QOTD: I live in PA where I’m limited to Wine and Spirits unless I drive to Delaware to Total Wine & More where I feel the excitement for craft beer.

qotd: Im a little to young to answer that, but for me I like Rogue Beer, and I have gotten others to try it and like it…which I dont think answers your question hah

I like your answer to QOTD as you rightly point out that it is an adventurous and appreciative consumer driving the upward trend in flavorful beers, wines, coffee, foods, etc. Happy to be living now to enjoy all this. Remember when supermarkets did not have bakeries in them? Maybe not since you are 24, but it was the case.

Great point on the QOTD response! Lower price point of beer could fuel more rapid growth over American wine during its historic rise. It’s up to us as brewers to put an experience in the bottle that justifies the cost at any level. Cheers!

Yeah, since American craft beer rose out a virtual vacuum of beer flavor deficit in the US in mid 80’s we brewers may be differentiating ourselves from what American beer used to be by being overly bold at times. Naturally, you would think that the ‘middle ground’ of flavor volume is where the sweet spot of sales volume will be found, right?

Keith, we hear your point on products that may go overboard. When Ron and I were teenagers our chosen career path was as rock stars. One afternoon while torturing our guitars in his basement (and his parents’ ears in the process) his Dad came down and shook his head saying “If you can’t play well, play loud???” Today we still whip out that phase and shake our heads when an ‘extreme’ brew strikes us as gone too far from balance and satisfaction.

QOTD: Maybe in the US, but internationally I don’t think the message is out there, yet. I also don’t really have a handle on the availability of decent US beer outside our borders. I still see a perception of American beer in popular culture as watery light lager, and hear cracks from our Canadian brothers up north even though very good beers have been made here in the States for quite some time now.

BTW – sat down to a couple pints of Victory Festbier at my favorite local yesterday: fantastic drinkability, flavor, and with moderate ABV putting it firmly into session-beer territory. I could drink the stuff all day – just keep the Old Bay seasoned wings coming.

Great show…QOTD: American craft beer is definitely on the way up. There are pockets of greatness. (By the way, is Victory available in Florida?) I am seeing the trend. We need to get more it available in more places like ball parks, etc, but the monopolies are being monopolies. Grocery stores are getting better, slowly.
Best beer in the world….had it recently – Westvleteren 12.

QOTD: I would say yes. I just got back from spending 2 months in Europe and drank beer in Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Czech R, and The Netherlands. As a beer drinker, I missed American Micro brews. The styles are different, but the flavor is more intense with American micro brews in general (exception regarding Belgium). The amount and use of hops is the differentiating factor as I understand American micro brew VS Europe. Even with Belgium beer, the malt is the distinguishing factor, more-so then hops. I love American micro brews for the hops! BUT…. there is something to be said about making beers too sweet/malty, because the sweeter the beverage the less my palate can tolerate. Sweet beer = less consumption. Dry/bitter beer = more consumption.

gary, got my (non wine drinking) friend to watch this ep, and hes a new fan now. good looks on spreading the love to other categories. There’s a beverage for everyone out there.

I second the Armagnac episode My wife her family is from the Bas Armagnac region of France I have enjoyed many over the last 8-9 years. Her Grandfather and his friend actually made some Armagnac and his friend made it for many years. For our wedding gift we were given a 1942 bottle and over the years we have gotten 1966,1975.1977,1981 vintages of Armangac.. I wish i could import it its soo good! Personally I am a Beer drinker FIRST and Wine lover 2nd. After a great meal of any sorts a good Armagnac can always finnish! Can i say i also enjoy Single malt Scotches? There is one Armagnac i have had and brought back that is what i understand made in the way of a scotch but from grapes.. Wow really freakin interesting and good!

Is Victory available In Kansas City areas?

I have double feelings about these episodes which I only now have watched : on one hand, I like the appearance of beer on the show, as well as a knowledgeable guy to talk about it, and also the way to present it (one Victory beer and a reference beer in same category), on the other hand – as a Belgian, so raised on beer, and quite knowledgeable about it myself, even if I say it myself 😉 – I’m a bit sad about quite a number of missed details perhaps for most of the people, but definitely not for beer lovers!

For instance : the pouring technique and the glasses. The glasses are typical for pilsnertype beers, but stronger beers (like tripel) are better drunk in wine glasses (it’s the recommendation when drinking from 75cl bottles with food), to really get the nose AND the best foam head! (for the Victory tripel the stability of the foam head was quite disappointing) Or : old world vs new world…I beg your pardon??? Whatever you said about this difference might be about the beers respecting the German “Rheinheitsgebot” (only a limited number of ingredients can be used) and the rest, but there’s no old world or new world here. Because pilsner is a relatively new beer, even in the “old world” as you call it (because it needed cooling installation), and there are far more beers that cannot be withdrawn from their origin as easily, e.g. lambic and the “original” fruit beers (because they are made from fruit lambics)…as the yeast is natural, present in the air in Brussels and Pajottenland. Other types like the red sour ales (for instance Rodenbach) won’t be easily made away from Roeselare (in Belgium)…

I can suggest to everyone a series being made by Flemish television where a team of a Belgian beer lover and an English wine lover visit breweries (even in USA) to learn about beer. It’s called “Tournée générale”, and a second series ‘ll begin shortly. Conversations with for instance Pierre Célis, “father” of the typical wheat beer Hoegaarden who started a brewery in Austin, Texas (the beer was called Célis’ white), are wonderful.

QOTD : I agree with other comments that beer is definitely past where wine was in the 70s. I think the beer brewers in USA were way more serious about their hobby/profession since the start (I’ve visited wine cellars, where they were more proud about the celebration of weddings between the barrils than of temperature control!!!), and of course, the price of the product makes it easier to get hold of the better foreign products. Further more, the threshold is lower to get to know these beers. The success of the Belgian beer bars is proof of this.

Hey Onzilske

I agree that Australia’s micro breweries are good, there’s just not enough. The vast majority of the population drinks very bad beer. I’m glad you enjoy Coopers; I’m a massive fan as well. For a decent sized company they make great beer; it’s preservative free, full of flacour and packs a decent punch. See if you can track down the ‘Coppers Vintage’ a seasonal release that is designed to cellar.

Cheers
Andrew

I lived in plzen for two summers. We’d go to a bar and they would be rolling in kegs from just down the street. On tap in plzen it was probably one of the best beers I have ever had, then I tried it back here in the states and it is only a fraction of the flavor and character (which is to be expected). You haven’t experienced beer until you’ve had a pint in plzen.