Beer in the new era

Last night I drank a Widmeyer Hefeweizen, which I found meh, and a Maresdous 8, which was very tasty in the tradition of tasty Belgian strong ales. A bit on the sweeter side of what I like but not over the line.

Oh, I'll keep an eye out for that. I've been meaning to start exploring Belgian beers. I was putting it off till I'd tried every English stout but I should probably start sooner.

It's almost summer! Time to put the stouts away!

Oh yeah, I had something called Sunset Wheat the other night which tasted like orange and was surprisingly good considering that fact.

nooooooooooooooooo!!!

(I'm assuming you're talking about Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat, which I declared a vendetta against because it is the single least-pleasant beer I have ever had)

When I was in Belgium last week I totally was rocking all the kriek. But not the Hoegaarden (because that's utterly disgusting). I also had a Trappist (Chimay Bleu) which was pretty intense at 9% ABV

sundar iirc you are in OTT or MTL? where are you getting these amazing beers from in whichever of those two cities you're in?

if you are from neither of those places i apologize, i just remember you saying it once or something. i may be making it up.

I'm from Ottawa (and lived in Mtl 2001-2002) but I've been living in Buffalo NY for almost 2 years now.

When I was in Belgium last week I totally was rocking all the kriek. But not the Hoegaarden (because that's utterly disgusting). I also had a Trappist (Chimay Bleu) which was pretty intense at 9% ABV

Where exactly?

BTW if near West Flanders: Should have tried the Brugse Zot!

(I would imagine that at least Mtl should have good places for this? I couldn't help you though. I drank Colt 45 from the dep when I lived there. Ah, callow youth.)

To be fair, I haven't really looked past my local deps, but the few bars I've found that have bigger selections were pretty disappointing... one place that was recommended highly as a place with a bunch of beers had that greek beer whose name I forget as the rarest one. mythos?

i'll have to check ch0whound or something.

Let me know if you find (or have had) Dieu du Ciel Aphrodisiaque. The ratebeer.com folks rank it as the best sweet stout on earth but I haven't found any around here.

yes. mythos. it's not bad!

I think I am going to drop by Dieu du Ciel tonight, actually. Everything they have is actually to a pretty high standard... the reason you probably haven't found it is because they aren't actually bottling any of their brews yet. Apparently they're opening another brewery north of the city though, and they're going to start bottling there! I can't remember where I heard that. I read it today after doing a bit of ch0whound research. I will see if I can talk to the owners or something tonight (I'm going early so hopefully the place will be near empty, I'm not much of one for the crowd there). I've not had the aphrodisiaque, don't know if it's "in season" (they only brew most things a couple times a year), but if they have it I'll give you a review!

Where exactly?

Brussels. and Paris, but that's obviously not in Belgium. May I also suggest that if you do go to France and decide to try the local brews, Kronenbourg tastes like piss. stay away.

I've developed a fondness for Zywiec lately - I don't even usually like lagers much but it's so smooth and tasty. Perfect warm weather beer.

it is. and that red-temperature indicator on the back is key!

König Ludwig Weissbier is majorly tasty, if a bit pricey.

I recently tried this weird Belgian beer, "La Chouffe." Unpasteurized, 8% and quite good. (Although the floaty yeast cultures were somewhat of a turn-off)

Oh yeah, I've had La Chouffe - very nice. There are so many good belgian beers it's amazing.

I just remembered I have a beer question:

In Mexico I tried Bohemia (regular, not dark) and it was fantastic - at the moment I thought it was one of the best beers I'd ever tried.

Recently I tried some Bohemia in a U.S. Mexican place and it was meh. Is it possible I was getting a different "export" version, or that the transit did something to the beer?

Man...I have had so much "skunky" imported beer, could that be it?

On a related note, what do you do when your beer is obviously off and you've already drank a couple? Can you take the rest back to the store.?

;)

Oh yeah, I went back to Dieu, but no Aphro... was available. I didn't get a chance to ask when/if it was coming back... next time! Maybe I'll go tonight, I would like to dig into my new book and my house smells like cat piss and I am not currently poor.

Oh man! I didn't see that you guys were talking about Biere D'Achouffe. I thought it was a Quebecois beer for so long! True story. Apparently the first place they started exporting to was Quebec! It is very delicious. I don't remember finding any little floaters, though...

Response from Dieu du Ciel to two questions I asked via e-mail:

Hello Will,

Thanks you for your comments. It is much appreciated.

1-) We brew the Aphrodisiaque only 2 or 3 times a year. The next batch
will probably be avaible something like next september.

2-) Yes, it's true, we are in the process of building up a bottling
plant in St-Jérôme. There will also be a pub there. We hope to be able
to sell our first bottles at the end of July.

Cheers!
[dude's name removed by me]

currently - harviestoun Butter and Twisted is amazinhg, but we've just come back from North East France (ie very near the Belgian border and lots of Flemish beer-making tradition) and have been loving L'angelus which is beer's swankiest bottle I fear, gold foil and everything. Also Maredsous, Amadeus (lemon flavoured, should be wrong but oh so right) and god's own beer - Orval.

erm that's bitter and twisted of course

When alcohol content is shown on U.S. beer, it is often labelled by weight. Since alcohol is lighter than water, this can leave the mistaken impression that U.S. beer has much less alcohol, on average, than Canadian beer. A 3.2% beer in the U.S. (by weight) would be equivalent to a 4% beer in Canada (by volume).

Wikipedia I LOVE YOU. Did anyone know this? It boggles the mind! WHY?!

let's have a sesh

link?

my girl friend brought me a 6 pack of Hitachino Nest White Ale. Pretty good stuff. nice floral aromas ,perfect for a hot summer day. i think it's kind of pricey though

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/186/409121525_01915ec7ca.jpg

link, sorry: Canadian Beer

Apparently they have Aphrodisiaque in now. And I'm destitute poor and going away for the weekend! NOOOOO!

Recommend some beer. Not too heavy, not too wheaty, crisp and refreshing in the style of Tsing Tsao or similar.

Also recommend some beers like Paulaner or the white Kronenberg with the fruity taste whose name escapes me.

I am in the mood for trying different beers.

Dude, Zywiec

(re: light, crisp, refreshing, not wheaty)

I was at the nashville beer fest and the best thing there was a homebrewed bock that they ran out of by my second go-round. After a while though all you care about is that the beer is cold, because it's nearly august, and you're outdoors in nashville.

I think I might have talked my dad into getting a 30-gallon kit from Boot Lager. (ha ha, "boot lager")

I also finally made myself a michelada with a little kosher salt on top of a can of tecate with a lime in it. not half bad, if you don't mind a bit of foamy foam foam.

Sundar, have you tried Flying Bison? I can't quite remember which bars serve it (I think the Ulrich's, but they have closed, I think). I miss it dearly.

I swore by Aviator Red (which you can get at Wegman's) for a while. I still think it's good but have gone off it a bit. Are there other good FB beers?

I wanted to make it to Dieu du Ciel when I visited Mtl earlier in the month but couldn't make it. Drank a lot of St-Ambroise (and some nice micro wheats) instead.

They have seasonal beers (which I can remember the name of), that friends would bring me in growlers. I never managed to locate the brewery, which apparently is on the West Side (on Niagara, maybe?). Anyway, I remember enjoying the summer and winter ales quite a bit.

Available in Wegmans!? Ahh! This was not so when I lived there! I love you, Wegmans!

"Dude, Zywiec"

One of the benefits of my area of London filling up with large numbers of young eastern Europeans is the availablity in the cornershops of excellent Polish beers at ridiculously cheap prices.

Zywiec is one of the better ones, at about £1 a bottle. The dark lagers especailly are a revelation.

Ronan WTF?? This is truly a new era for you!

Saku from Estonia is pretty good

Saku or Saku Kuld, anyway. The dark variety has that soy saucey aftertaste I can't get with.

Ronan WTF?? This is truly a new era for you!

is this a joke? heh...I don't get it if so. is it that unusual that I ask about trying new beers?

I had a Saku Porter that had a weird aftertaste, that was probably the same one.

Wheats: Last night I was drinking Sprecher Hefe Weiss, which was all right.
Non-Wheats: Last night I was also drinking New Holland Mad Hatter, which was goddamn awesome.

I guess I am in the dark :/ I thought you were still teetotalling because of your stuffed-upedness-in-the-cabesa.

Cool. Sorry I didn't come back with any further suggestions.

As well as Trembling Madness and Raynville, other independent online shops I use regularly (or occasionally) and recommend personally are Fuss Club, RAD, The Hoptimist, Left Field Beer, Beermoth and Beer Merchants. Probably others I'm forgetting now.

Peak ipa ftw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5YRAfy6kuA

Never heard of regular Busch? That generation is lost.

You could argue they’ve never truly lived

the runt of the annheuser-busch due

Have to admit, the popularity of light beer is baffling to me. Doesn’t the working man want to drink something with gusto?

Today saw a bud zero for the first time

I’m with you generally, but one important factor in understanding the popularity of light adjunct lagers is that they’re cheap AF

I had a Sierra Nevada Trail Pass IPA today, one of their N/A beers. It was drinkable, but no match for their usual IPAs. I detected a kind of sage flavor.

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone drink a Busch not-Light.

this guy (points to hairy chest)

I've never had the light.. but Busch is not really popular in CA

I have seen a slight resurgence in Miller Lite, which is somewhat surprising.. they claim to be a 'pilsner' rather than a lager

Most of the beer I drank over the last decade I drank was Dos Equis which is lite adjacent. When it’s 98F at 11 PM, flavor comes second to coldness and not feeling too heavy.

Which is also why I mostly drank Jameson on the rocks or Tito’s and soda.

My hot times in the city beverage of choice is a casa migos ranch water with a dash of hot sauce

When it’s 98F at 11 PM, flavor comes second to coldness and not feeling too heavy.

I think this is the ostensible appeal, quantity over quality. Like, if you're at a game, say, or doing something over a prolonged period of time, downing 4% beers won't quickly knock you on your butt, vs. some 8%+ craft monsters. It's basically flavored water, with a little extra.

Speaking of which, what is the deal with hop water? What is the appeal there?

I like Athletic’s seltzers

Bud light > miller lite

the best beer i’ve had recently was a corona with a lime at an outdoor fish place in florida, accompanying some grilled oysters and shrimp and some spicy boiled peanuts.

I really don't mind Miller Lite, but then again I frequently order High Life

Really growing up in a place where they consume the stuff by the 30pk, it was hilarious to me to consider the title "Everything you need to know about Busch Light"

1. It tastes like beer flavored water

What I really don’t understand is Michelob Ultra. It doesn’t even taste like beer. It tastes like watered down diet Dr Pepper. And I’m ashamed to know all the things necessary to even form this opinion.

Literally any other beer > MU

During the low carb craze there were even worse options - Miller 64, Bud Select (I think?).

https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/25/the-barrel-that-launched-a-sour-beer-movement-is-now-at-chicagos-off-color-brewing/

very cool, thanks

I spent an afternoon/evening with John in Chicago and that dude is amazing in every way. I've probably talked about on this very thread!

b-b-b-but that said, I had an amazing time in Chicago... although if John Laffler ever asks if you want to see his bourbon library, you're probably better off declining and taking a taxi home.

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, December 11, 2018 8:47 AM (six years ago)

I've gotten to know him just a bit through mutual friends, super nice guy!

The Siebel Institute of Technology & World Brewing Academy, opened in Chicago in 1872, is leaving the U.S. for Montreal, to continue to draw international students. More here:

"Maintaining the quality of education while keeping Siebel Institute and World Brewing Academy offerings affordable was key for us,” said John Hannafan, General Manager and Director of Education, Siebel Institute. “Recent regulatory changes in the U.S. have made it much more challenging for many of our international students, who have become the majority of our student body, to attend classes in person. This relocation of North America classroom operations to Montreal allows us to pivot without sacrificing the student experience."

fuck’s sake

Holy shit, that's bleak. But, I mean, probably the right move to keep getting international students.

international universities are happily hoovering up all the international students that can no longer get into the U.S.

And for something like brewing, makes sense to relocate to a place more welcoming to international students and international faculty and guests.

the death knell of Fair State Co-op in Minneapolis, of which I was a member

Dear Members of the Fair State Brewing Cooperative Community,
You just received a notice from the Fair State Board of Directors that the last day of service in the Fair
State Brewing Cooperative taproom will be this weekend. This may have come as a surprise, and I
acknowledge that my lack of transparency through these recent months has been frustrating. For that, I
sincerely apologize. Now that I am able, I wish to provide a more thorough explanation. Of note, I was
advised by the Fair State Board of Directors not to send an additional statement, but I believe I owe it to
my staff and this member community to provide more clarity.
When Fair State was navigating its planned closure of our Saint Paul production facility, Rancher’s
entered the picture as one of two potential acquirers, and the only one committed to retaining all Fair
State staff. We mutually agreed to move forward without laying off union staff while also providing
medium-term stability and support to stabilize the taproom business. Notably, while Fair State had initially
contemplated selling only the Saint Paul equipment, Rancher’s unexpectedly negotiated an agreement
with our senior bankruptcy creditor to purchase all of Fair State’s assets, including its taproom equipment
and brand.
This action led to additional trepidation in my public communications, as I had to coordinate with Rancher’s
while weighing the risk of jeopardizing the brand, our staff’s livelihood, and the cooperative’s long-term
viability in the bankruptcy process. Yesterday, just before 5 pm, Rancher’s notified me that their support
of the Fair State taproom would cease effective this Saturday. I quickly requested that support continue
over the holiday period to provide a more equitable transition for taproom staff as well as support for
severance and health insurance.
Without this support, the taproom does not have sufficient liquidity to remain open. Although I wish we
could, I refuse to be in a position where I may not be able to pay taproom staff for hours they work. Thus,
after we pour our last beer Sunday, the cooperative will close, and the taproom staff and I will no longer
be employed. I am working to find other ways to support our staff through this transition. I will also be
sending a separate communication to preferred share investors in Fair State, detailing what this means for
them.
I duly acknowledge that our taproom and cooperative business is not sustainable. That rests on my
shoulders. Chill State, as well as our partnership with (the amazing) Farina Rossa has been successful in
bringing in fresh faces. Our beer remains of the highest quality. Although it has stopped the bleeding, it
has not reignited enough growth. In the past eight months, I have not been able to forge an independent
path forward, and we do not have a reasonable hope of satisfying our obligations under our Chapter 11
plan. The capital required to sustain the taproom exceeds what I am willing to ask of members, of whom
we have already asked too much.
I also apologize that my lack of transparency may have negatively impacted member sentiment and
support. Please know that I was always focused on how to keep our doors open and keep our taproom
staff employed. This community has meant the world to me. It has been the honor of a lifetime to be part
of one of the nation’s first cooperative breweries and the first unionized microbrewery.

You’re likely wondering if you will still see Fair State beer on liquor store shelves and in distribution. The
answer is yes: Rancher’s is running the Saint Paul production facility and owns the Fair State brand and
beer recipes, meaning you are likely to see “Fair State Brewing” beer on shelves, albeit potentially with a
different look and without association to the cooperative. The unionized production staff also remains
employed by Rancher’s. This serves as a testament to the quality of the Fair State product, the dedication
and talent of the production staff, and the power of unionization.
I want to thank you for your unwavering support of our cooperative mission and the sense of community
you’ve built over the past 10+ years. During this generally crazy time to be in business – much less, this
crazy time to be alive – I am most proud of the community of people we were able to bring together.
Finally, I want to invite you to the taproom for the short time we have left. Our hours are 12-10 pm
today, Friday, December 5 and 12-10 pm tomorrow, Saturday, December 6, and 12-9 pm Sunday,
December 7. After reimbursing Fair State taproom and Farina Rossa, all proceeds after tips will go to
supporting our staff and paying off certain Fair State liabilities.
I hope to raise a glass to our staff and members, as well as the community (and beer) we made together.
With gratitude,

Evan Sallee (co-founder)
Fair State Brewing Cooperative

it's getting tough out there

a friend of mine wrote a book about Trappist beer from a theological perspective: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385237357/time-silence-and-yeast/

he's having a release party in Chicago next weekend: https://app.upserve.com/s/off-color-brewing-chicago

That looks neat, I'll have to see if I can make it work ...

the book sounds really interesting!

I really want to go but I already have plans to be in Madison :(

Hmm, so it's just a ... release party? He's not speaking?

It sounds like a more informal event than a lecture. he termed it "open forum" for questions and conversation about the beers, the monks, the book, etc. He said to me: "I want the release to be in tune with what the monks want their beer to be doing."

The event also gets you glassware and the entire Trappist lineup that he researched. He'll be doing formal lectures down the line, I guess.

I will be at the beer thing, sounds interesting.

Event was good, glad I went!

Glad to hear, I really wish I could have made it but it wasn't in the cards. Depending on which time slot you attended you might have been there with a sizeable chunk of my Chicago friend group.

I was at the 1-2:45 session. I would have passed on a hello to Marty but it would have been weird. "I don't know you, but hi from a guy you know that I interact with on the internet!"

I learned that the closest Trappist monk collective to Chicago is in Iowa. They make caskets.

https://trappistcaskets.com/

They need to turn those caskets into casks.

haven't really been following this but this dude seems like a piece of shit (unless someone tells me different)

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/04/small-investors-turn-on-james-watt-after-brewdog-founder-admits-many-mistake

lol this guy is still around?