Discussion The Beer Thread!

[TStew]

Well like usual I've been hitting the IPA's, lately two of my favorites, both happen to be from Great Lakes, and both seasonal that just passed their season. Great Lakes Chillwave double IPA, easily my most favorite beer currently (9.4%ABV, 95% score on beeradvocate, and previously called Alchemy Hour fwiw). Will be a long wait until next spring And also Great Lakes Rye of the Tiger, a rye IPA (7.5%ABV, 90% on beeradvocate). Much cheaper that Chillwave, but still great strong IPA with a punch of peppery rye make for a beer with some bite! Both are pretty potent and I'd only recommend to hard core IPA fans.

 

[LadyHatake]

Smokey Mountain Brewery in Pigeon Forge, TN. I had the Cherokee Red Ale there, and it was DELICIOUS. (Also, AWESOME wings! Never had a sauce quite like theirs; ended up having them make me an entire bottle of sauce to take home xD) It's supposed to be similar recipe to traditional Irish red ales. I wish I'd bought a growler of it while I was still there, but I forgot

 

[Kaiten]

Drinking a Duvel Tripel Hop 2014. Very tangy, almost a grapefruit finish, with an almost herbal taste. Light tasting and crisp for a 9.5% ABV tripel. Very good.

 

[TStew]

Sounds good Kaiten I might have to try to find that one.

Tried a new to me brew from Ommegang...

I usually don't like wheat ales, with the exception of a couple wheat IPA blends, but Ommegang Witte was actually nice, and seemed to go well ice cold on a hot summer day after some hard work outside. Perhaps its the Belgian yeast and flavors that make it nice compared to most wheat ales I've had.

 

[Kaiten]

Drinking a Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. One of my favorite bears.

 

[TStew]

Hmm interesting timing for this to be brought back up. Just went to an Oktoberfest party the other weekend thats put on by a few home brewers that got together and started sharing tips and equipment, etc. Guess it started several years ago, and has grown each year. Now its a huge event they even hire entertainment, setup food and desert tents, have games and activities, porta-johns lol and even commemorative glass beer mugs. And most importantly... tons and tons of beer all home brewed!

The Tap Wall. Each has a tag with the name of the brew and who made it.

Backside of the tap wall. About 200 gallons of beer!

The alphorn players were a nice touch!

I had a long drive home solo so didn't go too crazy. Was there for several hours, tried maybe about a dozen or so brews, just filled up the glass 1/4-1/3 each time, enough to get a good sample, and ate a ton of food and talked with friends. Two of the brewers I knew from work which is how I was invited. One of them was my ol shift supervisor when I joined the company.

 

[Kiki]

My friend drank 0% alcohol beer, in Germany. She's muslim, never tried alcoholic beer before. Have you guys tried it? How is it compared to the alcoholic one?

 

[Charlie]

I recon it'd be like a glass that's half full and half not?

 

[xi0]

My friend drank 0% alcohol beer, in Germany. She's muslim, never tried alcoholic beer before. Have you guys tried it? How is it compared to the alcoholic one?

Most of those beers aren't actually 0% alcohol, but alcohol-free beer is anything less than 0.5% ABV here.

I've had it but selection is usually so limited that even if you don't drink beer to get drunk, it's kind of a lackluster experience.

 

[Brandish μ]

Someone I know who was once a heavy drinker received a placebo type of effect from the alcohol free beer, they felt a bit drunk, the first few times.

 

[Erinyes]

Most of those beers aren't actually 0% alcohol, but alcohol-free beer is anything less than 0.5% ABV here.

Here, there are both low alcohol content as you mentioned under 0.5% % and alcohol-free (0.00%) beers. Lately they started to become more popular, there's even such exhaustive guides that rank best alcohol free/low beers : https://brewnation.fr/biere-sans-alcool-guide-et-liste-complete/#Notre_Top_10_des_bieres_sans_alcool

Someone I know who was once a heavy drinker received a placebo type of effect from the alcohol free beer

Mostly people I know who drink alcohol free beers are drinkers in cessation or people who can't drink alcohol for whatever reasons. And I've heard similar things as feeling slight alcohol effects even when theres 0.00% of alcohol in it, for drinkers in cessation.

My friend drank 0% alcohol beer, in Germany. She's muslim, never tried alcoholic beer before. Have you guys tried it? How is it compared to the alcoholic one?

There's nothing wrong in not drinking beer or not wanting to drink, but if she is in Germany, and that she really wants to experience beers, as part of cultural discovery, beer is a big thing in Germany, there are plenty of beer festivals there (or maybe not with Corona ?) alcohol free beers are the best alternative, if she doesn't want to go against her beliefs. Did she like it ?
I have never tasted it, but I guess it's probably like anything with free content of something, it might be slightly different, but lately they become more and more popular, a lot of people are trying to get healthier diets but still want to enjoy beer or any drink. so they opt for low-alcohol content or alcohol free drinks, there are even more and more no/low alcohol content coctails in restaurants/bars, here, so pretty sure that some of those beers are close in taste to actual beers.

 

[xi0]

Here, there are both low alcohol content as you mentioned under 0.5% % and alcohol-free (0.00%) beers. Lately they started to become more popular, there's even such exhaustive guides that rank best alcohol free/low beers : https://brewnation.fr/biere-sans-alcool-guide-et-liste-complete/#Notre_Top_10_des_bieres_sans_alcool

Yes, my favorite german brand Weihenstephaner also has one, but even that can kind of pale by comparison.

--- Double Post Merged, Oct 16, 2021, Original Post Date: Oct 16, 2021 ---

I haven't seen any of my favorite Belgian brands make one though, since I prefer Belgian over German usually. My guess is that many Belgian brews have such high alcohol content lending itself to the flavor that it's hard to pull off and make something representative.

 

[Erinyes]

I haven't seen any of my favorite Belgian brands make one though

I know Jupiler and Leffe have, afaik there are among the most popular/appreciated Belgian beers. Im not sure for Chimay i think they have low-alcohol content but not alcohol free. But most biggest brands have now. Which brands do you refer to ?

--- Double Post Merged, Oct 16, 2021, Original Post Date: Oct 16, 2021 ---

@Kiki did you taste alcohol free sake (amazake) ? I heard of it recently, I was going to order some, seems it's great (sweet somehow, I ve heard) and a healthy drink.

 

[xi0]

I know Jupiler and Leffe have, afaik there are among the most popular/appreciated Belgian beers. Im not sure for Chimay i think they have low-alcohol content but not alcohol free. But most biggest brands have now. Which brands do you refer to ?

I didn't know about Chimay, but the favorite Trappist I've had is Rochefort.

My favorites are Tripel Karmeliet or Delirium Nocturnum. Kasteel Rouge or some nice sour lambics are a nice alternative too.

 

[Erinyes]

I didn't know about Chimay, but the favorite Trappist I've had is Rochefort.

My favorites are Tripel Karmeliet or Delirium Nocturnum. Kasteel Rouge or some nice sour lambics are a nice alternative too.

Oh you know Rochefort, you color me surprised here, I never expected this to be known outside EU, I ve stayed a couple of months in Rochefort for professional reasons, but never tasted its beer. Tbh, I'm not knwoledgeable about beers and alcohols generally speaking, I just happen to be living in a place where beer is almost the #1 drink, almost everyone around me drinks it more or less, while I'm a heavy coffee drinker The ones you mentioned are unlikely to have alcohol free counterparts. But I have heard that there is only one trappist alcohol free beer, named Nillis ( I think it's a Dutch one).