Favorite session beers?

SNPA in cans tasted delicious when I was stateside just last week. Had a little over 2 months on it and everytime I cracked one, a solid dose of cascade hops emerged... my wife and I rocked it from the can for a couple of weeks while at the beach.

Otherwise, Brooklyn Lager is a favorite of mine when on the east coast.

 

Every night? Really...

Not that it isn't a great beer, but I'd have a hard time enjoying a quad every night, let alone 6 of the same one...

 

Last spring/summer time I had a bunch of Paulaner Hefeweizen and it was glorious. I don't really session, but that was great.

 

Cairngorm Black Gold Stout, Fyne Ales Jarl and Spectrum Dark Fantastic should be a good start.

 

Fremont Summer Ale! And its in cans now!!!!

 

patto1ro is being sarcastic. (or wait, are you being sarcastic as well? )

 

dales pale ale

 

Best session beer. There is no way I can pick just one. How about I make it broad. A low abv saison, A nice Kolsch. Pilsners, Schwarzbiers, One of my recent fave session beers is Hotter than Helles from Cigar City, and is the only beer I've tried for this style. Wit beers that are as flavorful as wheat beers which one I've tried from Rogue called Half E Weizen. Oh. Yuengling in the can. Ultimate session beer in the litres for me is Franziskaner Dunkel. Oh. a nice murphy's

 

Fremont Select 77 was pretty solid. 4% ABV APA.

 

Newburgh Brewing Smoked Stout.

 

I think we've discussed this in the past, but I am in complete agreement with you about many drinkers being unaware of this. Assuming our body is processing one beer per hour (a beer being defined as 12 ounces and 5% abv), then I can't call any beer over 5% a session beer. If something is "only" 5.6% abv, that will catch up with you over the course of a few beers, whether you notice it or not (tolerances vary obviously). For me personally, anything under 5% qualifies, and anything 4% or less (that still has flavor) is right in my wheelhouse. Unfortunately my wheelhouse in the USA is quite small.

This is why I LOVE NERAX. I can down multiple samples that are incredibly flavorful and not leave feeling wasted (maybe a bit buzzed, but still quite functional).

 

Old Milwaukee

 

Under 5%

Anchor Steam
Anchor Summer
Two Brothers Session Haul
Full Sail Session Lager
All the beautiful English Bitters I don't have access to

 

I've got to ask. Why wouldn't we be including pilsners as "beer"?

 

At around 4% ABV the dehydating effect of the alcohol balances the hydrating effect of the rest of the beer. Above 4% therefore beer ceases to be thirst quenching and we get into the realms of drinking water as well to avoid dehydration.
By pure serendipity ( the ravages of war and its consquent taxation) the standard pub beer in these islands settled down just shy of 4% and people found a) the brewers had learned how to brew very tasty beers of this strength and b) they could drink beer like this all night without too many ill effects.It became called session beer for a good reason.
If the term "session beer" is used loosely to describe anything you feel OK to drink in quantity it really becomes a meaningless adjective. It's the modern equivalent of "small beer" ie thirst quenching stuff intened to be drunk by the multiple pint.
No way on the planet could 5% ABV be considered to be a session beer; believe me you just can't treat it like one and I speak from bitter (pun intended) experience.

 

Timothy Taylors Landlord. At 4.1% and full of flavour it is the perfect session beer. Fullers Discovery isn't too far behind at only 3.9%. Also really liked Meantime's Pacific Pale Ale 4.0% but it hasn't really registered on here. Maybe this site should show the best rated beers under 4.5% regardless of style? (except alcohol free) Just an idea to put out there.

 

Ha- let's not go down that road- it's most definitely 'beer', and one of the great styles as far as I'm concerned.

I was just talking about how broad the discussion about 'session beers' would be in this thread. As you can see from other posters, it usually has a much more precise definition.

 

Leatherlips IPA at 5% - if you're in MA or RI it's definitely worth trying. Contender for hottest label?

http://beeradvocate.com/articles/698

 

New Albion Ale is the perfect session beer IMO.

 

I've cut down. It used to be seven.