While Deschutes is a fine NW brewery, I would not even put it into the top 10.
Posted on 10/23/2009 9:10:52 PM PDT by pissant
In the surprisingly small world of big-league craft brewing, there are some names - young as the community is - that carry a little magic in them: Port Brewing of San Marcos, CA...Three Floyds Brewing of Munster, Indiana...Victory Brewing of Downington, PA...Stone Brewing of Escondido, California...Russian River...North Coast...Dogfish Head...Founder's...Surly... Firestone-Walker...Goose Island...and the list goes on and on. They're everywhere - literally. Allagash, in Maine, is perhaps America's best brewer of Belgian-style ales. Ommegang, in Cooperstown, New York, is the leading innovator of Belgian ales given a left-handed American spin. Great Divide, in downtown Denver, is world-famous for it's high-octane, hop-crazy style. AleSmith, in San Diego, scores consistent 90-point+ ratings on practically all it's beers. Even in my own home state of North Carolina - which had TWO craft breweries when I left in 1992 - there's Duck Rabbit Brewing, which is quickly building a national-grade reputation.
Over the past ten+ years, I've made an effort to taste as many beers from as many of these brewers as I possibly could; sometimes going to great lengths to get to places where those not distributed in Seattle could be found. On a trip back to Washington, DC/Virginia/North Carolina, I finally got to taste the Three Floyds ales, which more than lived up to the hype. Some have come to me: Russian River, Bear Republic, Port Brewing, and Firestone-Walker have all recently signed on with Seattle distributors. And my last trip to Denver was nothing less than revelatory: Breckenridge, Great Divide, Boulder Brewing, Left Hand, Avery, Del Norte, Twisted Pine, Oskar Blues and Wynkoop all got me for a short while. California brewers you can't find here, like Green Flash, were on tap in Denver's pubs.
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While Deschutes is a fine NW brewery, I would not even put it into the top 10.
Stone is one of my favorites. Another good brewery is St. Stan’s in Modesto, Calif. When I’m in Pittsburgh, I enjoy drinking Iron City.
Lost Coast from my home town of Eureka Ca has my fav beers. besides supporting the locals, even after i moved. They have a Raspberry brown that will knock your socks off.
Tied House - Mt View Calif
Gordon Biersch - Palo Alto Calif
Flat Branch Brewery, Columbia, Missouri has an “Oil Can Stout” that is as good as any ale i have sampled.
Boulevard Brewery in Kansas City is still good, but has become more commercial the past couple of years.
One don’t have to go to the left coast to find excellent micro breweries.
I hit the Stone brewery last this past summer. Not bad.
There is a pretty good triple hop yeasting in the closet under my stairway right now...could be one of my best breweries this year (but then again, I thought the last brew was the best as well).
I brewed for several years. Until I found it wasn’t saving me much money and I wasn’t competing in quality with the best of the best.
Kept it going for a year and a half. Best beer ever.
everybody in Texas knows this one..... as far as the others.... knock yourselves out. I'm staying at home cause if it's any better than Shiner Bock, Blonde, Hefenweizen or Black Lager.... I'd have a problem.... walking.
I used to agree. Hales was one of my first loves. Their original Bitter was outstanding back in the 80s. HTey went downhill for a little while, but have bounced back nicely in the last couple years.
I’m going to tour that place one of these days.
Was just in Eureka in August...walked past the brewery and watched. Downtown Brown is a consistent resident of my refrigerator shelf.
I'll drink to that!
I have to be true to Texas and go with the Spoetzl Brewery.
Cheers!
Yeah, everytime I combine them, I get a bunch of scolds that get the thread pulled.
I'm sipping on Deschutes' Hop Trip right now. It's disappointing.
North Coast Red Seal FTW.
lol.....I used to live on E street....right by the Eureka Inn.
The best brewery in America is the home brewery.
I just started enjoying Brews.
(actually had not drank beer for five years untill the Portland International Brewfest, I went for the fact it was a Dog freindly event and left as a wanna taste all brews)
I went to a lil Brew place Hopps just outside of Eugene Oregon (right next to our hotel) and they had a cool deal. A tray of samples. The vanilla bean was different and the um I think it was Red something Ale was tasty.
I really like Dechutes (sic) out of the (new to my palate) to me Ales.
And Drop Top Ale (widmer) is a ok.
I do know this I could never ever drink a piss can of beer like Bud/Coors ect after getting a taste of brewed Ales.
In our own backyard we have Rogue Ales, which being new to the taste game I have yet to try.
And I do mean taste as in flavor, I am not into the drinking a whole one I like being a sampler. : )
Pissant has woman?
The bottled product isn't near as good. Too heavy, sort-of harsh even, compared to the keg beer.
Firestone also makes a prize winning IPA that is heaven for hop-heads.
Paso Robles, California, surrounded by wine vintners out the ying-yang...
The Firestone building bears some small resemblance to the Deshutes building, though my impression is based upon glancing at the Firestone one while passing by on the 101.
this angle, not so much...
Beer Ping!
A low to medium ping list aimed at all of us who, well, love our beer…
FReepmail rzeznikj at stout or GOP_Raider to be added or struck from the list…
use to work at GB. good company. good beers
HAHA! those are old family friends of ours that use to own that place. not sure if they still do. The Thunderbird as well. My pops was a deputy sheriff there and my uncle just retired from the force as the coroner. Sure miss home
are you in Eldorado county? or is your handle a play in words?
You’ll may hate/disregard this...
Carlings Brewery on the shores of Lake Cochituate, Natick Ma. (you said brewery, not beer)
The building had a corner, facing the lake and route 9 which was two corners glassed, with a large waterfall. In that corner was a (?) stainless steel vat (huge). It looked like a space ship at the time. (very early conspiracy theories since the Natick Labs were only a few miles away... or at least that what we kids were told)
They had tours. My Cub Scout troop took one, or two... Fathers (and Mothers! — samples).
Walking along the rail road tracks to the State Park, one might often find a case of Black Label which had been thrown over the fence... (alway took it home to Dad...)
When the brewery closed, it was idle for awhile and then (AIR) became an electronics firm. They scrapped the vat.
Will always remember the early days. Thanks for bringing back the memory.
[my tastes have grown beyond Mabel btw]
The New Glarus Brewing Company New Glarus Wisconsin
Spotted Cow
I have an assortment of New Glarus brews in my fridge as we speak.
“The best brewery in America is the home brewery.”
Amen brother.
We’re brewing 20 gallons of all-grain tomorrow; 10 - American Amber and 10 California Common (aka, Steam).
And Pissant, You might try brewing again. The kits put together by the homebrew shops make it pretty easy to brew on-style. Most of the beers we’ve made have been world class, and that opinion comes from people who have traveled and know good beer.
Our Belgian Golden ale and Oatmeal Stout were especially tasty.
Oh, and go all-grain rather than using the liquid malt. You’ll get a much better beer and it’s considerably cheaper.
Discuss.
Stone is great beer & ale...but then, I’m an Arrogant Bastard....;)
I lean toward Dogfish and Avery—followed by Rogue, Arrogant Basterd, etc.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/605303/
and...
http://www.GunnyG.wordpress.com
Semper Beer!
Yes I do, in Nashville which is almost at the Amador county line. My family loves the north coast, Mom is from Gold Beach and we go through Eureka every year. My big son tries to empty out the Samoa Cookhouse every time we go...
Oh My!
Found a brand-new brew-pub/restaurant in Atlanta my last trip up there—The 5-Seasons.
Nice location and set-up—talked to one of the management who says that they are the only brewery using rain water for there brew. I had never heard that one b4!
Myself, I live south on the sandbar, no brewpubs in the vicinity, nearest homebrew store miles away in orlando, and no brewpubs at all.
I did finally get the manager of Publix to start stocking Dogfish 60—11$ ea sixpac! Goes for about 8.50$ in Atlanta.
I’m just an occasional extract/specialty brewer. Got a MrBeer about 10 or so years ago now—still use the MB fermenter for small batches; otherwise 8.5 gal plastic bucket.
Started out brewing Scotch Ale, then went to Stout, etc.
Now, Belgians and IPA/APAs.
Finally learned to stop boiling the extract and using dme only.
Growing a few hops behind my condo; mostly cuz the beer snobs claim it couldn’t be done in Fla. Maybe not for bigtime hop farmers, but ok for me.
Semper Beer
Dick Gaines
*****
Dogfish and Harpoon’s UFO brand are good, Sierra Nevada’s also a reliable choice. Was not impressed by “Big Kahuna” at Costco last time I was on the Left Coast over the summer.
North Coasts’ “Alt Nouveau” back in the 80’s and early 90’s was THE BEST! Fresh off the tap.... in pitchers no less.
I know everybody sez it cannot be done—has anyone ever “bottled” homebrew in Mason jars????
I met one guy so far who claimed to have done so regularly.
The Pottery Barn has some nice Mason Jars w/handles—makes a goo beer mug.
Goose Island IPA is the best pale ale I’ve found to date.
Drinking with George ‘Norm’ Wendt
complete with beer chugging contest.
;o)
Spotted Cow is an excellent brew. We’re always on the hunt for some when we cross the Cheddar Curtain.
Not sure they would hold up under the pressure of the natural carbonation, but worth a try.
Bookmark.
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