Best Mainstream Beer

[DoctwoB]

If we’re talking about mainstream beers as in you can find it in pretty much any CVS or equivalent, then I’d say the tops are: lagunitas ipa, Sierra Nevada pale ale, bells two hearted, or shiner bock for the non pale ale inclined.

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[GravelRider]

Is this thread still best mainstream beer or did it derail into craft beer? My “go to” mainstream beer has always been Sam Adams lager. It’s easy to find and easy to drink...and is pretty well-rounded. Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA is another widely distributed beer that is a reliable standby for me.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Necrobump time:

Stone Mutt Brown

Latitude 33 Brokini (just finished a pint and F me, that’s good)

Mainstream? Agree with the others.

Really enjoyed Shiner when I was in Texas, their seasonals are solid as well.

I’m not much of a Sam Adams fan, but their Summer Ale is great.

 

[Monty Python]

Dark Heineken. Unfortunately it's not easily found.

 

[Monty Python]

I got my hands on one of these while assigned to the Army hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. Simply superb. And of course I haven't run across it in the USA.

If you're ever in Western Europe I highly recommend trying one:

Seinsheimer Sasemer Danzbier Hell

 

[DoctwoB]

Is this thread still best mainstream beer or did it derail into craft beer? My “go to” mainstream beer has always been Sam Adams lager. It’s easy to find and easy to drink...and is pretty well-rounded. Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA is another widely distributed beer that is a reliable standby for me.

Given the explosion of craft beer distribution which blurs the lines of mainstream vs craft the way I’d define it is any beer with widespread national distribution (e.g you can pick it up in pretty much any CVS or equivalent across the country).

To that end even within a brewery there are huge differences, like lagunitas ipa is mainstream, but many of their other beers are not.

 

[GravelRider]

I was in Belgium a few years ago and was always skeptical of Belgian beer because I never cared for American breweries’ take on “Belgian style.” Then I went to Belgium and had legit Trappist beer and I was converted. Drinking the brews from the Westvleteren monks was probably the closest I’ve ever come to believing in God. Now Westvleteren is not easily found in the United States, but Rochefort is a real Trappist beer that is easily found and pretty darn delicious.

 

[deleted50478]

Is this thread still best mainstream beer or did it derail into craft beer? My “go to” mainstream beer has always been Sam Adams lager. It’s easy to find and easy to drink...and is pretty well-rounded. Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA is another widely distributed beer that is a reliable standby for me.

Dogfish Head 120 minutes has been hard to find most years but this year it seems to be more widely available. If you like the 60, the 90 is better, and the 120 is too except it’s $10/bottle.

 

[deleted50478]

I was in Belgium a few years ago and was always skeptical of Belgian beer because I never cared for American breweries’ take on “Belgian style.” Then I went to Belgium and had legit Trappist beer and I was converted. Drinking the brews from the Westvleteren monks was probably the closest I’ve ever come to believing in God. Now Westvleteren is not easily found in the United States, but Rochefort is a real Trappist beer that is easily found and pretty darn delicious.

I got Westvleteren in the states and it was great but it was $25 a bottle. Definitely worth a try but I couldn’t justify getting too many. Trappistes Rochefort 10 might not be quite as good but is similar for like $6 and easy to find. Have you tried it?

 

[powermd]

It's gotten so easy to find good beer these days I've stopped homebrewing. For lagers I continually reach for Lagunitas Pilz and Sixpoint "The Crisp".

 

[GravelRider]

I got Westvleteren in the states and it was great but it was $25 a bottle. Definitely worth a try but I couldn’t justify getting too many. Trappistes Rochefort 10 might not be quite as good but is similar for like $6 and easy to find. Have you tried it?

Yes. Rochefort is a close approximation of Westvleteren and both the 8 and 10 are found at my local Whole Foods.

It's gotten so easy to find good beer these days I've stopped homebrewing. For lagers I continually reach for Lagunitas Pilz and Sixpoint "The Crisp".

Sixpoint makes some of my favorite beers, but I’m not sure I can forgive them for stopping production of Righteous Rye. They released a barrel-aged version this year, but the base Righteous Rye was one of my favorites.

 

[OB1🤙]

Rochefort, La Trappe, and St Bernardus are pretty easy to get, and confirmed delicious.

 

[cowbydoc]

Anything by Unibroue except the weird apple version. Excellent Belgian style trippels and dubbels. Also, they are “bottle conditioned” so they stay good for at least a year and don’t get skunky.