I tried that this weekend. Very good. I got it in the variety pack. The #9 was so-so. I have no idea what the Mystery Brew is, but I liked that (even though I accidently broke one).:(:(

I almost think Yuengling is scared to death to get TOO well known and popular and distribute too many places...they have the example in front of them of what happened when California yuppies decided Rolling Rock was cool.

I tried the Magic Hat Circus Boy from my variety pack last night, which is their Hefeweizen. I didn't find it as strong as the Hefeweizen I'd had before...although that was a German import that I had in France. It was ok, but I don't think I'd ever specifically get that one by itself.

I'm a much bigger fan of Magic Hat's summer brews. We went to the brewery this summer and tried all kinds that they only sell on tap. Single Chair Ale and Kerouac (brewed with beets.... get it? beat generation?) are awesome. Hocus Pocus is their summer wheat ale, and that can be bought in bottles. It's my favorite beer. I've been buying it off the shelves because it's going away soon to make room for the fall brews. #9 is decent. I'm not sure about the apricot flavor, though.

So, I just tried a mix pack of Tommyknocker, and overall, it was disappointing. The Butt Head Bock was pretty good, and the Jack Whacker Wheat Ale was decent, but the rest of the options were merely regular. Avoid the Maple Nut Brown Ale and the Amber Lager; you can get much better stuff from other breweries for the same price.

Also, for those of you just getting into good beer, try the Sam Smith Pure Brewed Lager. It's mild enough to be a good "starter beer," so to speak, and a good example of the difference between good beer and crappy beer, since almost everyone has had crappy lagers.

Here are a couple of beers I've tried recently:

Narragansett Beer: I was a bit intrigued, as a 6-pack of bottles is very cheap ($5), and had heard scattered good things. The lager was surprisingly good - it doesn't have a lot of complexity, but was still solid, and would be a good "intro beer" for those who are making the conversion from Budweiser, etc. I also tried the Bock, but that wasn't nearly as good; it was decent, but you can find better ones out there.

Ommegang Witte: The Ommegang group, out of Cooperstown, NY, churns out some great beer. I've always been a fan of their Three Philosophers, and I'm a fan of Belgian White ales, so I was eager to try this particular one. It was fairly straight-forward, with a bit of tartness, and a clean finish. If I say I was disappointed, it's only because of the high opinion I have of the brewery.

I had some Cape Cod Summertime last month and I loved it so much I was devising ways to smuggle it off-Cape and back home in my suitcase. I think it's my new favorite summer beer...too bad it requires a plane + ferry trip to get it.

If you can find it, I'll stand behind Grant's Lazy Days as the best of the "summer" beers . . .

I was having some problems with the Offshore Ale Company beers on Martha's Vineyard. You can find a couple of them around here sometimes, but the better brews are impossible to find off the island.

I still haven't tried the Grant's Lazy Days. I've been very much in a Belgian white mood this summer, and I don't know why.

ETA: On a happy note for Bostonians, especially those around Brookline; Vinny T's has cloed, and it's being replaced by Roadhouse (owned by the same people who own the barbeque restaurant in Brookline Village). While the food should be good, it's extra-good news for beer lovers, as the restaurant will have over 40 beers on tap, along with a number of bottled selections. From what I've heard, it's going to specialize in American craft brews.

It's just down the street from Publick House (a great beer bar/restaurant), so Boston area beer-lovers should be very excited. I just wished they had moved in when I lived in the area (about a 10 minute walk away).

As if that wasn't enough, the owners of Publick House have opened up another store, also in the area, where they are selling many of the Publick House brews for off-restaurant consumption.

Here's a story on the new place: http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline...n-in-Brookline

(Hate to triple post, but here goes...)

I just tried Berkshire Brewing Company Oktoberfest Lager - fantastic stuff, probably one of the best beers I've ever tried. It's a bit heartier than the other Oktoberfests that I've tried (Harpoon, Sam Adams, etc.). The hops aren't overly strong, but definitely there. There's enough of a balance that anyone, from a novice beer drinker to someone with a more refined taste, should enjoy it.

Just a fantastic brew; if you get a chance to try it, you definitely should.

When I was in Pittsburgh this summer, I went to Penn Brewery and had their Weizen. Soooooo good.:D If you like German food too, great place to hit up. It's on the North Shore. That's all I got for something the general public may not know about.

Other faves include:
Rolling Rock
Sam Adams Summer Ale, Hefeweizen, Winter Lager, Cream Stout
Yuengling Lager
Molson Canadian (probably just because I drink it when I am at the beach)

Well being from Maryland, there are a lot of local Maryland brews I like, some of which I believe can be bought nationwide.

Pretty much everything brewed by Clipper City Brewing Co.- I especially like the Heavy Seas line of beers. My favorite is Small Craft Warning. They call it an "Uber Pils" http://www.ccbeer.com

I also like Flying Dog. I believe they are headquartered out of Co, but they have a brewery here in Frederick. One of my good friends apprenticed here. He's the head brewer at one of our local microbrews now :) My favorite Flying Dog is Old Scratch, an Amber Lagerhttp://www.flyingdogales.com

And then here in Frederick we have 2 microbrews-Barley and Hops and Brewers Alley. I LOVE both. They have EXCELLENT food and EXCELLENT beers. Barley and Hops is kind of in an out of the way locale, so DH and I dont go there that much, but when we DO go out to eat, we usually end up at Brewers Alley. Its in downtown Frederick which is SO much fun. We lived there for 4 years before moving out to the sticks. We used to live only about 2 blocks away from Brewer's-so meh. Plus you can go there, get an appetizer and a FABULOUS wood fired pizza for around $20 for 2 people! Every once in a while the brew a Smoked Porter, its EXCELLENT!

As far as nationally known beers, I gotta love me some Guiness. Its the Irish blood in me I guess LOL! And if its cheap Im looking for, I cant go wrong with the PBR. Please no one blast me for that. PBR rocks!

Is this regional or can you find it nationally? The husband has been drinking the Sam Adams Oktoberfest, but I know he would love to try something else. I'll have to tell him about it.

Edited: Actually, it doesn't look like you can get it nationwide. (http://www.berkshirebrewingcompany.com/products.html). It appears that they only have New England distribution. But, if you do happen to see it, definitely give it a try. It's absolutely worth it, especially the Oktoberfest.

If your husband sees Thomas Hooker Oktoberfest, he should give that a try as well. As good as the Sam Adams is, Hooker makes a fantastic Oktoberfest as well. In fact, if you see any of the Hooker Ales, you should try them (especially the double bock, the pale ale and the Oktoberfest). One of the few perks of living in CT is having easy access to those ales.


Flying Dog is good stuff - there was a place in Boston, Sunset, that had it on tap. I haven't had it in a while, simply because I can't find it that often in Connecticut.

As for PBR - anyone with a true appreciation of good beer will tell you that PBR is the best of the cheap American brews. It completely blows Bud, Coors, and the rest of that junk out of the water.

I'm really into wheat beers lately. One I found this summer that I really love is Leinenkugal Sunset Wheat. It has hints of blueberry in it.