I came here to post an FYI that Summerfest '08 is available, but you guys are on top of it! I'm in Virginia, so if it can make it all the way here there's a good chance it's pretty much everywhere at this point.

The Summerfest I got here in Boston was fine, perhaps you got a bum batch? Also, they're still selling ESB by me at the local mom and pop store, perhaps it's just overstock. I took the liberty of relieving them of quite a bit of it.

I've had two different 12-packs of Summerfest (purchased a week apart), and both were as good as ever. I'll be sad when it's truly Summer and nowhere to be found.

Ok first things first this is my first post so happy days Anyway back to the point I was reading the start of the thread and the talk about Guinness, well since its Irish and im irish i said id give some imput (not sure if someone has already this thread is long and im lazy)

So anyway being Irish we do drink Guinness....alot! Now im not the biggest fan but its not the worst stuff in the world. Its pretty cheap and fairly strong, a proper session of Guinness take 4~5 hours MINIMUM and has been known to go to 10+ hours on occassion. These sessions ar normally reserved for funerals/birthdays or some form of reunion of old friends ( the 'You havent been around in weeks = session' being a personal favoritue). Said sessions should include a minimum of 10 pints (in 4 hours its a challenge) although anymore and its your fault for missing the next day due to a slight case of almost dead syndrome ie dont do it if you have to be at work at 11 the next, it wont be pleasent for you or anyone else unfortunetly enough to be near you (heaven forbid your on your own at work after it., when the time comes for a bathroom break you'll learn i tells you).

While Guinness is bette for you than your common beers be warned, ample amounts of it will come back to haunt you the next day! Ive seen people unable to move after a session, fearing the slightest shift in there stomach may lead to projectile nastyness from either end and the dreaded 'horrors' ( room closing in around you, perceptions off enough to cause you to bump into almost everyting and sweating horribly)*

*Yes this can happen with all booze but Guinness seems to do it more often and with less consumption than normal beers/ciders

Finally some general rules of Guinness:
1) Has to be 3/4 filled and let sit for a few minutes (style choice but its actually nicer this way)
2) Has to be in a Guinness glass (seriously it helps the taste again)
3) Cans of Guinness = NONO (unless its export Guinness(8%) then its ok)
4) Dont drink alot of it the first few times, you will regret it the next day (the after effects are the same fi you have4 or 14 pints they just get more sevear as you get higher in pints)
5) If its a bad pint leave it be and find another pub to get it in

Well thats it really, everyone who hasint tried it should give it a go. Drink it sensible only the irish have the practice to drink it in the vast quantities we do and survive
Thanks for reading

Hopslam has now trumped Dogfish 60 Minute as my favorite gaming beer. It is nothing short of incredible.

Important beer question: those of you who have located Sierra Nevada Summerfest in Boston...where might this sweet nectar be found? I've hit up my neighborhood liquor stores as well as some of the bigger ones like Blanchard's and keep coming up empty.

I'm responsible for bringing the beer to a cookout this weekend, and it would be a shame to show up without a couple cases of the good stuff.

Rochefort Trapistes #10 is easily the best ale I have the pleasure of tasting, and it's better with my favorite cheeses than any wine I have ever tasted; and I have tasted 1000's of fine wines. * I know this has been cited in this thread already.

On a similar token, North Coast Brewing, responsible for many wonderful beers makes a trapiste style called "Brother Thelonius": a great pic of Thelonius Monk on the label. This is a wonderfull beer as well, and worth keeping your eye out for.

Neither of these do you want to have more than 2 or if you need to focus, jesus are they strong.

Ah, the beers I have known and loved. The 'cherry pop' beer was MGD. (Drank that for years, and then one day a boyfriend widened my horizons, thank goodness! ) Blue Moon, Fat Tire, Corona (Yes, I know. But I like it every once in a while, so there!), Pete's Wicked, and so far last and most definitely not least, Guinness.

I've never tried any hard cider, but have heard that if you find a good one, it's wonderful. Perhaps I'll quit WoW and prove that Americans can do something with their apples besides make pies... *ponders*

A small word of caution about Guinness though. As others have mentioned, if you run across an icky bottle or tap, curse the sink with it and move on. Do not Ever drink it right before you go to sleep, it will transform into a lead brick in your stomach and wake you up.

As for raid imbibing? Absolut Citron or Stoli Oranj and Code Red. Bubbles with a kick equals epic raiding in my most humble opinion. *goes back to absorbing shaman healing arts*

I'm quite fond of Woodchuck Granny Smith, although most places that have it on tap only carry the Amber. Making your own cider is surprisingly easy, and kits are available from most home-brewing stores/websites. Most of the work involved is making sure everything is clean, and then on bottling day. Letting it bottle-age is well worth the wait. Finding a good juice supply will of course result in better cider. Fresh pressed juice is pretty key, and if you're using unpasteurized you'll probably want to sulfite it and use commercial yeast. Going "all natural" is a gamble, native yeast is usally good, but native bacteria is almost always yuck.

On a beer related note, anyone in the Philadelphia area should look for the new offerings from Philadelphia Brewing Company. (PBC is the new brewery that came out of the internal Yards split at the end of last year). The Walt Wit is quite nice for a summer beer, and is the keg currently occupying our beer fridge. It's a bit more complex than your standard domestic wit. Of the other three beers they've got going, I can vouch for the Rowhouse Red and Kenzinger as pretty tasty. I'm not a fan of IPAs in general, so I can't comment on the Newbold IPA.

If you can find Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA anywhere, get it. It's slightly more fruity and aromatic than Stone Ruination, with a slightly milder finish that pretty much makes it damn near perfect beer.

If you like the Hopslam, see if you can pick up any Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA. If it's in your area, it's worth a try. I love the Hopslam, but to me, nothing beats a Double Crooked Tree for IPAs. However, it's limited release, and harder to find than Bell's (which enjoys a fairly robust distribution in the Midwest.)

Of course, you could try the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, if you dare, for a real man's IPA.