I like Czech beers. I don't think I've had the Budvar, but Trader Joes carried 500ml bottles of a primitively packaged Czech lager shortly after the Iron Curtain came down. It was very good. Blue and white label... Any idea what that could have been??? Budvar's label is red, right?

Yes, its Red and Gold. I will go out today if possible and see if I can locate the blue and white label one. I leave here Friday..so much for opsec. Anyway, the beering has been a blast over here and I just came from Wa. State and what a wonderful beer state it is. But I do have an extensive bootle cap collection of what I have tried over here, but by far my favorites are Franziskaner Hefe-weizen and some of the local "roso birra alla spina" Red beer on tap! Good stuff.

Semper Fi

Anyone tried San Miguel beer from the Philippines? The local brew better, and packs a meaner punch, than the export variety. Cheers.

San Miguel...OOOooooh...nice. Was Stationed in Okinawa for a while and I really like that beer. True, local is way better. As a matter of fact I have Pan de sal "sweet bread" on my desk right now. I come all the way to Italy and my neighbors wife is Filipino. La dolce vita!!!

Semper FI

You know, while I haven't looked in Boston, I used to be able to get Franziskaner in Phildelphia. Check this page and take heart I don't recall at the moment where you said you were returning to, but in general it can be found over here...

San Miguel seems to be like the Budweiser of SE Asia. There were ads everywhere in Vietnam and Cambodia for it, strangely enough though, it wasn't always the easiest beer to buy. Most small stands/shops had domestics only at a fraction of the cost of bottled water!

Thanks ringmir,

I had a friend that just went back to L.A. and she stated that she found Franziskaner there but it came in a little green bottle and was like $7-$8 a six pack, over here I was getting it at $3.00 a six pack until two months ago and it went up to $4.50 a six pack and these are .5 ltr bottles. Also I mentioned yesterday I was going to see if I could find the Blue and White labeled Czech beer, well to say the least yesterday was a beutiful 75 degrees and I already had a cold sixpack of Budvar at the house so I ended up sitting outside drinking this wonderful cold beer while looking at the southern Alps. When I finished the Budvar I noticed my friends left some Holland Grolsh, not a bad lager considering they advertise they have have been brewing since 1615, but to me hands down the Budvar was better at least at the moment.......

Semper Fi

Wow. It sounds like beer heaven over there.

I guess we're lucky here in the midwest... lots of great microbrews in town (Omaha) plus great beers nearby, Boulevard in KC and New Belgiun Brewing Co in Ft Collins (Fat Tire)

Oh yeah, there are very good micro-brews all over the states (except Florida, apparently), but they are usually imitating beer styles developed in Europe hundreds of years ago.