What\'s your favorite kind of Microbrew?

[Wolfman]

Also... just wanted to say...

fruit beers suck!

Actually, Lambic and Geuze beers have been made with fruit since the 1200\'s and are some of the most incredible beverages ever produced by the hand of man.  The Belgians have handed down this art form through families for hundreds of years and scores of generations, often using the same farmhouses the entire time to capitalize on the natural yeast in the clean countryside air.  Various Lambics are aged for 6 months to 10 years in wooden casks and can be more passionate and flavorful than the finest wines.  Some lucky Lambics are carefully selected and mixed together by negociants whose only job is to perfectly mix different Lambics to create beer called Geuze.    

You should try some of the amazing Lambic and Geuze beers made by the Belgians before slamming the incredible art that is good fruit beer.  

[stabmasterarson]

How much does a bottle go for?

[Wolfman]

The Lindemann\'s (second picture) are the most popular and go for about $5-7 per 11.2oz bottle in a liquor store.  The Cantillon\'s (fifth picture) are also pretty findable and go for about $9 a bottle but they\'re bigger at 750ml.  The Geuze beers are more expensive because there\'s only like 15 people in the world who know how to make them.  That 750ml Oude Geuze (third picture) is probably about $12.  Smaller bottles of Geuze such as Geuze Girardin go for $8-10.  An affordable luxury for sure...a wine of equal quality would cost at least $125.

[Mark]

Wolf I agree, but that stuff is more like champagne than beer.

And now for something completely different:

A BRIEF OKTOBERFEST HISTORY…..

Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event.  Hence the birth of Oktoberfest!

Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.  The first carousel and two swings were set up in 1818.

Visitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands which grew rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries.

Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, some 6 million visitors from all around the world converge on the Oktoberfest each year.  And since the Oktoberfest is still held on the Theresienwiese, the locals still refer to the event simply as the "Wies\'n". So "welcome to the Wies\'n" means nothing other than "welcome to the Oktoberfest"

[SlimPickens]

since I\'ve been spending a lot of time in TX lately, I\'ve gotten into Shiner Bock.

there\'s also a brewry called New Belgium that makes "Fat Tire" which is pretty good.

[leith]

Fat Tire is the SHIT. Def. one of my favorite beers. They now have it @ Winston\'s YEAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!
Used to have to have it sent to us from Colo. by friends but they finally are distributing it out here!!!!!!!!!!!! Man that beer is good!

[jocelyn]

I also don\'t like most Belgian beer.

[stabmasterarson]

the sunshine wheat (new belgium) also a fruity beer is pretty damned good as well. another citrus beer, made with a slight orange taste.  they have at least a few diff kids on tap in every bar out here.

[Whathefunk]

lately i\'ve been drinking a lot of BBC Steel Rail, i also tried the 420 ale at coventry i believe, i\'d give it the  :thumbsup:

[Wolfman]

New Belgium is an incredible brewery.  They are true to their Belgian roots, creative and original in brewing, and shrewd in their marketing.  Some of their beers are amongst the best beers brewed in this country

That being said, the reputation of Fat Tire wildly exceeds its true nature.  It\'s still good, there\'s nothing bad about it.  However, it is what it is: a craft brewery flagship brewed to be simple enough for the bulk of craft drinkers while clearly better than the mass domestics.  Fat Tire is in the same class as Harpoon IPA, Sam Adams Boston Lager, Long Trail Ale, Magic Hat #9, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  It has an incredible reputation (which I commend New Blegium for achieving) because of its limited availability and fierce regionalism amongst those in Colorado.  But once you drink it you\'re just kinda like "Oh...ok."  It does its job though, which is bringing in the loot to support New Belgium\'s forays into truly unique and creative original beers.  Great brewery.  And for the record, I have 2 bombers of Fat Tire in my cellar right now, along with other CO beers I brought back in July

[crimsonknuckles]

davidson brothers: nut brown ale

[sallyalli]

UFO Hefenwiezen Harpoon...Is that the correct spelling of Hefenwiezen?

[SlimPickens]

well, it may only be 2:45pm.  but it\'s Friday, everyone has left, including my boss.  So F\'it!!  I\'m out!  All this beer talk has gotten me thirsty.  If you need me, I\'ll be @ the bar!!

[Marcial]

I do like Shiner Bock...

[FreeSpirit]

not sure if you would actually consider it a "heady micro brew", but I prefer Miller Lite.

Wow! U need to come to CT & visit some of my promos!  

When I\'m not drinking Miller, or, the much finer quality Bud Lite, I love the Dogfishhead 60 min. brew.  I\'ve bought the 90 min. brews a few times, but I can only down one in like a 1/2 hr. - it\'s way too strong!  

The Blueberry Wheat beer is really good too