Can you drink great beer all the time?

There are certain beers that I love, but don’t have regular access to. Consequently, I drink quite a few beers that I enjoy, but certainly aren’t my favorite or even close to it, but I figure if I can’t have my favorite pale ale, I may as well spread around my pale ale drinking among other reasonable choices. However, recently Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue has become fairly available in this market. What used to be a rare treat can now be an everyday thing. I enjoy diversity, but that’s more with respect to style (I like to drink IPAs, Stouts, Porters, ESBs, various ‘colored’ Ale’s, etc) but within a style, I’m pretty happy drinking only my 2-3 favorite examples of that style, at least that are readily available to me. If you had access to infinite Pliny, would it replace nearly all the DIPAs in your lineup? Is there something lost when the rarity factor isn’t in play, and I wouldn’t enjoy it as much if it could be had at my will?

ISO: PseudoSue

It’s always a treat to be able to try something that’s rare. That said, you shouldn’t enjoy a beer less b/c it’s more available. Last I checked, rarity didn’t have a scent or flavor.

I pass on lots of “rare” or more expensive IPAs in favor of my easy-to-obtain daily favorites because I like my easy-to-obtain daily favorites more than many of these “rare” or more expensive offerings. For many others, while I may prefer the more expensive beer to my daily favorites, they are cost-prohibitive most of the time.

the florida psuedo sue is just a shell of the Iowa PS. is sad.

It depends on what you like. I’m not a fan of Pliny the Elder and I have really great access to it in pasadena (at least 2 bars have it on tap at any given time and whole foods down the street from my house has bottles every week). I have it maybe once every 3-4 months and realize how little I care for it. In regards to what is rare on the west coast that I don’t care for is Sip of Sunshine. My friend offers to send me a healthy stream every month but I always decline cause I just don’t really care for it.

Now if I lived next to Hill Farmstead/Trillium/Alchemist and had a steady stream of their IPAs? Yes, they’d replace pretty much all my IPA needs.

re: sours, I’d drink degarde, cantillon, rare barrel, casey, SARA, HPB, 3f armand all day every day. But it gets expensive :slight_smile: not because they are necessarily hard to get access too, it’s because they just cost a pretty penny per bottle.

Sometimes there is a basis for the rarity of a beer. It’s rare cause they don’t produce as much or it’s rare cause everyone wants it cause a) it’s delicious or b) hype machine. Some meet requirement a) some meet requirement b). If you like more easily attainable beers that’s great.

In all seriousness, if it’s delicious I can drink it forever. I love Anti-Hero and drink it almost every week. After a few years I’m still not tired of it and don’t think I ever will be. I drove five hours each way to drink Pseudo Sue and thought it was the best non sour beer I’ve ever had. I could easily drink that every week.

Having said all that, there’s a time and place/food for different beers. I don’t want any hops after I’m done playing two hours of hockey or after running a rod race.

If I could get Russian River sours more easily then I’d drink them more often but certainly not daily. It’s like trying to drink a Grand Cru Burgundy frequently. Those wines demand your attention and I just don’t want to get into something serious every day or even every week sometimes.

" Can you drink great beer all the time ? " I sure try [cheers.gif]

Cheers,

Bud

Yes [snort.gif]

I spent the first part of my twenty year wine journey trying everything. The next five years refining what I liked. And the next five years being an insufferable ass about only drinking within a tight window. Right now, in my beer journey, I feel like I’m still interested in trying lots of things. Obviously I am armed with lots more experience and knowledge because of the time spent in wine, because of my business, etc. I doubt I’ll spend ten years refining what I like in beer. While I would love to drink sour beers and IPAs from my favorite producers every day I feel like broadening my horizons now is for the best. Unfortunately, this method also results in a lot of stinkers.

I’d probably be happy with a handful of beers year round. Fremont Summer Ale and Cowiche Canyon Fresh hop. Logsdon Seizon Bretta. Chimay Blue. Duchesse du Borgogne. Breakside Wanderlust IPA.

Do I like other beers? Sure. Do I need them? Probably not.

What John wrote. But if by non-great beer you mean American adjunct lagers, then the answer is “yes I can drink great beer all the time”.

love the stuff that Half Acre, Pipeworks, & Spiteful put out on a weekly basis - all super fresh. i don’t drink much outside of these three producers, but I always feel like I’m drinking well. it’s also pretty cool knowing all the beer comes from within 2 miles of my apartment.