My favorites are Spaten Optimator, Celebrator in Germany and Chimay, Kasteel Blonde and Strafe Hendrik Brune in Belgium. Also Ramrod Ale in GB.

Staropramen in Czech Rep.

A lot of good choices here, but when I was in Ireland I preferred Smithwicks over Guinness.

Tap or bottled? Some great tap beers (Pilsener Urquell, Heinecken) are crap in a bottle, while others (Kronenbourg, Stella Artois) at least preserve their integrity in the bottled versions. The good lagers? Lowenbrau, Kronenbourg are hard to beat. Ales? Stones Yorkshire. AKS - the Thai beer you were trying to think of might be Singha; herbaceous flavour, well suited to the local food. Someone mentioned Efes Pilsener in Turkey - yes, very good. I've made a note of Pelforth Brune that someone in this column suggested - haven't tried that one. Thanks.

Forget bottles - tap beers are "real" beers! But watch the quality. No problem in Germany where standards are a matter of pride, but France & UK pubs can very wildly depending on how fresh the beer and how diligent they are at cleaning out their hoses.

In that last lot, for "very" read "vary"

Any Belgian, except Stella Artois which is just OK. Also Urboch 23 - Austrian.

Oops, I meant to say Samuel Smith's NUT Brown Ale, above. Not that anyone cares, we all just want to post OUR favorites.

Actually, to put the lie to my own statement, I finally tried two Chimay's -- I just don't see the attraction!

Kelt - Czech Rep.

Good old post! Enjoyed reading my (and others) posts (mine was under a previous name). Anyway, many of the European beers I enjoy stateside are, in part, so enjoyable because they bring back memories. Now if only I could get some real, drawn ale at my local bar....

Guinness is a given. I also really like Smithwicks from Ireland.

Interesting thread.

Radeberger Zwickel, (East) Germany.

I always carry a couple of cases of Miller Lite with me. All them Euro beers actually have some sort of flavor.

French Kronenburg, Spanish Stella, Norwegian Rignes

Skål!
Bjorn, Oslo

Pilsner Urquell, beyond a doubt. Still have it in my suitcase. Got back last night! Wonderful!!

I'm kinf of surprised we haven't seen too many American beers mentioned - nary a peep from west coast fodorites, even! So many breweries in Oregon, Washington...
Shiner Bock from Texas
Fat Angel from Vermont's Magic Hat Brewery
Seriously jonesing for a Leffe right now...

Oops, heehee. The post said "Europe". Oh well. Anybody think the US has caught up with ye olde European breweries?

Has no one been to Poland? All Polish beers have a great flavor. The choices are many. Try some. Alcohol content varies from almost zero to 9%. Body % is similar..light to heavy. Price is minimal. $0.75 for 1/2 liter. Pub tap brew is always very good. Prices range..maybe $1.5 for 1/2 liter. Wroclaw, find the Spis restaurant, they have their own brewery! At last visit the dining there was superb.

There have always been great American beers. Unfortunately, it's the mass market swill that most people associate with US beer making.

Agreed, Rufus. Though last time I was in London (early '03) Budweiser was THE thing. Have no clue why. We'd go to pubs for a pint or two around US Happy Hour time and witnessed a decent amount of office types coddling a Bud instead of a Harp, etc. Reminds me of an old Eric Idle/Monty Python joke - American Beer is like making love in a canoe. Why? Because it's $%#@ing close to water!
Sadly, this is still the impression many Europeans have, I think.