My cousin came up to visit for a few days. He's going to school down in Las Vegas. He's about 21.
When he, my father and I were sitting talking, the subject of beer came up. My cousin has been to several cities in Europe (east and west) and feels that he has tried enough beer in his lifetime to be an expert on it. I have to laugh
As he spent a half hour explaining why a beer that he had in Prague was the best beer in the world, I was thinking about what the best beer I'd ever had was. I mean, I don't have as much experience as this young man.. but I was in the military for 8 years... but nobody really does much drinking there.
As I tried to pick my favorite beer, I began to realize that the exotic weren't really moving me. All of my favorite beers were a result of the situation.. rather than the beer. When the beer drinking was the main priority, I enjoyed it less.
I simply chose the times when the right beer hit the spot. Like once when I was out pulling a stump at my father's house. It was about 90 degrees that day and we were sweating like a couple of stuck pigs. We took a break and dad asked if I wanted to try a new beer... "Tequiza". I'd seen it advertised and thought "why in the hell would he buy a budweiser product?". As we sat on the deck, the light-weight of the beer combined with the subtle lemon-lime-tequilla taste really hit the spot. Beer doesn't usually do it for me when I'm dehydrated.. but this one hit it.
I have to say I have a fondness for three beers in particular: Guinness, Black Butte Porter and Widmeer Hefeweisen.
Guinness intoduced me to nitrogenated beer. It is still one of the smoothest, creamiest beers you can have. The only downside is that you don't burp when you drink it. Well.. that's a downside if your drinking with buds... not so much if you are on a date.
Black Butte Porter (for you Euro's.. that's pronounced "bute or beaut" not "butt") is a local beer that is somewhat generic of a porter. Not too nutty.. nor is it chocolatty... its just plain good. The downside is that I don't really like to drink much of it and it doesn't go well with food. It also makes me do things later that makes my wife say "go outside if you have to do that!". But, if you want a very good go-to porter... it will always be at every bar in the area.
Widmere is another local brewery. Their Hefeweisen got most people in Oregon turned on to Micro-Brewery beers. Its cloudy appearance draws alot of looks and comments from those around... but it also gets their attention. Throw a slice of lemon in there and it is quite good. This one I enjoy to drink with any beef selection. Something about combining a wheet beer with beef that really hits the spot for me. Its a close second to a decent merlot.
So.. lets hear about other people's experience with tasty beer.
AKDejaVu
