OT - What beer or wine are you drinking lately?

[bill5]

I just saw Dogfishhead had a pumpkin ale - surprising for this time of year. I'm not a fan of "flavored" beers but make the exception here, always buy some around Sept when it is out. Blue Moon has a good pumpkin ale and Sam Adams' isn't bad. I'm a big Dogfishhead IPA fan so I figured this would be great. It sucks.   Fortuantely, I also bought some of the IPA so the day wasn't a total loss.

[Stokely]

I'm not that picky with beer as long as it isn't the cheapo stuff.  I've been on a bit of a Guinness kick when I drink some beer.  At gigs this often isn't an option  Depends on the spot.

I actually prefer sake over wine (I suppose it's a type of wine.)  Wine, unlike coffee or beer, I have no appreciation for when it comes to telling cheap from expensive.  From some blind tests I've watched, neither do some "experts".  I'd be happy with the box stuff   

[timwat]

Gneiss, Solid Ground Brewing. It's a nitro dry irish stout.

Nutty But Nice, Epidemic Ales. It's a peanut butter stout.

 

There's a theme here.

[NewImprov]

I recently went for about a year of not drinking beer (Oct 2021-Nov 2022), I didn't really intend to quit, I was doing a food elimination test to deal with some allergy issues, quit beer for a few months and just kinda stayed quit for a while.

 

But before the holidays, I was doing some baking and one of the things I do every year is to make small loaves of the Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread, and it calls for Guinness or some other stout. I got some of the Oakshire Brewing Overcast Espresso Stout, from Eugene. I drank one as a test, it was delicious. As was the Gingerbread.

 

Then I had a Fort George Vortex IPA the other day, it was excellent, light, very citrus/grapefruity.

 

Some friends of mine took over a brewery here in Corvallis (Oregon Trail Brewing) and will  starting to release their beers soon, looking forward to tasting what they do.

[bill5]

17 minutes ago, Stokely said:

I'm not that picky with beer as long as it isn't the cheapo stuff.  I've been on a bit of a Guinness kick when I drink some beer. 

Funny you say that, I have too, and I've never been a big Guinness fan. I always thought it was like making love in a canoe (####ing close to water).  Yeah it tastes good, but until recently I didn't see the point of drinking such weak beer. Now that I've gotten into stronger beers, it's a good offset. 

 

 

[Mike Davis]

We had a family dinner tonight at an English style pub. They had a tantalizing collection on offer, but I passed because I was driving.

Beer is actually a rare treat for me, but in general I like IPAs. 

[timwat]

wine:

The Prisoner. Bordeaux style red blend. Pasta and meat.

Crocker & Starr One Post. Cabernet Sauvignon. Steak and Beef Wellington.

Saldo. An inexpensive zin, pizza and pasta.

 

liquor:

The Botanist. Gin - martinis and negronis

Chopin. Potato vodka - sipping chilled

Lagavulin. peaty islay single malt. The go to. Always neat.

 

 

[Baldwin Funster]

Smirnoff citrus. Easily disguised as water. Know what I mean vern?

[Bobbo Fett]

I quit drinking last October, but I'm a huge fan of Guinness 0.0.....tastes enough like the real thing to work for me! Guinness was my go to before that....

[drawback]

I’m a red wino from way back. I like Old World reds, some French, Italian, but mostly Spanish Grand Reservas — 2 years oak barrel. Favourite daily for at least ten years has been is Monasterio but do like a good Italian barollo or something from the south of France ie, Languedoc. 

[bill5]

When I drink wine it's mostly red, but not because I like red better per se, it's just lower in sugar and being a prediabetic do what I can for a healthy diet 😉 I will have an occasional white in the summer just because white is more of a summer-y wine to me. I don't have a preference for any particular country/state/region. Good wines come from many places. I will say that although when I think of the best wine or favorite wines, Spain almost never comes to mind...but I've never had a bad wine from Spain. I can't say that about any other place, including France. 

 

Meanwhile I'm trying another new beer I bought simply because I'd never tried it before so what the heck. An ale. Unfortunately I didn't read the fine print and notice it was a Belgian wheat ale, which I can't stand. It tastes like I'm chewing on cloves. ugh. Dogfishhead IPA here I come.

[Steve Nathan]

We stick mostly to Italian Reds, Amarone if someone else is buying 😄  We like most anything with some Corvina grapes in the mix, Gran Passione Rosa is our most days choice. 

[DeltaJockey]

I always used to enjoy Guinness, but many years ago found a local Aussie Coopers Stout which in my opinion taste waay  better. Redback wheat beer from Western Aus is great too.

 

More recently I'm staying away from alcohol in general though, and enjoy another local zero alcohol beer made also by Coopers brewery. Australian alcoholic drinks like wine and beer are so good, that it's really unnecessary for us to look off shore to other drinks

[bill5]

When I lived in NC, there was this stout I found called Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout, loved it, but haven't seen it since. I like stouts and porters in the winter...

[Tom Williams]

I can't stand beer. 

 

A couple years ago my guitarist turned me on to barrel-aged Narwhal stout.  It remains my Desert Island grain drink.

I also like the barrel-aged stout by Boulevard (Kansas), and "plain" Guinness double stout. 

 

My current wine-like substance of choice is 10 year old Carvalhas tawny port.

 

As for "pure" wine, I love me a good Auslese Reisling.

[TommyRude]

Beer:  can't stand IPA's, they taste like poison to me (sorry IPA fans).  Love Bavarian beers.. try Hofbrau sometime.

 

Wine:  we belong to a couple of local wineries, which means buying a dozen bottles throughout the year.  It's a good deal if you like the wine, and you get to go to the annual member events, which are pretty awesome.  Phelps is one, their flagship Insignia is a velvety cabernet and goes great with a nice ribeye.

 

For both beer & wine, most of the time we try to pair them with the right food.  All kinds of possibilities, and it's fun to match up foods by region, i.e. a pasta dish matched up with a nice Tuscany chianti.

[mauriziodececco]

Well, i don't systematically drink the same wine, i tend to try different things.

 

Last nice discovery was a wine from Sicily, the Planeta Chardonnay, no idea if it can be found in the US.

 

Maurizio

[Old No7]

Beer or wine ? ? ?

 

I think not... Look at my forum name & avatar!!!

 

Old No7

[Stokely]

As I say I'm not particularly picky but with the explosion of craft beers there are some I have encountered that are not my...cup of tea, or beer.

A former drummer got on me to try this "cream soda" beer--"tastes just like the soda!" (which already sounded gross to me)....and yeah it did taste like cream soda for about a second, then it morphed into a really bad aftertaste.   Candy bar or other sweet food beers, nope.  Same for most of the fruity ones, there was a "watermelon" beer on tap last time I played at one of the crafty beer joints and I passed on that.  I don't mind blue moon though.

As a few of you have mentioned, I'm trying to cut down as I've recognized I have a bit of a problem and would like to get healthier in general.  Biggest issue is that I rarely stop at one drink, whatever it is, especially at home with no driving consideration.

[octa]

I only partake occasionally these days. Last nite was a couple of perfectly ice cold Dos Equis at Mexican restaurant, followed by multiple cans of Modello. Limes in all the above. 

[Threadslayer]

As my brother once said to me, "Whatever IPA is on sale."

[bill5]

11 hours ago, TommyRude said:

Beer:  can't stand IPA's, they taste like poison to me (sorry IPA fans).

That's actually refreshing to hear. A lot of people are drinking IPAs now because it's trendy. I like them generally, but not all the time, have to be in the mood for it. And yes there is such a thing as too hoppy for me.

 

Quote

For both beer & wine, most of the time we try to pair them with the right food.  All kinds of possibilities, and it's fun to match up foods by region, i.e. a pasta dish matched up with a nice Tuscany chianti.

Absolutely. It's amazing how much difference a given food will make with the wine. 

 

[bill5]

3 hours ago, Stokely said:

A former drummer got on me to try this "cream soda" beer--"tastes just like the soda!" (which already sounded gross to me)....and yeah it did taste like cream soda for about a second, then it morphed into a really bad aftertaste.   Candy bar or other sweet food beers, nope.  Same for most of the fruity ones, there was a "watermelon" beer on tap last time I played at one of the crafty beer joints and I passed on that.  I don't mind blue moon though.

Yeah it's what I call the "Starbucks approach" to beer (sweet flavors, fruit flavors, etc) and makes no sense to me at all. I've tried a few and they were about as gross as I expected. 

[Canoehead]

I’m not much of a beer or wine fan.  I do enjoy Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve Canadian whiskey, though.

[allan_evett]

Certified craft beer snob here .  Almost all types, though sours normally don't work for me. We usually have a mix local and regional brews in the fridge, plus random nationals - like Michelob Amber Bock (still a favorite).  So many great craft breweries within 50 miles, and many others that are stopping points on road trips. Great Lakes in Cleveland is a memorable hang. Their Imperial IPA, Lake Erie Monster, is my favorite; though their Elliot Ness Amber lager is a close second. Love the Ohio City neighborhood where they're based. 

 

Was drinking Speedliner IPA recently, courtesy of River Bluff Brewing in St. Joseph, MO.  Unfortunately no bottling yet, though we did leave with a crowler. 

On the same journey - while visiting family in Colorado, we rediscovered Great Divide brewing.  Their farmhouse ale, Colette is awesome; so is Titan - their core IPA brew. Was able to bring a healthy amount of Great Divide beer back with us, so that - along with some Long Day, IPA ( Off-Square, Crown Point, IN) has been in-hand the past week.

 

 

[Michael Wright]

20 minutes ago, Canoehead said:

I’m not much of a beer or wine fan.  I do enjoy Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve Canadian whiskey, though.

Scotch here!!

 

[Delaware Dave]

 

[EricBarker]

I'm a local lover, and Alaska is BOOMING right now. Tons of great and varied brews from Midnight Sun, Black Spruce, 49th State, Matanuska, HooDoo, Alaskan, etc. If you ever get a chance to come to the great white north anytime soon, these are just a few of my favorites:
 

Alaskan: "Smash Galaxy IIPA"

Black Spruce: "Aroma Dome IPA"

Matanuska: "Magnitude 9.2" (knock you out, but tasty AF)

Any time I travel I love to sample the local beers. I have about a thousand favorites that change every day. Big fan of Stouts and Porters. I like many IPAs, but let's face it, the term "IPA" is completely meaningless now. It used to be very specific, but now it's just a catch all for "Craft Ale with at least a modicum of hops". Some are fantastic, some are nasty as hell.

[KuruPrionz]

I used to like beer, mostly I don't drink it anymore. 

Up here IPA seems to mean "I got a deal on hops and bought way too much so I'm putting tons of it in everything."

If you can find an authentic IPA it tastes nothing like the gnarly swill they are brewing in our area. 

On the other hand, while I haven't confirmed this it is said that the brewmeister at Chuckanut Brewery graduated from "beer college" in Munich. 

He does have the gold medals to prove it, his Kolsch and Pilsner have won time and again at huge national and international competitions. 

I like his beer but almost never drink it. 

 

I'm trying out inexpensive wines, it is noted that there has been a surplus. Many vintners producing lots of wine and at a certain point to sell it they will blend some of the excess, bottle it and work out deals with large buyers like Costco, Trader Joes and Grocery Outlet, who all buy in volume and often have what is actually pretty good wine at absurd prices. The photo is the label from a Spanish wine I bought today at Grocery Outlet. It's a red blend, 50% Merlot, 25% Syrah and 25% Temperanillo. 

$4.99, from 2019. I'll sip a glass later this evening and see what I think. With the exception of "Two Buck Chuck" from Trader Joe's, I don't recall getting any truly bad wine at bargain prices and some of it was really quite good. OK, I had a glass last night. maybe a little sweet but not too much, I prefer dryer wines. Otherwise very drinkable. 

[bill5]

3 hours ago, Delaware Dave said:

 

Wow what a blast from the past. I haven't had that in probably 15+ yrs and haven't seen it in about as long. 

 

Younger generations don't know how lucky they are in terms of quality beer. Back in the Ice Age when I was young, there was no such thing as microbreweries or craft beer. "Good" beer came from Canada or Germany and Miller was considered perfectly acceptable. And there was lager and ale and that's about it.