Update #2 : **Hard Cider**Ok, I've tried - really - what do you guys see in beer - for real from a 30 something guy. . .

[Sad Clown]

I don't drink often but on those rare occasions that I do I stick to one of the following:

Chimay Red
Duvel
Laffe Blonde

I have a preference for sweeter, higher alcohol belgian style beers for the most part. Occasionally, I will have something a little more hoppy. Before I tried any of the beers I listed above I would have maybe 1 beer when eating pizza.

 

[Drakkon]

I feel your confusion OP. I rarely drink beer as I find it rather unsatisfying. I've tried various micro brews, all the majors(bud, sam, miller, etc), stouts and ales, darks and pales, oranges and cherrys, German, Mexican, Belgian and English. None of it tastes really good to me as something I can drink alone. However it does taste okay when paired with certain foods to me. Like a Corona with a mexican meal. Or a Fat Tire with buffalo wings. Or a roast in Guinness.

 

[biggestmuff]

Originally posted by: Sad Clown
I don't drink often but on those rare occasions that I do I stick to one of the following:

Chimay Red
Duvel
Laffe Blonde

I have a preference for sweeter, higher alcohol belgian style beers for the most part. Occasionally, I will have something a little more hoppy. Before I tried any of the beers I listed above I would have maybe 1 beer when eating pizza.

Uh, that's Leffe, holmes. The Leffe Brune (brown) is much better than the Blond. Give it a whirl. And, since you mention you enjoy sweet, Belgian beers, you definitely need to check out a Faro. It's the epitome of sweet, Belgian beers. Look for one by Cantillon or Mort Subite if you can find it.

 

[Vic]

The problem with beer in America is that the top 2 bestselling beers argue in their advertising over which one has "more taste" or more "drinkability." That's a sad state of affairs, making most Americans believe that beer is somehow supposed to taste like pisswater.

<- loves good beer

 

[Eli]

You might like the hard cider.

I'm not a beer fan, but I love apple and pear hard ciders.

 

[magnux]

My wife is the same way, she can't stand beer. Which sucks for me, because I rather enjoy beer much like many do with wine. I've taken to brewing some of my own blends lately, in hopes of trying to find a combination she may be able to tolerate.

The one mass-produced beer I've been able to get her to mildly tolerate is Hoegaarden (a witbier) with an orange or lemon wedge. I'm hoping I can use this as a gateway beer to acclimate her palate a bit. I'm not sure how available Hoegaarden may be available in your area, but it's not an impossible beer to find -- I have seen it in grocery stores on occasion.

 

[magnux]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
I'm not too miuch of a fan of beer, but it has grown on me. Especially the Warsteiner Dunkel Lager. Great stuff. Basically, you have to find something that you can handle, and you'll get use to it. I prefer liquor, limoncello specifically, but I'm getting used to beer.

If you enjoy Warsteiner Dunkel, give Hofbrau Dunkel a try. I have both in my fridge at any given time.

 

[biggestmuff]

Originally posted by: magnux
My wife is the same way, she can't stand beer. Which sucks for me, because I rather enjoy beer much like many do with wine. I've taken to brewing some of my own blends lately, in hopes of trying to find a combination she may be able to tolerate.

The one mass-produced beer I've been able to get her to mildly tolerate is Hoegaarden (a witbier) with an orange or lemon wedge. I'm hoping I can use this as a gateway beer to acclimate her palate a bit. I'm not sure how available Hoegaarden may be available in your area, but it's not an impossible beer to find -- I have seen it in grocery stores on occasion.

Pick up a bottle of Lindeman's Framboise for you wife. You can thank me later.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Beer threads in ATOT inevitably turn into a Belgian beer circle jerk. If somebody can't stomach a light domestic, like Miller or Bud, what the hell makes you think he'll enjoy a comparitively strong, spicy Belgian ale?

 

[biggestmuff]

Originally posted by: KnightBreed
Beer threads in ATOT inevitably turn into a Belgian beer circle jerk. If somebody can't stomach a light domestic, like Miller or Bud, what the hell makes you think he'll enjoy a comparitively strong, spicy Belgian ale?

Not all Belgian beers are as you describe.

The Huyghe Brewery makes a line of beers under the "Floris" label that contains about a dozen beers ranging from 3% - 5% alcohol. With the exception of the plain, white beer, the rest of the line is flavored with fruity syrups; strawberry, raspberry, apple, peach, ...etc. They are good tasting entry-level beers for women and guys that haven't earned their man card yet.

Lindeman's, as I mentioned above, used a combination of real fruit and syrups to make their lambic beers. They are delicious no matter who you are.

 

[OCNewbie]

I'm not a fan of beer, coffee, and tea is just 'ok'

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Originally posted by: biggestmuff

Originally posted by: KnightBreed
Beer threads in ATOT inevitably turn into a Belgian beer circle jerk. If somebody can't stomach a light domestic, like Miller or Bud, what the hell makes you think he'll enjoy a comparitively strong, spicy Belgian ale?

Not all Belgian beers are as you describe.

The Huyghe Brewery makes a line of beers under the "Floris" label that contains about a dozen beers ranging from 3% - 5% alcohol. With the exception of the plain, white beer, the rest of the line is flavored with fruity syrups; strawberry, raspberry, apple, peach, ...etc. They are good tasting entry-level beers for women and guys that haven't earned their man card yet.

Lindeman's, as I mentioned above, used a combination of real fruit and syrups to make their lambic beers. They are delicious no matter who you are.

Yeah, not all Belgian beers are like that, but look at some of the suggestions throughout the thread. Westmalle, Chimay, etc. I mean c'mon Hoegaarden over a lighter, simpler Blue Moon?

To answer the OP, drinking beer isn't always about the taste. It's about the experience. Drinking a pint of whatever beer floats your boat with a bunch of friends in a bar is one of life's sweet pleasures. The conversation flows as briskly as the beer.

 

[Dumac]

Originally posted by: KnightBreed
Drinking a pint of whatever beer floats your boat with a bunch of friends in a bar is one of life's sweet pleasures. The conversation flows as briskly as the beer.

Am I the only one with friends who don't need alcohol in order to have conversations?

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: KnightBreed

Originally posted by: biggestmuff

Originally posted by: KnightBreed
Beer threads in ATOT inevitably turn into a Belgian beer circle jerk. If somebody can't stomach a light domestic, like Miller or Bud, what the hell makes you think he'll enjoy a comparitively strong, spicy Belgian ale?

Not all Belgian beers are as you describe.

The Huyghe Brewery makes a line of beers under the "Floris" label that contains about a dozen beers ranging from 3% - 5% alcohol. With the exception of the plain, white beer, the rest of the line is flavored with fruity syrups; strawberry, raspberry, apple, peach, ...etc. They are good tasting entry-level beers for women and guys that haven't earned their man card yet.

Lindeman's, as I mentioned above, used a combination of real fruit and syrups to make their lambic beers. They are delicious no matter who you are.

Yeah, not all Belgian beers are like that, but look at some of the suggestions throughout the thread. Westmalle, Chimay, etc. I mean c'mon Hoegaarden over a lighter, simpler Blue Moon?

To answer the OP, drinking beer isn't always about the taste. It's about the experience. Drinking a pint of whatever beer floats your boat with a bunch of friends in a bar is one of life's sweet pleasures. The conversation flows as briskly as the beer.

The Germans even have a word for this aspect of the beer drinking experience, gemütlichkeit, which translates as 'warm friendliness.'

I agree with you though about ATOT and Belgian beers.

 

[episodic]

Up for hard apple cider!

 

[SketchMaster]

Hardcider can have a beer like smell and or taste to it but for the most part it will be much more sweeter than a beer.

If you want sweet, try woodchuck (they got 4-5 kinds so try them all, it'z gooood). If you want less sweet, Hornsby's.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: episodic
Up for hard apple cider!

I prefer Hornsby's Draft Cider to the Crisp Apple cider for some reason.

The draft is also 6% alcohol, while the Crisp Apple is 5.5% lol

 

[episodic]

Can you cider fans list all of the different kinds and rank them by expense? So I can call around and see who has what. . .

 

[biggestmuff]

Originally posted by: episodic
Can you cider fans list all of the different kinds and rank them by expense? So I can call around and see who has what. . .

It's not a cider beer, but you could try Lindeman's Pomme. It's a light, lambic, apple-flavored beer. Very nice.