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| 2002-06-06 |
| Kevin Holtsberry has a poll up on which country makes the best beer. Now, beer being one of my favorite fruits, I happen to have some empirical knowledge of the subject. One can't ask "where's the best beer made?" One has to ask, "where does the best lager come from?" And pilsner. And alt (dark beer to the cola drinkers). And ale. And "best" is a slippery term. I favor an ice cold Coors Lite on a hot day. The tastiest beer I've ever had was Thurn und Taxis, a German dark that was so smooth I kept wanting more. With a good meal, Budvar — which Budweiser is named after but doesn't taste like — is fair tasty, as well, with a good bite. In the mood, I enjoyed cold Sapporo — it has a faint taste of apples, believe it or not, in Japan. In Vietnam I enjoyed 33 (ba muoi ba) over ice, despite its faint formaldehyde overtones. I find Canadian beers quite enjoyable, but not as memorable as German brands. Heinekin in overrated, as is Kronenbourg, but Sankt Pauli Girl is tasty in Germany. I understand it doesn't travel well, though. Wheat beer is an acquired taste (I've only seen it in Germany), but once acquired, it's pretty fine, as are most of the bocks I've had. How about worst beers? Ballentine, a local Pennsylvania beer, has (maybe had — it's been awhile) one of the worst tastes I've ever encountered, and Ballentine ale was worse. In Germany, if you go to Berlin stay away from Schultheiss (aka Scheisshaus). Most Mexican beers are crummy, in Mexico anyway, and Italians shouldn't be allowed to make beer. I heard for years how good Anchor Steam Beer is, and when I finally tried it I was disappointed and ordered a Beck's next round. English beer is best in England, by the way; I don't like Bass that I've had in the USA, but I can't remember ever having it in England, so maybe it's overrated there, too. In a class all its own is Schmidt's of Philadelphia. In Pennsylvania, this is a perfectly respectable brand, with a taste kind of like PBR. In Vietnam, back in days of old, it became notorious for its taste. Typically a pallet of beer would sit in the sun on a dock in Saigon or Cholon on wherever the hell it came in. Eventually it would be sent north, loaded off the dock by wallopers with horny hands and no IQs and no finer feelings — you cannot toss beer; you cannot thump beer. It would either fly or be trucked, stopping and sloshing in the cans many times, to eventually end up in some base camp. There is could be chilled for the first time in six months or longer. To truly enjoy it, Schmidt's had to be poured into a glass, though in an emergency it could be drunk from the can. Bets were sometimes laid on who got the biggest blob of unidentified oily substance floating on the top where the foam was supposed to be. But it was, technically, beer. If you had no other beer, it was the staff of life, a taste treat that couldn't be beat... Just my opinion, and worth every penny you paid for it. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #4 The best Schmidts I ever had was in a bar across the Schuylkill River from UPenn one summer day when a ROTC friend and I went to that bar which catered to the UPenn janitors and didn't check ID. The first was great, the next left something to be desired. I'd guess that coming in out of the 95F/95% humidity added to the perception. Best beer I've ever had: Reichsadlerbrauery in Steppach, Bavaria by Augsburg. The brewery runs a great butchershop also. My wife and I used to walk to the brewery, eat dinner at the gasthaus, and carry back 20 bottles of beer and kgs of wursts on a nice summer night. |
| Posted by: Tom Roberts 2002-06-07 11:32:49 |
| #3 I have tried Warsteiner, touted as the most popular brand in Germany, but found it only OK (but just about anything beats Budweiser, I think). Just tried some Staropramen from Prague, but it didn't keep well so I can't give it a fair assessment. :( |
| Posted by: Stone 2002-06-07 11:06:25 |
| #2 Three cheers for Budvar! It is a Czech beer made in Budvar in that country. The bottles say "Budweiser," which is how the say, "of Budweiser." The Czech version has nothing to do with the American version, I promise. |
| Posted by: Donald S. 2002-06-07 07:44:19 |
| #1 As one who has aquired a taste for wheat beer, I would like to endorse a couple of American microbrews: Boulevard's Unfiltered Wheat and Abita Turbo Dog. Not sure how they compare to old-country Weissbier (or is that Weitzenbier?) Agree, Heineken is overrated. And Rantburg cannot be overrated :) |
| Posted by: Stone 2002-06-07 06:17:35 |