The Bar Towel

This has been asked here before, but an updated thread may be useful. Now that pool season is upon us, my wife said i need some "normal" beer for easy drinking by the pool for guests. my basement bar fridge is full of ipa's, belgian's etc, but no common denominator stuff.

it's time to start auditions for the Summer of 2016 easy drinking beer. all macros are out of course, but maybe pseudo-macros (mill st, creemore, granville, goose island) would be acceptable.

so far i had high hopes for GLB Pompous Ass, Anchor Steam and Anchor Liberty Ale, NB Naughty Neighbour, Old Tomorrow Lagered Ale, but they were either too golden/hoppy/didnt like/not suitable.

Sam Adams Boston Lager or Goose Island Honkers Ale could be candidates.

Any other suggestions?

GtownRandy wrote: it's time to start auditions for the Summer of 2016 easy drinking beer. all macros are out of course, but maybe pseudo-macros (mill st, creemore, granville, goose island) would be acceptable.

If you're looking for non-craft beers, why toss out all the macros? I think you might be substituting your taste for your guests' tastes. Sometimes people [not usually me] just want a PBR by the pool. Perhaps indulge them.
If you want non-macro, then Collective Arts and Junction often have a few easy-drinking options.

Why not just buy macro? Isn't that what non-craft beer drinkers want - by definition - anyways?

You seem to have run the gamut of more accessible craft brews. All I could suggest is loading up on craft lagers.

I've had lots of luck with friends liking Lost Craft Revivale. It's a local TO beer (but probably a contract brew). The sleek white can also looks pretty nice, too.

If you just want beer to make your Bud friends happy, but don't want to send any money to bud, lots of craft brewers make fairly generic lagers. Great Lakes Red Leaf Lager, Amsterdam Natural Blonde Lager, Nickel Brook Premium Organic Lager, Steamwhistle.

Mill st organic is a beautiful pool side beer. Even my non craft family and friends all seem to like this one.

thanks for the replies guys! i guess the reason i don't want macros is because i couldnt bear to see them in my fridge! i suppose i'm just looking for easy-drinking, yet good quality and highly rated. but on the other hand, most people dont care about quality or ratings, to them beer is beer. but i would still feel better providing something decent.

also going to add barking squirrel lager, sawdust city gateway kols, and lake of bays summer sunset to the audition list

I brought a bunch of Amsterdam 3 Speed lager to a bunch of Stella/Carlsberg/Heineken/Kronenbourg drinkers and it was a hit. Less enthusiastic beer drinkers seem to like Radlers from my experience. I always keep a bunch of those on hand when having guests over in the summer time.

StoneHammer Light, LB Rock Cut Lager, MacLeans Blonde, Monkeys Anti-grav, Wellington Trailhead, Sawdust Gateway Kolsch, Muskoka Lager, GR Tailgate Pils

Side Launch Wheat. Macro lovers like wheat beer, hence the existence of Shock Top and Rickards White/Belgian Moon.

I might advise Steam Whistle or something from Muskoka.

Easy going and No headache if not mix it with something else.

beerstodiscover wrote:Side Launch Wheat. Macro lovers like wheat beer, hence the existence of Shock Top and Rickards White/Belgian Moon.

Yes will definitely have that in the fridge. It's the 3rd rated German Hefeweizen on ratebeer to boot. Also will have some Weihenstephaner (#1 rated) too (it's very easy drinking).

Thanks for the suggestions guys, picked up 10 or so random cans yesterday including some of the above. Revisisted Sam Adams Lager last night, it is in the running, just a regular "beer" tasting beer.

Maybe some German or Czech lagers, mill st organic or 100 meridian, Amsterdam blonde,prison break Pilsner,or maybe some of the "craft" offerings from the bigger boys,barking squirrel,shock top etc. Personally I'd probably go with German wheat beers as, like someone said,
Macro drinkers seem to like the shitty Richards/Keith's/whatever whites

Cameron's Cream Ale is refreshing without being challenging to "normies".

As others have said Muskoka beers. Their Craft Lager isn't particularly good but it's drinkable from what I remember - ie no corn aftertaste or general nastiness like Heineken - ditto Amsterdam's seasonal Starke Pils.

Kozel is probably the best international mainstream lager out there - unless you also count Budvar/Czechvar as mainstream, but it has a bit more of a taste (the horror!). Kozel is, as they say, crisp and inoffensive but still with its own unique taste. It's also pretty cheap at the LCBO - about 0.75 cents cheaper per can than Muskoka/Cameron's. Along similar lines in the Eurolager category would be Hacker Pschorr Munich Gold.

Sweetgrass golden is a good one for non craft drinkers.