case of Coors, The Banquet Beer™, so much the better.

4. Stella has always tasted like dried farts to me. No thanks.

5. Piece Brewery & Pizzeria here in Chicago has, in my opinion, the best pizza in town. They sell growlers of their excellent beer for cheap, and refills are even cheaper. The Full Frontal Pale Ale is like drinking a barrel of liquid hops, and it’s fantastic.

1. New Belgium Breweries- particularly Fat Tire and Sunshine Wheat. That is all.

1. There is a brewery a few blocks away that uses 30 lbs of hops in one of their IPAs. They don’t bottle or distribute, but it is a fantastic IPA.
2. For the most part, I only drink local beers. The selection is massive and it is never boring. I will try the local beers when I travel across the country though.
3. I tend to avoid domestic/mainstream beers. If I had a choice though, I’d probably just go with PBR.
4. Rogue XS Old Crustacean. It’s a barelywine beer, and part of Rogue’s XS line. Which means, it’s about $16-$24/22 oz bottle.
5. Ninkasi Tricerahops is my favorite beer. It’s really only available locally in the Portland/Eugene areas.

1. This is pretty much impossible for me to answer, living here in NorCal there is a ridiculous selection of breweries and brews to choose from, I typically try 2 new ones a week. Unfortunately I have a hard time at remembering what is what. Last week I finally got my hands on a bottle of Pliny the Elder (Russian River) and I think it fits its reputation as one of the best beers in the world.

2. I’m absolutely a “local” guy. Local in this case meaning central California on up through Portland. I find I enjoy beers from the central California coast the most. I make it a point to try some local flavor whenever I travel (part. family in Portland and Texas).

3. Sam Adams is probably my favorite widely available brewery. Summer Ale and Boston Lager are probably my favorites. However I may be a little unusual in that I prefer to bring a few bottles of my favorite to a tailgate than bring case of something I enjoy less.

4. Anything berry is just way too sweet. Do not like.

5. I’m too young to settle down with a favorite yet ;)

My latest discovery is Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer. It’s divine.

I’m from Texas, so I’m genetically obligated to drink Shiner Bock.

I live in Athens, so I down my fair share of Terrapin’s Sun Ray and Rye Pale Ale and Golden Ale. Their Georgia Theatre Sessions series started with The Iron Tankard and it was wonderful.

I don’t like Left Hand anything.

1. Two recent discoveries on this front. Allagash Black, and Russian River Sanctification. Both pretty good beers, though different from the norm – a Belgian Stout, and semi-sour barrel aged Belgian respectively, and way too much $$ for regular consumption at ~ $15/750ml bottle. Thankfully available on tap at a couple of local beer spots for a fraction of those prices.
2. Having come home to NorCal, I could make it through life fine with just my local beers, though I’ll let the Oregon and San Diego breweries in as well. Life would not quite be the same without Black Butte and Stone RIS, after all.
3a. “Mainstream”: Coors Banquet is about the only one I can take ($1.29/24oz back in my Harris Teeter days, beyoch!), though back here, Sierra Nevada may as well be mainstream.
3b. Football/sitting on my ass all day beer: Anchor Steam, Drake’s Amber and Full Sail IPA all do the job well. Starting to get into Black Lagers, so Port Brewing Midnight Sessions and even Sessions Black will eventually enter the rotation.
4. Blue Moon and Corona
5. Drake’s Denogginizer and Moonlight Death and Taxes. In slightly less obscure beers, Stone Imperial Russian Stout and most anything from Russian River Brewing.

Bluegrass Brewery – Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout
Sure to be a big hit with this group. From the website, "Delicately aged in “2005 Bourbon of the Year” Jefferson’s Reserve barrels for approximately 60 days." Make sure to get it on tap and not from the bottle because they are definitely not the same. High gravity beer that even people who claim to not like stouts enjoy.

Best stuff there is. From Bell’s.

Also, second the BBC Jefferson Reserve. Very good.

I think I’ve enjoyed just about everything I’ve tried from Great Divide.

1) New beer – not sure how new it is, but I recently came across Avery’s 16th Anniversary brew. It’s a Saison style, brewed with peach and jasmine. I don’t normally like fruity beers, but this shit is seriously delicious. The fruit comes out more in the smell than the taste, and the beer is very smooth and easy to drink. Packs a punch (I think it’s about 6.5%) I’d highly recommend it, especially to break out on a date with that special lady. She will be seriously impressed, and so will you.
2) I’ll take regional brews over the big names anytime. My faves are O’Dell 5 Barrel Pale Ale and New Belgium 1554 (Black Ale)
The local brews here in the KC area are pretty solid. Boulevard Brewing Co. has a terrific Pale Ale, a super hoppy IPA, and a very popular wheat beer that I don’t particularly like. Their “Smokestack Series” is fucking awesome. Try the Bourbon Barrel Quad or the Long Strange Trippel if you can find them. They partnered with a brewer from Orval in Belgium to make this series.

3) If I’m doing a full day of drinking, I’ll usually stick to the lightweights – Bud Select or Miller Lite are preferred. Coors Light gives me the shits, so I avoid it like the plague.

4) Anything by Sam Adams (the original Boston Lager is OK, but all their seasonals suck)

5) See #1 above

1. Cigar City Brewing in Tampa – Madura Brown Ale, Jai Alai IPA, Humidor Series Jai Alai IPA (aged on cedar), Jose Marti Imperial Porter, Guava Grove Belgian Sour
Notes: Don’t forget to stop by the tasting room and pick up a growler for home

Couple of guys in my brew club: Bacon Beer, Gruit, Braggot, Beet Beer, Fig Barleywine, Bochet Mead

Also not to blow my own horn too much: Fig Porter (5 lbs. of fresh ripe figs), Belgian Saison w/ only Sorachi Ace Hops, Pumpkin Ale, Roasted Sesame Seed Ale
Bell’s (not really new) @ the Eccentric Cafe – Best Brown Ale, Quinannan Falls Lager, Hopslam, Old Ale, Java Stout, Two Hearted IPA, Kalamazoo Stout, Expedition Stout…just about everything else from them

Victory (not really new) – Prima Pils, Hop Wallop, Hop Devil, Wild Devil, Baltic Porter, Storm King Imperial Stout, Golden Monkey, V12, Helios

Stone – anything from them

2. Regionals – see Cigar City Brewing above

Sweetwater in Atlanta – NOT 420 (don’t care for it), IPA, Donkey Punch Barleywine, Happy Ending Imperial Stout, Festive Ale, Road Trip, Motorboat (at the brewery), Dank Tank Series Belgian Quad

Notes: Wish there were more in the Tallahassee area…oh well

3. Go-to football beers when it is hot outside: Victory Helios Saison Ale, Victory Prima Pils, New Belgium Ranger IPA

Go-to football beers when it cools off: New Belgium 2 degrees below, Brooklyn Brewery Post Road Pumpkin Ale, Bell’s Oktoberfest, Southern Tier Pumpking Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Southhampton Altbier

Not a fan of most mainstream…but if I lived in Belgium I would go for these “mainstream” beers:

La Chouffe Belgian Ale, Duvel, Delirium Tremens, Delirium Nocternum, Kwak, Tripel Karmeliet, Chimay, Orval, Westmalle, Rochefort 10 & 8

4. Sam Adams – most everything from that brewery. When I taste it, I usually say to myself…either I’ve had two or three other brewery’s beers that are better or I can make it better to appeal to my palette. I will say that beer I’ve had fresh @ the brewery is much much much better than anything you find down in north florida or most other southern states for that matter.

5. Best beer that no one has heard of:

Three Words: Pliney the Elder IPA (west coast types I’m sure have heard of this one)

My buddy made a Stein Beer (stone beer). I would choose Rochefort 10 if we were talking about beers that people have heard of. stone(the rock) beers are boiled with extremely hot rocks dropped in the wort as the only heat source. It imparts a very minerally mouthfeel that really lingers.

I would also lump Brooklyn Brewery’s Sorachi Ace into this. I’m sure most people haven’t heard of this the past few years unless you were at the brewery. Finally found some bottles for sale in Tampa. It’s a light Belgian Ale made entirely with the Sorachi Ace variety of hops. It is extremely lemon-y in flavor and aroma without any lemon added to the the beer.

I sometimes wonder if I love beer or football more, but that’s sorta trying to decide if I love my mother or wife more: I love them both equally, but in different ways

1. New Beer I’ve Discovered: well, there is several. Not really “Discoveries” as they are new brews released: ABITA SOS Pilsner (all sales go towards Gulf Coast relief) is a great summer/fall beer. Also, the Rodenbach Grand Cru, which is a Flanders Red Ale, is really easy to drink for a sour beer. About 6%
2. I drink Sweetwater Happy Ending in the winter and I like their Georgia Brown but I drink more Terrapin now. Really like their one time releases such as the Scottish Ale, Maggie’s Farmhouse Ale, etc. However, I think some of the best regional beers are found in the Northwest and the Northeast, and I like me some Rogue and Russian River etc. as much as I love Dogfish Head, Victory, and Allagash
3. My mainstream beer is PBR, which I was drinking proudly 10 years before all the hipster douchebags were….also Yeungling is a great beer, and I’ll drink that if it’s available over PBR. Also High Life is a mainstay.
4. Most Expensive Beer that was crap? I’ve sampled so many, but I can list some that I think are overrated: Sweetwater 420 I’ve never been a fan of and it’s 8.99 for a sixer. Heineken/Stella are lame. I also hated Duvel Green.
5. One of my personal faves that I can drink all day and I don’t see much of in Atlanta either in stores or bars is Brooklyn Pennant Ale. It’s a session beer, but sooo good.
Also Abita AndyGator ($4pints at Young Augustine’s)
If you’re in Atlanta, hit up The Porter Beer Bar in Little Five Points, The Brick Store in Decatur, and The Midway in East Atl village. Midway has TVs, so if it’s a game night,I’d head there.

1. New beer – I typically run rampant over fall and winter seasonals, but not so much on spring and summer. I guess Capital City Brewery’s new fall beer, which was so memorable I’ve already forgotten the name. It was a coffee porter of some kind.

2. Regional beers – Generally, I trust Brooklyn and Bell’s. I wish Left Hand was easier to get to here, and Duck Rabbit needs to start distributing.here three years ago.

3. National beer – Yuengling is pretty freely available here, but I tend to lean toward Guiness or Newcastle. I have to get toasted before I’ll touch US mass brews.

4. Expensive crap beer – I’ve screwed up and ordered La Fin du Monde a few times when I meant to order Trois Pistoles. One of those is awesome, one of those is horse piss.

5. Exclusive beer – technically a barleywine, but JW Lee’s Harvest Reserve line is like gold. I was first exposed to the ‘98 version back in 2004, but I haven’t been able to find anything predating 2002 now. The Brick Store normally has it, there’s a place up in NW DC that has it, and those are the only places I’ve ever seen it.

Also, Cottonmouth Low Down Brown, but only on tap. It doesn’t taste the same out of a bottle at all.

Tons of great suggestions on here that I agree with; I won’t take up space other than to say, “Good picks.”

If you’re in Atlanta, you should absolutely be going to Five Seasons for their beer. If you’re in Champaign, IL, you should be going to the Blind Pig Brewery.

I really enjoy the beer+food experience. My favorite place for food+beer combo is Vreny’s Biergarten in Duluth, GA. Get a soft pretzel, a stein litre of something, and some more food. I’d drink a DAS BOOT of Dinkel Acker Dark if I could find it.

Bells Oberon seems overrated to me.

Lately I’ve been really enjoying Mad River Steelhead EPA especially when I want to drink multiple beers.

Also, http://beermonthclub.com

1. What is a new beer that you have discovered? Free Tail Ale (San Antonio)

2. Regional Beers? I’m indifferent..

3. What “mainstream” beer are you partial too? Depends on funds in the account. Funds low=Bud Light. Just got paid=Modelo

4. Whats the most expensive beer you have had that was total crap? Not a real fan of Belgium beers… goes back to drinking way to many of them at room temperature and throwing up in a mug at a nightclub in Cologne…

5. Whats the best beer you have had that NO ONE has ever heard of , or is hard to find? I like the Früh Kölsch and my favorite is Bitburger Pils.. I don’t think Bitburger is hard to find.. but good Bitburger is hard to find…

get my hands on in a World Market, or Whole Foods, maybe even Publix since all of these beers sound great, just want to find out where I can increase my chances of finding some of these…you guys know your shit….

1. I heard about Dogfish Head IPA for a long time, but finally got around to trying it. The 90 minute is fantastic, but I’ll take the 60 in a pinch.

2. I always have something from Sweetwater or Terrapin in my fridge, but I try to branch out as well (see #1).

3. I legitimately like PBR, and liked it before hipsters did damnit shakes first. Also Yuengling. Haven’t been desperate enough to pay money for Bud, Miller, etc. in years.

4. I don’t get Heineken. Also, Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic is hate in a bottle.

5. Dinkel Acker Dunkel. Made sure to get it every time I went to Helen, but sadly just found out it isn’t being imported anymore.

My go to beers are Guiness and Yuengling. If you are in Atlanta, Brick Store Pub, the Porter, and 5 Seasons have excellent selections.

I’m also a fan of the Brooklyn beers, Left Hand Milk Stout and St. Bernardus abt 12.

Can’t stand Bud, Coors, etc…

1. Not so new anymore but my favorite beer at the moment is Flying Dog’s (Denver) Raging Bitch. It’s a Belgian style IPA, 8.3% ABV and it’s delicious. I’ve also been exploring what Bell’s has to offer and thoroughly enjoy the Two Hearted Ale.

2. If Dogfish Head counts as a regional beer to the NoVA/DC area, then yes. Their 90 Minute IPA is in my top 5 favorites of all time. I"m also a fan of their Palo Santo and Chicory Stout and their Pumpkin Ale is the only beer of that style that I like. VA doesn’t have much in the way of craft breweries. Star Hill in Charlottesville is decent (Northern Lights IPA and Love). Clipper City in MD has some good offerings as well.

3. PBR for sure. I long for the days of $1 PBR cans at bars back in college. I will also echo the sentiments about hipsters. Apparently they are also now all wearing ironic NBA jerseys. I don’t get it. I’ll also throw back a few Pacifico’s on gameday (no lime).

4. I gotta go Yuengling on this one. I’m just not a fan. To quote Ralph..“It tastes like grandma.”

5. I recently ran across a collaboration between Dogfish Head, Stone and Victory caled Saison Du Buff that I dug immensly. It’s a 6% ABV Saison brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Thanks for the topic!

1. I moved to NYC a year ago and had to find a new go-to beer. I needed to find something that was tasty, available everywhere in the city, and “cheap” (by that I mean cheap for New York, which usually means $5 on tap).

That beer turned out to be Blue Point Toasted Lager. It’s very flavorful, but not overpowering so you can pound them all night if you feel like it. I had never seen it before moving up here from Georgia, so I’m not sure where all it’s available. Scoop it if you can.

2. I drank Terrapin and Sweetwater by the gallon when I lived in Athens. Terrapin Rye was my go-to beer that Blue Point replaced. You could usually grab it for $2-3 at a bar. Everytime a friend comes to visit me in NYC I make them bring me 2 six-packs.

3. High Life. All day, every day.

4. Old Speckled Hen

5. Val-Dieu Brune. You can get it at Trappeze or occasionally 5 Points Bottle Shop in Athens. A bartender recommended it at Trappeze when I was being indecisive. I was never indecisive again.

1. What is a new beer that you have discovered? Discovered Two Hearted Ale about a year ago—amazing. Just discovered Jai Alai IPA from Cigar City Brewing in Tampa. IPA is my favorite style. It’s got a really interesting sweet taste. Really good IPA.

2. Are you more of a fan of regional beers? Alaskan Brewing Company. I live in Florida, so I can never get it, but good lord do I love Alaskan Amber. I’ve never had a bad beer from them, and love the Amber.

3. What “mainstream” beer are you partial to, or what is your “go-to” beer for football? Easy—Busch Light is my football staple. Also, I enjoy Killian’s. And Bud Select is a solid light beer.

4. Whats the most expensive beer you have had that was total crap? Not sure what it was called but paid an unreasonable amount once for a Porter that I still swear wasn’t beer but was actually just cold, bitter coffee. God that was awful.

5. Whats the best beer you have had that NO ONE has ever heard of , or is hard to find? Not necessarily the best I’ve had, but Fairweather IPA from Moose’s Tooth Brewpub and Pizzeria in Anchorage is a great IPA.

1. What is a new beer that you have discovered? Elysian Brewery does this summery Saison Elysee…..damn man. Also there is a bar/book store in an alley that makes their own cask aged beer, an English brown nut ale 50/50 with sherry (aged 6months). I couldn’t feel my face.

2. Are you more of a fan of regional beers? Regional.

3. What "mainstream" beer are you partial to, or what is your "go-to" beer for football? The High Life.

4. Whats the most expensive beer you have had that was total crap? I can’t remember the name but is was a milk stout that finished with an alcohol burn and was still carbonated.

5. Whats the best beer you have had that NO ONE has ever heard of , or is hard to find?
It used to be hard for me to find, but no in the PNW I can find it nearly everywhere. Moose Drool. Best beer ever.

Went to Dublin a few years ago and found something quite unique. Across the street from our hotel was a microbrewery called Porterhouse. They had a beer there called Oyster Stout and it was without a doubt the best stout I’ve ever had. I was so smooth it was just like drinking milk.

http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/beers.html#

1. What is a new beer that you have discovered?
Bells Oktoberfest- just had some for the first time yesterday, probably the best American one I’ve ever had, also, I love Victory Helios (Belgian saison- has some “funk” in it, and it’s only about $5 a bomber). I’m also glad I convinced a DC beer store to start carrying Rodenbach Grand Cru, because nowhere else around here seems to carry it.

2. Are you more of a fan of regional beers?
Flying Dog, Heavy Seas, DFH and Star Hill are the main local ones around here (DC area), along with the PA breweries (Troegs, Stoudt’s, Victory, etc)- I do get some of those on occasion, but I probably buy more Bells than anything else (Two Hearted especially). When I lived in Alabama, Sweetwater IPA and Terrpain IBA (or Hop Karma, whatever) were my go-to’s. I can get Terrapin up here, so I still get some every once in awhile.
.
3. What "mainstream" beer are you partial too, or what is your "go-to" beer for football?
most of the Sam Adams offerings, and Yuengling for mainstram. Okotberfests and IPA’s are my go-to football beers (Paulaner, Bells, Flying Dog, Weinhenstephaner and Two Hearted, Starr Hill, Victory Hop Devil, Smuttynose, respectively), with some imperial stouts towards the end of the season (Bell’s Expedition, North Coast Old Rasputin)

4. Whats the most expensive beer you have had that was total crap?
though it isn’t expensive, I loathe Bud Light (but I like Bud Light Wheat)- I had a saison made by Estrella (Spain) recently, that I didn’t feel was worth the $10 I paid for it, but I wouldn’t call it crap by any stretch.

5. Whats the best beer you have had that NO ONE has ever heard of , or is hard to find?
Lake Louie Milk Stout (Wisconsin), Cantillon Rose de Gambinus (sp? also has a great label), Good People out of Birmingham has some good offerings (on tap only). The one time I had 3 Floyds Dark Lord was quite memorable (it was the 2005 or 2006 I think), and Allagash Tripel on cask was quite an experience- there was also some Canadian Dunkelweizen I had at a beer/pizza place in Alexandria, VA that was phenomenal, but I can’t remember the name.

http://www.thebruery.com/index2.html

Black Tuesday is maybe the best beer ever in the history of the universe.

Why is this IPA all of a sudden the new rage? and when did the Indians get all uppity?
Its like I never heard about it til like 2 yrs ago in New Orleans…..and now its seems like there are variations like Triple IPA….

you have to scroll down and click on “Update Preview” for some reason for it to show on the label….I’ve been playing with this thing for an hour or two and its badass…

http://start.beerlabelbuilder.com/?page=template-preview;TemplateID=4CDBE485-6124-4005-A305-24D81911FFCD

http://start.beerlabelbuilder.com/?page=template-preview;TemplateID=49D2FBAF-93D4-43DD-82A5-5188DDC36D93

still have to click “Update Preview”….and be in awe

1. Recent Beer Discoveries: Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale and Stout (both are excellent with that bourbon aftertaste), Bell’s Batch 9000,

2. Regionals:
Michigan: Bells and Founders
Kentucky: KBC and Bourbon beers
Georgia: Sweetwater 420 (drool)
Arizona: Four Peaks Kiltlifter
Colorado: Mirror Pond

3. Mainstream beer of choice for Saturdays of back to back to back football: Tecate and Michelob Light. Just remember, it all tastes the same after beer #4….and especially after beer #24.

4. Most expensive crap beer: St. Sebastian Grand Reserve….paid $20 for it at Stubbies in Gainesville…made myself finish…hated myself until I got some La Trappe in me.

5. Best beer you haven’t heard of: Bellhaven St. Andrews Ale….much different than regular Bellhaven.