Best Beer for the Money?

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Hilbert

Hilbert

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I have poker tonight and I am trying to decide what beer to buy so I can save up the bottles for my batch I am bottling tomorrow.

Does anyone have any ideas on what is the best beer for the money that will get me a case of amber non-twist bottles?

Open to all thoughts because I like ALL beer. Seriously I like everything but Budweiser.

I'm going to buy a light beer for the crowd because most of the old guys I play with like a light beer, i.e. Coors Light, Miller Lite, etc. (please no beer snob comments on the light beers) I usually get something heavier for the guys like me who like ales, etc.
 
For a light beer, I'd go with Terminal Gravity's ESG. Spicy and very drinkable, but I don't think they distribute very far. Where are you located?
 
Pittsburgh - so the light beer will most likely be IC Light (local favorite)
 
I found that I actually like St Pauli Girl Special dark. It is cheap considering it is from Germany (think I payed a little over 6 bucks a six pack). I keep looking at the bottle and the price thinking "Germans probably look at this beer like I look at Natural Light"....lol I have had a few of the St. Pauli Girl Lagers and they are OK. I wouldn't say they where bad, but I'll reach over them to snag a Special Dark.

I also buy a lot of Amber Bock for bottles. You can get a twelve pack for around 12 bucks.

Both bottles are great for recapping also......:D
 
I used to get Shiner Bock when I needed cheap beer.

Although I had it recently and was much less impressed than I remember.
 
You have to think about how the labels come off also.

Not sure where you are located but New Glarus has great beer and the labels just float off.
 
Sam Adams isn't exactly budget beer though.

Otherwise I would've recommended Boston Lager
 
i second the New Belgium pics. Typically $7.50 here in KC. Another pick of mine would be Schlafly Dry Hopped APA at $6.50/6er. But I know to some folks, this isnt 'budget'.
 
vespa2t said:
i second the New Belgium pics. Typically $7.50 here in KC. Another pick of mine would be Schlafly Dry Hopped APA at $6.50/6er. But I know to some folks, this isnt 'budget'.
Click to expand...

Speaking of KC, Boulevard Brewing makes fine, affordable products too.
 
IRBC said:
Speaking of KC, Boulevard Brewing makes fine, affordable products too.
Click to expand...

If you can get boulevard beers, do. I can pick up a case of their stuff at costco on the cheap and it's all good.

Sam adams is always a good buy as well.
 
I've had trouble with European pop-tops (like Warsteiner) taking a cap. Highly doubt you'd be able to find New Glarus or New Belgium in your neck of the woods. Shiner is pretty inexpensive, but haven't used their bottles...maybe Bud American Ale? I still think Sam Adams are the best bottles, nice thick glass with a rounded bead and the labels come off like a dream.
 
The wife brough home a variety case of Magic Hat beer. I tried them all and approve. The labels fell right off. I'm in the South Hills so it's available.
 
Hilbert said:
I have poker tonight and I am trying to decide what beer to buy so I can save up the bottles for my batch I am bottling tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Sam Adams. If I look around, I can find it at about $6.99/6-pack.

I bet even the old guys will make do with this.
 
The cheapest pry tops that I've found are the michelob products. Their Pale Ale is actually decent IMO.
 
Beerrific said:
Sam Adams. If I look around, I can find it at about $6.99/6-pack.

I bet even the old guys will make do with this.
Click to expand...

What is this 6 pack you speak of? Here in PA the minimum buy is 4 6 packs and it's called a case. :)

Unless you buy at a bar and you will definitly overpay.
 
Maveric777 said:
I found that I actually like St Pauli Girl Special dark. It is cheap considering it is from Germany (think I payed a little over 6 bucks a six pack). I keep looking at the bottle and the price thinking "Germans probably look at this beer like I look at Natural Light"....lol I have had a few of the St. Pauli Girl Lagers and they are OK. I wouldn't say they where bad, but I'll reach over them to snag a Special Dark.

I also buy a lot of Amber Bock for bottles. You can get a twelve pack for around 12 bucks.

Both bottles are great for recapping also......:D
Click to expand...

Amber Bock is a great recomendation. I like it and it's pretty cheap around here because it's a Michalob product.
 
captianoats said:
The cheapest pry tops that I've found are the michelob products. Their Pale Ale is actually decent IMO.
Click to expand...

+1 on this, they have a wide selection of different styles that are very drinkable and liked by those that aren't into craft beers and i can get a 6'er at 7-11 for 5.99 right now.
 
I like some of the Red Hook beers. Its moderately priced and they make good re-usable bottles. I've had several New Belgium bottles bust on me while capping so I am moving away from those.
 
I got to see Gordon's finest Scotch Ale at 50 cents a bottle once. Needless to say i bought a whole isle of it.

Discounts of mispricing apart though, theres a spanish beer which is relatively cheap and still very good in my opinion, Voll damm.
 
Ever notice how German beer comes in super heavy-duty bottles better than the ones you can buy by themselves? Some are even brown.
 
Already posted this elsewhere, but would you guys consider 20 bucks for a case of Left Hand oktoberfest to be a deal that shouldnt be passed up? Seems like a good brew for the upcoming Super Bowl.
 
HSM said:
What is this 6 pack you speak of? Here in PA the minimum buy is 4 6 packs and it's called a case. :)

Unless you buy at a bar and you will definitly overpay.
Click to expand...

Not completly true. I know a couple good six pack shops that are reasonable. Although nothing is cheaper than buying a case
 
I think Shiner are twistoff these days.

If you like stubby bottles Red Stripe is something like $7 locally. Or some of those big Tecate/CartaBlanca quart recappables. That would likely be the cheapest.
 
+1 to the Redhook beers. Should be easy to find out where you are. The Longhammer IPA is my personal favorite
 
One word of caution with Sam Adams and, IIRC, Fat Tire. They have logos embossed in the glass and if you ever plan to enter beer in any competition, you can't use these types of bottles. The judges will DQ them. Otherwise, they work great.
 
Rhoobarb said:
One word of caution with Sam Adams and, IIRC, Fat Tire. They have logos embossed in the glass and if you ever plan to enter beer in any competition, you can't use these types of bottles. The judges will DQ them. Otherwise, they work great.
Click to expand...

You can get DQ'd for that? Seriously? Why? That's nuts.

I've found that Sam Adam's labels seem to come off the easiest. Not the cheapest option but i like the bottles a whole lot eventhough they do have thier name molded in.
 
Update to this also. I ended up finding a Victory sampler for $23
A little more than I wanted to spend but it had Golden Monkey in it which is 9.5% ABV so for $ to alcohol ratio I think that's pretty good.

Plus I won $140.00 so I not only paid off my bottles I funded my next batch
 
where did u find the victory at? when i was at beer world (day after christmas)they didn't have the sampler and i think it was more than 23 if they did have it. but they did have 2 hearted.
 
I did well too (at our ca$h game) and brought home an extra $199 so maybe the wife won't shoot me for all the kegging stuff I've been buying! ;)
I'm collecting Sierra Nevada Pale Ale bottles right now. Some have said the labels are hard to get off tho. I am still racking them tho so do not know how bad, yet.
The 12 pack box they come in isn't too flimsy either.
 
Pocono Pale Ale by the Lion Brewery, if you can find it. In my area it goes for 22.85/case.

Edit: It's good, but they're screw caps. +1 on the Sam Adams variety pack if it's already been mentioned--something in there for everyone! Other than that, Guiness Draft bottles look cool, and that tastes good.
 
HSM said:
What is this 6 pack you speak of? Here in PA the minimum buy is 4 6 packs and it's called a case. :)

Unless you buy at a bar and you will definitly overpay.
Click to expand...

Old Chub and Dales Pale ....8 bucks a 6 pack 'round me.

Hard to beat that in PA
 

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