Recommendations for American Craft Beers?

[upstream]

Hi all,

I will be in the states (NJ) soon and was hoping to try out some of the great beers made in the USA. Can anyone recommend some great beers to try out while I am there?

Thanks in advance!

 

[mullenite]

Travel in to Philadelphia and try to find a bar with Pliny the Elder on tap.

Other beers that should be easy to get in bottles (not in PA, they will be expensive or unavailable by the bottle):

Ballast Point Sculpin
Stone Imperial Russian Stout
Stone Double Bastard
Stone Ruination
Stone IPA
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Great Divide Yeti/Oak Aged Yeti
Great Divide Old Ruffian
Bell's Two-Hearted
Brooklyn Lager
Brooklyn-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse

 

[ArcaneXor]

It's really a matter of taste and availability where you will be at, since most beers are not distributed nationwide. Checking ratebeer.com is a good idea to see what's generally rated highly, but it's important to realize that those ratings tend to be skewed towards very hoppy and very high alcohol beers.

I'd go for some Stone IPA, Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA, Bell's Two-Hearted Ale, Sam Adams Noble Pils (if it's still available), and Dale's Pale Ale.

 

[944play]

Anchor Steam
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Lagunitas IPA
North Coast Old Rasputin

These are West Coast beers that are iconic in their category to my mind.

 

[mullenite]

I would disagree about Lagunitas IPA being iconic...

 

[944play]

I would disagree about Lagunitas IPA being iconic...

Clearly you have not lived in Northern California in the past ten years.

 

[mullenite]

Being iconic in Nor. Cal. does not make it an iconic beer for the US. In fact, I would say Stone IPA would be a better west coast IPA icon and Dogfish Head 60 minute (has to be very fresh, within a month of bottling) would be the ubiquitous east coast IPA.

 

[upstream]

Thanks for the suggestions! Can't wait to try some of these out!

What about beers from breweries such as The Lost Abbey, Russian River, Southampton Public House, Avery, Allagash, Climax?

Can I get any of those in New Jersey / New York? Climax brewery is at least located in NJ so I must be able to find brews from them.

 

[android]

you'll be able to get allagash i'd think since it's in Maine, maybe you'll find some Pliny, but not much else from Lost Abbey or RR. Definitely try out some Victory brews (Prima Pilsner, Hop Devil, etc.), the brewery is in Pennsylvania, so you will definitely find it.

 

[jmulligan]

You should be able to find Southampton Public House - we get it here in MD. If you see it in bottle, get the Saison Deluxe, it is amazing! Spicy and crisp!

I also recommend anything from Clipper City/Heavy Seas: Loose Cannon, Gold Ale, Red Sky at Night.

Oh yeah, and have a good trip!

 

[bonzombiekitty]

Hi all,

I will be in the states (NJ) soon and was hoping to try out some of the great beers made in the USA. Can anyone recommend some great beers to try out while I am there?

Thanks in advance!

Haha... it's sorta like asking "can you recommend me a good book?". There's just waaaaay too much to choose from. Where in NJ are you going to be? That could effect what is available to you.

Personally, when I travel I like to stick to as many regional/local beers as I can. Some good breweries in the region that you might find available to you in NJ:

Victory
Yards
Flying Fish
Philadelphia Brewing Co. (only right near Philly though)
Stoudts
Yuengling (not what I would call "craft" beer, but I'll explain below)
Dogfish Head
Cricket Hill
Sly Fox

All the above, save Yuengling, make a wide variety of good beer that would fit into your personal style of choice. The Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale is my personal cheap craft beer of choice since it's a solidly good (if not, excellent) beer and can be found for $3/pint at some local bars around me, but you probably won't find it that cheap outside of Philadelphia.

I include Yuengling because even though it only makes a few styles - Light lager, Lord Chesterfield Ale, Bock, Lager, and Black & Tan with the latter two being the ones I personally find worth drinking, it is the regional cheap beer of choice. It's slightly more expensive than BMC, but generally cheaper than Sam Adams. So if you're stuck at a bar or restaurant which serves pretty much nothing other than BMC, it will probably serve Yuengling as well, so go for that option.

If you have a free day, come to Philadelphia. We have a plethora of awesome bars and amazing restaurants and much less expensive than NYC.

 

[jeffmeh]

Troegs Nugget Nectar, if you can find it.

 

[GregR]

Olde English, Steel reserve, Mickeys, colt 45... can't go wrong with any of those.

 

[upstream]

Haha... it's sorta like asking "can you recommend me a good book?". There's just waaaaay too much to choose from. Where in NJ are you going to be? That could effect what is available to you.
...

Yeah I know the question is a bit open ended but it's on purpose. I've just recently started exploring beers so I want to try out as much as I can and I'm open to tasting all styles. But since I am going to USA I of course want to try out the domestic/local beers.

Btw, I will be staying in Hoboken.

 

[bosco_NJ]

well if you're gonna be in Hoboken then you will be just across the river from NYC. there is a PATH train that goes from Hoboken to the city & back again basically all day & night. but in Hoboken you have a decent choice of pubs to choose from.

Helmers Restaurant - Good German food & German beers w/ a few taps of craft brews too.
1036 Washington Street

Maxwells - Good live music just a few taps but there is usually something decent.
right across the street from Helmers

The Mile Square - ok food pretty decent tap selection
221 Washington St.

Scotland Yards - Fun place w/ good music cool atmosphere always good beer on tap & bottles.
72 Hudson St.

NYC
The Blind Tiger - my favorite pub in the city. awesome beer selection, cask, pins decent food.
281 Bleecker St

Rattle N' Hum - another great pub w/ awesome selection. cask also.
14 East 33rd Street

McSorleys Ale House - just a great old pub. 2 beers light & dark.
15 East 7th Street

The Burp Castle- small, a lil pricey but nice selection especially bottles.
just a few doors down from Mcsorleys

Hop Devil Grill -Great beer decent food, cask also
129 Saint Marks Place

Chelsea Brewing - Brew pub w/ good beer & food
59 Chelsea Piers

The Pony Bar - 637 10th Avenue

If you venture into NJ some there are some real good pubs not far from Hoboken.

The Copper Mine Pub - excellent selection & awesome owner Vito
323 Ridge Road, North Arlington, NJ

The Office in Montclair NJ
The Cloverleaf Tavern, Caldwell, NJ
Cricket Hill, local brewery in Fairfield, NJ
The Shepard N Knucklehead, Haledon, NJ

 

[Synovia]

Being iconic in Nor. Cal. does not make it an iconic beer for the US. In fact, I would say Stone IPA would be a better west coast IPA icon and Dogfish Head 60 minute (has to be very fresh, within a month of bottling) would be the ubiquitous east coast IPA.

I have lived in a couple of states, and I've still never seen Stone in a store, so I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with Stone being iconic.

Also, I think DFH 60 minute is terribly overrated, and not even in the top half of IPAs available.

 

[mullenite]

I have lived in a couple of states, and I've still never seen Stone in a store, so I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with Stone being iconic.

Also, I think DFH 60 minute is terribly overrated, and not even in the top half of IPAs available.

Reallly? I know they just became available in Chicago within the past month but I seriously can't go in to a store without seeing stone. I can actually grab a 6-pack of Ruination while grocery shopping.

Also, 60 Minute fades fast and most people don't look at the bottled on dates. It really needs to be drank within a month of bottling. I won't order on draft because I don't know how old the kegs are.

 

[brrman]

I see Stone in Indiana stores everywhere.

 

[GregR]

I don't think I can go into any place that sells beer and NOT see stone.

 

[mullenite]

I don't think I can go into any place that sells beer and NOT see stone.

I'm a couple thousand miles down I10 and its the same thing.

 

[RC0032]

Travel in to Philadelphia and try to find a bar with Pliny the Elder on tap.

wont happen. they dont ship hoppy beers east

 

[mullenite]

wont happen. they dont ship hoppy beers east

They ship kegs of it to philly.

 

[boostsr20]

Try to get your hands on stuff From Founders or Bell's, Michigans two best breweries.

 

[bonzombiekitty]

They ship kegs of it to philly.

Some pliny got caught up in that infamous beer raid a few weeks ago.

 

[boostsr20]

Some pliny got caught up in that infamous beer raid a few weeks ago.

Thats a bunch of crap. If they did indeed take beer that was registered, the state should be fully liable for damages (paying for the keg).

 

[Synovia]

Reallly? I know they just became available in Chicago within the past month but I seriously can't go in to a store without seeing stone. I can actually grab a 6-pack of Ruination while grocery shopping.

Also, 60 Minute fades fast and most people don't look at the bottled on dates. It really needs to be drank within a month of bottling. I won't order on draft because I don't know how old the kegs are.

I only moved out here recently, lived in Boston before, and I'd never seen it there either.

 

[mullenite]

Some pliny got caught up in that infamous beer raid a few weeks ago.

http://www.lcbapps.lcb.state.pa.us/webapp/registered_brands.asp

Both Pliny's are on the list as is Blind Pig.