Jamie Reidy ranks his Top 5 beers on tap, a.k.a. draft, a.k.a. draught.
Yesterday, I posted my Top 5 beers in a can. Talk about controversy!
I forgot to mention that my number one choice is always whatever somebody else is buying me. This list would also change depending on where I was drinking it, i.e. in Wrigley Field I’m having an Old Style or PBR.
Today, I will dare to rank my Top 5 beers on tap.
I will go in reverse order:
5. Smithwick’s Irish Ale – First of all, I just love the way this beer is pronounced: Smid-icks. Secondly, it has plenty of taste, but not too heavy that you can’t have five. And it looks cool in the glass as the beer is pouring in.
4. Red Hook ESB – Easily my most controversial pick. RH reminds me of a 3-day pass I got while in Army bootcamp at Ft. Lewis, WA. Oh, plus, it’s really tasty. And it has a really cool glass.
3. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – I drink more Sierra than any other beer. It works for early morning football watching, outdoor grilling watching or late night girl watching. It always makes me think of my friend Larry, a California resident for 15 years, who saw me drinking it at a 4th of July party and accused me of a lack of patriotism. Uh, pal, the Sierra NEVADAS are a mountain chain in America…
2. Newcastle Brown Ale – Great color in the glass, great taste and great buzz for the buck. Reminds me of many nights from my semester in London. I would like to meet Ms. Newcastle. See earlier “cool glass” comment.
1. Guinness – Probably don’t need to explain this one. Interesting fact: my brother lived in Queenstown, New Zealand with two Irish citizens (that’s not the interesting part). His roomies said that the Irish people have declared NZ-brewed Guinness as the second best in the world, trailing only Ireland. Something to do with the water in New Zealand. Extra points for its inclusion in Irish Car Bomb shots.
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Hmmmm, have to say that I find Smithwicks an utterly bland and tasteless experience; an ale designed to appeal to a nation that doesn’t have a strong history of ale drinking due conflict with it’s Anglo/British heritage. It’s a shame that Diageo has such a strangle hold on the Irish bar culture that other, far superior draft beers simply don’t get a look in.
Guinness, while an excellent drink, doesn’t travel all that well – the worst pint I ever had was in Honolulu Airport where it was served in a tall glass (something you’d expect to see Erdinger in) and was positively rank.
Despite being originally from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, I’ve hardly ever had Brown on draft – it’s far more popular in bottles, off the shelf rather than the chiller if you’re being a traditionalist.
Haven’t tried the other two, but they look interesting.
No Leffe Bruin? Or any Belgian beer? No small-brand, local German wheat beer? No “my local brew-pub round the corner red ale”?
I’m with you on the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – great beer. The other brand beers are not bad, they are certainly beers I’d drink on a night out – but on a Top-5? Nah.
I don’t know about the draft Guinness brewed in New Zealand, or the draft Guinness available in Ireland, but the draft Guinness available in the States is definitely inferior to bottled Guinness available here. Just my opinion.
And, aside from Smithwicks, the others named don’t seem to be too much available on tap in the Midwest, in my experience.
Well – you could do worse that taking a trip to Ireland and taste the Guinness there. I’m sure you’ll the trip (and the beer) worth your while.
That’s what I’ve always heard, that the draft Guinness in Ireland is better than bottled, but that Irish Guinness drinkers switch to bottles when in North America.
Lars is absolutely right: head to Ireland. And the tour of the Guinness brewery is fantastic.
Nothing Belgian or German? Bah, humbug! Though I will agree with you that Guinness from a can cannot come even close to it on tap, give me a good hefeweiss over a stout any day. Especially over the summer. Sierra Nevada makes good one, but I think that the most somewhat available (it’s not widely found, but if you know where to look) is Weihenstephaner. It’s a standard, very popular Hefeweiss in Germany, and you can find it in the States.