I don’t have much to talk about today, so I figured I’d update my list of favorite beers. Haven’t done that since about 2007.
1. Dos Equis Special Lager – My favorite Mexi-beer. Great on a summer day, although I’ll drink it when it’s 25 degrees outside too. Must be served with at least one slice of lime. An unofficial Flying Saucer beer is the “Paulie Lager,” which is a Dos Equis Lager garnished with 4 lime slices on the rim to look like a palm tree. Avoid the Michelada though – it’s a beer mixer which ruins a perfectly good Dos Equis Lager by adding ice and a salted rim.
2. PBR – Better than Budweiser, and usually cheaper too. The only beer I drink at Calhoun’s, Silly Goose, or Bardog (except when it’s Tuesday pint night at Bardog). Almost always my beer of choice where it’s available.
3. Dogfish Head Midas Touch – brewed from a 3000+ year old beer recipe that was put together by brewmasters and archaeologists. They had it good back in ye olden days if this is what beer tasted like.
4. Sunner Kolsch – A relatively new arrival at the Saucer. It’s light, but not boring like Bud Light or Mich Light. Lots of flavor. One of my new favorites and my go-to Pint Nite beer when they run out of Dos Equis Lager.
5. Blue Moon – A nice orange-flavored beer. I’m always happy to see this one show up on Fire Sale.
6. Ghost River Hefe-Weizen – The last time I did a beer list I had Paulaner Hefe ranked in the Top 10, but it’s been replaced by a local product. You can taste the freshness as you drink it, which I attribute to the high-quality Memphis water that is used in the brewing process.
7. Stone Ruination IPA – Careful with this one. This double IPA is definitely not for lightweights, at a whopping 8% ABV. One 22 oz. bottle of this is probably all you will need to accelerate from sober to drunk in record time.
8. Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale – My favorite seasonal beer. Tastes like pumpkin pie. I love pumpkin pie almost as much as I love beer.
9. Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat – This blueberry-flavored beer was #2 the last time I did a favorite beer list, but I’m just not as jazzed about it as I used to be.
10. (tie) Warsteiner, Stella Artois – I couldn’t decide between these two, so I’m calling it a tie. Both of them are classic beers that go down nice and easy.
For Lee: I guess technically, Harp should be a tie for #2 since it tastes just like PBR.
BONUS! My 5 least favorite beers.
1. Abita Turbo Dog – In past blog posts I’ve stated that this vile concoction tastes like the sweat off an elephant’s ass. Absolutely disgusting. I had to drink this one for my third plate and it must have taken me an hour and a half to choke down. I thought about buying it and giving it to someone else to drink, but who would want it?
2. Natty – Natural Light is to beer what MD 20/20 is to wine – something you absolutely do not drink unless you’re so broke that you’re completely out of other options. It’s as foul as it is cheap.
3. Liefman’s Goudenband – Not 100% sure I spelled that right. If you pay double digits for a beer, it should be a delight to the senses, right? Not in this case. It tastes like someone mowed the grass and then put it through a blender. You can probably get a 30-pack of Natty for what you’d pay for one bottle of this beer, but neither is a good idea.
4. Guinness – People tell me that if I’m a REAL beer drinker, this should be my favorite. They’re out of their minds. Yeah the bubbles are kinda cool, but it’s too heavy a beer and the taste, while not quite all the way to Turbo Dog bad, is still far from pleasant. Plus, it takes a long time to pour because it has to be done in two stages. I don’t like having to wait on my beer.
5. Coors Light – Coors Light is to Bud Light as Pepsi is to Coke – in second place and frankly, not as good a product, yet it still does well because it’s aggressively marketed. People who respond to the company’s marketing efforts fail to notice one thing – that this beer is total crap. Somewhat drinkable when served through a below-freezing tap line, but even then, it has to be at a discount to every other beer in the bar before I’ll consider ordering.
Oh, also, I guess Moretti should be tied for #2 since it’s Italy’s version of Natty Light.
The Weather Channel is predicting a low of 49 tonight… that means I’ll finally get to wear my PBR hoodie tonight! Trivia at 7 PM, and the Rapscallions will once again dominate.