What's your old reliable?

Half Acre Fader
Available practically anywhere for $9-10 a sixer. It’s just a solid, well executed pils. Others might be better (Dovetail) but cost and ease of obtaining make Fader a fridge staple.

Then again, I picked up a 12-pack of Trumer Pils for $12 today, so I might soon have a new old reliable.

 

Bells Two Hearted, SN Torpedo, Jai Alai and Brooklyn Sixpoint Bengali.

 

When it comes to IPAs, I have the Dirt Wolf Standard.

This is the way that I judge hyped and limited release IPAs. Is it better than Victory's Dirt Wolf which is a beer that I can find relatively fresh and at a decent price practically anytime of the year?

Most hyped releases fail to meet this standard.

 

Fader is solid, but I like Pony even more. How fresh is the Trumer? Went to pick up last month but no dates on the box.

In terms of my “Old Reliable”, Budweiser was my beer of choice (more of a whiskey guy) until I got into craft. While I pick up mostly seasonal releases, the year round releases that I’ve discovered during COVID that I wouldn’t hesitate picking up again are:

• Deschutes Lil’ Squeezy 6 packs
• Spiteful IPA 6 packs
• Revolution League of Heroes 12 packs
• Founders All Day IPA 15 Packs
• Schlitz 12 packs or 16 oz six packs

If I had regular access Pliny the Elder and Beachwood Amalgamator would be in my fridge at all times.

 

I love every beer they do. I can find them every where. Philly Pale, Brawler and Washington’s Porter are absolute favorites

 

Pizza Port Swami's IPA for me

 

The Philly pale in stovepipe cans is a life saver at $3

almost as hoppy as a regular ipa. The yellow throws people off because most pales are orange or amber. It’s awesome.

 

going backwards in time with domestic brews:
2016-2020: Montauk Driftwood is pretty good; also Brooklyn Pilsener
1995-2016: Blue Point ESB (fantastic then)
1985-1995: The wilderness years; some New Amsterdam Amber and Newman's Amber
1977-1985: McSorley's Cream Ale (very good then);
1975-1978: Huber's Augsburger; also Pabst Andeker
1972-1975: Ballantine Ale
1970-1972: nothing regular, but Anchor Steam was an occasional treat ($5.00 a sixer!)
1968: any brew available

 

We got a drop of House Lager and Copper Legend here in Ohio sometime during the fall. I would pick up House Lager fairly regularly if it came back.

 

Two Hearted

 

Ommegang Three Philosophers

 

Another vote for Sip, especially now that I'm in the NE. If I was still in NorCal, it would have to be Pliny . . . with expanded production there, it's pretty much available throughout the Greater Bay Area all the time.

EDIT: Also Two Hearted, when fresh.

 

This was a regular of mine and love the full flavor and lower abv, but I can never find it fresh.

 

My go to beers are La Trappe (any), Rochefort 10, Pannepot and Black Albert.

 

Crap, I probably have a list of like 20-30 beers I revisit frequently. Some fall out of favor with me and new ones come in as the years go by. Most of my favorites in rotation were listed by others previously which shows you guys have good taste.

 

Stone IPA, SABL, SNPA, Hop Bullet (although it’s getting harder to find, as it is being replaced on store shelves by Hazy, Wild, and Big Things), Fist City, Furious, Alesmith IPA (now that we are finally getting it around here again), FBS, Old Rasputin, Founders Porter, Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout

 

Founders kills it with these $16-$17 15 packs. Centennial and All Day year round. Mosaic and Unraveled in the summer. My fridge is never without one of them.

Short's Bellaire Brown and Left Hand's Nitro Stout are usually hanging out for when I don't want an IPA but don't want anything from the cellar.

 

I am still thinking about this one... brother was here a couple weeks ago and he brought me one. One of the more memorable beers I’ve had in ages... such a great melon flavor that I don’t think I had ever tasted previously

 

SNPA, Be Hoppy, Allagash White, House Lager. You'll almost always find at least two of these in my fridge at any given time.

 

It’s a completely different beer than it’s little brother, and that 9.4 abv is very well hidden. If I had to guess I’d guess it the 8 abv range. Imo its difficult to make big IPAs that are not leaning towards too sweet, but the balance is perfect. Glad it’s local.