The Regular Guide: Beer!

"The Regular Guide" series are meant for all us regular folks out there. These are brief guides to eating, drinking, living etc etc within our working class means. No pretension, no bullshit! Now lets go on this edition: BEERS!

Beer is the world oldest and most consumed alcoholic beverage. A delicious blend of hops, barley, malt etc, fermented for various times and best served cold, beer is a beautiful thing, and today I give you all a run down on my five favorites that won't break the bank.

Lets start with a brief lesson. Beers are broken down into two main groups: ales and lagers. Ales are top-fermented beer, lagers are bottom-fermented. Basically, their difference is based on the type of yeast used and the fermenting period. Ale are fermented high temperatures for a few weeks to a month and generally have a sweet, full bodied taste while lagers are fermented is much colder environment for months at a time with an end result of a crispier and sharper flavor.

Best of the Best:

1: Guinness
The magnificent Irish Stout! A lot of people may argue the taste of this beer but I find it to be delicious and extremely smooth. I recommend draught over its bottled counterpart for enhanced smoothness. To those trying it for the first time...remember the two minute waiting rule!

2: Brooklyn Lager

Brooklyn Brewery is New York's very own brewing gem. They produce some of the most impressive albeit hard to find beers. However, their reputation is increasingly growing and nowadays The Brooklyn Lager can be found almost everywhere around NYC. This Amber-colored beer pours and drinks smoothly, a good opener for a Friday night on the town!

3: Samuel Adams Boston Lager

By far one of the most popular All-American brews, the Boston Lager is a crisp, dark amber beer known for its sharp, distinct taste. Bonus points when you use it as the base of a black and tan!

4: Samuel Adams Summer Ale

A full and almost fruity flavor, Sam Adams takes the cake for well blended and perfectly aged beer. Most common during the warmer months (duhh) its sweet and mellow flavor will keep your taste buds occupied for hours at a time.

5: Heineken

Its impossible to choose a good Dutch brew. Heineken and Becks are both exceptional pale lagers but Heineken wins from the slight bump in bitterness. I love that bitter biting sensation that comes with every gulp. Becks is good for the ladies but guys, grow some balls and order up a Heine!

Other hard to finds:
Kirrin Japanese Lager: Only place I ever had this mild pale brew was in this awesome Yakaturi Restaurant down in St. Marks: Yakaturi Taisho.

Brooklyn Brewery Chocolate Stout
Mmm, don't you love that stout! Goodluck on finding this guy, you'll have to seek out those specialty pubs or visit the Brewery.

Carib Lager
The beer of the Caribbean, I grew up watching the folks enjoy this brew. I have no idea how or where to find this in New York.

Carib Shandy
Shandies are a blend of lager and special fruit juices. My favorite is sorrell and by the grace of God I found it the other day in my local supermarket.

Pilsner Urquell
The original Pilsner, smooth and delicious. This beer is pretty popular but definitely not common sight in your bodegas or supermarket.