Recommend beers.

[|darc|]

Just turned 21. Picked up a variety of different beers (some local Louisiana stuff and some imports), but just wondering what beers you guys recommend for a curious, relatively newby beer drinker. I've of course been drinking for a while, but I'm interesting in tasting some new stuff, not getting drunk a new way.

[hearld500]

Moosehead and Kokanee Gold are good.
"Beltian White" is amazing if you can find it, might just be available in Montana though...

[Skynet]

I love Coronas with lime. Lemon will do but lime is where it's at.

Other than that I just drink some Aussie beers which I dunno if you guys have.

[Luriden]

I like Smirnoff. It's a pussy drink but at least it doesn't taste like piss.

Actually, would you even consider Smirnoff to be a beer?

[Luriden]

I like Smirnoff. It's a pussy drink but at least it doesn't taste like piss.

Actually, would you even consider Smirnoff to be a beer?

If you mean ice, then yes, that is a very pussy drink.

Yeah I meant ice. That just goes to show how much I know about alcohol. I didn't start drinking until a few months ago actually. Same type of thing, I turned 21 and decided "Hmmm, I'm actually of legal drinking age now, why not start drinking?"

A couple weekends ago I was chugging glass after glass of some crap someone mixed for me while we were playing Wii Sports and eating plate after plate of nachos. Turns out it was everclear that my friend was giving me, which he failed to mention, and I had several beers in between each glass of it. Needless to say I was very, very sick.

[Jeeba Jabba]

I like Smirnoff. It's a pussy drink but at least it doesn't taste like piss.

Actually, would you even consider Smirnoff to be a beer?

lol how could that be a beer.

[pixel]

Find a grocery/liquor store that sells a "Pick-a-six." The idea is you decide what is in your six pack and usually they have a wide variety of choices, including many seasonal options. My friends and I used to always get at least one every weekend to start our mayhem. After a while, you gain an idea of what you like to drink.
A good place to start is Sam Adams. The Boston Lager is a classic, but they should have plenty of different styles for you to try in your area. Most of the time, the Sam Adams version is a little more kind than your local or alternative brews. It's important to try from different types of beers to start gauging your favorites.
Find a good bar with plenty of beers on tap. Those are (most often) the freshest beer you can get. Plus, an excellent bartender can give you tips and hints on what's good, what's not good. Just make sure you tip them.
Depending on your palette, Belgium Whites (Blue Moon, Boulevard Wheat) are a good start for any beer novice. They're usually brewed with lemons, oranges and/or coriander for a very sweet taste. With a lemon or orange wedge, they are really fruity but good. Luriden, you should try one of these.
I don't know if it matters, but I used to write a column at the student newspaper and I often wrote about beer. Here's a list:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/55sf8a (Might not work)

[pixel]

A couple weekends ago I was chugging glass after glass of some crap someone mixed for me while we were playing Wii Sports and eating plate after plate of nachos. Turns out it was everclear that my friend was giving me, which he failed to mention, and I had several beers in between each glass of it. Needless to say I was very, very sick.

Uh … I hope they mixed it well. Everclear is legalized moonshine.

[not just souLLy now]

SORRY ALL NICE TASTING BEER IS IN EUROPE, ENJOY YOUR ALCOFAIL

[Luriden]

ENJOY YOUR ALCOFAIL

That was amazing.

[MulletMan13]

A couple weekends ago I was chugging glass after glass of some crap someone mixed for me while we were playing Wii Sports and eating plate after plate of nachos. Turns out it was everclear that my friend was giving me, which he failed to mention, and I had several beers in between each glass of it. Needless to say I was very, very sick.

Uh … I hope they mixed it well. Everclear is legalized moonshine.

Er... sorry, but there is no way you were drinking 'glasses' of everclear. A single glass would nearly kill you -- it's 190 proof (95% pure alcohol). I don't doubt that there was some in there, but it wasn't a full glass (much less multiple) of the stuff. It burns like all hell when it goes down.

[Luriden]

A couple weekends ago I was chugging glass after glass of some crap someone mixed for me while we were playing Wii Sports and eating plate after plate of nachos. Turns out it was everclear that my friend was giving me, which he failed to mention, and I had several beers in between each glass of it. Needless to say I was very, very sick.

Uh … I hope they mixed it well. Everclear is legalized moonshine.

Er... sorry, but there is no way you were drinking 'glasses' of everclear. A single glass would nearly kill you -- it's 190 proof (95% pure alcohol). I don't doubt that there was some in there, but it wasn't a full glass (much less multiple) of the stuff. It burns like all hell when it goes down.

It was mixed with grape juice, I think it was called Purple Passion, still sort of a wussy drink but people were taking shots of it and still getting drunk, but for some reason I decided to have a few more tall glasses of it even after I knew what it was.

[Eviltaco64X]

Molson XXX. Nothing exotic, but still good.

[Quzar]

Not to pull this OT, but if your experience is more with spirits, mixed drinks, and brewed drinks, you might want to poke into the realm of liqueurs now that you're of age. Not enjoying the flavor of hops (regardless of preparation) I tend to go for liqueurs.

A good way to do this is with an aperitif or digestif before/after a meal. Most have extremely strong and distinctive tastes, and they come in all flavors and strengths so if you don't like some, there are many more out there.

[S. Thompson]

My personal favorites:

Sam Adams Octoberfest (great flavor and finish)
Guiness (not for the faint of heart)
Beck's Dark
Franzikaner Hefe-Dunkel
Lancaster Brewing Company Milk Stout (this is brewed near my hometown, very tasty!)

- Fuzmeister

[Wagh]

Dog Fish Head
Rouge Ale
Fat Tire
Thirsty Dog
Yueng Ling
Speakeasy

All pretty good breweries.
Please drink something else other than Abita Purple Haze. I saw that shit everywhere in NO; it just isn't good.

Also for the people that can't handle beer. Why not try Framboise?

[|darc|]

I love Coronas with lime.

I do like Corona. I tried a Miller Chill once (lime-flavored) and it was pretty decent stuff.

Find a grocery/liquor store that sells a "Pick-a-six." The idea is you decide what is in your six pack and usually they have a wide variety of choices, including many seasonal options. My friends and I used to always get at least one every weekend to start our mayhem. After a while, you gain an idea of what you like to drink.

I went to the Whole Foods Market last night and picked up some stuff. They have stray single bottles you can buy of some stuff, so I plan on going back and picking up some more later.

A good place to start is Sam Adams. The Boston Lager is a classic, but they should have plenty of different styles for you to try in your area. Most of the time, the Sam Adams version is a little more kind than your local or alternative brews. It's important to try from different types of beers to start gauging your favorites.

I haven't tried any Sam Adams ever, but I am interested in doing that. I am looking for more good, lesser-known beers like Sam Adams than mainstream shit like what Bud pumps out (might as well drink a 40oz of OE if I'm going that route).

Find a good bar with plenty of beers on tap. Those are (most often) the freshest beer you can get. Plus, an excellent bartender can give you tips and hints on what's good, what's not good. Just make sure you tip them.

There's a restaurant that borders LSU's campus that has a "Beers 'Round the World" promotion where you can sample 60 beers from 20 different countries. Given its proximity to my daily routine I'll probably give them visits often.

Depending on your palette, Belgium Whites (Blue Moon, Boulevard Wheat) are a good start for any beer novice. They're usually brewed with lemons, oranges and/or coriander for a very sweet taste. With a lemon or orange wedge, they are really fruity but good.

I do like Blue Moon's stuff. I've tried the regular Blue Moon and I enjoyed it a lot; on Halloween my mom bought their Harvest Moon pumpkin ale which I liked, and last night I picked up a six-pack of Full Moon winter seasonal brew, which I also liked (I was hoping to get some regular Blue Moon, but they didn't have it, so I tried the Full Moon in its place).

My personal favorites:

Sam Adams Octoberfest (great flavor and finish)
Guiness (not for the faint of heart)
Beck's Dark
Franzikaner Hefe-Dunkel
Lancaster Brewing Company Milk Stout (this is brewed near my hometown, very tasty!)

Will give those a try. I do like Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dünkel, and I picked up a pint of it last night.

Dog Fish Head
Rouge Ale
Fat Tire
Thirsty Dog
Yueng Ling
Speakeasy

All pretty good breweries.

Tried Fat Tire a long time ago, hated it; but that was before I really liked any beer at all so I'm more than willing to give it another go.

Please drink something else other than Abita Purple Haze. I saw that shit everywhere in NO; it just isn't good.

Funny you should say that. I picked up an array of Abita brews last night. I tried Purple Haze a long time ago when I was already drunk and liked it, so I almost bought a 6 pack last night. So glad I didn't, I bought a stray single bottle instead and got a 6 pack of Abita Turbodog and a 6 pack of Abita Christmas Ale. I drank half of the Purple Haze bottle before I decided that the slightly enjoyable raspberry wasn't worth the rest of the bland taste and poured it out.

The Turbodog and this year's Christmas Ale are both really good, though. I bought a single of Abita Restoration Ale that I haven't tried yet. Have you tried Abita Amber, Wagh? That shit is really good.

[hearld500]

Also great

[Polymira]

You'll like fat tire now a days, I know I do.

But really, try some Sierra Nevada (likely all you could get is the Pale Ale though)... it's brewed here in town, it's really hoppy but very satisfying.

Next time you go out drinking, order an irish car bomb, I hate guiness .... but you'll dig.

[Christuserloeser]

I like Grolsch.

Not enjoying the flavor of hops (regardless of preparation) I tend to go for liqueurs.

Yeah, not much of a beer fan here too, I really like Vodka in all kinds of combinations.


Also, speaking of alternatives to beer: red wine is something I wouldn't want to miss.