Hey Brewers, What's Your Go-To Supermarket Beer?
Most brewers probably don't need to buy beer often, between what they can bring home from work and what their fellow brewers gift them. But on the occasions when they do find themselves at a grocery or convenience store, maybe in the mood for an old favorite or easy-drinking stand-by, what are their go-tos?
Inspired by this week's Takeout fantasy food draft of supermarket beers, I put the question to brewers: If you were on your way to a party and had to buy beer from a grocery store, what's your pick?
"That's an easy one for me: Pacifico. I've yet to come across any group that can't appreciate a handful of limes and a fistful of Pacificos. And if they can't appreciate it, I'm probably not invited." —Jake Miller, Heirloom Rustic Ales, Tulsa, Oklahoma
"Naturdays. I like shitty beer sometimes, and it tastes just like strawberry lemonade." —Andrew Hood, Sun King Brewery, Indianapolis
"Sierra Nevada Summerfest. It's a delicious beer, available everywhere, and it just makes me feel good drinking it." —Matt Gallagher, Half Acre Beer, Chicago
"It depends where I am. If I'm in a place where Yuengling lager is available, that would always be my go-to. However, since we live in an area where it's not—BOOOOOOOO—it's definitely a toss up. I guess the one beer that's everywhere is Sierra Nevada Pale." —Becky Peppelman, Snow Hop Brewery, Helena, Montana
"Corona. I hate to admit it, but I love it. It's very nostalgic for me." —Doug Reiser, Burial Beer Co., Asheville, North Carolina
"My go-to party beer is and always will be Busch. It's been a mainstay if float trips, parties, and cookouts since I was young. Easy drinking and crushable." —Jake Senn, 2nd Shift Brewing, St. Louis
"Supermarkets out here usually have some solid locals, but there isn't a brewer out there that doesn't have a big little lie in terms of mass-produced swill: Rainier at home, Coors Banquet stubby in Colorado, Narragansett back East, and Miller High Life in a glass bottle when all else fails." —Steve Luke, Cloudburst Brewing, Seattle
"I'm looking for a pilsner-style beer. It could be sunny; there's likely to be a quantity of beer consumed. So I'm going Firestone Walker Pivo Pils, that's too easy." —Josh Deth, Revolution Brewing, Chicago