The best I've ever had is from the monastery in Andechs, Bavaria, Germany. Hands down, the winner.

Koshka: Interesting site. Do you know if there are any legal problems shipping beer into the US? I thought I heard recently where a state (Texas?) statutes precluding wine from being shipped into the state was found unconstitutional.

Watney's Red Barrel with cheese and onion crisps. ((Y)) :-&

Poland: Zywiec
Lithuania: Svyturas
Slovakia: Golden Pheasant
England: Celebration

Hey DB - Watney's Red Barrel? How long since they made that?! Before my time I think!
Remeber the Python sketch?
http://www.members.cox.net/city_of_arkham/podgorny.htm
((?))

Watney's Bleedin' Red Barrel?!?

That swill was laughed out of England decades ago.

For the love of heaven, ignore all that you have read so far. These picks are, with a few exceptions, at Levels 1 and 2 of a multi-level scale that goes to 10.

Buy this: RUNNING PRESS POCKET GUIDE TO BEER, SEVENTH EDITION: The Connoisseur's Companion to More than 2,000 Beers of the World
by Michael Jackson. About $22.

I am a National Beer Judge, brewer, medal-winner, and beer maven -- no joke. Jackson is THE MAN and if you follow his picks, you will drink fine beer and you will know why you love it.

Mr. Beer Judge...which of the listed would you presume to be worthy or your palate?

Thanks for the book reference...I hadn't heard of that one and will check it out straight away!

Bitter, DH and I have had three *large* shipments of beer sent over without ANY trouble or extra Duty. And we are talking 3 boxes about 3 ft. long and two ft. high and deep. 125 bottles, IIRC.

Careless customs broke one of the bottles once, and the box smelled very beery, but nobody in San Francisco has batted an eye.

Texas mileage may vary. >:)

We've met Michael Jackson a few times. What's wrong with Wolfshoher or Murau? Or Warsteiner (if you get it in Germany, it doesn't travel well)? What makes them such pikers?

When in Wiltshire a few years ago, I quite enjoyed Badger's Best Bitter...an ale rather than a beer, if memory serves.

In Luxembourg and Trier, Bitburger (Ein Bit, bitte!) or Mousel (sp)which I believe are widely available in that general neck of the woods.

As to the discussion about how different it tastes there compared to the "same" stuff here, how's this for a perspective from the other way 'round: my friend Ian, from Derbyshire, quite enjoys a Bud when he's here in the States...which shocked him a bit. He says the Budweiser they get in England tastes like cat p***!

Hello,

The one in my mug, of course.

I would vote for Augistiner as well. And most of the beers at Oktoberfest.

Theakston's Old Peculiar is my favorite for the UK, then Guiness from Ireland, then Moretti from Italy. I like hard cider, too. Actually, I don't think there's really a European beer that my husband and I aren't fond of, come to think of it. Very hard to pick a favorite!

Although I should say the hands down favorite is the beer you drink in a pub...

I agree that Theakston's Old Peculiaris the best in the UK, but only by a hair.

Moretti's in Italy

Leffe Braun in France (oops! :-]a Belgian beer.)

Bischoffs Brau in Austria.

I know that it is all but heresy to say so but there are several microbreweries in the states that produce comparable brew,:-B
NOT Bud, Coors etc.

I'm surprised no one mentioned Ceres. It's my favorite beer when I travel to Italy....although it is made in Belgium. Unfortunately you can't buy it here in California.

Wantagig, have you been to the Cannery, there is a shop with beer all over the world, maybe they have it there? Not sure, but I think it's Cannery Wine Cellars, on north or north-east side of the Cannery.

I could list dozens except I usually block them out of my memory when I can't get them at home.
But my favorite that I CAN find at home are the Belgium Chimays!

Guinness.

Also fond of Boddingtons and Timothy Taylor (Yorkshire).

The thing is, the art of beer brewing has been around for so long in all corners of the globe that nearly all recipes have been tried. Modern brew houses guard their recipe portfolios like diamonds - and spend large sums, usually, to acquire the rights to those for sale on the market. Of course, using the best hops and grains and processes make a better finished product. Still, I don't think anyone can pronounce one brew as "best" above all others because, like art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've never found a beer to satisfy my palate the way Guinness does.

Both of my favorite European beers are Belgian...

Rodenbach Grand Cru
Duchesse de Bourgogne

Ahhh...the Duchesse. Counting down the days 'til the next one (55)!!

German beer is brewed under the strictest standards. many of which are hundreds of years old. Beer sold in America has a max allowable alcohol content. The 2 sets of rules contradict each other by nature. European beers sold in the USA are often not the same as what is sold in their native country...less alcohol, less fermentation, less flavor - that's what we get in the USA.

Perhaps Poppa, with his credentials, would enlighten us on the difference between beer and ale.

Available in most pubs in the UK is a shandy, a beer with ginger ale, ginger beer or lemonade. A lager and lime is also pretty standard. British sailors at one time were required by law to drink lime juice to ward off scurvy - hence the name limeys.