Best Widely Available beers?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by mschofield, Jun 30, 2014.

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  1. Hop-Droppen-Roll

    Hop-Droppen-Roll Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2013 Minnesota

    I've looked at both Bell's and Summit's distro maps before - but long ago, and time makes fools of us all.
     
    #21 Hop-Droppen-Roll, Jun 30, 2014
  2. mschofield

    mschofield Pooh-Bah (1,871) Oct 16, 2002 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    I guess that's really the question I'm interested in. What do people consider widely distributed? As to what the best beers are from those breweries, well there are plenty of ratings already available on the site.

    If you were to put together a list of "The Best 20/50/whatever beers you can actually buy", that could be given out to people that are moving past gateway beers, what would people consider fair to include? Limiting it to full nationwide distribution seems too well limited. If you include breweries that hit a 20 state area, then not everyone will be able to get everything on the list. Maybe they can get the Deschutes beer on there, but they can't get the Bell's. A different guy could get the Bell's but not the Deschutes. Both of them can get the Lagunitas and Sierra Nevada. I think both of those guys would be happier with the 10, 12 or 14 they get in their area then they would be with a list that only had 20 national beers. But I certainly don't know for sure.

    If you were to include Bell's would you put Hopslam on there or just Two Hearted? I'd probably put something like
    - Lagunitas IPA
    - Bells Two Hearted (if it's the right time of year, also look for their Hopslam)
    - Deschutes Black Butte (if you ever see the limited Mirror Mirror or Abyss don't pass it up)
    - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
    etc...
     
    #22 mschofield, Jun 30, 2014
  3. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    "Widely distributed" could be interpreted as available to most people (population vs. geography). I think I read somewhere that 2/3 of the U.S. population lives on the eastern 1/3 of the land. So I imagine a lot of folks on the East Coast/Midwest/Great Lakes think that if a beer is distributed in their area, it is by default widely distributed. And that's a reasonable argument. A lot of the western states is federal land where nobody lives, so there's no real point to distribute beer there from thousands of miles away.

    Bottom line, there's no real correct answer to the question. All I can tell you is that a lot of the discussion about specific beers on the general Beer Talk page is moot as far as I'm concerned, because I don't get the beers that are being discussed and probably never will.
     
    #23 Orca, Jun 30, 2014
  4. Biff_Tannen

    Biff_Tannen Initiate (0) Dec 8, 2013 Missouri

    Two Hearted

    /thread
     
    #24 Biff_Tannen, Jun 30, 2014
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  5. theandychrist

    theandychrist Initiate (0) Apr 21, 2013 Maryland

    [​IMG]
    Finishing up the sixer. Nothing better than a cigar and a scotch(ale). Prost!
     
    #25 theandychrist, Jun 30, 2014
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  6. KarlHungus

    KarlHungus Grand Pooh-Bah (3,315) Feb 19, 2005 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah

    My favorite beer style to pair with a good cigar is a Belgian Pale Ale. It is one of those combinations that works, because the flavors contrats perfectly. I'm sure Belgian Pale Ales are available nation wide.
     
    #26 KarlHungus, Jun 30, 2014
  7. puboflyons

    puboflyons Grand Pooh-Bah (4,299) Jul 26, 2008 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah

    New Hampshire gets almost none of those except Ommegang and Brooklyn Black Chocolate. So they're not widely available...at least around here.
     
    #27 puboflyons, Jun 30, 2014
  8. theandychrist

    theandychrist Initiate (0) Apr 21, 2013 Maryland

    Meant to post this on WBAYDN.
     
    #28 theandychrist, Jun 30, 2014
  9. SLewis

    SLewis Pundit (901) Jun 17, 2014 North Carolina

    Oskar Blues no doubt
     
    #29 SLewis, Jul 1, 2014
  10. Hoppsbabo

    Hoppsbabo Pooh-Bah (2,053) Jan 29, 2012 England
    Pooh-Bah

    It's even available in South Korea.
     
    #30 Hoppsbabo, Jul 1, 2014
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  11. ions

    ions Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2014 Maryland

    I would have to say Sierra Nevada. I've traveled from coast to coast and almost always saw SN in every state I traveled through. Other then the usual Bud, Millers, Coors and mass produced swill you expect to see in every cheap crevice of the world lol
     
    #31 ions, Jul 1, 2014
  12. 510a

    510a Pundit (846) Jan 12, 2013 Washington
    Trader

    Lagunitas, Stone , SN, Ommegang ..
     
    #32 510a, Jul 1, 2014
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  13. patto1ro

    patto1ro Pooh-Bah (2,084) Apr 26, 2004 Netherlands
    Pooh-Bah

    Duvel, Fullers, Augustiner.
     
    #33 patto1ro, Jul 1, 2014
  14. Mojo

    Mojo Initiate (0) Jul 21, 2012 Alabama
    Trader

    The one beer to rule them all is the iconic SNPA!!! Is there really a better beer that is literally available EVERYWHERE???
     
    #34 Mojo, Jul 1, 2014
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  15. BeerIslander

    BeerIslander Initiate (0) Jun 27, 2014 Washington

    I also go with just about anything from SN (I wish my local stores had the Kellerweis though). :slight_frown:

    Stone and Lagunitas are rock solid choices as well.
     
    #35 BeerIslander, Jul 1, 2014
  16. Masters

    Masters Savant (1,217) Mar 7, 2014 Massachusetts

    Maybe if your in the midwest, but its not available here.

    I would say either a Stone or Lagunitas.
     
    #36 Masters, Jul 1, 2014
  17. Crackerbarrel

    Crackerbarrel Initiate (0) Feb 10, 2014 New York

    Founders is pretty friggin ubiquitous here in NY, I almost take it for granted.

    If anyone out west wants to trade Dechutes for some, hit me up.
     
    #37 Crackerbarrel, Jul 1, 2014
  18. DrumKid003

    DrumKid003 Initiate (0) Aug 10, 2013 Oklahoma

    Rochefort, Rodenbach, Chimay, St. Bernardus, Ayinger, Spaten, Fullers, Samuel Smith, Rogue, Sierra Nevada and Boulevard would be my picks.
    Wrong. Stone does not distribute in Oklahoma, so saying that "Stone is everywhere" makes your statement invalid.
    Yes, Torpedo is a better beer plain and simple.
     
    #38 DrumKid003, Jul 1, 2014
  19. StLeasy

    StLeasy Initiate (0) Sep 8, 2013 Illinois

    Except that there is no such thing as "better" :wink: He also made a big deal about SNPA's availability- SNPA is much more common than Torpedo. Torpedo may be at many grocery/liquor stores that carry SNPA, but SNPA is available at many more bars.

    Torpedo has only been brewed for 6 years, but SNPA is over 30 years old. It will probably be a long time before Torpedo takes over the PA tap handles, if ever.
     
    #39 StLeasy, Jul 1, 2014
  20. Gregg_Kawakami

    Gregg_Kawakami Initiate (0) Apr 19, 2013 Hawaii

    It can't be considered "widely distributed" if I can't find it in Hawaii.
     
    #40 Gregg_Kawakami, Jul 1, 2014
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