Beer & Tunes

Beer is good – so are tunes. Here’s my current top 10 beers and the music I’m most interested in lately by artist.

My full beer list is here.

First the good stuff – the beer. For those who read my earlier post, you’ll notice a few differences:

1. Long Trail Ale (served on draft at the Ye Olde Tavern, Manchester, VT USA): in my hunble opinion the best beer in America, but only here. In a bottle it wouldn’t make the list. At the brewery maybe, but at this specific place it is a magical experience.
2. Riverhorse Special Ale (served on draft at the Lambertville Station, Lambertville, NJ USA: nearly the same as above, but a couple of steps down.
3. HopFish India Pale Ale: In a bottle from Flying Fish Brewing. This is the best IPA I’ve ever had in a bottle. It breaks into my list at #3. An excellent beer. Its the only botted beer I have in my list.
4. Hacker-Pschorr (well conditioned and settled out): a fantastic beer when server correctly. Clean and crisp – it is everything Budweiser was meant to be and is not.
5. Guinness Extra Stout (only on draft): well what can I say? Its a great beer – try to get it in Europe.
6. Bass Ale (on draft at the Pig n’ Whistle, Manhattan NYC): The Bass at the PnW is fantastic – the hops are magnificent. I have no explanation for why the Bass is better here than anywhere else, but it is.
7. Keizer Karel – Charles Quint (preferably in Antwerp at De Pelgrom or De Grootte Ganz): a mid-alcohol Belgian classic. There are few better things than a few of these on the Groenplaats in Antwerp on a summer evening. If you’re in De Grootte Ganz make sure you say “arrrggghhh” a few times
8. Samuel Adams Boston Lager (on draft in my house!): Ok – so I have a home kegging system. A cold Sam in the afternoon with a keg fresh from Boston. Mmmmm…
9. Anchor Steam (San Francisco – draft only): Another specialty beer best consumed on its native turf. Dark and malty, but also not too filling. Anchor is an American original for beer so get it and enjoy.
10. Fullers’ ESB (draft only, Inn of the Hawke, Lambertville NJ): A great deep and hoppy ale with a ton of character.

Best Watering Holes

1. Ye Olde Tavern – Manchester, VT
2. Issac Newton’s – Newtown, PA
3. Inn of the Hawke – Lambertville, NJ
4. De Pelgrom/De Grotte Ganz – Antwerp, Belgium
5. Long Trail Brewery – Waterloo, VT
6. Pig n’ Whistle – New York, NY
7. Yard House – San Deigo, CA
8. Chlosterhof – Stein Am Rhein, Switzerland
9. Iron Hill Brewery – West Chester, PA
10. Porterhouse – Lahaska, PA

What about the music? I won’t go into detail. If you don’t know the names…google works.

1. The Who
2. Pink Floyd
3. Offspring
4. Puddle of Mud
5. AC/DC
6. Weezer
7. Smashing Pumpkins
8. The Ramones
9. U2
10. Foo Fighters
11. Rise Against