OT: Microbrew, anyone?
 

So, I'm curious--what are everyone's favorite microbrews/regional beers?

My top 3, from Boulder, CO:

1: Avery "IPA"
2: Oskar Blues "Dale's Pale Ale"
3: Flying Dog "Doggy Style Pale Ale"

And, for good measure, in imported/mass produced beer, I enjoy a good Carlsberg.

Great Lakes - Burning River Pale Ale
Bells - Two Hearted Ale
Avery - Hog Heaven Barley Wine

i love the flying dog stuff. (we get it around here too!) the ralph steadman labels suckered me in.

Did you have the gonzo imperial porter a year or so ago that was made in memorium to Dr. thompson?

by the way: around here i enjoy:

the yards philadelphia pale ale. (sooo good.)
the flying fish summer ale.
the rouge anything. (not the name of a specific brew, just a helluva brand.)

It's definitely not a microbrew anymore, but it's local.

Boulevard Wheat. Love it.

+2 for the bells reference. I love the trout graphic on the two hearted ale, that stuff is delicious. That and it's straight out of Michigan, which has to mean one thing or another.

In no particular order, and are just the ones I can think of right now:

1.) Bristol Brewery's "Mass Transit Ale" (CO Spgs)
2.) Phantom Canyon's "Demolition Cream Ale" (available only at Phantom Canyon, in CO Spgs)
3.) Anchor Steam (CA)
4.) Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (though is that still considered a micro?)
5.) Summit Extra Pale Ale (MN)

And though it's definitely not a micro/regional, right now I'm enjoying the hell out of Sam Adam's "Oktoberfest" (one of my favorite Fall beers).

Yeah we get the gonzo porter around here! I get the 4 packs as often as I can. Interesting side note: I went to Denver a few weeks ago, and tried to visit the Flying Dog brewery. It was closed (forgot it was sunday...stupid dry state), but the marking on the brewery was amazing--just the wing drawing as the sign. Nothing else. No words. Just the shape.

Stoked to see the Hog heaven. Anyone get any of the rare seasonal Avery demon series? So far I've enjoyed Samael's and The Beast. (Mephistopheles coming soon... 15% and more, in a beer!!) Tastes like carbonated port wine. $7.99 for one 12-ounce bottle, and worth every penny.

once you go MacTarnahan's Amber Ale you don't go back

anchor steam and sierra are in no way micro

however here are mine
1. carp brew co. island pale ale
2. sb blondie
3. who cares about number 3

i love pale ales and i think flying dog is terrible.

green flash ipa ftw

There's a restaurant/brewery in Chattanooga that makes several beers. I usually order the sampler platter; 4 ounces of 8-9 different beers. Then, on the way home, I get a growler or two to go. I don't know why they call gallon jugs of beer growlers but they do. Non-pastuerized so the flavor is really good.

The Munich Dunkel Lager at Emmett's in West Dundee, Illinois.

It's about to return to the taps and I've got an empty growler waiting to be filled.

Maine has some really great microbrews which I strongly encourage everyone to check out at http://www.mainebrew.com/breweries.aspx.
Today I will be going to the Maine Brewer's Festival (which is the main page of mainebrew.com) and getting pretty ****ty drunk. The live music is going to suck, so right now I am making a nice 4 hour long play list of celtic rock to play in the parking lot.

foo.

My son goes to St Ignatius, about 500 ft away from Great Lakes. It gave me a great excuse to sit through 5 hours of 2 a days football practice this summer. Actually, I spent most of the time at the bar. :D


Tim

I'm surprised to see all the pale ales around this list with winter coming.

Lately my 3 are...

(Don't lie, the ... has totally got you stoked on finding out)

1. Great Lakes Nosferatu
2. Avery The Poet
3. Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA!

Jolly Pumpkin.

I'm not sure what Ron's distribution is like these days, but if you enjoy wild ales at all, or even hard lambic, you'd do well to sample one of his offerings. Incredibly complex and dynamic. I don't know how much you guys geek out on beer, so I won't expound on the brewing process, but it's worth checking out if you have a minute (www.jollypumpkin.com).

And before I forget, is anyone here on Beer Advocate? I used to do quite a bit of trading, but I've backed off recently. Still have a small cache of '07 Dark Lord in the cellar, come to think of it. PM me if interested.

Cheers

YEAH

Dogfish Head
1. 60 min
2. 90 min
3. 120 min

but seriously, probably
1. 60 min (90 has more taste but the 60 min is more drinkable
2. Pliny the Elder, Russian river Valley (IPA)
3. hmm... tough, New Glarus, either their oktoberfest (staghorn), or their IPA (hearty hop) or their bock (uff-da)

Anything by new glarus in WI is to die for.

gimme a good IPA and I'll be happy.

The 120 min Dogfish Head is not really a fun drinking experience. IMO of course.

beer
 

1. Trois Pistoles (Quebec)
2. Blanche de Chambly (Quebec)
3. Mill St. Organic (Ontario)

Mass Produced
1. Kilkenny
2. Rickard's Red

WORST BEERS
1. Budweiser
2. Molson Golden
3. Guinness

DIE IN A FIRE PLZ

0. (added late) Golden Leaf Pale Ale (City Brewery, La Cross, WI) - best use of Cascade hops I've ever had
1. Central Waters just about anything (Happy Heron Pale is excellent)
2. Great Lakes Burning River
3. Lake Louie APA
4. Tyranena Bitter Woman IPA
5. Great Dane Maibock (Madison, WI micro; they don't bottle any of their beers, though you can buy growlers at the bar, so you'll have to drink it on site. The food is good, too!)

Massachusetts and the rest of New England don't have **** for beer. If you live in the Midwest and enjoy beer, don't come out East. It's a real bummer.

+1 Carlsberg. That's a delicious and smooth-drankin' import. Asahi Super Dry is similarly wonderful on hot summer days.

Speaking of great lakes does anyone know when the christmas ale will be available in stores? I love their christmas ale. Sometimes it realy sucks living in illinois considering we can't get bells or great lakes here or new glarus for that matter