What are your Five BUCKET LIST BEERS!?!

aka Pilsner On Call or (supposedly) Pilsner of Cleveland.

I spend a year or so in NYS in the Adirondacks, 15 miles or so from the Canadian border and stopped into a cool old bar in the town where my ol' man was born and raised, and it had a big old POC sign above the bar. Who'd have thunk that beer ever made it up there. What - UC, Genesee, Topper, Iroquois, Standard and Senate weren't good enough for them?

 

Acronyms are often misunderstood. For instance, many people, including the brewer, (who has actually mislabeled it), believe that PBR stands for "Pabst Blue Ribbon", when it's actually "People's Beer of Richmond."

 

I guess "bucket list" means places I'd like to go, to sample the beers, or at least revisit. I've been to Russian River--the original brewpub in Santa Rosa (2015); we lucked out and got there around 2:30, during a lull (usually there's a long wait). Sampled the Pliny and several sour beers, with pizza. I've been to Hill Farmstead several times as well--the first before there was a terribly friendly brewpub experience (it's better now). That leaves the Pilsen brewery and Cantillon as places I'd love to visit--just missed a side trip to Cantillon last time we were in Brussels. One place I'd really love to re-visit is the Mort Subite cafe in Brussels--their Blanche Lambic was amazing, on tap. And finally the time machine: the (outside) German beer garden, set in a little fake cloister, at the old Pabst brewery in Milwaukee.

 

I'm taking this as five beers I think everyone should try at least once that I've enjoyed.

1. Heady Topper -- Bonus points if you get it on the hand pump at the brewery. A truly perfect beer.

2. Pliny the Elder -- I had Younger (the year they bottled it), and I'd take Elder over it. I'd love to try Younger on tap though. I had Elder on tap once at a bar outside of Boston that got a keg. I knew one of the bartenders and while they had a maximum of two pours per person, she let me have three. Amazing experience.

3. Hill Farmstead Arthur -- A perfect saison, to me. I'm not a HF fan boy, I've been a few times and always had a great experience, but the fact that this beer is available every day and that it's so (relatively) inexpensive is incredible.

4. Maine Beer Co. Lunch - This is the beer that got me back into beer. I ordered it on a whim at a restaurant in Maine after I had taken a break from drinking for a while, and it just blew my mind. A perfectly balanced beer. Incredible when it's fresh, especially on tap.

5. Miller High Life -- OK. This is going to need an explanation, and this choice is situation dependent. There's nothing much better on a hot day then hanging out with a bunch of really good friends, having a good conversation and polishing off an 18-pack of High life bottles. Sometimes it's the socialization part of beer that's the part that's most important.

 

jealous!! I recently had a share with all the earlier batches (2017 and earlier) minus B3 - still hope to hunt it down one day. Such a great tick.

 

Cosmic Hum

 

I think how he handled this question was based on his recommendation to those new to craft beer or just overall. In that case, I’m similar. Would go:
-Pliny
-Julius or any of their core lineup
-Fou Foune
-Bourbon County
-Westy 12


Personally, I still have numerous beers on my wish and/or bucket list. Been wanting to try these for years.

1. king Jjjulius
2. Pliny the Younger
3. BBT side project
4. KBBS
5. Either BA Abraxas or BA coconut vibes

 

I really have only two and they are both on your list: Pilsner Urquell at the source and Timothy Taylor Landlord at a cozy British Pub.

 

I previously listed 5 beer that I had in the distant past that adhere closely to the German Lager / British Ale axis. I should have listed a few that were revelations in the 70s, but maybe not permanent favorites: Liefman's Kriek (a wonder then, less good these days), Berlinerweisse Schultheisse (also in the 70s, cloudy and slightly tart), Anchor Porter (intense body, with roasty and hoppy flavors). In about '80 I joined a homebrew club, with at least one member making excellent all-grain beers (much better than my extract brews).

 

I am trying to drink a beer from every country. So any 5 countries I have not sampled would be fine with me.

 

1. Westvleteren XII at the brewery (I have had some , but I want it from the source)
2. Anything from Cantillon
3. Pliny the Younger (preferably at Russian River, but I would take it any way I could get it)
4. Pilsner Urquell at the source.
5. Anything from Hill Farmstead

 

Spotted Cow is good , but it’s not even the best beer New Glarus does. Moon Man (pale ale) and Two Women (helles, IMHO) are better

 

I got back into craft beer (after the microbrew phase) about 15 years ago. I went to Public House in SF and had:

1. Stone Double Bastard
2. Ballast Point Victory at Sea

I would add the following:

1. Gordan Biersch Marzen (flash back to the microbrew days)
2. Hair of the Dog - any style (probably Matt)
3. SN Pale Ale
4. FW - any style

Yeah, that's more than five. Oh well...sure it leaves off Alesmith Speedway Stout - Vietnamese, Pliny the Younger (a beer that met it's hype), and others.

Similar to most you, I have been fortunate to try most of the beers. I'm more interested in the brewery experience which aligns with many of your suggestions.

I will end that visiting London pubs, German Beer Halls in Munich, and having a Guiness in Dublin is a most. I'm sure having a Czech Pilsner and Belgium at the source should be included, but I haven't made it yet.

 

Reality Czech - Moonlight Brewing
Permanent Funeral - 3 Floyd’s
Dead Guy Ale - Rogue
Weichsel Rotbier - Schlenkerla
Komes Imperial Amber - Browar Fortuna

 

DFPF, Rodenbach Beers, Allagash White, Mango Cart, and a Kvass

 

Yup.