Beer!

I completely agree with this. Five years ago I would usually avoid IPAs because they tasted borderline skunky to me. Then I had a really good one and maybe it brought my tastebuds into check. I also like that they are by design not super drinkable, so I can have one or two and that's enough for the evening.

 

@Vansen swears by Vermont brewery touring, so that's something I need to add to my bucket list.

Speaking of Unibroue, I had their Belgian style La Fin Du Monde fairly recently, and I will visit that brew again (maybe more in moderation, for its a strong brew....lol)

 

So I posted my 50 states 50 beers thing on BeerAdvocate...

https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...ers-from-50-states-stout-sours-saison.528336/

I have to clean up my list n stuff but if anyone wants to know what they're recommending. Although personally I'd like to stick to sours/saisons as much as possible.

 

Arizona:
Stouts:Wren House, McFate, Arizona Wilderness
Sours::Arizona Wilderness, Wren House
Saisons:Arizona Wilderness, Wren House
IPA:Wren House, Borderlands, Dark Sky, Tombstone, The Shop, Arizona Wilderness, McFate

There are plenty other breweries here also - these are just the ones that I feel are consistent in those respective styles. I haven't been able to sample enough of some of the breweries specific styles due to proximity though - so I can only vouch for them in a certain style. IPA's are the most distributed - so it's a little easier to try them.

For reference - my personal preference is Frestone Barrelworks for the funkier stuff. Russian River also had awesome sours.

 

Are you in AZ? Wanna trade fam?

 

I'll have to keep in touch with you on that. It's hard getting out to can releases. It's always in the morning and the wrong side of town. I'm not very confident on crowler fills either. I don't think anyone correctly fills them here. Everyone just treats them as a standard growler. I wouldn't want to send anyone something flat.

 

Interesting, in San Diego we drink IPAs like water.

 

Yup. Never without an IPA in San Diego.

Stranded on a Desert island - IPA with Mosaic hops

Stranded in Iceland - Barrel aged coffee stout

And a cigar.

 

I had 'The Temptress' , an Imperial milk stout from Lakewood Brewing Co. (~12 minutes away from me) tonight. It's not half bad, though I'm not particularly well versed in stouts.

 

For my special day!

Kidding lol, I'll celebrate next week.

 

A good IPA for those who have had negative experiences - Bell's Two Hearted Ale.

Lighter body, plus sweet pine and citrus flavor to offset that hoppy bite.

 

Agreed. Bell's Two Hearted is so amazing. It actually beat Pliny the Elder for best IPA.

Anyhow, I made a list of the 50 states and breweries that do stouts/sours/saisons. I got a lot of feedback and I know some are better in one style etc so I do have to sift through it. At this point, I think I can easily do 3 separate runs for each beer style that'll amount to 150 beers lolol but that's going to be way too costly. The list is below! Nothing for North/South Dakota yet!

50 states; stouts, sours, saisons

• Alabama = Good People, Straight to Ale, Avondale Brewing
• Alaska = Anchorage
• Arizona = Arizona Wilderness, Wrenhouse, Pueblo Vida, Tomston, Darksky Brewing
• Arkansas = Ozark BDCS
• California = Bottle Logic, Russian River, Monkish, The Bruery, Ale Smith, Lost Abbey, Beachwood, Cellarmaker, Modern Times, SARA, Rare Barrel, FiftyFifty, Ladyface, Hanger24, Council, Toolbox, Phantom Carriage, Abnormal, Firestone Walker, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, Alvarado St, Cellarmaker
• Colorado = Crooked Stave, Funkwerks, Casey Brewing, Oscar Blues
• Connecticut = Kent Falls Brewing Co, OEC
• Delaware = Dog Fish Head, Old Dominion,
• Florida = J. Wakefield/Cigar City, Aardwolf
• Georgia = Creature Comforts, Orpheus
• Hawaii = Maui Brewing Co, Kona Brewing Co
• Idaho = Crooked Fence, Grand Teton, Laughing Dog, Sockeye Brewing, Barbarian Brewing Garden City
• Illinois = Goose Island, Pipeworks, Revolution, DESTIHL
• Indiana = 3 Floyds, Upland
• Iowa = Topping Goliath, Exile
• Kansas = Free State, Wichita brewing company, Tallgrass (Buffalo Sweat)
• Kentucky = Against the Grain (Kamen Knuddlen), West Sixth (Snake Eyes), Braxton Brewing Co (Dead Blow)
• Louisiana = Parish
• Maine = Allagash, Oxbow
• Maryland = RAR, Manor Hill, Evolution Craft, Heavy Seas
• Massachusetts = Trillium
• Michigan = Jolly Pumpkin, Bell’s, Founders
• Minnesota = Surly (Darkness)
• Mississippi = Southern Prohibition
• Missouri = Side Project, Perennial, Boulevard
• Montana = Phillipsburg brewing, Blackfoot River Brewing, Flathead Lake Brewing, Big Sky (Ivan the Terrible)
• Nebraska = Nebraska Brewing Co, Zipline
• Nevada = Great Basin Brewing
• New Hampshire = Deciduous, White Birch
• New Jersey = Kane (A Night to End All Dawns), Carton Brewing (Monkey Chased the Weasel), Conclave Brewing(Mexican Morning), Referend (sours), Magnify (saison/stouts)
• New Mexico = La Cumbre (Malpias Stout)
• New York = Ommegang, Suarez Family, Grimm, Sloop, Singlecut (Heavy Boots of Lead), Hudson Valley, Equilibrium, Rushing Duck
• North Carolina = Fonta Flora, Green Man, Natty Greene(sour), Haw River(saison)
• North Dakota
• Ohio = Jackie O’s, Rockmill, Hoppin Frog
• Oklahoma = Prairie, American Solera
• Oregon = DeGarde, Deschutes, Great Notion, Cascade, Ale Apothecary
• Pennsylvania = Tired Hands, Victory, Draai Laag
• Rhode Island = Proclamation Ales
• South Carolina = Westbrook Special Goses
• South Dakota
• Tennessee = Blackberry Farms
• Texas = Jester King, Southern Star's, Cycler's Derailleur, New Republic's, Marlinspike, Community Legion, Southern Star’s Buried Hatched Stout, Guadalupe, Lakewood Brewing
• Utah = 2 Row, Epic, Red Rock and Uinta
• Vermont = Hill Farmstead, Hermit Thrush, Foam (Ghost, HOF dot series, Influence of Heat)
• Virginia = adroit theory, the answer brewpub, the veil brewing company, Strangeways, Lost Rhino, Aslin, Brothers Resolute, Smartmouth, Reaver Beach, Hardywood, Brothers Sesolute, Lickinghole Creek
• Washington = Fremont, Holy Mountain, Skookum (Murder of Crows)
• Washington DC = Right Proper
• West Virginia = Bridge Breworks (Moxxee Coffee Stout), Greenbrier Valley, Big Timber
• Wisconsin = New Glarus, Central Waters, Like Minds
• Wyoming = Zonker, Melvin

 

I don't think they really apply to this list, but totally forgot to mention and give props to Yazoo Brewing out of Nashville. I think that is in your neck of the woods too, right? Every single one of their beers I had: Dos Perros, Hop Perfect IPA, Pale Ale, Gerst, Spring seasonal, etc. were all at the very least damn good.

 

You might want to add Societe and Field Work to your Califnornia list.

 

That's true, yazoo does make great beers. My list was supposed to only have 1 brewery each but it has totally expanded so I have to sort them for the three styles. I would probably get Embrace the Funk if I did get something From Yazoo.

 

I'm not much of a beer drinker, yet I have beer in the fridge. Pretty hoppy ipa.

 

Yeah, Two-Hearted is a good all-around ale, and it's super-easy to find in many places year-round.

However, if you want to step it way up on the Bell's ale playbook, their annually released Hopslam is the way to go. I get as much as I can every January/February when it comes out (timing varies by your location). In 2016 year they even sold it in little 1.3 gallon mini kegs. Was pretty cool. They dropped them for 2017, but rumor is they're coming back in 2018. Cheers

 

Staying in with a couple Tropical Torpedos tonight.

 

Are you guys familiar with this style, the grisette? I've never had it but I've definitely seen it in social media n all. Curious of you people think about it.

http://draftmag.com/what-is-a-grisette-saison-farmhouse-beer/

 

I am disappointed that I didn't get one of those.....

Reading through I've seen a few things but I can't really direct quote anyone.

First Ive never found an IPA that was too hoppy for me.

There are actually some drinkable IPA out there and with the push from really bitter to more tropical fruitiness makes them more so.

People may be surprised but I actually find hopslam to be extremely drinkable, which is exactly why I find it so amazing, its truly one of my favorite beers, a beer with that much hops and that alcohol content has no business being so drinkable.

Also please don't look down on cans....cans are the future. Cans block both light and air which both kill beer. So your beer stays fresher for longer in cans. The beer that was until recently the top IPA in the country for probably the past 3 or 4 years comes in a can. The beer that replaced it comes in a can....


I have no beer to post at the moment since I am working..but maybe something later after I get home.