porcupine Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 (edited) I am currently in love with product from Ommegang brewery in NY. Especially the Witte and Hennepin. For daily consumption I keep going back to Blue Moon Belgian-style wheat. I love that stuff. What are your favorites along those lines? Also, is anyone else out there wishing for a brewpub or microbrewery to get over hops already and produce a decent full-bodied lager? Or even, God-forbid, a nicely balanced pilsner? Edited January 31, 2006 by porcupine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 I am currently in love with product from Ommegang brewery in NY. Especially the Witte and Hennepin. For daily consumption I keep going back to Blue Moon Belgian-style wheat. I love that stuff.What are your favorites along those lines? Also, is anyone else out there wishing for a brewpub or microbrewery to get over hops already and produce a decent full-bodied lager? Or even, God-forbid, a nicely balanced Pilsner? I find Blue Moon to be a bit too sweet, but shockingly decent for a Coors product. Wit beers should have a nice bite to them. Hoegaarden is a better option that's also widely available. You can also find Weihenstephen Weisse fairly easily. Ommegang makes fantastic Belgian style ales for a seriously decent price. The lack of lagers in this country is mostly due to the way micros are set up. Making lagers just takes longer (up to twice as long) than making ales, so part of it is pure economics. Part of it is also that micros aren't interested in nice, simple session beers since they don't do much to differentiate. A lot of brewpubs will have something on tap, but it won't make it into bottles. Same goes for really nice bitters or English milds from American producers. There are a handful of breweries that specialize in lagers though. The late, great Baltimore Brewing Company was one of them. Old Dominion's Hop Pocket Pils is a really nice local pilsner. I am one of those hopheads that likes the hops ridiculousness that's grabbed the micros by the throat, but agree that it's getting out of hand along with the whole Imperial <insert_beer_style_here> phase. See above comments about bottling good everyday beers instead of trying to stand out in the crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 I am currently in love with product from Ommegang brewery in NY. Especially the Witte and Hennepin. Hennepin on draft is delicious stuff, but aside from that I think Allagash trumps Ommegang in just about every way for US Belgian-style brewing. A couple of years ago there was (to my palette at least) a dip in the quality of Allagash White, but based on a draft I had last month it's back up. And their smaller run beers are always right on. Just wish it was as easy to find their Double as their Triple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 The lack of lagers in this country is mostly due to the way micros are set up. <snip> Good explanation - thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 Czechvar trumps Urquell any day.Where has one found the Hennepin on draft? The session ales I'm drinking pretty regularly now are St. Peter's Organic and Holy Grail Ale from Black Sheep Brewery, a personal fave. They're only about $3 - $3.50 a bottle or so at Harris Teeter, so they're very available. Delicious stuff. And Porcupine, they'll cure your hoppin' OD problem. Unless you're hooked on domestics, that is. I've had Hennepin and Witte on draft near Watkins Glen, NY, but nowhere in this area. And it's well past time I check out Harris Teeter. Black Sheep Brewery, eh? Thanks for the tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Where has one found the Hennepin on draft? It was on at Saint-Ex for a bit, and for a few months at The Brickskeller. Not sure where else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Where has one found the Hennepin on draft? On currently at Birreria Paradiso and 51st State. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 any other Belgian White Ale recommendations would be welcomed... Ommegang Witte. (Cooperstown, NY) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I've had Hennepin and Witte on draft near Watkins Glen, NY, but nowhere in this area. I found it odd to find the Ommegang Witte on tap at the Atomic Billards in Cleveland Park at this time of year, but for $6, it sure hit the spot. Sure, it's lighter in flavor than Allegash White, but it still tastes like a Belgian-style brewing compared to many brands that "say" they do this style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thistle Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 My ideal restaurant would have Belgian beer & Thai food. I was crushed when the Sneads Ferry Food Lion was out of Hoegaarden over the holidays (they stocked it during the summer)... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now