Top Schools for Good Beer?

[ennuiner]

Okay,okay... this topic has led me to register and stop just poking around. I have traveled the US a disgusting amount and have tried most of the beers mentioned, have been to the Abita brewery in Abita springs and have sipped Burning Lakes on the shore of Lake Erie.  But, I live in Portland, OR partly because of the beer.
  Portland is far and away the craft brewery capital of the US, partly based on a longstanding tradition of brewing which dates back to Henry Weinhard trying to fill the towns fountains with celebratory beer.  The idea was scrapped by the fire department who feared their hoses would be ruined by those trying to syphon it off along the way.
  Moreso, Portland's great beer has to do with the quality of local ingrediants.  Cascade hops are amazing and the access to crisp, clean water also plays a role.  Add on to that the fact that Portland is a brewpub city and not a place I'd recommend for dance clubs.
  Great breweries in and nearby include the Deschutes breweries in Bend (Black Butte Porter is awesome, and I don't usually like porters), Bridgeport breweries (which single handedly revived the IPA, and still pulls off the best in my opinion), Portland Brewing has great product, and the Widmer breweries are fantastic as well and deserve a tour if visiting Portland (You can find their Hefeweizen quite widespread but is about as close to vagina juice as you can get, try their others).  Full Sail out of Hood River is one of the all around best, and they're all employee owned.  McMennemins makes some decent beers, but their appeal is serving them in their theater pubs.  Rouge breweries from southern Oregon is overrated.  Oregon Pinots are also very good.
  I would say that Seattle is close second, though their best is still Oregon spill over.  The true competition is Northern California, in my mind.  Sierra Nevada is a good all around, but I find it sometimes doesn't travel well.  It has good distribution all along the west coast, so thankfully one doesn't have to live in or near Chico.  As a point of fact it is a Pale Ale (Not an IPA) though I know they do occasional seasonal brews.  The only IPA that comes close to Bridgeport is Lagunitas IPA out of Nor Cal's lost coast.  Unless we get hyper specific, if we do then the Oregon Coast's Terminal Gravity IPA has no competition and gets to like 8%v alcohol, but is available only on tap to my knowledge.
  I need to get back to my beer, but Portland could easily be considered Microbrew capital (and usually is by those who know) because it simply has the most and best, and quantity seems to lead to quality.  Perhaps related, we also have the most per capita strip clubs... full bar, full nude.
  Too bad northwest law schools blow.  I've hooked up with enough L&C girls, and if they're into dudes, so do they.

[foxnewssucks]

ok, L&C is moving up on my list.

[ilsox7]

Northwest is by far the best place for quality and quantity of microbreweries.  But the Midweslt has some great ones too, that have been mentioned.

Widmer is readily available, but I am not a fan of their Hefe. 

[TexasTiger14]

I'll take a bottle of Shiner over anything listed here......

Abita and Dixie aint far behind though....

[ennuiner]

Shiner's pretty good, is it a Micro though?

As for Widmer's Hefeweizen, when I said it was vag juice, it wasn't a compliment.  Beer doesn't need lemon.

Around Portland Widmer has a much wider variety and some seasonals which are much better.  They have the best beer tour I've ever been on with some healthy samples at the end, and a tour guide who will say, withouth irony, "Okay guys... this is where the miracle happens."

[TexasTiger14]

Shiner's pretty good, is it a Micro though?

As for Widmer's Hefeweizen, when I said it was vag juice, it wasn't a compliment. Beer doesn't need lemon.

Around Portland Widmer has a much wider variety and some seasonals which are much better. They have the best beer tour I've ever been on with some healthy samples at the end, and a tour guide who will say, withouth irony, "Okay guys... this is where the miracle happens."

Yeah, Shiners still "microbrewed" by definition in that its still a small company, but you can buy one just about anywhere......

One of the big three (Anheiser Busch I think) makes "Ziegenbock" which they market in Texas as being truly local. Total rip off of Shiner, so stay away.........it's the Mr.s Pibb of brewskies

[ilsox7]

I happen to enjoy my hefes and wits with lemos...learned it that way in Europe.

[ennuiner]

Yeah, put some mayo on your fries, wear way too colorful sneakers, make out with a dude, and you're all set for citizenship.

[ilsox7]

Yeah, put some mayo on your fries, wear way too colorful sneakers, make out with a dude, and you're all set for citizenship.

Mayo on fries, yes.  The rest, no.

[Jumboshrimps]

Shiner's pretty good, is it a Micro though?

As for Widmer's Hefeweizen, when I said it was vag juice, it wasn't a compliment. Beer doesn't need lemon.

Around Portland Widmer has a much wider variety and some seasonals which are much better. They have the best beer tour I've ever been on with some healthy samples at the end, and a tour guide who will say, withouth irony, "Okay guys... this is where the miracle happens."

Yeah, Shiners still "microbrewed" by definition in that its still a small company, but you can buy one just about anywhere......

One of the big three (Anheiser Busch I think) makes "Ziegenbock" which they market in Texas as being truly local. Total rip off of Shiner, so stay away.........it's the Mr.s Pibb of brewskies

For the record...

Shiner Bock is definately NOT a bock-style beer. It is, however, a very nice light brown ale. My daily brew has become Shiner Light, which in no way resembles any American light beer. It's actually a rather complex pale ale. Highly recommended.

Ziegen Bock, also not a bock beer, truly is terrible.

Shiner is a medium-sized brewery, like Sam Adams, not a microbrew.

At the end of the day, any self-respecting beer lover must shy away from Texas, though. Hell, I guess that goes for the south and especially the southwest, in general.