Ironically PBR is the beer of choice among hipsters, tons of articles out there on it, here's one:
http://lovegoodbeer.com/2012/11/why-do- ... ue-ribbon/

Whoa... I went to their website and was instantly jealous of Rob. If I were in Rob's shoes I would spend every bit of my free time.looking for land to buy in the countryside. My wife's life would be complete...

Damn, that sounds like some fine beer, Rob. I will look out for it. Is it more of a stout or a porter? Either way, it's really hard to find good ones... just my opinion. I usually just go for an IPA, which are usually pretty good if you spend the money. There are tons of them.

Glad to hear you are adjusting well over there, dude. Any music opportunities?

K

My pricey tipple of choice. Reserved for special occasions as it tends to put you on your ear rather quickly.

I have to admit that I've become very partial to Michigan brews over the years. Bells, Shorts, Founders, Right Brain. There's so much good beer these days that no matter where I lived I'd most likely to drink local.

Interestingly enough, the northwest part of Michigan where our cottage is has become a hops growing hot spot and with the increasing number of hops farms, the Michigan brewers (including Bells) have retooled many of their recipes to use Michigan hops where possible.

So now just for jollies, we'll go up in the summer and take great pride in having entire meals of nothing but local stuff from the whitefish to the beef to the produce all the way down to the hops used to brew the local beer

Glenn, thanks for the tips on all the awesome beer going on here in Michigan! I keep moving to or away from good craft beer locations.

When the Great Recession hit here in the U.S., the rest of the world actually had it worst. In Japan, in Miyagi Prefecture way up north-eastern Japan, my in-laws are rice farmers. There's a bunch of saké distilleries in the area (you make saké from rice), and the region is famous for two varieties of rice that make excellent saké. A bunch of distilleries went out of business. Somehow or other, a beer micro-brewery revolution happened among the young people, who started taking out-of-business saké distilleries and stared re-purposing them to make beer. Apparently the big vats for the saké are easily re-purposed for making beer. The saké -brewing is the same kind of science as the beer-brewing.

My in-laws now grow hops to supplement the plummeting price of Japanese rice (Thailand and China are flooding the market with rice, even though Japonica rice is a bit different and makes the best sushi). The region is now becoming famous for its quality beers and is starting to attract world attention and awards.

http://www.japansociety.org/event_detail?eid=304a2e78


I haven't been back to Miyagi lately (the wife and kids went last summer) but I have my brother-in-law sending me some beer right now from the new job he got at a micro-brew! I'm not drinking as a competitive sport anymore, but I can't wait to (responsibly) have a beer or two from the brother's craft brewery. I'm curious if anyone else has tried these new beers coming out of Japan--they're winning awards all over the place, which seems odd to me, as it was saké saké saké all the time when I lived there (not that I'm complaining--good stuff, saké.) Japan also makes some fine quality whiskies as well--some of the best in the world, now.

Cheers/ KOMPEI!

http://japanbeertimes.com/breweries/

Yawl are wierd ha, I used to like beer. Now absinthe is all, and wine. Its funny how I changed, I used to chuzzle some dope beer. I liked IPA's most, guinuss or similar the least. Thats funny how Greg gets hop headache and then I get sick from like 1 beer of any kind now haha.

A porter-y stout? I admit I'm not too good at identifying subtle characteristics of dark beer, I just know I like malty and complex flavours more than a blast of hops. This one is categorised as an "Old Ale", not exactly sure what that entails. Oh look - the British regionalisation on my computer is autocorrecting by adding extra "o"s and changing "z" to "s"!

I was invited to play at the Inveresk village Robert Burns Supper last month, I played an original and quickly learned a simple arrangement of John Highlandman (one of Burns' lyrics). It was quite a fun and interesting event, with an official "piping in the haggis" featuring a drummer, bagpipe player and chef presenting the haggis on a platter... they even provided a vegetarian haggis (which I may have still preferred even if I was a carnivore!)

At some point when things are more settled down I'll probably venture out to things like open mics and perhaps look into playing at a venue during the Fringe festival in the summer.

It certainly is a beautiful country and we're trying to soak up the history and culture as much as possible.

Rob a good porter will have an "ashen" after taste.

My suggestion is to get to Swaledale in the Yorkshire dales. Find a pub serving old peculier "from the wood" it's still aged in oak casks and is one of the great beer drinking experiences of a lifetime. Plus the dales are "Gods country".

The best pub I've found serving this is "the Craven Arms" in Appletreewick southern dales. You could get a gig there as well. Take the M1 down but get into Swaledale see the scenery make your way onto the B6160 see the crook barn drink the best beer ever made!!!!!!! About 4 hours from you but a day you will never forget.

Brett

Being in touch with "youth," (ha good one, right?) PBR is the choice among real hipsters because it's supposed to be ironic. But it's so over laden with irony it's hard to say if it's really ironic anymore. My vote is no.

What I like about it is that I can get a 12 pack of pounders for 15 dollars, and it pairs great with my local stoner eatery's 1-topping carryout special. Pizza Patrol: open 365 11am-4am woohoo!


But among most "hipsters" (aka flannel-clad, bearded millennials), the fancier and the more microbrew it is the more they like it.

"Guiness is pure crap."

Unless it is draft and you are in Eire - totally different beer. Took me ages to go back to Guinness in the UK after drinking it in Ireland. Sam Smiths Extra Stout [draft] is good. Another Yorkshire brewery.

Have to mention my local - Ringwood brewery. Old Thumper is good as is 49er.

Lager/pilsners - hard to find anything not linked to major brewers over here. Quite like Cobra with Indian food.

Roll on dinner time .....