best kind of beer for the playa?

[Meat Hunter]

Thanks Elliot,

My flue-like symptom and antibiotic clogged brain was firing on only one of it's two cylinders.

[Elliot]

Doctor Elliot prescribes bacon and PBR, seasoned with Playa Dust.

[graidawg]

the best beer on the playa is as MDF said above the peppered pilsner at homebrew camp. next best is the cases we get given on monday as people are leaving.
actually tecate and pbr are great go to beers. cheap and not strong, get a few cans of something fancy for when you want a drink (not thirsty)

actually i just thought of a great beer - dark and stormy. thats rum and ginger beer. OK, its not the beer you meant but it is the best dust cutter i've found

[FlyingMonkey]

Best I ever had in BRC was a black pepper pilsner at at Goathead's homebrew camp; I have found it twice now and oh, boy.

Pilsner for daytime, porter at night (though it is really hard to find a canned porter for under $2 a can and I hate to pay that much).

I have to agree. I like heavy stouts & porters but not when it's hot out. Fortunately we can usually count on both heat & cold (in one day).

Really, just drink what you normally would. It's the Playa not the Moon, you may be overthinking this. Consider taking a variety.

I was concerned about what pressure to set my kegs at last year but it turned out to be a non-issue. I plan on taking 4 kegs again this year. It was just right for me, my friends, & everyone I could get to try it.

If you like craft beer there are plenty of home brewers on the Playa. Find them! They're bringing their beer to share (With You)

[chuckularone]

Any Kind!

[mudpuppy000]

My favorite so far was a berlinerweisse keg I brought one year. Only about 3%, tart, and refreshing. We tapped it during camp setup and could keep drinking it all day without getting f-ed up.

I really like hoppy beers out there during the daytime, but not super crazy malty ones. Hoppy wheat beers like Fortunate Islands taste really good (and come in cans)

[Jovankat]

As a non beer drinker this has made for some educational reading.

I'm hosting an Aussie themed party on playa this year and I'm hoping to get some Australian beer here in The States to gift. So far I've only looked at BevMo and they have a couple of different Coopers beers; Pale Ale, Extra Stout & Sparkling Ale and two versions of Foster's; Lager & Premium Ale.

Coopers is a large but family owned brewery that (from what I can tell) makes a decent middle of the road kind of beer, it's not fancy but it's entirely drinkable. The Pale Ale is their standard and most popular offering so I was thinking it would be a good choice but after reading this thread I'm wondering if maybe the Sparkling Ale would be better? It just sounds more refreshing. Is "sparkling ale" a type of beer the way IPA and stout are? Would it be a good playa beer?

Then there is Foster's at half the price and in a tin rather than a glass bottle. The thing is though, despite their marketing being "It's Australian for beer" no one in Australia drinks it because it's shit. It is however quite popular in the UK because it's brewed locally there and actually much better than the Aussie version. So my question is, have any of you tried Foster's here in the US? Is it ok? If no one has any experience with it I'd consider it a huge personal favour if anyone grabbed a can the next time they're beer shopping and reported back on their opinion of it.

And finally does anyone have a recommendation for anywhere I should look for any other imported Aussie beers?

[mudpuppy000]

I've never heard of a "sparkling ale" as a style, but from their website it sounds like a standard english pale ale that they don't filter, so it's cloudy/yeasty.

I haven't had fosters in years, and when I did I wasn't really a beer drinker then so it tasted terrible. The big cans are kind of neat but also let your beer get warm unless you can drink it really fast.

[Zubeneschamali]

The answer to this is....Variety. I love me PBR's, my Coors, my Oly's and Natty Ices. They are invaluable for their consistency, light drinkability, value, and portability in the suitcase then smashed in a garbage bag. They go great at the bar and are universally acceptable on the playa.
I also find Coronas and Victorias in the can to be almost as good as the bottled. Great gonzo, gimme Sierras of all flavors and every Pliney that graces its cool brown beautifulness into my local store. I'll fit in a few of my favorites in cases and bottles so I have something special to break up the American Pilsner monotony.

[Jovankat]

I've never heard of a "sparkling ale" as a style, but from their website it sounds like a standard english pale ale that they don't filter, so it's cloudy/yeasty.

I haven't had fosters in years, and when I did I wasn't really a beer drinker then so it tasted terrible. The big cans are kind of neat but also let your beer get warm unless you can drink it really fast.

Even Cooper's Pale is fairly yeasty I believe, it has chunks in it and it's traditional/fashionable to roll it back and forth on the bar before opening it to spread that around. I have an ex who was a home brewer who said that sloshing the yeast chunks around was actually a mistake that most people didn't realise they were making.

My enquiries on Facebook have suggested that lagers fit the "light and refreshing" bill which would point towards Foster's but I'm worried that it also just tastes foul.

And we'll be pouring into cups so the can size shouldn't matter too much.

[The Rod]

My enquiries on Facebook have suggested that lagers fit the "light and refreshing" bill which would point towards Foster's but I'm worried that it also just tastes foul.

It'll fit right in with the vegemite.

[Jovankat]

Yeah fair point.

Oh! As long as the beer is given as a chaser to the Vegemite toast it should be fine!

[Dr. Pyro]

I know a lot of people like the new alcoholic ciders. My favorite is Dickens Cider. Yup, nothing is better than a Dickens Cider. When there's a Dickens Cider everyone is having a ball. Would you like your Dickens Cider? I'd just bet you would.

[TT120]

Dickens Cider; Best served warm in the back of Doc's RV.

Seriously though, The IPA's that the Orphan camps had last year was awesome! We had people come from all over the world to drink our beer.

[CyanEssence]

actually i just thought of a great beer - dark and stormy. thats rum and ginger beer. OK, its not the beer you meant but it is the best dust cutter i've found

graidawg, since you mentioned the rum and ginger beer combo, my friend introduced me to the "Swearing Sailor" - ice, rum (I think spiced is the right type to use), ginger beer, lime, and Tabasco. I could drink these all day, and probably will on the playa now that I think of it.

[pretty_monster]

... A lot of folks prefer PBR, and that does work well, but personally I prefer Tecate. It's a cheap Mexican beer that's very readily available in California, and in many cases costs less than PBR. ...

Caguama is another cheap meixcan beer that comes in cans. we have it here in AZ so i'm assuming it can be picked up in cali or nevada, too.

[Lonesomebri]

pbr bait.jpg

Yeah, 21st Amendment makes a Watermelon beer that tastes terrific ice cold when it is hot out. Trust me on this one. It"s not very cheap, but then, I'm not sharing any with you.

[maladroit]

That watermelon beer tastes great until someone says "Hey, this kind of tastes like dish soap!" And then it's ruined, it just tastes like dish soap after that.

[Savannah]

My favorite playa beer is an ice-cold canned Sapporo. They are not super cheap, but tasty and very refreshing.

[motskyroonmatick]

I like Lonesomebri's lure and Sapporo is amazing on playa. I'm going for a variety of canned beer from a local grocer that has quite a selection. Oregon brews and Pabst and Heineken. The later two are tradition.

[crease]

My favorite playa beer is an ice-cold canned Sapporo. They are not super cheap, but tasty and very refreshing.

Great beer, Asahai is also nice if you like Japanese beers. They always come in shiny steel cans as well which look great.

[Papa Bear]

Jovankat, I've had Fosters here exactly once, long before I met my wife (she's an Aussie as well, and literally will not allow it in the house).

I thought it was terrible, but then I'm not a fan of PBR either.

[Papa Bear]

Speaking of ginger beer, my all-time favorite playa beer has to be Left Hand's "Good Juju", a pale ale spiced with ginger. Unfortunately, it only comes in bottles, and last I checked they don't yet distribute to northern California, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, or Utah, so some of you might have a hard time laying hands on it. For those of you who also enjoy a good Russian Imperial Stout when night arrives, their Wake Up Dead Nitro is also stellar (just bring a cup, since it's a nitro you need to do a hard pour to get the most out of it).

For anyone looking for craft beer in cans, check out the database at http://www.craftcans.com/db.php - tons and tons of options there, though still far from complete. For hot days, the American Pale Lager, American Pale Ale, Witbier, Czech Pilsner and American Adjunct Lager categories may be good places to start.

[some seeing eye]

You might go for a spicy wit, a Belgian triple that isn't too heavy, or sour beers. All strong flavors. There are many great ciders, even hopped ones. Christian Moerlein has some interesting beers. And of course the cheap standbys PBR, Hamms, Rolling Rock, Genesee Cream!

Where is the beer store in Reno with the massive selection?

[chuckularone]

Jovankat, I've had Fosters here exactly once, long before I met my wife (she's an Aussie as well, and literally will not allow it in the house).

I thought it was terrible, but then I'm not a fan of PBR either.

Fosters is just American Light Lager. It's just like Bud, Miller and Coors except it has an Australian(ish) name.

[mudpuppy000]

Where is the beer store in Reno with the massive selection?

Total Wine is the one I'm familiar with, might be others.

[Drawingablank]

As a non beer drinker this has made for some educational reading.

I'm hosting an Aussie themed party on playa this year and I'm hoping to get some Australian beer here in The States to gift. So far I've only looked at BevMo and they have a couple of different Coopers beers; Pale Ale, Extra Stout & Sparkling Ale and two versions of Foster's; Lager & Premium Ale.

Coopers is a large but family owned brewery that (from what I can tell) makes a decent middle of the road kind of beer, it's not fancy but it's entirely drinkable. The Pale Ale is their standard and most popular offering so I was thinking it would be a good choice but after reading this thread I'm wondering if maybe the Sparkling Ale would be better? It just sounds more refreshing. Is "sparkling ale" a type of beer the way IPA and stout are? Would it be a good playa beer?

Then there is Foster's at half the price and in a tin rather than a glass bottle. The thing is though, despite their marketing being "It's Australian for beer" no one in Australia drinks it because it's shit. It is however quite popular in the UK because it's brewed locally there and actually much better than the Aussie version. So my question is, have any of you tried Foster's here in the US? Is it ok? If no one has any experience with it I'd consider it a huge personal favour if anyone grabbed a can the next time they're beer shopping and reported back on their opinion of it.

And finally does anyone have a recommendation for anywhere I should look for any other imported Aussie beers?

The only Aussie beers I've ever seen in the states were Coopers and Fosters.

To quote International Incident "Fosters is Dingo Piss". Guests would probably rather drink PBR than Fosters. I know it certainly would be close to the bottom of my list of beers for the playa.

Coopers makes some decent beers, but I have read that the rigors of transport make them less tasty than when you get them back home so they might not be up to expectations.

I second trying Total Wine in Reno - they have the best beer (and booze) selection I've ever seen and seem to stock cans heavily before the burn.

[goathead]

Best I ever had in BRC was a black pepper pilsner at at Goathead's homebrew camp; I have found it twice now and oh, boy.

Pilsner for daytime, porter at night (though it is really hard to find a canned porter for under $2 a can and I hate to pay that much).

[goathead]

the best beer on the playa is as MDF said above the peppered pilsner at homebrew camp. next best is the cases we get given on monday as people are leaving.
actually tecate and pbr are great go to beers. cheap and not strong, get a few cans of something fancy for when you want a drink (not thirsty)

actually i just thought of a great beer - dark and stormy. thats rum and ginger beer. OK, its not the beer you meant but it is the best dust cutter i've found

Love dark and stormy

and whisky and tequila

[Savannah]

My favorite playa beer is an ice-cold canned Sapporo. They are not super cheap, but tasty and very refreshing.

Great beer, Asahai is also nice if you like Japanese beers. They always come in shiny steel cans as well which look great.

I'll look for it!