The great beer debate

[shigzeo]

Twenty or so years ago, it was a well-known fact that American beer was balls. I was in California last week and every convenience store and grocery outlet had beers both local and foreign. It was heaven.

The propaganda I'm still fed today (in Japan, Canada, and to a lesser extent from Sweden) from self-described drinkers is that American beer is piss. I beg to differ. What a world of difference it was to jump to California from Japan, where every grocery and convenience store carry the same three piss brands and if you're lucky, the same three off-brand 'craft' variants.

USA!

[BearPower]

Honestly every country has good beer if you look hard enough. Don't think there's much to debate about.

[Dejan0707]

The best beers comes from Czech Republic, folowed by Ireland and Germany. American beers are crap. End of debate.

[Octavious]

Beer is what you drink when there's no cider available.

[Tantrum]

I lived in Germany and nearby for 10 years and I love beer. But American (craft) beers are certainly a lot better than German beers and are certainly the world's best. (Although I have to admit I don't like that Belgian-y taste that the Belgian and French beers have.) New Zealand also has a lot of great breweries, including my favourite Garage Project, but they are definitely brewing in the (craft) American style, with lots of influence from the more interesting European variations.

Japan also has a lot of good craft breweries and pubs.

Every country has crap beer, and plenty of it. But if you look beyond those, the Americans have the best beer.

(Disclaimer: I'm not American)

[Stressedlines]

Dejan has not been to America for a whole I am guessing, since 10 years ago I may have agreed with him, but since I have been brewing my own beer for a while now, and understand things differently, and have a German-born parent, and visit there a lot, you would be very wrong.

There is a reason German beers have started to lag behind, not only American, but Australia and Canada also Their purity laws have boxed them into a corner. The other 3 nations I mentioned have a lot of different yeast strains, that apparently the Germans are unable to use due to the law.

If you come to America, and drink some of our craft beers, and still think our beer is bad, then you are just being bias. Our beer was pure junk not so long ago, but that is no longer true

[RoganJosh]

Yeah - the US has been running the beer scene for a while now. The IPA trend, barrel aged.... It seems only the small beer countries in Europe are catching up. The other ones are too proud I guess. Czeck beers are average at best and German beers are awful.

[Wusti]

The US been running the beer scene? Jesus Christ - myopic much?

Let me tell you something buddy - the IPA craze is all about marketing and money. Fact is you can punch out 2 kegs of IPA from the same kettles as you can a Lager and nearly 3 for a decent Pilsener.

Also - Australian beer shits all over the swill you septics brew. Pull your head out of your arse before you talk shit sonny. :D

[Wusti]

Stone and Wood Pacific Ale from Byron Bay on the Northern NSW coast in Oz is the best beer in the world hands down. Gotta love that Galaxy hops.

[GarlMargs]

Edit: wrong thread.

[Octavious]

At the end of the day you get bad beer everywhere, and it's nice to know that the US has finally joined the ranks of nations where good beer is at least a possibility.

Of course, where the US fails in their ridiculous notion of a pint being less than half a litre. Everyone in the civilised world knows the perfect size glass of beer, the true pint, is a good mouthful over half a litre. Except on birthdays and special occasions when the measure should be a yard :)

[RoganJosh]

myopic much

Ooh, if you just would have moved your eyes the tiniest bit to the right you would've noticed.

[Jamiet99uk]

I would agree that American beer used to have a poor reputation but has made great progress in the past two decades. One of my favourite beers is Founders' All Day IPA, which is an American beer. There are also some good ales brewed in the UK. Innes & Gunn in Scotland make excellent (if strong) ales, and locally to me there's a nut brown ale called Double Maxim which is my regular beer if I can get it.

[ghug]

Seattle is the modem beer capital of the world. Y'all can fight me.

[eturnage]

Asheville, North Carolina, is a climber.

[Wusti]

Rogan Josh - what would anyone from Sweden know about beer anyway? I rest my case. Get back into your Sauna

[shigzeo]

At the end of the day you get bad beer everywhere, and it's nice to know that the US has finally joined the ranks of nations where good beer is at least a possibility.

Of course, where the US fails in their ridiculous notion of a pint being less than half a litre. Everyone in the civilised world knows the perfect size glass of beer, the true pint, is a good mouthful over half a litre. Except on birthdays and special occasions when the measure should be a yard :)

Actually, it's not everywhere. Certainly not in Japan (most beer is served from the bottle into tiny cups, or 'pints' roughly the same size as an American half pint), certainly not on Korea (where the beer is piss as piss gets, but sweet piss), and even Canada.

I think it's certain styles of pub culture where proper pints are served, and even then, America's prices are amazing. Full pint for 7-10$ whereas it's a lot more in Canada unless you go to the source. Vancouver's beer scene now is amazing.

[Wusti]

Seattle is the modem beer capital of the world. Y'all can fight me.

Game on - Aussie beers rule

[shigzeo]

I've tried some great Kiwi beers, and not yet enjoyed Australian beer. It's time. I've been damn impressed by American beers, and I'm a former hate-on-America Canadian of Swedish extraction. How's that for progress?

[peterlund]

Being the supreme beer expert in this forum, I hereby announce ...

The FINAL SCORE
1. Clearly best: Belgian Trappist beer
2. German Weißbier
3. Czech Budweiser and other Czech beers.
4. English Ale
.
.
999. American Budweiser