tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67064492012-01-09T20:33:08.545-08:00Tales of cheap beer found and enjoyed, whether by design or just plain luck.Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comBlogger211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-50982524851133552302012-01-09T20:19:00.000-08:002012-01-09T20:33:08.575-08:00

A new Trader joe's beer brand called Boatswain (pronounced Bo-sun) has pulled into port. It's brewed by Rhinelander Brewing Co. of Monroe, Wisconsin, which really is Minhas Brewing, which brews a lot of cheap beer for Trader Joe's. The two beers are both described as IPAs. One is simply called Boatswain IPA and the other is called H.L.V. -- or Heavy Lift Vessel. Both are also described as

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-30533180720070502202011-10-10T16:37:00.001-07:002011-10-10T20:18:09.089-07:00

I used to buy Rhinelander Export at least 10 years ago when it was produced in 12-ounce brown returnable bottles by Huber Brewing Co. in Monroe, WI. These bottles were distributed in sturdy, reusable cardboard boxes. The bottles and boxes were great for homebrewers (I still have a few of them) but are sadly no longer available as the new owners of the brewery went to much cheaper packaging.

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-83876017399864103892011-09-20T17:43:00.000-07:002011-09-20T17:43:35.011-07:00

...might be good, but thumbs down for Name Tag (formerly Red Oval) Lager. Suckered in by the low price and a friend's review that it was pretty good, I tried this beer tonight and actually liked it at first. It looked quite appealing in the glass. A rocky head of foam and nice golden hue, a fruity nose and a bubblegummy taste, but alas it was not to be. I should have known better, as I've been

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-61928207685308358582011-01-13T21:54:00.000-08:002011-10-10T20:42:18.800-07:00

Baltic Porters are the bomb. That is to say they are cheap way to get "bombed." They're stronger beers that seems suited to winter: Eastern European winters. They range from between 7.5 and 9.5 percent alcohol. They are a good choice if you want a cheap buzz and you like dark beer. Here is a sampling of some Baltic Porters (that is to say beers that are from Baltic states like Estonia and Poland.

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-75589780637843262342010-11-14T17:20:00.000-08:002010-11-14T17:32:27.300-08:00

Stockyard Oatmeal Stout at Trader Joe's is a surprisingly tasty stout for $5.99 a six-pack. It's a chocolate tasting stout with minimal bitterness. It almost finishes too sweet. In my opinion it could have a little more bitterness, if not from hops then at least from some roasted grains. It is smooth, which I believe is requirement for an oatmeal stout. The only real complaint I have about this

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-69996295480289031532010-11-03T18:04:00.001-07:002010-11-03T21:40:26.726-07:00

Kudos to Famous Liquors in Lombard. They're currently blowing out six-packs of Dundee India Pale Ale for $3.99 a six-pack. I picked up a six tonight and the light amber ale is quite tasty, fairly fresh and sufficiently hoppy (although not terribly bitter.) Chinook and Hallertauer hops contribute cedar and spicy, grassy hop flavors to this ale. It's also surprisingly dry, but not too much so. If

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-20195912082194080392009-05-31T15:42:00.000-07:002009-05-31T15:57:33.481-07:00

Trader Joe's is selling a kolsch-style beer. It's called Trader Joe's Josef Brau Summer brew and it is rather good for the buck a bottle price. It's a bright straw-colored brew with a light toasted malt smell that has a crisp cracker-like malt flavor along with a slighty spicy, hoppiness and mineral-like, toasted malt finish. Not too bad.

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-24460892273831690382009-05-08T18:53:00.000-07:002009-05-08T20:53:07.872-07:00

I consider $7 a six-pack for what could be considered a craft beer pretty good these days, so when I spotted Mission Street Pale and India Pale Ale at my local Trader Joe's I had to pick up a couple bottles and give it a try.First up is the Mission Street Pale, which is probably the palest pale ale I've ever seen, shining a bright straw yellow. It smells spicy and citrusy hoppy which is

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-77765402337041190422008-10-24T17:15:00.000-07:002008-10-24T17:35:50.334-07:00

As anyone who has followed this blog for some time has probably noticed, Trader Joe's is a good place for cheap beer. Some of it is good, some not so good. This evening while buying some groceries I spotted Simpler Times Pilsner, a beer brewed by Minhas Brewing Co. (formerly Huber) in Monroe, Wisconsin. I haven't had too many Minhas private label beers. I've had more of their contract brews such

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-73638918408625090072008-09-21T15:04:00.000-07:002008-09-21T15:18:12.765-07:00

If you haven't ever enjoyed German lager out of a mini-keg (a 5-liter self-pouring aluminum can) now is your chance at Famous Liquors at Roosevelt and Main in Lombard, Illinois. Cases of DAB mini-kegs, a fine Dortmunder, (two in each box) are going for $20 or one 5-liter can for $10. Such a deal. I've had this beer before and it is a very clean, somewhat malty, light- to medium-bodied lager with

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-8270294192432683192008-09-16T18:21:00.000-07:002008-09-16T18:32:01.090-07:00

Today I picked up some cheap Fuller's London Pride at Sal's Beverage World in Elmhurst, Illinois. Fifteen bucks for a case of pint cans of this decent English Bitter is a great deal. I've seen this beer for as much as $10 a four-pack of pint cans. The cases are about three months past there best before date, but I'm sampling a pint right now and it's not too bad. The flavor are a little subdued,

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-10260464307200663002008-05-04T16:48:00.000-07:002008-11-13T04:54:24.749-08:00

It's spring 2008 and the definition of cheap beer is changing. Barley malt and hop prices are going up, up, up and there seems to be no ceiling in sight. Fortunately, Trader Joe (or in this case Trader Josef, his German counterpart) is keeping prices down for a decent beer. The entire Josef Brau range of beers can be found for $6 a six-pack. Sure, if you really want to save money at Trader Joe's

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-1163295385403742652006-11-11T17:31:00.000-08:002006-11-11T17:36:25.416-08:00

Trader Joe's is perhaps my favorite grocery store. The prices are good (if you're careful) and they stock lots of fun house brands. You can get house brand everything at Trader Joe's: even beer.About half of Trader Joe's beers are made by an entity called the Steinhaus Brewing Co. and most of these beers are about $5 a six-pack.First up is Frugal Joe's Ordinary Beer. This beer not only ordinary,

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-1153800163308723232006-07-24T20:33:00.000-07:002006-07-24T21:05:09.080-07:00

I recently picked up some Rhinelander beer for $5 a 12-pack. Why? Because there's nothin' like the pure, clean taste of the Northwoods.The "pure, clean, taste of the Northwoods"...what exactly does this mean? If you've ever been to Northern Wisconsin (or in my case, Northern Michigan) you've no doubt enjoyed the clean, fresh air. That's what Rhinelander beer tastes like to me; like a clean breath

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-1152199879133156622006-07-06T08:22:00.000-07:002006-07-06T08:31:19.146-07:00

For those of you who have tried the Berghoff range (Huber Brewing Company; Monroe, WI), you'll know that this beer provides one of the best bangs for your brew bucks. I live in suburban Chicago and have ample opportunity to find Berghoff beer in my local beer stores, almost always priced a few dollars less per six-pack then most craft or even regional 'special' brews. Recently, Main Street

Bass Clefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756928800574513955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-1150250620255013472006-06-13T18:27:00.000-07:002006-06-13T19:03:40.266-07:00

I think the world's greatest $9 pitcher of beer can be had at Moody's Pub, 5910 N. Broadway Ave., in Chicago, Ill. This dark, dank and ridiculously smoky establishment pours wonderfully tasty pitchers of Anchor Steam for just nine bucks. The pride of the San Francisco brewing scene, that American Classic, Anchor Steam. That caramelly malt flavor backed by a bracing bitter finish is what makes

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-1126664333817997582005-09-13T19:08:00.000-07:002005-09-13T19:18:53.823-07:00

They might look a little different, but the World's Largest Six Pack lives on. I can't say I've seen it in person, but I'm told it's a sight to behold. Six towers painted to look like beer cans. It was the old G. Heileman brewery that first painted those cans, but a few years ago they were re-painted by a new brewer giving rebirth to a classic beer flavor. That classic flavor, choice malts cut

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-1091414056747910302004-08-01T21:31:00.000-07:002004-08-01T20:04:30.290-07:00

It was the summer of 1995, I believe, when I spotted my first bottle of Blatz. A couple 40-ounce bottles were sitting on the ground next to grill. I was strolling through a park when I noticed somebody grilling bratwurst. The secret ingredient appeared to be boiling the brats in Blatz beer. I asked the gentleman why he chose to cook his wurst in Blatz. "That's about all it's good for," he

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-1082424301459746802004-04-19T18:22:00.000-07:002004-04-20T20:35:15.390-07:00

Growing up in an Old Style house, I thought beer was supposed to taste like, well, beer. Grainy but also corny, with a great slick of nothing in the middle. Beer also tasted like a Saturday afternoon while watching Richie Zisk and the White Sox play between Plochman's Mustard commercials. By the time I could order beer on my own, rather than just have a sip of my dad's, I wanted new-world beer.

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04246449223520830285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-1080934272309770242004-04-02T11:25:00.000-08:002004-04-08T13:17:53.966-07:00

So what is cheap beer? Is it mass marketed brew? Is it something typically priced under Bud, Miller and Coors products? Or can it be just what's on sale? I think cheap beer can be all these things. I recently made a stop at one of my favorite places for cheep beer: Kenwood Liquors at 10750 S. Cicero Ave., in Oak Lawn, IL. If your in the area it's a great place for super-cheap southside beer --

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6706449.post-1080787724252779552004-03-31T18:48:00.000-08:002004-03-31T19:03:12.606-08:00

Last night I was in search of a cheap brew. I had $3 in my pocket and I wanted some beer. After perusing the aisles and coolers at the nearest liquor store I decided I was in the mood for Old Style beer. Yup. Old Style. The beer that your father drank when you were growing up in the Midwest, especially in Chicago. I was also inspired by an old article on the history of Old Style beer that

Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13534372060267672973noreply@blogger.com