favorite beers

C-Monster has turned me on to a new idea for the blog. Inspiration abounds everywhere; topics and questions found in email threads are no different. I figure I can use pieces of email responses to re-purpose in this medium or respond to interesting inquiries from time to time here. As my favorite brother-in-law likes to say, "Fabulous!"

This afternoon she reached out to me and asked the following question:

what are your top 5 fav beers of all time?

Everyone has their own unique experience with adult soda. Craft brews and home brewing have never been so popular while many just never grow to love it. In either case, I think people generally lie when they claim that they fell in love with beer from the beginning. As they say, it's an acquired passion. Unfortunately, I can't consume too much beer in one sitting anymore. I feel uncomfortably full and fret about the calories that pile up in my gut, knowing full well that my slowing metabolism won't be able to break down the sugars.

But it's part of a progression - I drank it because I had to, I pretended that I liked it, one day I loved it, I prided myself on drinking dark beers and claimed Guinness was my favorite, I crafted a couple of brews at a local shop, I considered myself an expert at some point (I never was). All of this happened in high school and college. I drank pricey local craft brews with my friends. We'd discuss what we were drinking, thinking that we knew something. "Well, this particular IPA has a floral finish...so we should probably drink 12 of those each as fast as we can". Looking back, I should have been getting loaded on 25 cent beers. We never drank as an end in itself, we were always drinking as a means.

And then I got just a bit older. I noticed that my poor diet and drinking habits were visibly settling on my stomach. I rarely drink dark beer anymore. Drinking even three beers usually causes sluggishness and fatigue throughout the next day. Throwing back a few suds at a ballgame isn't desirable either. I just sit in my plastic seat, bloated beyond belief.

But don't get me wrong. I still love beer. Once you do, you never stop. You can't stop. You just have to learn to negotiate with your body (and your wife), find moments when you can extend yourself just a little further to tap into those days when you could really drink.

Anyway, here they are (or here's what I can think of). Keep in mind these are not in any particular order and may actually change in a week or two. Note, no dark beers or india pale ales on this list

Kona Longboard Lager. I can't think of the taste at the moment so I can't describe in this post. However, I really like it and almost always choose it over other beers when jumbled in a cooler together. It's a shame I didn't visit the brewery when I was on the Big Island several years ago. This is a beer I've enjoyed more recently - last 4-5 years, and didn't really consider it in undergrad.

Sam Adams Boston Lager. Every time I drink Sam Adams, I am reminded of a remarkable rose-like essence that releases. I've read that Sam Adams has one of the higher caloric counts for a beer of its kind. But it's always remained as a favorite for me.

Sudwerk Hefeweizen. Coincidentally, I was trying to remember a specific taste that I couldn't quite put my finger on from my UC Davis days. It was a beer, absolutely, but I couldn't quite remember anything else about it. But now I recall, it was this hef (unfiltered wheat beer) and I distinctly remember a lovely malt quality to it. I fully associate its nuances with my freshman dorm experience. Sudwerk is also special to me because it's a Davis microbrew. All of that makes it one fine brew on my list, and I'm making it a point to get some where I can (not readily available outside of Davis area). Wait, I might be mistaking this taste experience with Widmer Hef. Shoot.

Koshihikari Echigo. This is a beautiful beer crafted with rice rather than barley. Think floral qualities, much more delicate than I described above about Sam Adams. It's more prevalent than ever at Japanese dining establishments but runs pretty pricey compared to the Asahis and Sapporos of the world. Do yourself a favor and buy it at your local Japanese market. It's terrific.

Budweiser Lager. It's the king, what more can you say? Actually, there's a whole lot you can say. Bud is very versatile. It's a perfect way to kick start a wild night, a great beer back, and a suitable way to wind down as a last call drink or sipper after you stumble home. But those days are over now. These days, I'll drink this on nights when I'd prefer not to drink. You're drinking but you're not. You know what I mean. Bud Light is pretty excellent for this as well. Budweiser - it's an antidote for all those who claim that San Francisco is littered with beer snobs while avoiding the hipster trendiness of PBR.

Thanks to C-Monster for the question, and thanks to everyone else for stopping by!

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