The Best Beer You Ever Had

A Gosser Spezial under duress in Austria, an unremembered (name) dark lager in the old Yugoslavia, and a highly remembered Young's Oatmeal Stout in London.

 

Every beer I have ever had after a day of skiing. I can't remember exactly what they were.

 

The first beer I had on my first night in Paris. My friends and I booked the trip of a lifetime and spent two weeks in Paris/Barcelona together. The first night we got there, by the time we checked into the hostel and were settled in, it was well past midnight. We went out into the streets of Montmartre and decided to grab some beers and head to the top of Sacré-Cœur. I couldn't tell you what beer they served me. It was some kind of pilsner. Drinking that beer after the day's events and traipsing the rain-soaked streets of Montmartre.... that was the best beer I've ever had.

 

Usually, it seems, a best beer ever "experience" was one that you didn't plan for; it just happened. And it usually involves being with family or friends or involves something unexpected like a bar or cafe or such with an awesome view. During most of these experiences for me, I never even remember the beer unless it was more recent. Like the time my dad, brother, and I had a beer in Greenwich Village during Christmas Eve, or the time I went to the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, or the great beer I had in Sweden for dinner. It almost always involves being with people you care about. Today, I might remember the beers and even write a review. But sometimes, those times just happen.

 

This is one of good beer stories.....

We were at our local mountain biking clubs fall fundraiser. It is a big festival with escorted rides. We were new to the club scene so joined an intermediate ride. We are pretty good technical mountain bikers. Our problem is we are not speed demons. Well intermediate meant pace not ability. Our group was almost all former athletes in their 20's and 30's. We are well into our 50's. The pace was shall we say, crushing. Our only saving grace is that every once in a while we would come through a good technical spot. It did feel good to roll by all the floundering group that was starting to wait longer and longer at each stop. After 8 miles we gave up and went back to the main fairgrounds. I was also fairly new to real good beer. I loved all the good mix packs and did not drink BMC. I still hadn't moved up to the truly great stuff. At the fair grounds DFH had donated a keg of Pumkin. That was absolutely delicious standing in the food line exhausted. I went back to buy number 2 and told the guy how good it was. He went off with great enthusiasm on everything about the beer. I quickly realized it was the owner and asked him. "Yep I am Sam". That is how I met Sam the first time and was very memorable. You cannot beat a great beer after an epic mountain bike ride poured by the owner of the brewery.

 

Mine is similar to your post-hiking Grain Belts. in 2005 I was in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with five other guys. No glass or aluminum containers allowed in the BWCA. Your only real option for beer at the time was a keg. Our trip was going to be too rigorous to haul a keg around, so booze it was. It turned out to be unseasonably hot for early June in Northern Minnesota. Drinking tepid filtered lake water for hydration and warm gin and tonics (with the tonic made from a powdered concentrate) was okay, but man, after paddling across a lake, portaging, and paddling across another lake and setting up camp in 90 degree heat I would have loved a beer. After six idyllic days in the wilderness we pulled up to our starting spot. I knew we had coolers full of beer in our cars, but after a week of really warm weather I was sure the ice would be melted, and the beer warm. Amazingly, there was still ice and cold beer. I grabbed a Summit Maibock, a good beer, but not a favorite of mine usually. It was cold, malty heaven. Haven't had a beer to match it before or since, even though I've drunk plenty of better beers.

 

We were headed to the Great Taste last year, and my friend plucked a Head Hunter straight from the bottling line and, given the promise that weekend held at that moment (6AMish)--so many beers I had yet to try and the camaraderie in store, it made an already amazing beer that much more so. I don't think the cap even had time to properly set--the machine set it in its place and then "snap" off into my belly (thanks Geoff!); the weekend included a stop at 3Fs and Madison proved to be a sweet host city.

Good question/thread; cheers.

 

Probably a side by side of Alesmith Grand Cru and BA Grand Cru I did with my dad for his birthday. The Grand Cru is his favorite beer and it took some work to get a hold of the BA version so it was a great evening.

 

My 21st birthday. I was working for a carnival at the time and had spent several days at our winter quarters working on our YoYo ride. Nobody knew it was my my 21st and I was essentially alone at the site. After working for about 16 hours I walked about 2 miles to the nearest convenience store and picked up a six pack of Widmers' Hefe along with some grub. After getting back to the lot I realized I had left the ladder up that led to the top of the ride so I climbed up and killed most of the sixpack and a couple of spliffs while sitting in the lighted crown.


(not the same ride, not my pic)

 

With a six pack and a couple of spliffs in you I bet that ladder walk back down was interesting.

 

To say the least, it was practically a thrill ride in of itself.

 

Yes, the circumstances can indeed aid in a beer being satisfying. A short story: drinking Genny Bock in a hot tub after a long day of cross country skiing in 7 degrees weather.

The longer story below:

"So, permit me to tell a story. I was recently in Lake Placid, NY with my wife and a bunch of friends cross country skiing. My wife and I stopped at a Rite Aid to pick up some stuff. In the Rite Aid there is a beer in multiple refrigerators. While my wife pick up the needed items I briskly went to see what beer was available (the supply of homebrewed beers I brought was getting low). I spied a twelve pack of Genny Bock beer (in cans). My wife sees me take it out and immediately asked: “Why are you buying that?’ What she was really asking was: Why are you buying that crap?” I replied: “I want to try it”. She asked me several more times over the course of 2-3 minutes: “Why are you buying that (crap)?” I was actually getting a little bit irritated. I paid $6.99 for twelve beers; what a deal!! So, we went back to the house we rented. I changed into my swim trunks and took my twelve pack to the hot tub. Now, I will readily admit that Genny Bock is not a craft beer but it sure was an enjoyable beer to drink while soaking in the hot tub after an exhausting day of cross country skiing (in 7°F conditions). I would go so far as to say that if somebody is exhausted from cross country skiing and soaking in a hot tub that Genny Bock is the perfect beer for that exact situation.

Several other of the people in the hot tub tried the Genny Bock and they enjoyed drinking it. My wife did not drink a single Genny Bock (she only drank my homebrewed beers)."

Cheers!

 

Liter of Pilsner Urquell followed by several absinthes with a great friend in Prague