I’m a Dry-Hopped-Pils-Head.
Ken and I enjoy quaffing together, but his glasses are always much smaller and darker and heavier than mine
My top 5 imported (on draft only… if in bottle… only Bitburger and/or Pilz Urquell)
#1.) “Berliner Pils” – Transcendent. Better than Urquell if it’s not heresy to say that… unfortunately I’ve never seen it outside Germany.
#2.) “Pilsner Urquell”: ‘nuff said.’
#3.) “Spaten Helles”: phenomenal finish – long and yeasty… just a bit of Sud Deutschland sweetness on the end of the finish.
#4.) “Bitburger”: Crisp. Fresh. Like fresh German Rye bread only in liquid form.
#5.) “Celis White Ale”: A classic Belgian White – Inspirationally subtle and yet will knock you on your back if you don’t approach it with some respect.
My top 5 local (never had any of these in bottle – don’t know if they are good that way)
#1.) “Amnesia Pilsener” Amnesia Brewing, Portland, OR. Like Spaten Helles with more hoppy bite
#2.) “Harvest Rye” Steelhead Brewery, Eugene, OR. Indescribably good rye. I would love to put this head to head with Bitburger on tap. It’d be close.
#3.) “Highlander Kolsch”, Portland Brewing Co., Portland, OR. Very fresh and approachable – this is the one you use to introduce your Budweiser drinkin’ friends to good beer… and that is not an insult to Highlander by any means.
#4.) “MoAle” Rogue Brewing Co., Rogue OR. It’s like Highlander Kolsch with a little cardamom on the finish (they put cardamom in the dry hop)
#5.) “Firefly Kolsch” McMenamins Breweries, Portland, OR. This was the beer that put McMenamins on the "serious beer" map for me. Prior to Firefly Kolsch I considered McMenamis as "beer to accompany hamburgers" This is a straight up traditional Kolsch. McMenamins has now also made a white beer for two years now... it was OK the first year and pretty darned good this past year. I can't wait to taste it next summer...
Honorable Mention: It is not really local to me – but it is a great beer and available occasionally here in Portland: “Great White” from the Lost Coast Brewery in California. This beer will do for Belgian White beers what Widmer did for HefeWeizens. It doesn’t have the complexity of a Celis or Hoegaarden but it is a quality white ale tuned a bit toward Pilsner/Ale for American taste buds.