When I want a pale ale, I usually go for a Sierra Nevada. It's my favorite, even though I'd prefer to drink a local beer. Can anyone suggest a pale ale that's available year-round in six-packs in Michigan that tastes as good as SNPA? I'm looking for a pale ale that has low bitterness. Thanks!
Although a Chicago beer and not sold in Michigan I would try Daisy Cutter Pale Ale from Half Acres. Now I haven't had this first hand but did have a conversation regarding this once and answer given to me is Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale brewed in Chicago. If you get your hands on it I'd love to hear your analysis.
I don't know anything about this one (I haven't had it) other than it is canned per the pic on the beer's BA page, and it is the highest rated pale ale in the Top 100 list for Michigan. https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34258/237735/ Personally, I'd drive to the Indiana border and pick up some Zombie Dust if the drive is not too far for you.
Zombie, Daisy Cutter and Cromulent are all great suggestions. If you’re looking for something available on the shelf in Michigan meeting your criteria, I would vice Oddside Black Citra or Citra Pale Ale a try. I think Founders is bringing back Mosaic Promise, which is also a great low ABV pale.
Problem with Founders Mosaic and Oddside Cites Pale Ale is they don't taste at all close to SNPA. I think if I'm not mistaken the OP wants a beer that is similar in quality and taste as SNPA. And I'm with him as I have yet to taste anything like it and from experience Oddside Citra Pale Ale and Founders Mosaic doesn't come close. However Founders Mosaic is delicious, still besides the point.
As Rkitchen wrote, these are all great suggestions. I've tried and enjoyed most of them. I used to alternate between Burning Lake and SNPA until I blind-tasted them and decided I liked SNPA more. BenHoppy has got it right. In the OP, I could/should have said that I'm looking for the reasonably-priced Midwest beer that I can find at Meijer that tastes the most like SNPA. Perhaps it doesn't exist...
It's part of what makes Sierra Nevada Sierra Nevada. The Pale Ale was my first introduction to Sierra Nevada and what I thought at the time was relatively new was in actuality about 3 decades old. They created this beer in the 70s and I have yet to find a brewery come close to it. Breweries either make it too hoppy to be an IPA or make a session IPA but fail at that pale ale flavor. It's what makes Sierra Nevada one of the best of the best and why after years and years I continue to buy Sierra Nevada. They sort've started the craft beer movement in America and still going strong. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is like Bells Oberon. No brewery comes close to Oberon, it's sort've like their flagship beer for these 2. And from all beers I've had nothing ever comes close to them, it's like they created their own style. Now the flagship for any new brewery is usually an IPA.
If it was available to you in Michigan, my answer would be New Glarus Moon Man, which is both absolutely excellent and very reasonably-priced. I don't really think Daisy Cutter fits the bill. It's a decent beer, but it's much less balanced than SNPA in favor of bitterness, more expensive, and honestly just simply doesn't taste as good as SNPA (to me). OP, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a beer similar to SNPA that does it as well as they do. It's a legend for a reason.
I don't know SNPA's flavor... (never seen it fresh, won't try it old) I enjoy citra pale ale by odd side too. It's normally fresh when I see it and reasonably priced. You may like dawn street pale ale by ellison, I think that is a little lighter on the bitterness. 16 oz cans though and may be higher priced than SNPA.
I would agree Moon Man is a great option if looking out of state. I also find Summit Pale Ale to be consistently solid as well. Circling back to Michigan distro, Space Rock has a similar profile and is worth a try, with year round availability. If Cigar City Invasion shows up here, also worth including in the taste test for best pale ale shelfie.
I love fresh IPA, but find SNPA tastes best 6 months old so I'd still recommend. Sierra Nevada are wizards when it comes to bottling, their beers typically taste good for 6 months plus even if it's an IPA. Only brewery I know capable of this.
By coincidence, I was drinking my first Space Rock an hour before you posted the recommendation. I liked it, and noted the similarities, though I think Space Rock leans more to hops and SNPA has more malt depth and is smoother.
Agreed Space Rock is delicious but that's an IPA and not a pale ale nor does it resemble SNPA. SNPA is more pale, hence pale ale. Space Rock is more bitter with hoppiness. But oh man haven't had a Space Rock in a long time. Now that's a great refreshing beer to have when spring starts to occur.
Space Rock is an APA. Agree, more bitterness, but we’re looking for a Unicorn here. https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9629/150274/
