drabley Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Nothing like a warm sunny day and a beer festival to cure the winter weather blues down south: http://www.topofthehopsbeerfest.com/index-live.php Can't fucking wait. My lady friend lives, literally, 2 minutes from the venue, so we'll just ride bikes there and avoid any DUI concerns. Breweries as follows: ABITA BEER (Abita Springs, Louisiana) AFFLIGEM BREWERY (Opwijk, Belgium) ANCHOR BREWING CO. (San Francisco, California) ANHEUSER BUSCH (St. Louis, Missouri) AYINGER BREWERY (Aying, Germany) BAYOU TECHE BREWERY (Arnaudville, Louisiana) BLUE MOON (Golden, Colorado) BROOKLYN BREWERY (Brooklyn, New York) BROUWERIJ HUYGHE (Melle, Belgium) -- Delerium CASTELLO BEER (Italy) CERVECERIA HONDURENA (San Pedro Sula, Honduras) CHIMAY (Chimay, Belgium) COORS BREWING COMPANY (Golden, Colorado) COVINGTON BREWHOUSE (Covington, Louisiana) CROWN IMPORTS (Chicago, Illinois) -- Corona, Pacifico, etc DIXIE BREWING CO. (New Orleans, Louisiana) DUVEL (Puurs, Belgium) EEL RIVER BREWING COMPANY (Fortuna, California) FLYING DOG BREWERY (Frederick, Maryland) FULL SAIL BREWING COMPANY (Hood River, Oregon) GREEN'S GLUTEN FREE BEERS (West Yorkshire, England) HARPOON BREWERY (Boston, Massachusetts) HEINER BRAU MICROBREWERY (Covington, Louisiana) HOEGAARDEN (Hoegaarden, Belgium) INDIAN WELLS BREWING COMPANY (Inyokern, California) LAZY MAGNOLIA BREWING COMPANY (Kiln, Mississippi) LINDEMANS (Viezenbeek, Belgium) MENDOCINO BREWING COMPANY (Hopland, California) MICHIGAN BREWING COMPANY (Webberville, Michigan) NOLA BREWING COMPANY (New Orleans, Louisiana) NORTH COAST BREWING COMPANY (Fort Bragg, California) OTTER CREEK BREWING (Middlebury, Vermont) PAULANER (Munich, Germany) PIKE BREWING COMPANY (Seattle, Washington) RED STRIPE (Kingston, Jamaica) ROGUE ALES (Newport, Oregon) SAMUEL ADAMS BOSTON BEER COMPANY (Boston, Massachusetts) SAMUEL SMITH BREWERY (North Yorkshire, England) SEA DOG BREWING COMPANY (Bangor, Maine) SHINER BEERS (Shiner, Texas) SHIPYARD (Portland, Maine) SIERRA BLANCA BREWING COMPANY (Moriarty, New Mexico) SIERRA NEVADA (Chico, California) SOUTHERN STAR BREWING COMPANY (Conroe, Texas) ST. AMBROISE (Montreal, Quebec) STELLA ARTOIS (Leuven, Belgium) STONE BREWING CO. (Escondido, California) STRANGFORD LOUGH BREWING CO. (Killyleagh, Ireleand) TIGER BEER (Singapore) TWISTED PINE (Boulder, Colorado) UNIBROUE (Chambly, Quebec) ZATEC BREWERY (Zatec, Czech Republic) ZEA HANDCRAFTED BREWS (Covington, Louisiana) I've bolded the breweries that I am familiar with. Anyone have any experience with any of the others? Any ones I should definitely pay attention to? My goal is to sample all 120 beers offered at the festival, some multiple times. Going to be a good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbypuckett Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Everyone should watch the documentary Beer Wars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vittywatt Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 BLUE MOON (Golden, Colorado) - is just a Coors Brewery product FYI i bet HARPOON BREWERY will have a couple of their 100 barrel series on hand...try those for sure! BROOKLYN BREWERY is really good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruins4ever Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 My lady friend lives, literally, 2 minutes from the venue, so we'll just ride bikes there and avoid any DUI concerns. Fact: here in Canada you can get a DUI while riding a bike. It happened to my one buddy one night heading home from the bar. He even had a helmet on! Not sure if that's the same in the USA, but it happens here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtmanner Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 That list of brewers is awesome! I'm familiar with some ones you didn't bold, and unfamiliar with more of the ones you did haha. The only beer I've had from the Brooklyn Brewery is their lager, which is pretty good. Nothing special, but it's tasty. Harpoon makes some really nice beers. Their IPA is kind of their standard/most popular. It's nothing to go crazy about, but it's a well balanced IPA. I just had (a bunch of) their Celtic Ale (red) and that was really nice. Samuel Smith makes some AWESOME beer. I've had their Taddy Porter, Nut Brown Ale, Oatmeal Stout and I'm sure tried sips of a couple others which have all been very enjoyable. I've had beer from Sea Dog and Otter Creek but don't remember them well enough to give much insight, not that their bad, it was just a long time ago and I don't really remember my thoughts on them haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thousandjulys Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 we're having this same festival in my town april 10th. let me know how it goes! definitely pay attention to north coast, otter creek and affligem. 3 of my all time faves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drabley Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 My lady friend lives, literally, 2 minutes from the venue, so we'll just ride bikes there and avoid any DUI concerns. Fact: here in Canada you can get a DUI while riding a bike. It happened to my one buddy one night heading home from the bar. He even had a helmet on! Not sure if that's the same in the USA, but it happens here. Considering driving under the influence is a pretty typical thing in the NOLA area specifically and South Louisiana in general, cops here don't really give a shit about bicycle operators (unless of course they're driving down the center line naked or something...) Not worried at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thechuckdiezel Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Samuel Smith makes an amazing organic oatmeal stout and I actually just had a beer from Eel River last night called Ravens Eye that was an imperail stout and I was loving it so good and very smooth for a 9.5% beer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drabley Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 we're having this same festival in my town april 10th. let me know how it goes!definitely pay attention to north coast, otter creek and affligem. 3 of my all time faves! I will. Sounds like it's going to be a blast. I wonder if some of the local Louisiana breweries will be replaced by SC breweries when it goes to your town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thousandjulys Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 yeah, looks like we are only getting Abita for Louisiana breweries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drabley Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 Well you're getting the best of the lot so far as I'm concerned. Abita Amber is my Bud Light. Also, my good friend Cary's mother designed the Abita logo. Not that it matters, but just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadmonkey Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Shiner Breweries is responsible for my second favorite beer Shiner Bock" It's sooo fucking good. Also check out Harpoon and Brooklyn good beers from both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanukichu Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 I'M SO JEALOUS. Harpoon is one of my most favorite breweries. I definitely back trying any of their 100 Barrels as they are extremely limited. Their Leviathan is also phenom. If you like IPAs at all this is basically an IPA on steroids. I'm sad to see Philadelphia not being repped at all. We have some mighty fine breweries in these parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fartcat Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Did phenom just happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgoodcore Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 HARPOON BREWERY (Boston, Massachusetts) Definitely a good choice, go there. Good people. Went on a tour of it while I was in Boston. SHINER BEERS (Shiner, Texas) They make good beer. I like me some Shiner Bock. PAULANER (Munich, Germany) Any German Brewery is going to be good. Its just a rule of beer. The German's have their own rules for beer, they take it seriously. AND you can actually get ticketed for riding a bike drunk or generally being drunk in public so be careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldsnap Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 st.ambroise and unibroue are both excellent microbreweries. 'les brasseurs du nord' is also a great microbrewery from here, i doubt they will be there tho. i recently tried the anchor steam in SF and i really liked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twelvetwenty Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 No Dogfish Head... Damn shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drabley Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 AND you can actually get ticketed for riding a bike drunk or generally being drunk in public so be careful. This IS South Louisiana we're talking about... Besides, Tammany Trace (really awesome paved bicycle path that runs through St. Tammany Parish) is right beside her house and goes directly to/through Fontainebleau State Park. I won't be anywhere near a street, and I highly doubt the local law enforcement is going to give a shit about anyone not driving a car. I'm more concerned that I may get struck by lightning on what is supposed to be a beautiful sunny day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drabley Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 st.ambroise and unibroue are both excellent microbreweries. 'les brasseurs du nord' is also a great microbrewery from here, i doubt they will be there tho.i recently tried the anchor steam in SF and i really liked it. I grew up in Ontario and have cousins in Montreal, so I'm familliar with a lot of Quebec breweries. Haven't heard of Les Brasseurs, though. I'll have to call my cousin and have him send me some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgoodcore Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 AND you can actually get ticketed for riding a bike drunk or generally being drunk in public so be careful. This IS South Louisiana we're talking about... Besides, Tammany Trace (really awesome paved bicycle path that runs through St. Tammany Parish) is right beside her house and goes directly to/through Fontainebleau State Park. I won't be anywhere near a street, and I highly doubt the local law enforcement is going to give a shit about anyone not driving a car. I'm more concerned that I may get struck by lightning on what is supposed to be a beautiful sunny day. If I hadn't said anything I would have felt guilty, that's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drabley Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 The thought was appreciated. The law is the law, but things are a little more lax around here. Read this article on the 701. http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/11712631133140.xml&coll=1 Not a bad idea, in spirit. You think I'm guilty -- fine -- you've got 60 days to prove it. It's in the spirit of innocent until proven guilty, in my mind, but when the system around it fails, it's misdemeanor murder baby! Thankfully that part of the city has been fixed since that article. So yeah, I'm not too worried about riding my bike with a buzz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 just want to say i love sam smiths beer and dogfish's beer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drabley Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 just want to say i love sam smiths beer and dogfish's beer Sam Smith love seems to dominate the thread so far. I'll definitely sample their wares. Along with all the others, I'm sure, but I'll hit these ones up earlier so I appreciate it more. Coors, Anheuser, etc, will all be last. Thanks everyone. Also Brooklyn and Harpoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voodooman595 Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout is so delicious. It was a newly featured beer at a bar in Long Beach where I saw the Swingin' Utters. I've been in love with it ever since. Dogfish Head makes some mighty delicious beers. Beerwars is a very well done, interesting film. And as an IPA freak, I have to say that Samuel Adam's Noble Pils is freaking amazing. Cheap too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeian Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 linedeman's makes lambic beers and they're pretty fruity. the most popular one is framboise (raspberry) and it's really sweet.. it almost tastes like a wine. it goes really well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a beer float. people that don't like beer that i've had taste it say "this is a beer? really?" it's pretty good. i've had the sea dog bluepaw wheat, which is a blueberry flavored hef, i think. north coast pranqster is a pretty good belgian style golden ale, worth trying paulaner, i like their dunkel better than their weise, but it's pretty solid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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