Beer lessons learned in 2023

In spite of all the zany trends, Celebration is still the best IPA on the market.

 

Did you jump in and buy an entire bottle or just a pour?

 

Learned that IPAs give me heartburn. Then again, they never did before I gained a bunch of weight - roughly 40 pounds. So maybe it’s the weight causing it?

Luckily, I’ve already started to lose some of that weight - a little over 20 pounds. Going to have a Tröegs 19.2 oz can of Perpetual IPA either tonight or tomorrow night, so we shall see how that goes.

 

A whole bottle of course! I got it for $270. Other stores in town had a lottery to win the privilege to pay $300 to $350. I had called around and asked about it, and one owner I know got one in right after I called, and set it aside for me.

 

WOW that is a HUGE beer to have an entire bottle of. One taste a few years back was enough for me.

 

I'm not going to pay inflated prices for imported lager beers. I will find domestic substitutes.

 

I finally after ALL these beer drinking years, learned NOT to buy a case of the same beer. Yes there are beer drinkers that will whole heartedly disagree with this but after a couple of the case I always got bored. Now I prefer to sample a few of different beers of a few different breweries each week.full discloser I have drastically reduced my beer consumption which makes this much easier to do.

 

I like to buy a few single of beers I have not tried, say 6 or so, then buy a six pack of my go to beer (Zombie Dust). That is my SBP (standard beer procedure). If I am out of state I might buy two of the new beers so I can share when I get back home.

 

That works

 

As you venture away from the haze, consider giving TH another chance. Most of their classic style beers are on point.

 

I can barely do one on my own in an evening. Pulled a Parabola out of the fridge and nursed it for 3 hours and even while drinking plenty of water, I still managed to have a slight headache in the morning.

 

I find that Founders Centennial, my favorite IPA, is much fresher in a 24 pack than other formats. However, as a moderate drinker with teetotaling relatives, I have no use for 24 cans of any one beer.

 

Yes I found the same thing. And I used to buy that beer in cases too.

 

It's a lesson that I learned years ago, but every year is a refresher course: Yes, often times your local, neighborhood brewery makes beers that are the equal, or even better than, all the big hype breweries. Don't get blinded by the noize!

 

Yowsah. I am only 70+, but I endorse your perspective!!

 

Rookie mistake, didn't check the date.
I bought old, unreview-able beer twice.
My lesson learned is don't make impulse buys and fact check first...and bring glasses always.

On a positive note, I learned some interesting facts about Finnish beer drinking culture.

 

Hazies aren't for me. I've tried many and while some are tasty (Julius, for example) I am also left thinking, "This is good, for what it is, but it's nothing special."

I'll take a regular DFH 60 minute over the best hazies out there.

 

Honestly, like I've read alot from some of my fellow veterans, not trying a bunch of new expensive stuff. Been drinking alot of wicked weed, two hearted, CELEBRATION!( at least 2 cases) bought some hopslam just because, 1 case brought to me from Michigan, one case bought a month later when it hit Alabama.the voodoo ranger cryo was good had a nice dry aspect. But overall main lesson learned stick with the 10 or 20 basic dependable brands that never venture. Ghost in the machine is my only costly beer but I don't buy it too much, once you have constant access to it you realize its really good, but chalky.

 

I agree, I had Pliny years ago, I'm from CA so just told my family I was looking for it before I visited and my brother had half a case in the fridge for me from the brewery!( hence my profile Pic, my dad was drinking Buds and I was drinking Pliny, enjoy by, and gf sculpins lol)
Heady, was harder to find. Finally traded for some and it was ok. Just tasted like a fresh stone fml to me. Focal was awesome tho. I just dont get why
Heady has so much praise. More understandable that it's a legend for its time. Good tasting well rounded beers have become so much more easily acquired. Hazy little thing is everywhere, even gas stations and tastes like the whales of 2015