My Favorite Beer...

is a free one...

All joking aside, there are thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of beers world wide... Who can choose one?

My favorite beer varies with the mood I'm in, the company I surround myself with, and my location...

EXAMPLES:
1.  Sitting around a fireplace in the middle of a cold winter = dark, thick, robust porter or stout.  Something deep in color, rich in malts, and smooth.  The higher the alcohol content the better.

2.  Having a cookout in the backyard with friends and family on a hot summer day = a crisp white or wheat ale, potentially something with an orange or lemon undertone.  Lower in alcohol content than the winter beer.  Something with a clear or hazy light color and light on the hops.

3.  Tailgating = I don't know about this one.  I tend to drink a miller light, for the necessity of having a can and glass typically not being allowed.  Most quality beers are not offered in a can unfortunately and therefore your selection is limited.  If I branch out further than the typically domestic light beer, something with a little hop is good here.  Recently I've become a HUGE fan of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  Crisp, hoppy, refreshing, higher in alcohol than a domestic for when you need a quicker buzz.  Delicious.

4.  Out to dinner = No matter what restaurant I'm in, no matter what food I'm ordering, from seafood to a burger, from Morton's Steakhouse to Olive Garden, my favorite sipping beer is a nice brown ale or Scottish Ale.  Two that come to mind first that fit the bill are Leffe Brune and Three Floyds Robert the Bruce.

Asides from the obvious, a brown ale is brown, they are typically smooth, clean beers, lower in hops, and have a nice malty taste that sticks to your tongue.  They can be higher in alcohol content, but not always.

The Scottish ales are FANTASTIC.  They are enjoyable with any food.  Typically a stronger taste than the brown ales, similar in color, but normally with a more malty finish.  They are sometimes slightly hoppy, but not necessarily.  Scottish Ales are usually higher in alcohol content (Robert the Bruce is around 7.5% ABV) and will leave you with a smile on your face.

5.  Sitting around doing nothing what-so-ever/playing videogames/watching a movie/etc. = Open for whatever I may have in the beer fridge.  My beer fridge is full of variety.  I typically have at least a few of the following in there:  Blue Moon White Ale, Newcastle Brown Ale, Leinenkugels Summer Shandy, Yuengling Lager, Miller Lite, Abita Purple Haze, Abita Turbo Dog, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Leffe Brune, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Sun King Wee Mac, Oaken Bucket Ras-Wheat... you name it.  My taste while doing any of the above mentioned activities can range from bizarre to fruity, from crisp to dark and robust.

As you can tell, I love my beers.  I have and always will enjoy trying new local microbrews in places I go on vacation and will never stray from my favorites I've already established.  If you ever have a question about a beer you may or may not like or just want to bullshit about hops and malts, lets talk... over a cold one of course.