The Beer You've Most Enjoyed

[Wozza]

There's a thread currently running about who prefers which beer over what beer, and how bad is such and such commercial crap and how good is this particular brew.

I was thinking that 'when' and 'where' you actually knock one back has a definate effect on your opinion as to the 'best beer'. So what is yours?

The Beer That I've Most Enjoyed (TBTIME) was in Spain, many years ago. My wife and I had been travelling all day, driving from France, across the Pyranees into Spain. It was the middle of one of the hottest summers on record and the going was tough. No air conditioning in that old Ford Anglia (yeah, that's how long ago it was). The last drink that we'd had was at breakfast and it was now way past lunch.

We drove into a small village. Practically deserted. No-one stupid enough to be out in that heat. I was so thirsty I would have killed my grandmother for any sort of drink. Pulled up alongside the first bar that we saw. It looked like it had been chiselled out of solid rock. We dragged oursleves in - it was as cool inside as it was hot outside.

The guy slapped an ice cold San Miguel on the bar without either of us saying anything and I emptied it in one pull. It was practically a religious experience. I still remember it like it was yesterday.

I haven't had a better one since.

 

[Gough]

Same with the Galway Guinness mate. There and McDaids off Grafton St in Dublin sold Guinness that was a religious experience. Maybe it was the setting, but I've never had anything like it before or since.

Shawn.

 

[deebee]

Setting can be important - or not.

I went to the bottleshop and the man said if you like stout you should buy this. I bought it.

I took it home to my home, the home I return to every night and sat at my table. My dinner table. In my home.

I filled my one pint nonik to the brim with stout.

I gazed out my grubby window at my corrugated asbestos fence. At my home. I longed for a nicer setting. But not for long...

Then I took a sniff, a sip and a long draught. Mmmmm Young's Luxury Double Chocolate Stout. My equal best TBTIME.

 

[Doc]

The beers I remember the most are the ones when you first get to the pub on a really hot day, or the first beer after a really long hard days physical labour.

The ones that stand out are:

First game of Super 12 in Feb '98 or '99. It was a really stinking hot Friday in Sydney and I had a lot of work to get done to make it home to change and around the corner to the local for the first game at 5:25pm.
Made it in the door at 5:15, quick dump of the work gear and into the footy jumper and back out the door and up to the local. The barman sighted me as I walked in the door and had half filled my schonner by the time I got to the bar. He finished filling it and I gave him the money. By the time he got back from the till it was time for a refil.

This January I decided to tile my laundry. Had the floor and walls all preped and my brother in law all lined up to help out.
That day ended up being 45 deg C at my place. By the end of the day with me spending most of it outside cutting tiles and hand mixing cement I was absolutely nearing death.
The first couple of beers were just heaven, and I think the third one put me to sleep.

The last one that really stands out is my first beer at Oktoberfest 96. My mates and I had been travelling through western europe for a few months and had flown into Berlin for a couple of days. Then on the opening day of the Oktoberfest we picked up a Merc rental in Berlin and nailed it down to Munich on the Autobahn with the dial pretty steady just above 200kph.
Made it to Munich, found out hotel and checked in. Dropped off the rental and off the opening night of Oktobefest.
Managed to get into the Hofbrauhaus and order a stein. The stein was such an achievement after having wanted to be at the Oktoberfest for about 8 years.

Beers,
Doc

 

[big d]

my fav all time was a grumpys boston cream ale but with this view from my then supplied company residence most beers tasted quite alright.most non home brew beer consumed would be coopers pale ale while enjoying the dry season views. B)

 

[kook]

Rally Australia 2001. I'd just helped to install a little over 100 PCs in the Sheraton Hotel. I'd been lifting PCs and monitors all day. Walked across the road as we knocked off, over to Fenians. Pint of Little Creatures. Heaven. Such a good thirst quencher, and yet so tasty.


Also, first time I tried SS Imperial Stout was pretty enjoyable too. And the second time I tried Rochefort Trappists 10. And *any* Duvel experience is an enjoyable one

 

[Snow]

Definitely the first time I went to Fraser Island. Stinking hot day, 3 and a half hour drive from Brisbane, then another hour drive up the beach to find a campsite. 2 hours to set up camp (there were 5 families, for 2 weeks - a lot of gear to unpack and set up). By the time we finished it was 1pm and about 36C in the shade. I set up my hammock between 2 casuarina trees, pulled a XXXX tinnie from the giant esky and laid down in the hammock. As I gazed out over the ocean and down the endless stretch of pristine beach and sand dunes, and (as it was a Monday) thought about the guys back at work, I drank the can in 2 swallows and promptly fell asleep. Sheer heaven.

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

Personally I think there are too many to list. However in my top 3 in no particular order

1. My first all grain Alt which was my 3rd ever all grain brew.

2. A Carlton Draught when I was 14. It was given to me by Gary Gilmour and Ian Davis in their hotel room when they were in Adelaide for a Test Match (they were trying to get rid of me so they could get on with my older sister :lol: !!)

3. My first Real Ale in the UK in 2001, a Ten Fifty made at the Grainstore Brewery in Oakham by the brewer who used to make Ruddles County. (BTW, I will be having several more of these in about 14 days time )
http://www.pcamra.demon.co.uk/davises/


C & B
TDA

 

[wee stu]

I was about 10. Visiting my Mum's family in Dusseldorf, Germany.

My younger cousin Heinz took me to some place that looked very much like a pub.

He ordered "ein kleine dunkel Bier, bitte", or some such.

We got served. Sure seemed like heaven to me!

I'm that wee - it was 10 years later before I could easily get served in the locals in Edinburgh.

Arrested development - I've made up for it since.

 

[Doc]

I have another one to add to my list.
Got dragged around the Sydney home show yesterday.
When I got home I was parched. SWMBO went out to do the grocery shopping while I played Lego with my son and had a refreshing SFPA.
Beautiful lacing on the the glass, and very quenching and refreshing. It is one of those beers you just have to take a picture of. B)

Beers,
Doc

 

[dicko]

The best beer or more to the point, the one i remember the best, was during my late teen years i helped my father dig a trench by hand for sewer that they were hooking up to our house and at the end of the day he opened a bottle of Resch's Dinner Ale and offered me a beer.(Yes in NSW)
I can still remember that taste and it was my first beer with the old man.
That was in the mid 60's and unfortunately like my old Dad, that beer (in its original form) is no longer.
The beer has gone but the memories linger on!
Cheers,

 

[Crispy]

Most memorable beer/setting was in a little town in the German Alps called Berchtesgarten, last weekend of ski season 2001, take the lift to the top, ski half way back down right to the door of the pub.

The Beer was Fransikaner Wiessbier Dunkel, and after every glass, the manager brought out a shot of Schnapps for us, on the house.

Had a few falls on the slope after about 4 stops, funnily enough did'nt hurt a bit

Only place in Aust. to get this beer is in a pub in Sydney, at the Rocks, think it is called the Lowenbrau Keller, or something like that.


Cheers - Crispy

 

[SJW]

It was 2 days ago. Friday night i dropped into Dan Murphy's and picked up a few beers i have never tryed before. I got a James Squire IPA, I did not like that one too much, a bit to hoppy for me. But my second choice turned out to be an experience not to be forgoten, it was the best beer i have ever had, every mouthful sent me back to London on a cold wet arvo in a dark smoke fill pub, with the log fire burning in the corner and the stale smell of cigar smoke in the air. It was a JAMES SQUIRE "PORTER" is it just me or this this a classic??????????

 

[KoNG]

Just stumbled accross this thread while doing some Ruddles research.

my TBTIME, would have to be when working in London and i got transfered from one pub to the 'better' one around the corner (better being a nice call when in Hackney). Anywho.. the new pub had hand pumped Real Ales... after a long saturday shift and finally kicking all the lads out, i pulled myself my first london pride..!!!! sitting in front of the fire that night will always be with me.
Great stuff.

(mind you... the cellarmanship at the pub wasnt the greatest, so im sure the real ales could have been even better..)

 

[big d]

glad i dont post pics that BIG any more.the view has gone due to forced move into town and these days ive that many fav brews i make i dont know where to start and stop.i just love beer.

cheers
big d

 

[Trent]

Probably one of my most memorable beers was in Arequipa in southern Peru. Me and the mate I was travelling with had decided to go inland h34r: after the swell dropped and there wernt gonna be waves for another week or so. We had really enjoyed the beer "Arequipena" in other towns, but in Arequipa it was WAY better. Anyway, we were dirty and smelly aussies, and we somehow managed to stumble upon a bar in a side street that was full of people all dressed up nice, and drinking out of small glasses with a yard glass as their "pitcher". But no small glasses for me and Gleeso, :beerbang: - if we didnt get enough stares for our ratty appearance, we sure did when we were standing in the middle of the bar drinking straight from the yard glass (full of beer for $US3). Certainly not one of my classiest moments, but definitely one I will never forget! The night kinda went downhill from there too, cant work out why...
All the best
Trent

 

[Screwtop]

Had tried beers in other countries but wanted to see what Oz had to offer. While caravanning around oz and trying all and sundry beers we saw a pamphlet at Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula in VIC for Red Hill Micro Brewery which myself and SWAMBO visited. Nah! don't like Wheat Beer, "C'mon try mine, it's great", so I had the wheat and SWAMBO had a Scottish. Big problem, the best beer we had tasted to date in pint glasses, sitting on the deck in the sun, Ahhhh! After a few (not telling how many, have never seen SWAMBO consume more than 1 pint ever before) SWAMBO drove home while I contemplated a return trip. A great afternoon, never did make it back, but we will!

The following May in SA was a great English Bitter named Biggles by Grumpy Andrew at Grumpy's Brewhaus in the Adelaide Hills. Great beer and great hospitality from Andrew and his fabulous establishment.

Since then Duvel and Aventinus Doppel Boch available from Theo's Bottlo here on the Sunshine Coast.

Restaurants have to start catching onto the beer revolution. Drinks menu at most contains 53 wines and 5 beers. When will they realise that guys love beer, we have had it up to here with wine. There are upmarket beers with hard to pronounce names for the head-up-arse Crown Lager brigade, so they will catch on quick. Buy a glass of vino for Luvy and a great Belgian or something Australian like a LCPA and really enjoy a lunch or dinner kicking back with something better than they have been offering us blokes for the past 30 years.

Viva the revolution!!!!

 

[scotsdalebrewery]

Would have to be a Sleemans Honey Brown Lager I had in Montreal on tap. I had convinced the barman to put the 99 WI V Aus cricket on the TV.

I was yelling my guts out with every four. The guys watching the big screen (Euro League Soccer) must have been wondering WTF i was on about!

 

[Mr Bond]

Last years AAA amber ale on tap at Grumpys was a ripper :chug:

 

[Gerard_M]

Bachmayer Lager. It's a very nice beer from an old family owned brewery near Munich. We were having a great night in a little village called Dorfen. The girl I was with asked if I liked the beer as it came from the brewery that her father owned! I still have a badged Bachmayer glass that is only for special occasions.
Cheers
Gerard