I love rating a new beer but sometimes I just want to drink one I’ve had many times and know I like. In the last 12 months, which beers have become your ‘go to’ options? (And - if you can be bothered - why?)
Mine are:
Ayinger Celebrator. I love this treacle-like beer. I’m still amazed that I can buy a bottle for just £2.75 - I’d be willing to pay double.
I don’t drink any of these beers very often, but still, here are my favourites:
Schlenkerla - all of them, depending on the season. Usually Märzen, though. Luckily, I can go to Bamberg rather frequently to have it at the source.
Orval - for the same reason you mentioned.
Aventinus - It was one of my favourites before I started ticking, and still is. Also, it’s readily accessible here.
Saison Dupont
And lately, I seem to drink more Girardin Gueuze than my cellar can keep up with.
For Lagers/Kellerbiers, which are among my favourite styles, it depends what I can get. It varies between homebrew, Witzgall Landbier (one crate a year, although I usually trade a lot of it), Ayinger Kellerbier / Zwickel / Frühlingsbier, Mahrs U, and Urban Chestnut Zwickel, all of which I thoroughly enjoy when fresh. It might still be that the one I drink most often is Spezial U, because I have at least one of it every time I am in Bamberg.
Also, I should probably drink more Schneider Weisse Original.
Is this readily available in Edinburgh? I am looking for Mild ticks.
That’s a tough question, because I try to only buy things I’ve never had before. I’ll give it a shot:
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Founders All Day IPA
Old Nation M-43
Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin
Deschutes Fresh Squeezed
Not much variation here but when I think “go-to” I think “beers I don’t have to analyze or think about too much while I drink them.” If I had access to more German beer, I would probably have a few lighter lagers in there.
If we’re talking pure volume, Yuengling and All Day (in that order). Above and beyond that, it’s hard to pinpoint because I’m a ticker and don’t drink the same thing often.
Vital Spark makes the odd appearance on cask but you can definitely pick up a bottle from Cork & Cask - I buy a bottle from there pretty much every week. I don’t think Edinburgh’s other bottle shops stock it.
5 is impossible - you have to leave out something that you don’t want to.
Thomas Hardy, Plevnan Siperia, Schlenkerla Urbock, Fuller’s ESB, and Ayinger Ur Weisse
Because they’re not beer, I also demand access to any Heck’s cider, and any Apis mead.
Gulpener Ur-Hop
Orval
Schlenkerla Märzen
Bitburger or Warsteiner
Chimay Triple or Duvel or La Chouffe
At multiple-day music festivals: Franziskaner Hefeweizen and Dead Pony Club
Alright, that’s 10 beers but it narrows it down to the core for me.
If you’ll allow 5 from my home state (NC):
Appalachian Mountain Spoaty Oaty Pale Ale
Birdsong Paradise City Session IPA
Green Man Wayfarer IPA
Highland Daycation IPA
Hi-Wire Lager
and 5 from outside:
Captain Lawrence 6th Borough Pilsner
Clown Shoes Baked Goods Pale Ale
Golden Road Wolf Pup Session IPA
Stillwater Micro Pale Ale
Sweetwater TripleTail IPA
Blvd Saison Brett
Schlenkerla, particular one depends on mood
Rene Cuvee, b/c of cost/availability but many gueuzes
Burton Bridge Empire Pale Ale, the only English beer I feel comfortable buying off the shelf b/c it gets better with time
De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva, if I can actually ever get/afford it
Hoppy beers are too persnickety for me and there are many to-go Impy Stouts that fit the need.
Alefried Schlawiner - Tasty APA right from where I live, so you usually can get a pretty fresh bottle of APA goodness. If I wanna top it up a notch, I go with Klabauter, his IPA.
Trumer Pils - My Pils of choice, refreshing and usually readily available. It’s clean, crisp and well done. Creamier from the tap. What more do you want?
Stone Got to IPA - Usually in Summer, when I don’t have a lot of bottles at home, some cans of this will be stashed in the fridge as it’s readily available in supermarkets. Come home, kick back with a can on the balcony, stop sweating so damn much.
Stiegl Grapefruit Radler - A can of this is usually around every few weeks in the warmer months. Goes well with spicy pizza. Stop judging me!
Brewdog Punk IPA - Whenever I’m at a pub or bar that carries no new ticks, but some belgians and an IPA, this one’s usually it. And it’s a good one.