Edited: My list of favorite beers has grown and changed so much since the start of this thread and it'll probably continue to change, so its pretty pointless to list them here....thanks to all who have helped me. keep up the good recommendations!

Try something a little heavier.

Newcastle Brown Ale never disappoints.

Killians over Yuengling?

Does not compute. Reccomending abilities malfunctioning.

Warsteiner

Weeping Radish makes a both a good amber lager and a good dark lager.

Since you like Sam Adams, do yourself a favor - get yourself a six pack (or better yet tap if you find a bar with it) of Anchor Steam. If you like Ales, I REALLY recommend the Liberty Ale, but you may prefer the other.

Sierra Nevada - has a bite though, so be warned. Good stuff.

Newcastle is very good as noted, but not really heavy. Just a bit darker. Very smoothe in fact. Good stuff also.

And, try any and all the Sam Smiths - they have the 22 oz bottles some places. Not cheap by any means, but GOOD stuff.

Have fun!

magic hat #9 - vermont based
fat tire - colorado based
harpoon IPA - massachusetts based

you have to try sierra nevada, anchor steam, and anchor liberty, these are no brainers.

i would also recommend fuller's ESB.

Also, pilsner Urquell if you can find it. That one is grrrrrrrrrrrreat...

To get drunk or on warm days, San Miguel...

Enjoy, mon, enjoy!

if you like Corona, try Pacifico, its better. Maybe even Dos Equis or Tecate, although I'm not as big a fan of either.


Steinlager isn't bad. Bass is ok. Find an Irish pub and get yourself a real Guinness served on tap, also try Murphy's Irish Stout. They're darker beers but very smooth Guinness on tap is unbelievable, a true beer connissuer's delight.

Beers you may have to hunt for but are worth buying when you find them:

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Alaskan Amber
Alaskan Pale Ale
Blue Heron Pale Ale
Bridgeport IPA
Portland Brewing Zig Zag
Portland Brewing McTarnahans Ale
Dead Guy Ale
Pyramid ESB


there's so many more, i don't drink anymore so I forget a lot of the ones I used to like, but maybe next time I'm at the store I'll survey the beer section and bring back some more names for you. Off the top of my head those are all really great beers though.

Dortmunder gold by Great Lakes Brewing Co. is a fantastic lager

samuel smith's
negro modelo
red hook ipa
karl strauss amber lager
sierra nevada
stone pale ale

enjoy!

The only bad thing about Samuel Smith's is that it ships in a clear bottle.
It is a complete crapshoot as to whether you will get a skunky one or not.

They possibly make the best beer in the world, WTF don't they ship to the US in brown bottles????

London Pride
Badger Best

Harp, Bass, Dos Equis, and Tecate would all fit with what you seem to like. Although I don't trust anyone who doesn't like Guinness.

Brooklyn Lager

Sam Adams lager is a great brew. But you kinda lost me w/ the Killians/Yuengling picks. Mediocre brews at best. (Unless Yuengling has changed significantly in the last 10 years.)

For something similar to Sam, Brooklyn lager is a great pick.
For something similar to Heineken, try a fresh Grolsch. Pilsner Urquell is even better.

I find Anchor Steam to be in the middle-taste/weight wise between Sam/ Brooklyn and the Heineken/Urquell.

True, the Anchor Liberty Ale is a mighty brew, but sounds like maybe not your style.

I am a 90% Heineken drinker. Others I enjoy:
Carlsberg
Pilsner Urquel
Newcastle
Bass
Harp
Guiness
Sierra Nevada

Chimay Premiere. (the red label)

If you can afford an expensive beer, it is very good stuff!

Made by Belgium monks.

Another vote for these:

Sierra Nevada
Anchor Steam
Negra Modelo - dark mexican beer - I get this whenever I am at a Mexican restaurant - ask for it without the lime

Actually just get a sixer of SN & AS, they are easily found and will not disappoint - very close to the Sam Adams flavor. If you want to cut back on the carbs I am a huge fan of Sam Adams light (if you have not tried it already) - if I want a change from Miller Lite (best kick for the carb) I'll indulge in some Sammy Light.

I am not a heineken fan but maybe try Stella Artois or Pilsner Urquel (similar tasting beers I am also not a fan of)

Another favorite of mine is:
Franziskaner Weissbier - a lot of places serve this with raspberry syrup and/or a lemon wedge - I love the taste of this stuff just plain - usually served in a 24 oz glass (I think - it's taller so I assume it's larger) - this is the best tasting "light" beer you will come across, people usually don't pound them though like you would your coronas.

http://www.franziskanerbraeu.com/3_product...ctrum/index.htm

I am torn between recommending Mickeys or Old English 800.

Lots of good recommendations so far. Here are some others that are tasty and can be found in the East:

If you can get anything from Penn Brewing (brewed in Pittsburgh) I highly recommend them. Especially Penn Pilsner and Penn Dark. Their Octoberfest (available now) is one of my all-time favorite beers.

Clipper City Brewing (Baltimore) has some excellent beers. Based on your tastes you should definitely try their "Red Sky At Night" Ale.

Old Dominion Brewery (Ashland VA) beers are very good, I especially like their Oak Barrel Stout.

Everything that Kalamazoo Brewery (Kalamazoo, MI) makes is excellent too.

If you can get Railbender Ale from Erie Brewing I guarantee you will like it.

Finally, there is Victory Brewing (near Philly). They make a lot of different beers and I've liked every one of them. Their ESB is excellent. Be careful: most of their beers have a high alcohol content.

I am from the philly area, so i'm disapointed in your ranking of yuengling behind killians, not to mention the fella that said it was mediocre at best. but anyways, to echo a few earlier sentiments....

Anchor Steam is great stuff
Victory Lager is a classic German all-malt lager and is both smooth and tasty, as are many of their other beers (the hop devil is great, but may be strong for your tastes)
Saranac Lager is a decent beer as well
Pilsner Urquell, as someone mentioned, is rather good
If you can get it, Lancaster Brewing company makes a few very good beers that are all worth trying....get the sampler pack.

There have been many good suggestions here, but it doesn't seem like you are all that much into ales. Personally, I prefer a good ale, stout, or porter because of the depth of flavor in them, so don't hesitate to try a few. A good irish one just making its way into the states now is Smithwick's Ale (prounounced "smiddicks"). It isn't as good as when I had it in Ireland, probably b/c of the pasteurization. But it is still very good.

Enjoy!!

Another recommendation for Samuel Smith and Anchor Steam

Someone brought that to poker night last month... not a fan.

They're shipped in cases. Its not like they're laying out in the sun.

(Just finished a case of Sam Smith Nut Brown Ale )

I'll second the Rogue Dead Guy Ale. I try to find something new every now and then. Tried it this weekend. Definitely one of the best beers I've had. It's strange though because it's a bock beer brewed with ale yeast. So, is it an ale or a bock?

A friend brought over Lowebrau Oktoberfest the other day. That was really good too. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is my "normal" beer. Easier to find (for me anyway). Love the stuff from Old Dominion and Dogfish Head (IPA's only).

I need to try other's from Rogue and need to try anything from Anchor Steam.

Edit: BTW, going to Munich next week for Oktoberfest. Guess I'll get to try a few good beers!

Fat Tire!

Is this from Denver? If so, it's damn fine.

San Miguel Beer

San Miguel Beer Pale Pilsen
Red Horse Beer
Cerveza Negra
Golden Eagle

Edited to add: Oh yeah...Shiner, as a new part of Coors, now has national distribution

Fat Tire is good stuff! Had some about a month ago at a party where everyone was shying away from the unknown beers and drinking the cheap stuff (Coors light, Miller Lite) so I had all the Fat Tire to myself. Idiots. GB them.

Based on what you said you like, I'd highly recommend Brooklyn Lager, depending where on the east coast you are.

Also, another recommendation of Anchor Steam.


Actually, I like nearly all the beers that have been mentioned, but based on your favorites I think those are two great recommendations.

Right now my selection is Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest...it's a very good not too heavy and not too light. Great smooth finish, with a slight bite to it. Just tried it this year. I also really like Boddingtons (bitter) and Blue Moon Belgian White Ale topped with an organe slice is VERY good.

My all time favorite can no longer be bought in the US. If you are close enough to Canada you can take a quick trip and pick up some Caffrey's which is an Ale, slight bitter with smooth almost sweet finish. I am going to have it regularly shipped to me from Canada!!

Two words: Shiner Bock.

Uh, and when did the Coors thing happen? I've been buying Shiner in VA for years.

We have Guiness on tap at my local bar.....strangely enough, I'm not a huge fan of it..tastes too much like coffee to me.

Thanks for the advice.

Not to poke fun at you, but just a little heads up: All of the health magazines are constantly making fun of the 'low carb' beers. And tehy really are the stupidest ideas ever. The alcohol in beer is what makes you gain weight; not the carbs. And the carbs are so insignificant that it doesn't really matter. Drink what you enjoy, not what has the least carbs. If you reallly want to lose weight, unfrortunately you'll have to stop drinking completely.

If you get Dos Equis Dark, in a bottle, with lime = heaven. More taste than corona.

If it is a brilliantly hot sunny day, and you can find tecate IN A BOTTLE, then also use the lime - crisper than Corona and amazing FROM THE BOTTLE. Otherwise, its crap.

I heard this about 6 months or so ago. We started getting it here in Idaho about 2 months ago. Shiner Bock was a staple when I was in San Antonio. The Blone isn't bad either, but their Heffe doesn't really compare to others like Paulaner though.

Never, ever, ever had a bad bottle of Sam Smiths... where do you get these skunks? I have ONLY had great experiences. Great great beer.

Rogue beers/ales in general are FANTASTIC... but some might be a bit strong for your taste. Some are stronger than others - but VERY fun to buy all the types you can find (if available) in the 22oz and see which you enjoy most.

Strawberry blonde is one you would probably like.

Haven't seen anyone recomend a hefeweizen yet. It's a fantastic summer beer since it isn't too heavy. Here in Seattle you can find Pyramid or Widmer on tap in just about every bar (and some have both). I prefer Widmer of the domestic ones I've tried, but I know there is a German one that I tried a while back that I liked better but I can't remember the name. I'd only remember it if I saw the bottle.

Becks Octoberfest is out.

Becks Oktoberfest?

Try a real one from Munich:

Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr Marzen, Spaten, Augustiner, Hofbrau

Especially the Hacker-Pschorr. Trust me. Classic.

What if its not from Denver?

Arrogant Bastard Ale

Is it as good as Fat Bastard wine?

First time I saw that was not long after we nicknamed a guy at the coffee shop I go to "big fat bastard". I really wanted to buy him a bottle but he may have taken it as an insult (or as a come on) so I passed.

Brooklyn Lager....is a LAGER, not an Ale, they're nothing alike. Try the Brooklyn Brown Ale instead. Flying Dog (I think it's Flying Dog) is an Amber beer that should be another to try.

I second the Newcastle Brown Ale for your next sample. Some of the others are great beers but your palate may not be ready for the big jump in flavor from Sam Adams.

Let us know what you think of these and the other suggestions and then we'll give you another 'assignment'.