Scouse Express

Back in 1996, when I left the UK, I was paying the same price (about 1 quid a can) at my local Thresher's off-licence. So, $6 a 4-Pack isn't so bad.

I can get more satisfaction out of 1 can of Tetley's than I can get out of a 12 pack of Bud or Millers.


Jim

Zonie

Girlie! I have in my hand a 10.5% ale called "The Lost Abbey" in a 1 pint bottle (brewed in San Marcos CA).

chartreuse

I'm right there with you when it comes to quality.

But sometimes, what you're looking for is quantity.

MrEmjoy

I salute you Jim!

I have 3 Tetley's in the house, I can drink HALF and be satisfied, it's more the taste and smell, I used to smell Tetleys brewery every morning, and when I opened a tin over here for the first time it made me really home sick.

It's pricey though! But it's made in Leeds!!

Scouse Express

Indeed, I now have some of my co-workers hooked on it, too. Some of the Americans do have good taste.

Jim.

Floridared

Bugger, can't get it in Fla at the moment, but am hoping I don't have to go to Cali just to get it.

Bass used to be a good beer 30 years ago, but once big companies buy them out and start making the beer somewhere else, thats the end of it.
Tetleys in a can, I am not keen on either, would rather have it like a real ale, no Co2 in it. I went back to England last year and met all my friends in a local pub. They had Green King IPA, on hand pump, 3.4%.................9 hours later!!

Scouse Express

I can get a Pint of Smithwick's at my local for $3. It's the best Draught I can get around here.

Jim.

chartreuse

Mmmmm... IPA.....

Floridared

Thats the main difference with IPA's and a lot of other craft beers in the States, they believe the beer has to be really big in alcohol to be interesting and tasty, of course we all know that in the UK we have been brewing session beer with a lower gravity that still tastes great, plus you can stay out for a few hours without having to stagger home early. I guess a lot of craft beer lovers here seem to enjoy a couple of good beers, whereas I am greedy and like to have lots, haha!!

I just had an annual beer festival at my Restaurant on the 7th of Nov, and we had many Belgian beers, LaChouffe, Affligem, Corsondonk, and many others, but the beer that got everyone going was Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, 20% Alc!! I had a keg of it from last year which I saved for the fest. We actually had the Randalizer (spelling) which is a hopper that the beer goes into, then we mixed it with fresh cascade hops. 20% is far too high for a beer, but with the fresh hops added, made it very tasty indeed!!

tonrob

Ok - I'll see you a Lost Abbey and raise you a Dogfish Head 120.

tonrob

I love session beers, and would take a day in a good British pub over a week in a great American beer bar any time, but surely IPAs are the one example of where we've lost the plot in the UK and the septics are by far superior?

Hiro11

That has certainly been the case, although lately I think American craft brews have started to appreciate the art of subtlety. Also, lots of UK micros (easiest example being BrewDog) have been apeing American "extreme brewing" for a while now in the UK.

Also, Dogfish 120 is simply absurd, the 90 is better, I think. If you want a great American IPA, I like Victory's 'HopDevil", Stone's "Ruinous" and Three Floyd's "Dreadnaught"

Hiro11

All of the mainline supermarkets in my area have an excellent selection of craft brew. If you go to a place like Trader Joes, they have probably fifty different brews.

This might be a local thing, you live in Massachusetts correct? I grew up there. Compared to many states, Mass has very restrictive alcohol laws. No alcohol on Sunday, restrictive sales outside of "package stores" etc.

Here in Illinois, booze is (comparitively) everywhere. You can have an open container on the commuter rail and they sell craft brew in gas stations.

Bob

Aye, Mass is weird, but it's also places like up in Maine.

Couldn't just go to Walmart or Shaws or whatever and have that kind of selection of decent beers for cheap. There are good beers to be found for sure, not nothing like what I was used to in the UK.

Go to a proper booze shop though and you've suddenly got loads though.

Just something different....and weirdly though, those grocery shops do tend to have good liquor selections, well not in Mass though.

Trader Joes is a rare one, does have a good selection of beers and wines for reasonable money. Wholefoods also has a good selection, but those don't tend to be cheap.

Leyther

The grocery stores in Colorado are strange also; by law they are only permitted to sell 3.2 beer, so the choices are really limited and while there is a small selection of craft to found in places like Kings and Target, it is the watered down variety and they still charge you the full price and so an actual liquor store is the only place to go for both a great selection at a reasonable price.

As a side-note, none of the Wholefoods that I have been to in Denver even sell alcohol, which is a shame because I can see the local one from my house!