Being a man who enjoys a nice lager from time to time, I have bestowed upon myself the daunting task of compiling a list of the Top Ten Beers of All Time. I feel that I am qualified for this task because A) I have impeccable taste B) I have sampled a plethora of beers from around the world, and C) I am hardly ever wrong. Be advised that I did not include Bud Light or Miller Light in my top ten list, even though these are probably the two beers that I drink the most of. I do like these beers, they are good... but those kind of beers are standard issue, and truthfully I cannot tell the difference between them. This list is more about the finer beers, the kind of beer you want in your hand after a great day on the slopes or out on the beach. For any naysayers out there, this
will be the definitive beer drinkers list of our time.
Without further ado... the Top Ten Beers of All Time.
10. Dos Equis LagerThe sweet nectar that lives inside that emerald green bottle is a thing of greatness. Add a nice, fat wedge of lime and what do you have? The perfect Mexican beer, light enough to drink all day long, but tasty enough to savor each sip. Dos Equis was probably the first fine beer that I developed a preference for.
9. Amstel LightAmstel Light is the best light beer available. period. Plus you gotta like a light beer that's only available in a bottle.
8. Fat TireFat Tire was the beer that opened my eyes to the beauty of the Ambers... I was in love from the very first sip, what a uniquely sweet flavor. Before I happened upon this beer, I was just drinking light beers, like number 9 and 10. Fat Tire was also a great gateway beer to other New Belguim beers - Blue Paddle, Sunshine Wheat... Plus Fat Tire has a really cool label and it's called Fat Tire - which is kind of awesome. I like Fat Tire so much that I am kind of hesitant putting it this far down the list.
7. Negra ModelloAh, the only other Mexican beer on the list... You may think that two Mexican beers may be a little overboard, but I do live in Texas - and we drink a lot of Mexican beer, probably because we eat a lot more Mexican food than most. Negra Modello is the greatest Mexican beer, plus it's the only dark beer that you can still put a lime in... well I guess you could put a lime in any dark beer... but I would only recommend doing so with a Negra Modello.
6. Young's Double Chocolate
This is not a beer for the faint of heart... when you order a Young's Double Chocolate, you better be ready for bidness. This is by far the darkest and thickest beer that I drink. Some think (we'll call him Andy L.) that it's a bit too much - it is almost like a milkshake - but there's nothing wrong with having one from time to time. But I would recommend that you only drink this beer between the months of November and February, but you should have one - they are really great. Don't let the name fool you, it is not a beer made of chocolate - beer made of chocolate, hmmm... (inquisitively) - it is more like a heavier, sweeter Guiness. Speaking of heavy and dark, has anyone been watching the past two weeks of Six Feet Under? Man, they are really dropping the hammer on us. Nate's death is kind of depressing, but it's a good way to end the series I think - man I love that show. Another good beer made by Young's is the Oatmeal Stout, which I enjoy, but didn't include because it is very similar to the number 1 beer.
5. Heineken
Alrighty, the top five... now we are really getting to the good stuff. Interestingly enough, this brings us to Heineken. This is a beer that I absolutely hated up until about 3 years ago. I don't know at what point I started drinking this beer, but it has definitely happened. And with every Heineken I drink, I like it more and more. You gotta have an appreciation for something that gets better over time. Kinda like Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Heineken is also my drink of choice while in Vegas... just kinda works well.
4. Sierra Nevada
The best microbrew Amber beer out there. Absolutely!
3. Stella Artois
Stella is a somewhat new beer to the United States, but it has been in Europe for years. That is actually where I first had it, in a pub in London. It has a really nice flavor and is somewhat light. Kind of like a Heineken, but with a better taste. When I got back from Europe, in '01, this beer was nowhere to be found in the US... but recently I have been able to find it at certain bars - if you live in Dallas you can get one at the Idle Rich, the Gingerman, and the Old Monk.
2. Harp
Harp is the best light beer that is out there... and I ain't talking no jive. I friggin love drinking Harp - it sort of serves as the everyday Guiness for me... due to it's heaviness, Guiness is just not conducive to some environment. That's when you ask the bartender for a glass of Guiness' sexy little sister, Harp.
1. Guiness
Without a doubt the most popular, unique, and best tasting beer of all time....