All these Europeans who condemn American beer talk about Budweiser, and Miller, and Schlitz. It seem they haven't tried any of the wonderful local beers that have come into being in the last twenty or thirty years. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has been my favorite for a long time. It's brewed in Chico, California - 75 miles from my home. The company has become quite successful - but the beer still tastes good. The beer is brewed by real people, not by machines. Besides, the company's labor practices are admirable. It's an unpretentious place where people enjoy their work. They're proud to work for Sierra Nevada Brewery. There are lots of small breweries all over the U.S. where people do things the way they think they ought to be done, where good beer is their primary objective and corporate profits mean little.

I really liked the pubs of England and I tried to develop a taste for British beer when I was there last year, but I just couldn't do it. People suggested I try lager, but that tasted like a flat version of Coors. Besides, I wanted to learn to like the bitter that the locals drink. I found one beer I really loved - something called Grouse Beater. I've always liked Newcastle Brown Ale, so I had some of that, too - it's also available quite widely in the States.

I like the mystique that surrounds Guinness, but I can't say I had any Irish beer I really liked. Irish whiskey is another matter. I like that just fine.

I lived in Germany for a couple of years in the 1970's, and I really liked a wide variety of German beer. Even the large German breweries make wonderful beer. A good German beer and a good German sausage is a journey to heaven.

I grew up in Milwaukee, so beer is part of my upbringing - but I never met a Milwaukee beer I really likes.

-Joe Offer-

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2:37 AM:
Well, it's bedtime and I guess it's time to move this down to the "BS" category. It's an interesting thread, but I guess I have to admit it doesn't have much music or music-related information. I keep getting messages from people who think this should be a "BS" thread. Damn tee-totallers...
-Joe Offer-