Favorite session beers?

any English mild, the original session beer

 

Augustiner Brau Edelstoff lager . text-book session brew, imo .

 

I get this.
It's a beer you can drink with impunity, where you can start at 2pm and still be standing at 2am.
It's a beer that, if you're also talking, laughing, playing darts or whatever, it's hard to drink fast enough to get legless.
And I agree, that's increasingly difficult as you get to 5%.

Here's the trouble I have: I've never seen the 4% definition stated in any UK book or website.
I've seen alot of sub-4% beers described as session beers.
But I've also read Martyn Cornell, Melissa Cole and any number of British beer journalists refer to beers up to 4.4% as session beers.

Marquis, do you have any primary sources that state a session beer must not be over 4%?

 

Enjoy your hangovers!

 

I like any Kölsch or "Kölsch Style" for a session beer.

 

Agree 100%. Simply a fantastic beer. Tons of hop punch to it, the equivalent of most other breweries IPAs, but absurdly drinkable with that low abv. Glad you brought this one up. I tip my hat to you sir.

 

No and there never will be for the simple reason that beer and brewing has no governing body.Even if it did, how much notice would the US take of its decisions ? For example Kolsch in its native land is legally defined as a lager yet because it's top fermented many Americans think they know better and call it an ale
It's a case of custom and practice.A few years ago most pubs only sold a mild and a bitter , almost always between 3 and 3.9% ABV which became the norm. A few beers like Bass and Guinness were stronger and regarded as being special.
In the industry a session beer is up to 4%, then it's called premium and eventually strong. These annotations will amuse many BAs. To regard 4.8% as strong will seem strange unless the drinking habits , background and culture are taken into account.
From Fuller's website;
Chiswick Bitter is Fuller's popular session strength ale, which derives its name from the area of London where Fuller's is based.At 3.5% ABV in cask, this brew boasts a refreshing, highly drinkable flavour, flowery and fresh, with very well developed hop characteristics
London Pride
Known and loved for its smooth, distinctive malty base and rich balance of hops flavours, London Pride is London and the UK’s favourite premium ale. In the UK, draught London Pride is brewed to 4.1% ABV (cask and keg).

 

The reason I ask is this:
http://zythophile.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/how-old-is-the-term-session-beer/

TL;DR -
The term "session beer":

• has no historical meaning; it wasn't coined until 1982
• was first used in print by Michael Jackson referring to 4.8% German Helles
• is sometimes argued as 4% only because of the ordinary/best bitter split
• has "no cast-in-concrete rule about what strength [it] should be"

Martyn Cornell has done much of the serious research on the history of beer styles in the UK, so I'm inclined to believe him.

 

The discussion of that article is a thousand times more interesting and enlightening than any session beer discussion on this forum.

Thanks for the link.

 

Point taken which is why I refer to "custom and practice"
The terms "session", "premium" and "strong" are widely used in the trade and well understood by both the brewers and publicans.Look at a copy of a trade magazine such as the "Morning Advertiser"
The "ordinary/best bitter" split is a bit paradoxical as many brewers label their weakest brew as "Best Bitter"..........perhaps it isn't good selling technique to offer "ordinary" !

 

Any fruit beer by NG.

 

Well, it has nothing to do with believing him. He's simply done the leg work, and has yet to find the origin of "session."

 

I always found that Sam Adams Utopia is the best session beer

 

Rhinegiest's Uncle out of cincy. a british mild. perfect combination of low abv and flavor.

 

Central Waters Hop Rise.

 

Hoegaarden (Original White Ale) would make for a good one at 4.9%. I had a couple of those this weekend and was really shocked by how tasty and refreshing they were.

 

I was very fond of Jester King's Commercial Suicide, before they replaced it with the oak-aged version (also good, but not so easy to drink).

 

the people who have been drinking huge amounts of real session beers are too busy looking for a toilet to cause any trouble.

 

Brew dog dead pony club Californian pale ale
Tastes like a full fledge ipa and is only 3.8%
It is truly amazing stuff

 

I highly suggest Founders Nitro Oatmeal Stout