I know. I'm the beer guy, but I don't drink very often. I do have five five gallon kegs in the basement filled with a variety of beers, one of them Root Beer. But I probably only pour one once a week. Usually Thursdays right before DL Live.

So what are you drinking of note?

Anyone try Southern Tier's Punking? Incredible Pumpkin Ale. Very seasonal.

Ben,

I'm in awe of your brewing. I think it's such a cool thing to do. A great hobby that's crafty and has a curriculum on board; in life science, chemistry, and responsible use of alcohol.

That said. I drink Miller Lite.

I'm a wine enthusiast, big time -- going with the wife to the Napa Valley again next week. If I let myself love beer as much as I love wine, a problem could develop. I appreciate a good beer -- I love a skunky Pilsner Urquel or a hoppy pale ale from time to time, but only as a special treat. (I hope Dipak from Whip In doesn't see this.)

I asked Troy to add this category so that I can inflict my wine snobbery on everyone. Please do the same with your beers.

What do you love to drink when you're not sipping your own brews?

Right now, my favorite commercial beer is Ommegang Rouge Cooperstown, NY. It's a Flander's Red, meaning it tastes quite a bit like a wine. It's sour from cask aging with bacteria. But the sourness is balanced by a complex maltiness.

I'm a wine guy, too. It's just difficult to have any when the wife's preggo. At the end of the month, we'll continue of celebrating the anniversary of our first date and a friend's passing by doing the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail. I'm much more "snobby" about wine in that I really don't care for Cabs, Merlots, Chardonnays, or anything with Chambourcin. I'm a fan of Zinfandel (the REAL one), Pinot, and Reisling. There are also some good grape varieties from the Midwest that make for some good sweeter white wines.

One of the wineries we frequent has made a solid port-style wine for the last few years. I think I'll have some now.


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Here in Kansas City we have Boulevard Brewing Co. They make an unfiltered wheat that is my personal fave. I just want to take this opportunity to be snobbish and hate on the nationally/Belgian made Bud Light Wheat. I've tried it so now I can knock it.

@Ben I've always wanted to try and make some home brew. How does a guy get started? Any web sites or stores out there that you think would be helpful?

Bud is promoting the H*LL out of that new wheat beer. I was just in LV for the Blogworld convention and the whole thing was sponsored by Bu and they were practically shoving the stuff down your gullet. Give them credit for trying something new. I wish the beer was better.

I'll make a new topic for brewing. That'll get me to start posting recipes again.

Clay, have you ever made wine? That's how Pete from Pete's Wicked Ale got started in beer. The wine took too long and wasn't better than what he could buy (living in San Francisco and working for Big Blue). He went on to form one of the first innovative beer companies and then sold out.

I've got a performance of Bruckner's Mass No. 2 tonight. I'm thinking about joining the chorus at the bar afterward. Don't know what I'll drink. It may be a Warbird, though. It's a brewery in town that went out of business two weeks ago.