Das Boot!
For as long as I've been doing this, it strikes me that I've yet to really post anything about the very thing it is that I do every day as my adult profession. That thing ladies and gents, would be beer. I sell beer for my job, every day of the week. My company distributes somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 different varieties of beer belonging to numerous breweries. I've not even begun to try them all, but having this job has definitely given me access to lots of brews I wouldn't normally be exposed to or would go and try out on my own. Some of the brands we carry include Miller, Coors, Molson, Corona, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat, Ellicotville, Souther Tier, Gennessee, Woodchuck, Mikes Lemonade, Pabst, Old Milwaukee and Ommegang.
Below I will take you on a tour of some of my personal favorites that I've come to know and love over the last 9 years of my drinking life. To any potential beer snobs out there who may come across this bear in mind, these are just some of my favorites, not saying they're the best out there or any other beer snob judgement comments like if you drink Budwiser you're an idiot (which you are though)
The first beer that I really got behind around the age of 19 when I first started going to Canada. Prior to this I had tried Labatt's and Coor's Light but found both of them rather disgusting. Molson on the other hand I find to be delicious. Its a simple, straight forward beer that's very easy to drink and won't break your wallet too bad.
This is the only light beer that I will willingly consume because I'm just not a light beer guy. I will take this over Coors light any day on account of it actually having some flavor to it. If you happen to be down in the south on vacation in say the Carolina's, often times your choices amount to Bud, Corona or Miller Lite. Not my preferred choice but it will do in a pinch.
3. Samuel Adams
Pictured at left here is the current seasonal line of Sam Adams, each on of them outstanding. Sam's themselves have a portfolio of over 20 different styles. For each of the 4 seasons they have a different style, and in each season they will have a variety pack which features even more seasonal styles. Their flagship, the Boston Lager is just a great beer. The past couple years they've been offering a pumpkin ale which I loved. This brand has more or less replaced Molson as my go-to drink of choice when out or when staying in. My favorite Sam flavors are Boston Lager, Boston Ale, Summer Ale, Octoberfest, Winter Lager, Noble Pils, Pumpkin, and the Rustic Saison. Im not big on the Cherry Wheat like everyone else seems to be though.
This is a brand that I've recently gotten into the last couple years. If some people consider Sam's to be too mainstream to be craft beer anymore than this brand is more up that alley, even if they are the 2nd largest craft brewery in the US behind Sam Adams. Like Sam's they have a seasonal line which I enjoy and their flagship is the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. They do have a couple styles which are a bit too much for me, like their Torpedo IPA, which is just too overpoweringly hoppy for my tastes. I enjoy the Pale Ale, Kellerweis, Glissade, Tumbler and Celebration.
Blue Moon is actually a craft beer brewed by MillerCoors. We tend to classify it as a beginners craft beer. They're primarily wheat ales, making them easier to drink than most other crafts because they're far less hoppy. The flagship blue Moon Belgian White is very good, but they also have a seasonal line like their other craft brethren. I'm not a fan of their winter abby but I do like their Harvest Pumpkin, Summer Honey Moon, and the spring seasonal which was a Blone Wheat that was one of the best beers I've had this year.
One of our local breweries out of Lakewood, NY. I tried the Pumpking, at left, for the first time this year and I have to say it may be one of the best beers I've ever had. Its only available in a 22oz bottle or if you can find it on draft and it only runs from about September to November if you're lucky. Its $8 a bottle but worth every penny. I have only tried one other style in their Imperial big bottle series and it was ok, the Oak-aged Unearthly IPA. As far as their regular line of 6-packs go, the 2x IPA is my favorite followed by the Phin & Matts Ale. I don't much care for their regular IPA and I've only tried one of their seasonal brews, the fall Harvest Ale, which I found to be OK.
So those would be the beers that I tend to drink with the most frequency. I'm always trying new things. Last Monday I tried out a beer made by Victory Brewing called Hop Devil which was very good. Also in the past couple months I've sampled some beers from Otter Creek, Wolavers (which is an organic line), Ommegang (Traditional Belgian style beers), Warsteiner and some stuff from our newest addition, Blue Point.
Its a big world out there with a lot of different brews so get adventurous and try something new when you go out. When you're at the store, invest in a variety pack or if you happen to be near a Wegmans, they have a "make you own 6-pack" section.
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