What Beers Are You Drinking These Days?

[TomH]

Sprecher Pipers Scotch Ale
Sapient Trip Ale
Piraat Ale

Tom

[jeff]

Well, recently in California I enjoyed beer from Deschutes brewery: one of my favorites. Black Butte Porter to be exact. Unfortunately they don't distribute east of Colorado (good for you Dane!), so that's another reason for a trip again next year

Right now I'm enjoying my favorite IPA: Bell's Two Hearted Ale. Named after the Hemingway short-story, this beer pack a lot of Centennial hop flavor and aroma with just the right amount of bitterness. It's a great summer beer, but I enjoy it year-round. In fact, all of Bell's beers are very very good. Ed and I enjoyed a mini-keg of the Oberon wheat ale a few weeks ago and it was fantastic, especially with his wonderful seafood boil.

[Gillman]

Jeff, did you sample the Black Butter on draft or in the bottle? I had some in the bottle on the recent trip and saw it on draft at a beer bar in San Francisco.

I happened also upon a cask-conditioned porter made by a company called English Ales in Marin which was particularly good. Cask porter and stout (real ale) is really quite different from filtered draft ales good as those can be.

I hope the running marathon went well for you and Leslie.


Gary

[robbyvirus]

Out here in San Francisco I drink a lot of Anchor Steam. All their beers are great...Anchor Steam, Liberty Ale, Anchor Small Beer, Anchor Bock. I also drink cheap Mexican beer in cans, like Tecate or Modelo...great for a hot day.

[jeff]

I had a couple of Anchor Steam beers last weekend while enjoying North Beach Pizza. I kinda wanted to get to the brewery, but I never made it south of Market. I did try out the SF Brewing co. Nice Pale ale and Alt.

Gary,

I bought a six-pack of Black Butte porter while at a grocery store with Jim and Stephanie. Jim was grilling steaks for dinner and I needed a break from wine after a day of hard tasting. I had a couple at Jim's and I had the rest over the week. I really like Deschutes and I wish I could ship some in.

The race went very well. 57 degrees at start and the scenery was gorgeous. Running out-and-back over the GG Bridge was an experience I'll remember for a long time and, luckily there was no fog even at 6:30am to dampen the view. I was however underprepared for the hills. I'm glad we did it, but I don't think I'll do it again

[Gillman]

Thanks and I'll say this, Anchor Steam is still the one to beat in SF.

I had it on draft at Tommy's Joynt (Geary and Van Ness, old-style bar with a vaguely Swiss or German motif now obscured by time and Americanisation).

Anchor Steam's flavour is best expressed on draft but the bottled one is good too especially I imagine in the Bay Area. Good to hear the San Francisco Brewing Company is still going strong, it is one of the early brewpubs in the U.S.

Gary

[jeff]

The SF brewing co was indeed going strong, though the building is aging and has the strange odor of decades of grease and lacquer The pulled-pork sandwich they served was even better than the beer We stopped in for lunch and a couple beers and then ran into the North Beach Jazz Festival just a little up the road in Washington Square. Sat in the lawn and listened to some good music. It was a really good day!

[robbyvirus]

Thanks and I'll say this, Anchor Steam is still the one to beat in SF.

I had it on draft at Tommy's Joynt (Geary and Van Ness, old-style bar with a vaguely Swiss or German motif now obscured by time and Americanisation).

Yes, Tommy's Joynt is still going strong. It's been there forever. A great place to go for a cold beer, and a heaping plate of sliced turkey and overcooked vegetables. A true San Francisco tradition!

[TimmyBoston]

I had some Bass Ale tonight. I had forgotten how much I like it.

[gothbat]

As always I've been drinking some of my favorite Belgian saison ale from Fantome. Unfortunately the store by me doesn't seem to be getting it in any more though and all they really have left is the Strange Ghost variety which I like but not nearly as much as others from this line. Some pics below. The first is the Strange Ghost I’ll drink tonight next to the Grolsch that I’m going to have with the steamers I’m about to cook up, next is Fantome Babillard which is the first Fantome I tried, unfortunately they don’t make it anymore. The label is the reason I tried it, the guy on it looks like me in weekend mode. Finally we have the Fantome I should be drinking now, Ete (which I assume means summer). Gonna have to talk to the beer guy next time I’m at the store.