Bug Spray! Yummmmmm!

I only made one mead. I still have a couple bottles left (vintage New Year's Eve 1997). When stuff lasts that long you know it sucks.

I couldn't decide which style to make so I did them all at one time. Starts out like cheap white zin, finishes like Martinelli's with a shot of brandy in it.

Rolling Rock is my old standby. Just tried a new one from California called Sierra Nevada, since I'm from there I had to try it, very tasty light ale and nearly 6% alcohol. Tsing Tao is a very nice light beer from China. Then another favorite I can't seem to find around Chicago is Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve.

Taj Mahal, a big tasting Indian beer which goes great with nuclear Vindaloos.

Sierra Nevada is what I usually suggest to people trying to move up in the beer world from Bud, Coors, or MGD.

Tasty, but it doesn't bite.

Move to Chicago and lose your favorite west coast beers, eh? On the upside, you have a plethora of new regional breweries to sample from. I remember having some excellent beers from Philly that I haven't seen available here in soCal for a long time. Don't remember the names but they were very distinctive: medium hopped, nice malt sweetness. Kind of like Sam Adams but more malt and a different hop finish.

On the way back from opening day at Del Mar we stopped at Karl Strauss in Carlsbad for dinner and beers. Their oatmeal stout was nice without the oily tannins of some oatmeal stouts. Reminded me more of a cream stout, but without the sourness. Amber lager was blah. Red Trolley Ale was very nice, excellent, in fact. Their Belgian red imitation was one of the better fake Belgians I've had, but still can't seriously compare to the real deal. So many Belgian style ales seem to just be laden with off flavors that aren't working together.

The place was also a bit pricy as brewpubs go. If you guys in LA/OC make the road trip to Del Mar, I'd recommend the San Marcos Brewery instead. It's a little out of the way, but worth the extra few miles. More convenient would be the Rock Bottom in the Irvine Spectrum - the "Chicken-Fried Chicken" is awesome, huge and cheap. The beers only so-so.

Don't let the beer thread die!

So in other words, they're really not like Sam Adams?

Same color. And also came in a bottle.

If you remember those ones from Philly be sure to post them...I'm in that area and am always on the lookout for some new good ones to try. It's nice having so many microbrewers in the area. Yuengling Lager is pretty good..started out local but they've been growing...not sure if you remember that one.