[denny]

By mega lager you mean a strong lager right?

Mega lager = lager brewed by mega brewers (a.k.a. Bud, Miller, Coors)

I call those NAILs....North American Industrial Lager

[pete b]

Narvin, you must have heard that Jack’s Abby was in western Ma from a Boston native who thinks anything west of rt128 is “western Mass”. It’s in Framingham, very firmly east, and they do indeed make some excellent and affordable lagers.

Nope, I just mixed it up with other places I’d been to when visiting relatives in Northampton.  I knew we hit it at some point last year between Vermont and Providence, but I thought it was at least west of Sturbridge.

No matter, obviously just teasing anyway. Cool that you have relatives in NoHo, it’s one of my favorite haunts. A very cool town.
Did you go to Treehouse when you were here?

[fredthecat]

There is a Craft Beer and Brewing podcast with Andy Ferrell from Bells talking about developing Light Hearted Ale. Scaling down Two Hearted resulted in a beer with a "hollow" middle. That was fixed by adding Munich malt to the recipe.

regarding what someone else said in a way, here in canada we are still denied even the mainstream US-wide big name craft brews. if i ever saw a two hearted ale, i would have bought it. over the past year they've had founder's session IPA, i think an ommegang sour and thats basically it from the super famous US craft breweries available here. It's still a govt monopoly. you probably get more unibroue than we're allowed to have here.


anyway, it's really beer hell here.

By mega lager you mean a strong lager right?

Mega lager = lager brewed by mega brewers (a.k.a. Bud, Miller, Coors)

I call those NAILs....North American Industrial Lager

After so long of drinking only good beer, it's crazy tasting stuff like molson ICE or malt liquor. i cant believe i choked that stuff down once to get drunk. it really tastes close to machine grease.

[MattyAHA]

By mega lager you mean a strong lager right?

Mega lager = lager brewed by mega brewers (a.k.a. Bud, Miller, Coors)

I call those NAILs....North American Industrial Lager

yup we call em nails too lol and if it warms up its a rusty nail

[Northern_Brewer]

Even quality European lager has been pared done to one or two brands.

My beloved euro section was decimated. I have a choice between about five british bitter type beers now, none of them really what i want, three by one company. there is no attempt to bring in unusual stuff on occasion or seasonally anymore.

Bear in mind that logistic chains will be particularly screwed at the moment thanks to Covid - as one small example, I know of places here in the UK that have stopped carrying White Labs for the time being because they weren't happy with delivery times from San Diego. And anything coming from the UK has the possibility of being affected by Brexit preparations - although they only affect exports to the EU directly, it's taking up all the attention of the entire export-handling chain - and eg stock on hand for export to non-EU will be squeezed by the need for warehouse capacity to absorb delays to the EU. It's going to be chaos.

Also bear in mind that Greene King and Marstons, the two biggest trad brewers here, have sold out and set up a new brewing JV respectively in the last year or so, so are likely to be changing their distribution arrangements which is never good for continuity.

[fredthecat]

Even quality European lager has been pared done to one or two brands.

My beloved euro section was decimated. I have a choice between about five british bitter type beers now, none of them really what i want, three by one company. there is no attempt to bring in unusual stuff on occasion or seasonally anymore.

Bear in mind that logistic chains will be particularly screwed at the moment thanks to Covid - as one small example, I know of places here in the UK that have stopped carrying White Labs for the time being because they weren't happy with delivery times from San Diego. And anything coming from the UK has the possibility of being affected by Brexit preparations - although they only affect exports to the EU directly, it's taking up all the attention of the entire export-handling chain - and eg stock on hand for export to non-EU will be squeezed by the need for warehouse capacity to absorb delays to the EU. It's going to be chaos.

Also bear in mind that Greene King and Marstons, the two biggest trad brewers here, have sold out and set up a new brewing JV respectively in the last year or so, so are likely to be changing their distribution arrangements which is never good for continuity.

its been since before covid, but the greene king and marstons thing could be a factor as the liquor board of ontario definitely had their products for a long time.

[Wilbur]

Personally, I kinda like to drink beer I brew myself. Although PBR will do in a pinch.

Dude, I feel like I've come full circle to this. I was this way back when I started brewing. Had only my own beer on tap and dirty thirties of Peebs in the fridge. Got back into craft beer a while after that and now I feel like the OP and Ken...just nothing is appealing and it's all way too expensive. Now I'm back to PBR or Hamm's for the most part. I did get my yearly stash of Oktoberfests from Costco this week though. Looking forward to those.

I guess I'll add... no one is really brewing much that I want to drink - helles, kolsch, vienna lager, hefeweizen, bitter, witbier, oatmeal stout, brown porter. Maybe these styles exist elsewhere, but here in Iowa, you really can't find them much. It's all hazy something or other, or it has fruit, or it's a peanut butter porter (what in the actual f*ck...), or some freakin' shandy or sour. Ugh, Craft beer, come on! I will say, I'm seeing a resurgence in pilsners, but they're all way too hoppy, way too bitter, and have very little malt character. Surly Hell anyone? (Yeah, that's not a helles, probably not even a lager).

Sorry for the rant...

You don't get Urban Chestnut or Schlafly in Iowa? At least in Central IL right now I can get an oatmeal stout, helles, and a kolsch from Schalfly. I've been seeing some beers disappear from the shelves, but I think that's mostly limited run/summer seasonals. I'm wondering if we're going to start seeing the effects of the aluminum shortages.

The UK doesn't get their White Labs yeast from the Copenhagen location?

[beersk]

Personally, I kinda like to drink beer I brew myself. Although PBR will do in a pinch.

Dude, I feel like I've come full circle to this. I was this way back when I started brewing. Had only my own beer on tap and dirty thirties of Peebs in the fridge. Got back into craft beer a while after that and now I feel like the OP and Ken...just nothing is appealing and it's all way too expensive. Now I'm back to PBR or Hamm's for the most part. I did get my yearly stash of Oktoberfests from Costco this week though. Looking forward to those.

I guess I'll add... no one is really brewing much that I want to drink - helles, kolsch, vienna lager, hefeweizen, bitter, witbier, oatmeal stout, brown porter. Maybe these styles exist elsewhere, but here in Iowa, you really can't find them much. It's all hazy something or other, or it has fruit, or it's a peanut butter porter (what in the actual f*ck...), or some freakin' shandy or sour. Ugh, Craft beer, come on! I will say, I'm seeing a resurgence in pilsners, but they're all way too hoppy, way too bitter, and have very little malt character. Surly Hell anyone? (Yeah, that's not a helles, probably not even a lager).

Sorry for the rant...

You don't get Urban Chestnut or Schlafly in Iowa? At least in Central IL right now I can get an oatmeal stout, helles, and a kolsch from Schalfly. I've been seeing some beers disappear from the shelves, but I think that's mostly limited run/summer seasonals. I'm wondering if we're going to start seeing the effects of the aluminum shortages.

The UK doesn't get their White Labs yeast from the Copenhagen location?

We never have gotten Urban Chestnut here and Schlafly is no longer here. Out east, a favorite brewery of mine is Devil's Backbone. Their Vienna lager is the bomb. Really wish we'd get that here. Just don't see quality brewed lagers like that much around. We have Millstream here, which makes a decent pilsner. And ReUnion makes good lagers, but aside from that, there's really nothing in Iowa except the status quo. And I'm so damn tired of hearing about Toppling Goliath. It's not THAT good people!

[santoch]

I was at my favorite local (tiny) brewery the other night and we were talking about this exact topic.

One of the owners said, "We make and sell all those trendy IPAs so that those people will pay the bills so we get to drink these." referring to the Saison in his hand and the Marzen in mine.

[dbeechum]

One of the owners said, "We make and sell all those trendy IPAs so that those people will pay the bills so we get to drink these." referring to the Saison in his hand and the Marzen in mine.

In my neck of the woods there's a tiny chain of pubs - Lucky Baldwins - the guy responsible for rehabbing the joints and putting in an incredible beer list was Dave. The Old Town location had 50 some odd taps filled with some of the most unexpected and outrageous stuff (like Cantillon on tap).

He also had a tap of Stella going and I gave him crap about it one night, which is when he made the same point - "this one tap, pays for me to have all of these others on."

[Saccharomyces]

He also had a tap of Stella going and I gave him crap about it one night, which is when he made the same point - "this one tap, pays for me to have all of these others on."

Stella is my go-to beer when I am dealing with a limited selection on tap. It is as consistent as Bud, but tastes at least an order of magnitude better.  Heck, I usually chose it over whatever IPA that is on tap.  I am so burned out on over-hopped, hazy, milkshake, IPA.  However, like many have mentioned, these beers pay the bills.  In my humble opinion, IPA is the Millennial equivalent of Bud.  There, I said it!  Sure, there are very beer aware Millennials, but most do not know anything about beer beyond IPA and sours for Millennial women who do not drink IPA.  What is interesting is to share a bottle of Gueuze or other sour Belgian beer with a Millennial who claims to know about sours and watch the expression on his/her face.  It is priceless.  It is no different than the early microbrew days where American brown, amber ale, and sickly sweet American takes on the Marzen style ruled taps.  Bar and Brewpubs are in business to make a profit.

[fredthecat]

He also had a tap of Stella going and I gave him crap about it one night, which is when he made the same point - "this one tap, pays for me to have all of these others on."

Stella is my go-to beer when I am dealing with a limited selection on tap. It is as consistent as Bud, but tastes at least an order of magnitude better.  Heck, I usually chose it over whatever IPA that is on tap.  I am so burned out on over-hopped, hazy, milkshake, IPA.  However, like many have mentioned, these beers pay the bills.  In my humble opinion, IPA is the Millennial equivalent of Bud.  There, I said it!  Sure, there are very beer aware Millennials, but most do not know anything about beer beyond IPA and sours for Millennial women who do not drink IPA.  What is interesting is to share a bottle of Gueuze or other sour Belgian beer with a Millennial who claims to know about sours and watch the expression on his/her face.  It is priceless.  It is no different than the early microbrew days where American brown, amber ale, and sickly sweet American takes on the Marzen style ruled taps.  Bar and Brewpubs are in business to make a profit.

the whole way microbreweries and craft beer bars descended into absolute garbage just reaffirmed to me the fact that i am someone who actually has particular tastes and sadly 90% of people just want to fit in. its the same as it always was, and i should just take my beer where i want to enjoy it and not get my hopes up at all.

also lol nice nod to overly sweet generic dark ales, i remember that. ontario is still doing that, we're easily ~15 years behind the american scene always. such a joke.

[Megary]

If given the opportunity to drink beer 40 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago or today, I would choose today every single time.  Our choices right now are an embarrassment of riches.  Sure, some beers are way overboard, but please don’t talk about the “good ol’ days of craft beer”.  We are in them, and they are getting better all the time.  Drinking craft beer isn’t about fitting in or IPA’s equaling Bud.  People drink craft beer because, for the most part, craft beer is reallly #!!*^!!  good. 

You know, Andy Rooney never understood Rock and Roll.

[jeffy]

If given the opportunity to drink beer 40 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago or today, I would choose today every single time.  Our choices right now are an embarrassment of riches.  Sure, some beers are way overboard, but please don’t talk about the “good ol’ days of craft beer”.  We are in them, and they are getting better all the time.  Drinking craft beer isn’t about fitting in or IPA’s equaling Bud.  People drink craft beer because, for the most part, craft beer is reallly #!!*^!!  good. 

You know, Andy Rooney never understood Rock and Roll.

Totally agree that we have so much more choice than ever before and I’ve been drinking beer since 1970.

[santoch]

I agree that we have more variety now than ever before, but the marketeers still choose to pigeon hole us.
The "Craft Beer" section in my local SafeWay is shrinking.  What's left is mostly a mix of a million IPAs, the AB Inbev subsidiaries (I refuse), and an ever growing cider and seltzer section.  I am fortunate that my favorite local breweries brew a good mix, but a decent American Stout, Dunkel, or Brown Ale is increasingly hard to come by in the beer aisle.