While I absolutely CAN'T STAND Fat Tire ale (sorry, it just tastes like crap to me for some reason), I gotta give BIG props to New Belgium for their Ranger IPA, Belgo Begian-Style IPA, and Snow Day Winter Ale. All of those are excellent! Who else here loves New Belgium beers?

I think it's only America where Stella is unironically "reassuringly expensive"

Snow Day is one of my favourite seasonal masobrews out right now. Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale is a pretty decent as well. Winter Ales are usually tasty. It's nice to see New Belgium stepping it up. Fat Tire is always a disappointment.

Ranger IPA is good, but the Northwest has some pretty gnar IPA's that leave it in the dust.

I work with a guy who is a HUGE New Belgium fan, especially Fat Tire. Today he brought me a couple of Snow Day brand ales, and I really like it. It's very pricey here, going for around 8-9 bucks a sixer. Strong indeed, at 6.2% per bottle, I can only imagine drinking the whole six!

I think I'm going to search out a few of those brands here in Vancouver, they just opened a huge craft beer store in the Olympic Village called Legacy. I was totally blown away by the selection in there... and yes Spite they still have Herminator!  I picked up a six on your recommendation and it was another great Granville Island brew! Cheers!

I was recently in the Denver area, and although I didn't get to visit New Belgium, I did get to hit Oskar Blues and Great Divide. Both of which are brewing great beer. Denver in general has a pretty solid beer scene. I do give New Belgium props for brewing Belgium influenced beers, which makes for a good alternative when I'm not in the mood for hoppy goodness. I partial to the New Belgium Triple myself. Great Divide is also brewing some worthwhile Belgium influenced beers. 

Since you've mentioned three beers you love, Kopper, I'm interested in hearing what your other favorites are.

Ranger IPA is palatable, but the rest of the New Belgium lineup is sub-par at best.

With so many great craft brews now available nearly everywhere, you can choose better. I strongly encourage you to drink and support your local breweries.

Cheers!

I'm fairly certain that you couldn't buy any brands from New Belgium here until around the beginning of last year, when they expanded their distribution into Virginia. I could be wrong, but I don't recall seeing them for sale until around then. Now, Fat Tire is one of THE "in" yuppie beers to be seen drinking, all the white collar watering holes are carrying it now, and I even see it in 24 oz. bottles at some of the "ghetto marts" I frequent. The IPAs are nowhere near as popular, and not so widely found.

Yeah, I definitely agree!  A good Lambic like Chimay or Maredsous is well worth the extra $ because it's more of a special occasion luxury thing.  Stella is not even on my list of favourite Belgian beers.  Great commercials, but I won't be paying for them. :)  Nothing wrong with cheap stuff either.  Not everyday is payday.

joey fuckup said:

Whew, Stella is hard to put down. It's bought by the "elite" here, and for the price, it makes me wonder if it's just a status symbol. I can spend a fraction on cheap shit that tastes much better!

Matt said:

What's funny is Stella has more in common with PBR, Olympia etc. than actual champagne-like Belgian beers. That stuff is garbage too haha


kopper said:

My wife bought me a sixer of Fat Tire a few weeks ago. I knew I didn't like it from drinking it in the past, but I thought I'd give it another shot. I was able to down two of 'em before saying "fuck it" and told her she could drink the rest of 'em. And yeah, I've been known to consume cheapo shit, too... Stag, PBR, Hamm's, Olympia, etc. I can drink those ANY day before I'll drink another Fat Tire. "Wet cardboard" is a perfect descriptor, Matt!

And Spite, it's funny you mention that about Belgian beers and champagne. Stella Artois is actually marketing itself that way lately, offering a new canned version with an image of a chalice on it, cross-merchandising with wine, etc.

joey fuckup said:

I haven't tried the Winter Ale yet, but I do like the IPA brands. Funny you mentioned this, I received a 12 pack of Fat Tire for Christmas from a friend of mine. I can drink it just fine, but then again, I'm known to drink some nasty shit...

Whew, Stella is hard to put down. It's bought by the "elite" here, and for the price, it makes me wonder if it's just a status symbol. I can spend a fraction on cheap shit that tastes much better!

Matt said:

What's funny is Stella has more in common with PBR, Olympia etc. than actual champagne-like Belgian beers. That stuff is garbage too haha


kopper said:

My wife bought me a sixer of Fat Tire a few weeks ago. I knew I didn't like it from drinking it in the past, but I thought I'd give it another shot. I was able to down two of 'em before saying "fuck it" and told her she could drink the rest of 'em. And yeah, I've been known to consume cheapo shit, too... Stag, PBR, Hamm's, Olympia, etc. I can drink those ANY day before I'll drink another Fat Tire. "Wet cardboard" is a perfect descriptor, Matt!

And Spite, it's funny you mention that about Belgian beers and champagne. Stella Artois is actually marketing itself that way lately, offering a new canned version with an image of a chalice on it, cross-merchandising with wine, etc.

joey fuckup said:

I haven't tried the Winter Ale yet, but I do like the IPA brands. Funny you mentioned this, I received a 12 pack of Fat Tire for Christmas from a friend of mine. I can drink it just fine, but then again, I'm known to drink some nasty shit...

My wife bought me a sixer of Fat Tire a few weeks ago. I knew I didn't like it from drinking it in the past, but I thought I'd give it another shot. I was able to down two of 'em before saying "fuck it" and told her she could drink the rest of 'em. And yeah, I've been known to consume cheapo shit, too... Stag, PBR, Hamm's, Olympia, etc. I can drink those ANY day before I'll drink another Fat Tire. "Wet cardboard" is a perfect descriptor, Matt!

And Spite, it's funny you mention that about Belgian beers and champagne. Stella Artois is actually marketing itself that way lately, offering a new canned version with an image of a chalice on it, cross-merchandising with wine, etc.

joey fuckup said:

I haven't tried the Winter Ale yet, but I do like the IPA brands. Funny you mentioned this, I received a 12 pack of Fat Tire for Christmas from a friend of mine. I can drink it just fine, but then again, I'm known to drink some nasty shit...

I remember back in the '90's here, PBR was so "uncool" to drink, and you couldn't even find it in bars. I'd show up at cookouts with it just for laughs, and got ridiculed for even carrying it in. Then it becomes THE beer and all the bar and grill type places started putting it as a draft choice, and the dives serve it in the 24 oz. cans. so all the hipsters can look "cool" gripping these cans while sporting their preppy attire.

We've never had Stag nor Hamm's here, but Olympia was fairly available back in the '80's (and possibly the early '90's), and I would buy that instead of Milwaukee's Best. (I was a minor sliding cash to older co-workers at the grocery store I worked at.) If I remember right, Olympia tasted a lot like "The Beast", and probably couldn't compete with the sales.

I do plan on getting my hands on some Ranger IPA, though, since you've brought it up...

kopper said:

My wife bought me a sixer of Fat Tire a few weeks ago. I knew I didn't like it from drinking it in the past, but I thought I'd give it another shot. I was able to down two of 'em before saying "fuck it" and told her she could drink the rest of 'em. And yeah, I've been known to consume cheapo shit, too... Stag, PBR, Hamm's, Olympia, etc. I can drink those ANY day before I'll drink another Fat Tire. "Wet cardboard" is a perfect descriptor, Matt!

And Spite, it's funny you mention that about Belgian beers and champagne. Stella Artois is actually marketing itself that way lately, offering a new canned version with an image of a chalice on it, cross-merchandising with wine, etc.

joey fuckup said:

I haven't tried the Winter Ale yet, but I do like the IPA brands. Funny you mentioned this, I received a 12 pack of Fat Tire for Christmas from a friend of mine. I can drink it just fine, but then again, I'm known to drink some nasty shit...

My wife bought me a sixer of Fat Tire a few weeks ago. I knew I didn't like it from drinking it in the past, but I thought I'd give it another shot. I was able to down two of 'em before saying "fuck it" and told her she could drink the rest of 'em. And yeah, I've been known to consume cheapo shit, too... Stag, PBR, Hamm's, Olympia, etc. I can drink those ANY day before I'll drink another Fat Tire. "Wet cardboard" is a perfect descriptor, Matt!

And Spite, it's funny you mention that about Belgian beers and champagne. Stella Artois is actually marketing itself that way lately, offering a new canned version with an image of a chalice on it, cross-merchandising with wine, etc.

joey fuckup said:

I haven't tried the Winter Ale yet, but I do like the IPA brands. Funny you mentioned this, I received a 12 pack of Fat Tire for Christmas from a friend of mine. I can drink it just fine, but then again, I'm known to drink some nasty shit...

I don't think we can buy those products here in Toronto. I sure do love Belgian beers though! Had a few of these instead of Champagne for New Years! EXQUISITE!  It's a little sad that the finer cottage brews don't often cross the Canada/US border in either direction.

I haven't tried the Winter Ale yet, but I do like the IPA brands. Funny you mentioned this, I received a 12 pack of Fat Tire for Christmas from a friend of mine. I can drink it just fine, but then again, I'm known to drink some nasty shit...