Beer!

I didn't used to like beer - I was more into hard liquor (gin and tonic, hooray).  But a few years ago I finally found beer I liked at a Belgian restaurant (Flemish sour ale at Monk's Cafe, http://www.monkscafe.com/).  So I've been experimenting.  Today I went to a German place (http://www.ludwigsgarten.com/) that was pretty awsome.  I got some kind of Oktoberfest beer that was so-so, don't recall the name: Both of these sites only have a fraction of their beer menus online.

My favorite that I can actually obtain (can't get Flemish sour ale anywhere else, it seems) is Spaten Optimator, a German dopplebock.  Its dark and smooth, and a little stronger than normal (like 7% alcohol).  I kinda like Guiness, but didn't like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - both bitter, but I didn't like the flavor of Sierra Nevada.

Any thoughts on beer?

>>25
Habit, I suppose.  They were the first mass-produced and mass-marketed beers in North America, the first that could be shipped long distances and stored in sealed aluminum kegs without spoiling in a week or two (like Watley's Red Barrel brand was in the UK).  Because of this, a lot of people in North America world still think of those brands first when they think of beer.

Strange beer fact:  Budweiser is made from corn and rice because they are cheaper than barley, and they aren't the only brand cutting corners.