I actually don't agree with my title as a statement of principle! There is such a thing as bad press. BUT there was a recent thread where someone was questioning whether Stone had jumped the shark. Well, truth is, maybe they have, maybe they haven't. But reading the thread made me realize it had been a while since I'd had a normal Stone beer. So, I bought a 6-pack of their IPA and a 6-pack of their Go To IPA. And my take away was that as much as I love Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Torpedo, I need to remember to have Stone in my lineup. They are awesome beers. So, to belatedly get to the point, what beers do you hear someone complain about that reminds you, "hey, I like that beer?" Maybe the person complaining is your sister. Maybe it's a neighbor at the picnic. Maybe a BA on this very site. But the beers are all most likely very standard styles. Fairly well available. But we forget to appreciate them for the excellent joy they can bring. Cheers, and enjoy the rediscovery!
People seem to be too cool for DFH these days. Please forward any excess Palo Santo and Indian Brown Ale directly to Mass if you're among these folks.
Summer Shandy. It's gets crapped on, but mowing the lawn on a hot Michigan summer day isn't the same without them.
For me it's a couple of locals, Stoudts' Gold Lager and Yard's Brawler. The first, an Helles-style Lager, gets bad-mouthed by some I know as being a boring lager or a poor American imitation of the "real" thing, but when I have it fresh and on tap I think those folks are missing something. Traditional or not the beer is meant to be enjoyed and serves that purpose well for me. Wish I had a fresh case in the basement.... The second gets passed over by some who say "boring and tasteless," but every time I get some as part of the Yard's Variety case it takes rme back in memory to three or four long afternoon/evenings of drinking/talking/eating and relaxing in an English Country-side pub with a group of good friends I've not seen for a while. The Brawler is in the right ballpark for a Dark Mild and is almost low enough in ABV to be a true session beer for such occasions where the beer is an integral part of the whole experience rather than somethig that is the focus of the session.
There is a lot of hate on this site for new belgium beers but I love almost every thing they brew. No it is not the rare whale or the latest and greatest but it is just good beer available at a good price.
Flying Dog in last 12 months has been notorious for being in the press and gimmicky things to overshadow non-excellent beers, but their recent Dopplebock is extremely well made for the style and quite a tasty surprise. No gimmicks at all with that one.
