Top Ten Cases: Favorite beers

Please notice that I said "favorite" beers and not "best" beers. Obviously, people have different tastes, and as such this list may differ GREATLY from what you enjoy. Nevertheless, being a "beer man" (I really don't enjoy hard alcohol), I feel that I may be as good a reference as anybody when it comes to a tasty lager (or ale or what-have-you). I will say this, though: I greatly dislike Heineken. I sometimes wonder how anybody can drink it (although I did get it once while in Austria, and found it much tastier there).

Also, please note that while I will differentiate between a "light" beer and its regular counterpart, I'm not doing separate rankings for different seasonal brews. For example, Samuel Adams will be listed as one general beer, as its 74,031 different flavors were a contributing factor for where it ultimately ranked.

The good news for everybody, though, is that this list won't have multi-paragraph long explanations! Basically, it'll just be a brief description of why I like the beer. Short read for all! Anyway, click the "Read More" link for the list.

10. Miller High Life - How could you exclude any beer that considers itself the Champagne of Beers? From its bottle to its gold label to its bubbly flavor, you gotta appreciate this beer for its distinctiveness, if nothing else.

9. Molson Canadian - Molson Canadian h

olds a special place in my heart because we usually pick up cases of this beer when me and the men in my family go camping in the Adirondaks. In fact, Molson Canadian was the first beer that I ever saw that sold their case in one of those cooler bags. I bought one several years ago, and still have it to this day! I love that thing.

8. Labatt Blue - Call me a simple man (you won't be the first one....), but I just love how cans of Labatt Blue have a bright blue tab. Incidentally, Labatt Blue is another beer we usually purchase while camping in the Adirondaks. And it's treated us well. And it's always fun when you find Labatt Bleu (note the spelling) in unexpected areas of the United States.

7. Pabst Blue Ribbon - C'mon, how could you not respect a beer that is served IN ITS CAN at a bar? I don't think I've ever seen any beer other than PBR get served in such a fashion.

6. Corona Extra - In my opinion, one of the finest beers somebody can enjoy while sitting out on a nice summer day. Honestly, it just feels like summer when you're downing one of these. The only downside is that it's pretty acidic, meaning I personally can't continuously drink it all night without feeling like it's burning a hole through my stomach.

5. Samuel Adams - One thing you can always count on when it comes to Samuel Adams is a whole lotta options. One of my sister's friends, who has a one-year-old, sent my sister about 5,000 bibs as a baby shower present. The very cute, very creative gift was a way of saying "you're going to want to remember every single occasion, whether it's Christmas or Canadian Flag Day." I almost feel like Sam Adams shares that mentality. Is there any season, occasion, or what have you that isn't commemorated with a special brew? Not that there's anything wrong with that. Sam Adams has a distinct rich taste, and as you can tell from their commercials, these guys are devoted to their craft. The one downside is that Samuel Adams, for the most part, tends to be a little heavy for my tastes. So, unless I'm really motivated, it's typically not something I'm drinking a lot of all night.

4. Miller Lite - Yes, most people are probably shouting at their computer screens for ranking Miller Lite higher than Samuel Adams, but c'mon, is there a more reliable and consistent light beer? If I ever have to buckle up for a full night of drinking, this is always a go-to beer that I can count on. It's so smooth, and unlike Coors Light, it actually tastes like beer. And how could you not love those Man Law commercials? A bunch of rugged male celebrities, and the guy who cut his own arm off because he got stuck between a rock and a hard place.



Oh, and for what it's worth: In my opinion, clinking beer tops IS okay, but it's kinda rude to do at a bar (where somebody else has to clean the mess).

3. Honey Brown - Throughout college -- and even a year or two after -- this was actually my #1. For my birthday celebrations, I'd actually get a keg of Honey Brown. And when it was served on tap at a bar (a huge rarity), it'd always be my beer of choice. Ultimately, though, I began to grow apart from its distinct sweet taste. Nevertheless, since it served me so solidly through my college years, it definitely belongs in the top three.

2. Yuengling - Yuengling is like that old friend you know that you can always count on. If you ever need to pick up some beer, and you're not sure what everybody likes, is there any bet safer than a case of Yuengling? Rich, smooth, tasty....doesn't get much better. Yuengling also brings back some fond college memories, as our favorite watering hole used to serve $1 mugs all day, every Tuesday. An absolute staple for my last two years at Rutgers.

1. Blue Moon - I forget what initially prompted me to order a Blue Moon -- perhaps it was simply the allure of drinking it with an orange opposed to a lemon or lime, like most beers -- but once I started, I haven't looked back. Whenever I need to buy some six packs for the house -- whether it's for a family party or my own collection -- you better bet that at least one sixer will be a variant of Blue Moon. I'm yet to try the newly-released Pale Moon, but that's certainly on my "to-do" list.

Best of all, in my experience, it's more readily available than Honey Brown, and more affordable than Yuengling. So whether you're settling in at the bar or making a quick stop at the liquor store, Blue Moon is always a reliable buy.


In fact, my preference for Blue Moon sparked my creative juices, as I created a collage of the various seasonal brews (pictured above), which I have hanging on a wall in my bedroom.