What do you buy for a special meal?
La Chouffe, Brasserie d’Achouffe, Achouffe, Belgium. Goes great with seafood.
Liberty Ale, Anchor Brewing Co., San Francisco, CA. I will commute 45 minutes by subway to one special bar called Mug’s in Brooklyn, NY that pours the best imperial pint of Anchor Liberty outside of San Francisco.
Boonville Oatmeal Stout, Anderson Valley Brewing, Boonville, CA. Flavor!!
Avery IPA, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO. Drank the beer in Boulder, loved it. Met owner Adam Avery, great guy. I personally stumped at beer stores and distributors in Michigan to get it here—it’s here!
Celebrator Doppelbock, Ayinger Brauerei, Aying, Germany. My first favorite; others are Aventinus, Schlenkerla rauchbiers…
Black Chocolate Stout, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY. A great dessert beer, absolutely fabulous!
Rose De Gambrinus, Brasserie Cantillon, Brussels, Belgium. Goes incredibly well with salads and food involving cilantro. An excellent lambic/gueuze representation.
Carnegie Porter, Carlsberg Brewery, Falkenberg, Sweden. My favorite.
Abbey Brown, Brouwerij Corsendonk, Oud-Turnhout, Belgium. The Donk!
Hoegaarden, Brouwerij De Kluis, Hoegaarden, Belgium. Two bottles last the meal and night!
120 Minute IPA, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE. I keep trying to cellar some…but keep inventing special occasions to visit the cache. Safety deposit box, maybe?
Moinette, Brasserie Dupont, Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium. Be sure to drink with enough time to truly appreciate all this wonderful brew has to offer.
The Wise, Elysian Brewing, Seattle, WA.
Flying Fish Pale Ale, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Cherry Hills, NJ. I love the bitter taste of this beer. I only get it when I can afford it (yeah I’m in college).
Hefe Weizen, Franziskaner, Munich, Germany.
London Pride, Fuller, Smith & Turner, London, England.
Aventinus Weizenbock, Georg Schneider & Sohn, Kelheim, Germany. Almost like great wine with meats.
Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland, OH. Best micro in the lakes.
Fraoch Heather Ale, Heather Ale Ltd., Strathaven, Scotland. An interesting taste sensation. Reserved for special times. It is well worth the anticipation.
Heineken, Heineken, Amsterdam, Holland.
Kashmir IPA, Highland Brewing Co., Asheville, NC. A well-balanced IPA. It’s not overwhelming hoppy like the West Coast IPAs, so it goes really nice with a spicy meal or with a nice array of cheeses.
Schwarzbier, Köstritzer Schwartzbierbrauerei, Thüringen, Germany.
Milk Stout, Lancaster Brewing Co., Lancaster, PA. An unusual style. Drink it instead of dessert.
Steelhead Scotch Porter, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA. Excellent with barbequed anything.
Duvel Belgian Golden Ale, Brouwerij Moortgat, Puurs, Belgium. Smooth, yet thick with flavor.
PranQster Belgian Style Golden Ale, North Coast Brewing Co., Ft. Bragg, CA.
Oak Barrel Stout, Old Dominion Brewing Co., Ashburn, VA. Aged in Jack Daniels barrel wood chips; this beer rocks!
Orval Trappist Ale, Brasserie d’Orval S.A., Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium. World class, even better over there in person. At $5 for an 11 ounce bottle, definitely my treat beer. Incredible character, nice hop and malt blend—wonderful dry finish.
Hefeweizen, Paulaner, Munich, Germany. Nice, smooth hefe.
Rebel Garnet, Rebel, Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic. Excellent flavored beer
Brutal Bitter, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR, I love it! No one I know who has tried it likes it. More for me!
Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout, Samuel Smith’s, The Old Brewery, Tadcaster, England.
Optimator, Spaten, Munchen, Germany.
Winter Oatmeal Stout, Tröegs Brewing Co., Harrisburg, PA. My love for stout makes it difficult to keep a “house” beer because most visitors don’t like stout…coincidence?
Merry Monks Belgian Ale, Weyerbacher Brewery, Easton, PA. A pronounced freshness, with dry crispness. Fantastic with burgers off the grill.
