WARNING* Underage drinking is talked about in the making of this blog.. I remember the first time I ever tried beer (I hated it). It was at my friend Sam Nesser's bon fire after high school graduation. We were all sitting around the the burning fire, and one of my friends handed me a lukewarm Coors Light. I remember taking my first sip and doing a spit take just like you see in the movies. The guy that handed me the beer told me "you're gonna have to learn to like beer in college." I left the party that night very persistent that I would never drink a beer ever again.
I'm not sure if it's just me, but ohhhh the irony I find that I started a blog about beer 6 years later. Beer isn't only something I now enjoy, but it's something I genuinely look forward to. I indulge in a beer when I'm stressed, when I have a good work out, or when having a girls night out. That's the beauty of this fine beverage (you can drink it for any occasion). Last year I worked at a tap house and was able to try hundreds of different IPA's, ciders, stouts, and more. I'm here wanting to share with you "all" my 5 favorite beers at the moment.
5) Guinness Draught (4.2% ABV / 40 IBU)
This Iconic beer is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. Guinness was originally brewed in Dublin, Ireland, but now is brewed in almost 50 countries. I've never been blessed enough to travel overseas, but Megan has and she has told me how much better this beer is there. I love Guinness, because it's a lighter dark brew. It's got the perfect smooth to creamy ratio. If you do not like dark beers, Guinness makes the perfect component for a snakebite (half stout, preferably a nitro mixed with a cider). The light coffee/chocolate brew is great for a cold winters day or if you're feeling crazy, an Irish car bomb. If you're trying to train your pallet for dark beers, Guinness is the perfect starter.
(6.8 out of 10)
You gotta try this ^
Side note: The Mcgregor vs. Cowboy fight was crazy.. Even though I was cheering for Cowboy.
4) Seattle Cider Cold Brew (6.9% ABV)
I bet you can guess where this one is brewed, but if not the answer is Seattle, Washington. I'm not always a fan of ciders, but the light hints of coffee and caramel in this beer make it hard to set down. I've only tried this cider once, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since trying it. I was at a local Milwaukee cider bar called, Lost Valley Cider Co. For anyone who lives in Milwaukee or visiting,
I would suggest this place cause it has lots of different ciders and even some sours. They brew their own in house, but also carry ciders from all over. I recommend going on a Tuesday, because it's 'Tails n' Taps' night. You can bring your 4 legged best friend and even get $1 off your cider (what more could you ask for). But all around this Seattle Cider is an easy light coffee blend that anyone should enjoy (6.9 out of 10)
3) Elysian, Space Dust (8.2% ABV / 73 IBU)
Elysian is also brewed in the rainy city of Seattle, Washington. I'm not sure if people from Washington need strong beers to get themselves through the day or what, but this is one of the stronger beers I've encountered. This IPA is almost like a dry wine, it's very bitter with dry hops. This is not a beer you gravitate towards if you are new to beer. Elysian has a newer brew called Superfuzz, and if you mix it with Space Dust it creates the "Fuzzduster." This gives this dry IPA a splash of citrus. Meg and I were luck enough to visit this brewery while we took our trip to Seattle this fall! Thanks for Driving Gabe :) (7.9 out of 10)
2) OMNI Daily Dose, Coffee Cream Ale
(4.9% ABV / 30 IBU)
This light coffee cream ale is brewed in Maple Grove, Minnesota. The description of this beer couldn't explain itself any better, "The perfect way to wake you up in the morning, or to put you to bed." I would recommend this beer to anybody, even if you don't have strongest pallet for craft beer. It's super light, but also has an subtle explosion of coffee. With me recently move to Milwaukee I haven't seen this awesome brew anywhere. I am looking forward to coming
back to MN this month, and hopefully be lucky enough to
come across this delicacy. (8.7 out of 10)
1) Deschutes, Fresh Squeezed IPA (6.4% ABV / 60 IBU)
Deschutes is brewed in Portland, Oregon (a bucket list brewery of mine). This beer is like no other (I hope you read that like a high school musical lyric). It has lots of strong citrus flavors with a grapefruit aftertaste. I've never liked grapefruit, but the combination of citra and mosaic hops give this beer a compelling aroma. This Fresh Squeezed IPA is really for someone that can handle all these strong flavors at once. If you can't handle all these flavors alone, I've used this as the base in a beermosa and it compliments the OJ quite well. (8.9 out of 10)
Fun story: Megan and I last year went to Luckypoloza, and decided it would be a good idea to drink these for an all day drinking fest... I do not recommend putting this in your game plan if you want to make it all night. I'm blaming it on the IPA's, but we even ended up buying a $140 Uber home that night... Yes, that is me moonwalking with a Fresh Squeezed in hand.
I've defiantly have come a long way from doing my first spit take of Coors Light, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't know if you can tell, but IPA's are and always will be my drink of choice. I love that Meg and I are able to share our lives and love of beer with you. Somewhere down the road I plan on creating my own home brews. My recommendation is if you don't like a beer, you can always mix it with something else to find a flavor you enjoy. I know it may be disrespectful to the brewologist themselves, but hey they never need to know ;)
So, I hope you have the chance to try a few of my favorite beers and let me know what you think of them. But if you have any recommendations for me, I'm always down to encounter a new beer!
Enjoy your weekend!
Cheers Honey,
- Meeks