I just checked drinkvine.com (for anyone in Ontario, PLEASE check this site out) and there are 150 bottles about 30 minutes away from me.

@Lando: Startup cost is a bit steep. It was about 250 to get all the gear, but we went for quality stuff, bells and whistles on a few items. We split the cost between 8 guys though, so it wasnt too bad. Now a batch (5 gallons) costs us about $50. We are supposed to meet for a 3rd bottle and brew get together in about a week. Other than waiting for the fermentation, it really isn't much of a commitment. You spend about 3-5 hours brewing the beer (heating 5 gallons of water is what takes so long), and then wait, transfer the beer for another round of fermentation, wait, then bottle.

I really recommend finding some friends to do it with. Brewing, while sitting around talking about beer and drinking some that you made yourself is a pretty great time. Also, once you get going, the group can run private batches. The only equipment that is in near constant use is the big 5 gallon fermenting jugs. If you get several of those, you can be running batches till you run out of space.

I live in New York City. I'll PM you.

Belhaven

I need to do that when I get my poker room up and running. We can play poker while we wait for the beer to do its thing.

abgemacht +1. I vote for grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis).

Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild is one of the best out there, although as it generally only ever lives in the West Midlands of England it's not often I get to have any. Bath Rare Hare is pretty nice and you can seldom go wrong with a pint of Otter Ale.

The best thing about real ales though is the fun of trying new ones. The worst thing is when some madman trys to bottle the damned things and kills them off :(.

Money spent of craft beers is money that could be spent on quality whiskey. When I even keep beer it's usually Keystone Light. Coors if I'm feeling fancy.

Having said that, Goose Island 312 is fantastic.

Victory Brewing is my home town (Downingtown, PA) and their Prima Pils (Pilsner) is good and rated in the top 50 world wide.

Yuengling is also drank a bunch, being so close to Pottsville (I have one in my hand, probably why I am posting (first post))

(i love parenthesis, but only in this post)

Dogfish head, as mentioned is good. 120 is strong, 90 is still good. Their Midas' Touch taste really good and is strong.

Anchor Steam from SF, CA, USA and 21st Amendments Back in Black I also fancy.

There are too many good beers to list really. Invictus, you should start a thread on whiskey.

Well yes if you like Yuengling then you probably don't like beer. Might as well drink Bourbon if you like to imbibe liquid corn.

Of all the things you've ever said Putin33, insulting bourbon is by far the worst.

"Well yes if you like Yuengling then you probably don't like beer."

: (

I thought you liked expensive whiskey?

Sorry, I know a lot of people who like it, just tastes like corn to me.

No. I'm not a fan of whiskey at all really.

I like a lot of beers (including whiskey), wines, and especially sherry. For hard alcohol, I really only like SoCo, unless it's mixed with things.

LOL

I like a lot of beers (* including Yuengling*)...

abgemacht, are you really surprised Putin33's a beer snob? There's certainly a difference between great beer and awful beer, but even awful beer's perfectly fine if it's cold enough.

woah woah woah

Yuengling is *not* an "awful beer", sir!

Hey I like my share of awful beer. PBR and Steel Reserve, thanks.

I'm sorry if I made it sound like Yuengling was awful. It isn't. Well, this one berry kind I had was, but all the others are good.

To me, beer snobs are just wine snobs with less money. There is a difference, even a massive one, between a good beer and a bad one. Drink what you like, and if you like beer you should be able to drink a PBR like a man and not complain about how there isn't enough banana undertones in it.

lol

I can imagine how Yuengling's non-lager could be pretty god-awful.

hahahaha, who said SoCo was 'hard liquor'? who was that? abge? lmfao

Man, I'm taking a beating in this thread.

I also like Gin. Is that "hard"?

Oh Gin. Blackwoods (from Shetland) - smooth enough to drink neat :)

For beer, not much beats Innes & Gunn, although my rule is to drink local beer wherever you can. It's through this that I learnt Americans can make beer, rather than the watery piss they try and sell the rest of the world ;)