BEER DRINKERS OPINIONS REQUEST

[DWalt]

Yep. I have seen a few exotics closer to 40%... But I ain't paying around $100 for one 12 oz beer.


Jeebus, 65% beer? Unusual ways extreme craft brewers are pushing beer boundaries | Fox News

To get anything naturally fermented to an alcohol content over about 12%, it must be fortified by adding straight ethanol, as higher alcohol contents kill the yeast and stop fermentation, or resorting to something like the "ice brewing" approach to physically remove some of the water, thereby raising the alcohol content. That is also true for wines. The typical "Wino's Choice" wines (labels call them "dessert wines" ) such as Night Train, MD 20/20, Wild Irish Rose, etc. are all fortified by adding ethanol. That allows winos to get drunker faster and panhandle better.

If anyone wants higher alcohol content beer, why not just mix in a little vodka or, even better, Everclear?

 

[Ogandydancer]

Yuenglings in a chilled glass NO ADDITIVES and by the by anything Miller and Bud have is pure slop. Like a little Irish or English occasionally. Lowenbrau was good many years ago till Miller bought them out. St. Pauli girl is still pretty good. My nephew says that Shiner is pretty good but haven't tried that one yet.

 

[Fred_G]

If anyone wants higher alcohol content beer, why not just mix in a little vodka or, even better, Everclear?

Not a fan of the high octane beers and 'wines'. I do like a good Port all along, and a Belgian beer that might be around 9%, but seems to me if you want it that strong, drink a good whiskey. But lots of people like weird stuff.

 

[wyccad915]

ABV changes as tastes change. Some craft brews are intentionally brewed to be very strong, going all the way up to >10%. Other crafts are in a more normal range of 4.5-5.5%. Craft brewers are leading the way in taste, style and ABV. The big corporate brewers try to play catch up, rebranding vaguely altered versions of their fizzy yellow stuff in fancy bottles ala Bud Black Crown.

Nice post. All I can say is I agree. And black crown is my go to beer when I am out at a bar if I want to have the high abv and still not have to pay a high price.

When my glass/bottle/whatever is empty while I am drinking, I get a refill. That's just the way I am. For this reason, any type of liquor is a no-no for me. Usually with beer, after 4 or so, I can slow myself down. The same with liquor wouldn't, and regrettably would be a disaster.

 

[DWalt]

As is the case for most products sold on a national or world scale, it must appeal to a wide variety of consumers and at an affordable price. Budweiser or Coors cannot be all things to all people in matters of taste, nor can they afford to manufacture the highest possible quality due to the cost involved. A Ford (Chevy, Honda, Toyota, etc.) is not a Rolls-Royce nor a Ferrari, and never can be. But a great many people find a Ford to be adequate to meet their transportation and styling needs while being priced within their range of affordability. That's the balancing act of the marketplace.

 

[Buldurhm]

Living in the great state of Texas I prefer Shiner over any other beer. Sometimes I don't want to spend as much for Shiner so I drink my second favorite, Lone Star, of course I have to listen to Bob Wills while drinking it.

 

[Fred_G]

Living in the great state of Texas I prefer Shiner over any other beer. Sometimes I don't want to spend as much for Shiner so I drink my second favorite, Lone Star, of course I have to listen to Bob Wills while drinking it.

Today being my birthday, I decided I wanted a six pack of Shiner Bock. Had to drive to the town next door (dang blue laws) and go to 3 stores to find it.

I got it, and am enjoying them! Pretty sure I had some Lone Star light in Texas a couple of years ago? Not sure.

Well, Texas dove "hunt" is on for this year, so will try some Lone Star If I can find it.

 

[kantuck]

To get anything naturally fermented to an alcohol content over about 12%, it must be fortified by adding straight ethanol, as higher alcohol contents kill the yeast and stop fermentation, or resorting to something like the "ice brewing" approach to physically remove some of the water, thereby raising the alcohol content. That is also true for wines. The typical "Wino's Choice" wines (labels call them "dessert wines" ) such as Night Train, MD 20/20, Wild Irish Rose, etc. are all fortified by adding ethanol. That allows winos to get drunker faster and panhandle better.

If anyone wants higher alcohol content beer, why not just mix in a little vodka or, even better, Everclear?

I've made wine for many years with no claims to stardom. My first batches were made from Thompson Seedless, a variety of white grape noted for the loose grapes found in the bottom of handmade wooden crates at Butner's IGA, Topeka,KS ala vintage 1959 to 1964. I left that job for greener pastures of Ft. Leonard Wood...
Yes, I understand alcohol & where it comes from. My question about alcohol in beer comes from the changes I've noticed in main line beer brands. Not related to craft beers or laws as they vary from place to place. I figured it had to do with contents or ability to speed up the processes?
Some of my fondest "beer memories" date back to annual camping trips into RMNP in 1960's/70's and stops in Golden.CO for the tour-actually for the end of tour-HA! As long as you didn't get messy you could stay and imbibe. I also remember stops at various small town breweries in MN,WI &MI@ places like Moosehead!!! Even the Busch guys gave a great tour back then. Do the employees still drink cold one at break time? Lawyers or OHSA probably killed that one?

 

[kantuck]

Today being my birthday, I decided I wanted a six pack of Shiner Bock. Had to drive to the town next door (dang blue laws) and go to 3 stores to find it.

I got it, and am enjoying them! Pretty sure I had some Lone Star light in Texas a couple of years ago? Not sure.

Well, Texas dove "hunt" is on for this year, so will try some Lone Star If I can find it.

Talk about blue laws of Texas-in 1969 when I was "enjoying" flight school @ Ft Wolters TX (and addicted to tobacco during that time) it was illegal to sell my snuff on Sunday!

 

[chaparrito]

Hey you Tejanos, back in college I used to buy Pearl Beer because it was cheap and drinkable. Haven't seen it in years. Shiner is available in AZ everywhere and is usually around 7.99. I like the bock and also their Black Lager.

 

[DWalt]

There may still be some "Dry" counties/cities in Texas, but far fewer than there used to be. The only time I lived in one was Parker County, adjacent to Tarrant County (Fort Worth). No real problem, as I lived only 5 miles from the county line, where there were numerous retail establishments waiting to serve the spiritual needs of Parker County residents.

Lone Star beer is not what it used to be. The original Lone Star brewery in San Antonio was closed in 1996, after two decades of corporate games and several changes of ownership. At least, it's still a Texas beer, but brewed by Miller in Fort Worth, and is one of the numerous Pabst labels (see my previous postings about Pabst).

 

[mmaher94087]

Those brewing pictures make me want to dust off the brew pot. As for anything put in beer; I too am a purist. However, if you want to try a flavor, add a half-pint of Sloe Gin in two quarts of Miller. Tastes like a Cherry Coke and kicks like a mule.

 

[DWalt]

Hey you Tejanos, back in college I used to buy Pearl Beer because it was cheap and drinkable. Haven't seen it in years. Shiner is available in AZ everywhere and is usually around 7.99. I like the bock and also their Black Lager.

Pearl's story is somewhat like Lone Star's. The original Pearl brewery, just north of downtown San Antonio, was closed in the early 2000s. Te buildings were repurposed into a location for the Culinary Institute of America (Chef college) and several other businesses. Pearl beer is, I think, still available, but it is now just one of Pabst's labels, brewed by Miller in Fort Worth. Shiner is, I think, still brewed in Shiner, TX, but is far larger now than it used to be, and has become very popular outside South Texas. I think it was resurrected by the same people behind the success of Corona.

 

[kantuck]

Some of the beer brands mentioned above were cheap labels in MY native state of KS but premiums in their states of origin. Pearl,Lone Star, Falls City come quickly to mind as were a few from north of us -back then, no now.
I stand by the Bud Black Crown as having a more complex, tasty flavor than many mainstream brews. I'm remembering being on my 1st pass from Leonard Wood in St Louis. ala 1964 and in a Polish bar where all was free to us in uniform and they had Michelob on tap-my 1st try of it that way and it WAS good. Maybe just the occasion but I still like that beer from the mainstream brewskies.
I went to Milwaukee in 1968 where my HS buddy was teaching school and marveled at a multi-checkout liquor store and the "bar on all 4 corners thing" there. They may not know beer but they sure drink it! Dry counties in KY-most all of them, in fact, nearly a hundred.