Thoughts on Beer

The other day I was asked the seemingly simple question, to rank my favorite beers, which on the surface does sound like it would an easy question, and may not be hard for most people because they have a narrow view of what counts as beer.  I make it a point to drink as many different beers as I possibly can.  So I have a very large sample to try to pick from, and what if I forget about one?  Now some go to a restaurant and the reply instantly to the "what'r ya drinkin?" with the safe and standard, Coors, Bud, Miller Light (or Lite in Miller's case).  However, with me this is an agonizing process Partly, because I want to try to find that beer that is going to make me say "Now this, this is what beer should taste like" (and partly because I'm an overcomplicator).  So I'll pour over the tap handles and try to remember what I've had and what I thought of it, weighing each carefully as I make my final decision.  It's borderline ridiculous, but hey I like beer, I want to make the right call, I may never get the chance to sample a rare local brew again, so I must choose wisely.

That being said I would answer the question like this: I would have to rank my beers by brewery rather than individual beer, mainly because I could never decide on just one, and because I tend to  view the brewery as the band, and the individual beers are their songs.  If I really like a band chances are I am going to like their catalog of work.  I mean that's not to say that individuals will really hit the taste buds just right and sneak in there from time to time (Guinness) because there are for sure a lot of those.  But, I do have a reputable stable of breweries in my mind and if a beer comes from one of my preferred breweries I'm going to look forward to sampling it with 6 year old on Christmas Eve enthusiasm.

That being said here are a few of my favorites, that I would say are my top 4 (in no particular order):

Odell

New Belgium

My Brother (Not sure if he's come up with a name yet, but he makes some darn fine brew if you haven't tried it, I'd highly recommend twisting his arm for a bottle or two to sample)

Boulevard