knightni

4. (#4 Ale) Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Beer Advocate Rating: B- (worthy) based on 395 reviews Rate Beer Rating: 33/100 overall and 51/100 to style based on 701 reviews 4.2% ABV, 20 IBUs Soxtalk Voting - 63 points (Voted #2 by bigruss22) 312 Urban Wheat is a wheat ale brewed by the Goose Island Brewery. Densely populated with flavor, 312’s spicy aroma of Cascade hops is followed by a crisp, fruity ale flavor delivered in a smooth, creamy body. This gives 312 a balance of flavor and refreshment that never fills you up and won’t let you down. In the English Style Summer Ale category, 312 was awarded the gold medal in 2010, 2007, and 2006, and the bronze medal in 2008 at the Great American Beer Festival.

5. (#5 Ale) Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat Beer Advocate Rating: B- (worthy) based on 824 reviews Rate Beer Rating: 41/100 overall and 72/100 to style based on 998 reviews 4.9% ABV, 13.5 IBUs Soxtalk Voting - 62 points (Voted #2 by dasox24) Sunset Wheat is a wheat ale brewed with orange and coriander. Cluster hops and a blend of wheat and pale malts are used in the brewing process. The beer was awarded the silver medal in the s006 Great American Beer Festival and the bronze medal in the 2006 and 2007 World Beer Cup in the Herb and Spice category. The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is a regional American beermaker based in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in that city in 1867 by Jacob Leinenkugel and John Miller. Miller (no relation to Miller Brewing) sold his stake in the company in 1884. Its products are colloquially known as Leinies. Leinenkugel is mainly distributed throughout the Midwestern United States. During Prohibition, the company produced near beer known as "Leino" as well as soda water. The company expanded from its local roots in the 1970s, introducing a light beer. Leinenkugel has become known for its craft beers, which it introduced in the 1980s. Miller Brewing, a subsidiary of SABMiller, bought the company in 1988.

Down go the UConn women. Streak over at 90.

I don't think that mlb rules allow "draft and follow" anymore.

I'm gonna try and knock out the last 5 before work this afternoon.

6. (#6 Ale) Blue Moon Belgian White Ale Beer Advocate Rating: B- (worthy) based on 1311 reviews Rate Beer Rating: 47/100 overall and 52/100 to style based on 2040 reviews 5.4% ABV, 17 IBUs Soxtalk Voting - 61 points (Voted #1 by SoxFan1) Blue Moon, a Belgian-style witbier brewed by the Molson Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado, was launched in 1995. In Canada it is marketed as a similar beer called Rickard's White and is brewed in Montreal, Quebec. Originally called Bellyslide Belgian White, it was created by Keith Villa, a brewer at Coors Field's Sandlot Brewery (the onsite brewery owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company). The beer is orange-amber in color with a cloudy appearance because it is unfiltered. It is also spiced with coriander and orange peel in addition to the hops found in most beers. Blue Moon has a more pronounced orange flavor than many other beers of the style, and also has a slightly sweet flavor. The grain bill for Blue Moon includes malted barley, white wheat, and oats.

7. (#1 Lager) Samuel Adams Boston Lager Brewer: Boston Beer Company Beeradvocate overall rating (2,088 reviews): B+ (“Very Good”) RateBeer overall rating (2,851 ratings): 72/100 overall; 97/100 to style 4.9% abv Soxtalk Voting - 59 points In 1984, Jim Koch, the fifth-generation, first born son to follow in his family’s brewing footsteps, brewed his first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in his kitchen, using the original family recipe for Louis Koch Lager. At the time, Koch was working at Boston Consulting Group after receiving BA, MBA and JD degrees from Harvard University. At Harvard, Koch met Harry Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid. Both Rubin and Lamadrid were graduates of Harvard Business School. In December 1984, Koch left his career at Boston Consulting Group and along with Rubin and Lamadrid, founded Samuel Adams Beer. Six weeks after Jim started the business Samuel Adams Boston Lager won the "Best Beer in America" award at the Great American Beer Festival. This deep amber color lager is brewed using only four ingredients and traditional brewing methods for a full, smooth body. The Noble hop varieties of Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Tettnanger add a wide range of floral, piney and citrus notes, which are present from the aroma, through the taste, and all the way to the lingering smooth finish. The Samuel Adams brand began with Samuel Adams Boston Lager. The original recipe was developed in 1860 in St. Louis Missouri by Louis Koch, who sold under the name Louis Koch Lager until Prohibition, and again until the early 1950s.

8. (#2 Lager) Samuel Adams Winter Lager Beeradvocate overall rating (1,552 reviews): B (“Good”) RateBeer overall rating (1,825 ratings): 74/100 overall; 47/100 to style 5.6% abv Soxtalk Voting - 58 points (Voted #1 by The Gooch) Introduced in 1989, and only available from November through Mid-January, Samuel Adams Winter Lager is the deep ruby colored lager made with winter spices that include orange zest, cinnamon, and fresh ginger. It has an almost magical aroma which seems to promise something special to the tongue. The cinnamon, ginger, and hint of citrus from the orange peel blend with the roasty sweetness of the malts to deliver a warming, spicy flavor. On the palate Samuel Adams Winter Lager is rich and full bodied, robust and warming, a wonderful way to enjoy the cold evenings that come with the season.

9. (#7 Ale) Hoegaarden Beer Advocate Rating: B+ (very good) based on 1469 reviews Rate Beer Rating: 94/100 overall and 99/100 to style based on 2538 reviews 5% ABV, 18 IBUs Soxtalk Voting - 57 points (Voted #1 by ChiSox_Sonix) Named after the Belgian village where it was first discovered, Hoegaarden (pronounced hoogarden) wheat beer has a rich history dating back to the middle ages. It is the original Belgian wheat beer and part of a long brewing tradition in this agriculturally rich region. Blended with malted barley, wheat, coriander and curaçao orange peel Hoegaarden has a distinctive, smooth flavour and subtle citrusy character. When poured it has a soft, white creamy head and pale almost shimmering appearance. Today the Hoegaarden brewery is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Records suggest the recipe was first discovered in around 1445. This region of Belgium was part of the Netherlands at the time and the first brewers had access to exotic herbs and spices imported from the Dutch colonies. Records suggest the first wheat beers were intensely sour and this is partly what may have led the first brewers to their creative blending with coriander and curaçao orange peel, developing the world famous wheat beer recipe.

10. (#3 Lager) Samuel Adams Octoberfest Beeradvocate overall rating (1,616 reviews): B (“Good”) RateBeer overall rating (1,801 ratings): 76/100 overall; 93/100 to style 5.3% abv Soxtalk Voting - 56 points (#2 by ChiSox_Sonix) Introduced in 2001, and only available Mid-August through October, Samuel Adams Octoberfest has a rich, deep reddish amber hue which itself is reflective of the season. It masterfully blends together five roasts of malt to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee. The malt is complimented by the elegant bitterness imparted by the Bavarian Noble hops and it provides a wonderful transition from the lighter beers of summer to the heartier brews of winter. Brewed to celebrate the arrival of autumn with an amber hue. This beer contains a blend of four malts – Harrington, Caramel, Munich, and Moravian – to create sweet flavors. The sweetness is balanced by the bitterness imparted by the Noble Bavarian hops.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Dec 30, 2010 -> 07:16 PM) Not sure where to put this but I just watched the series Firefly and the following movie Serenity. Im hooked and sad that I never saw it when it came out. I found the entire season on DVD at Goodwill of all places, for only $10. It goes with my free Swaptree acquired copy of Serenity. /I'm cheap

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Dec 30, 2010 -> 10:08 PM) So Im looking for a nice date restaurant downtown, but at the same time not a place that puts too much pressure on either side (we've been friends for awhile and it's a half date/half catch up dinner) and I want it to be within walking distance of the Millenium Park or bars or of that sort. Any suggestions? Price shouldn't be outrageous either . If you're from Soxtalk, how do you not know about The Gage?

I panicked for a second. I had to do the Two-Hearted Ale info from scratch. I wonder if I accidentally deleted it...

11. (#8 Ale) Bell's Two-Hearted Beer Advocate Rating: A (outstanding) based on 2225 reviews Rate Beer Rating: 100/100 overall and 100/100 to style based on 2122 reviews 7% ABV, 47 IBUs Soxtalk Voting - 51 points Bell's Brewery, Inc. formerly Kalamazoo Brewing Company, founded by Larry Bell as a home-brewing supply shop in 1983, sold its first beer in 1985. Originally brewing in a 15-gallon soup kettle, the company has grown remarkably from its production of 135 barrels (1 bbl = 31 gal.) in 1986 to over 90,000 barrels in 2007. Bell's Brewery has grown from a tiny operation renting part of a former plumbing supply warehouse to a bustling, regional craft brewery. Over twenty years of brewing, Bell's Brewery has built a nationwide reputation as a creative and talented brewery, playing a significant role in changing the beerscape of the nation. Two Hearted Ale is defined by its intense hop aroma and malt balance. Hopped exclusively with the Centennial hop varietal from the Pacific Northwest, massive additions in the kettle and again in the fermenter lend their characteristic grapefruit and pine resin aromas. A significant malt body balances this hop presence; together with the signature fruity aromas of Bell's house yeast, this leads to a remarkably drinkable American-style India Pale Ale.

12. (#4 Lager) Pilsner Urquell Beeradvocate overall rating (1,126 reviews): B (“Good”) RateBeer overall rating (2,298 ratings): 79/100 overall; 95/100 to style Soxtalk Voting - 39 points Plzeňský Prazdroj (trans: “Pilsner from the origina sourcel”), known better by its German name Pilsner Urquell, is a bottom-fermented beer produced since 1842 in Pilsen, Bohemia. Pilsner Urquell has a heavier body but slightly less alcohol than typical American-style lagers and more strongly hopped than most pilsener beers. Saaz hops, a noble hop variety (one of four traditiona Old World cultivars strongly associated with a beer region or particular style), are a key element in its flavor profile, as are the use of soft water and fire-brewing. Pilsner Urquell is the original pilsener and first lager beer. It is characterised by its golden color and clarity and was immensely successful – In 1998, nine out of ten beers produced and consumed in the world are derived from the original Pilsen beer. Before 1840, the standard beer in the Czech Republic was as anywhere else a top-fermented ale, characterized by a dark color, turbidity, and inconsistent quality. The Pilsen city commissioned Bavarian brewmaster Josef Groll to develop a better beer. On October 5, 1842, Groll had an entirely new mash ready and on November 11, 1842, the new beer was first served at the feast of Saint Martin markets.

13. (#9 Ale) Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy Beer Advocate Rating: C+ (decent) based on 340 reviews Rate Beer Rating: 18/100 overall and 39/100 to style based on 514 reviews 4.2% ABV, 13.5 IBUs Soxtalk Voting - 38 points A Shandy is described as a lemonade-flavored beer, which is a European favorite during the warmer months. The light, crisp flavor makes it very refreshing to drink. Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy starts off being brewed like any "regular beer," using wheat and malted barley. But the similarities to "regular" beer end there. A small amount of real Wisconsin honey is added to the brew, along with real, fresh lemonade and citrus flavors to create its unique taste. The Web site also suggests mixing equal parts of Berry Weiss with Summer Shandy to create a pink lemonade. At just 130 calories, it's one of the lighter beers out there and features 4.2 percent alcohol content, about the same as a regular, light beer.

14. (#10 Ale) Goose Island Honker's Ale Beer Advocate Rating: B+ (very good) based on 747 reviews Rate Beer Rating: 78/100 overall and 98/100 to style based on 1087 reviews 4.2% ABV, 30 IBUs Soxtalk Voting - 36 points (Voted #2 by Disco72) A fine example of quality Midwestern craft beer from Chicago, Goose Island Honker’s Ale is an English Style Bitter that delivers a tasty balance of sweet hop flavor with a more complex wheat or malt finish. Inspired by visits to English country pubs, Honker’s Ale combines a fruity hop aroma with a rich malt middle to create a perfectly balanced beer. Immensely drinkable, Honker’s Ale is not only the beer you can trust but one you’ll look forward to time and again. It is brewed with styrian golding hops and 2 row, caramel, wheat, and roasted barley malts. The brew was awarded with the bronze medal at the 2006 World Beer Cup.

15. (#5 Lager) Negra Modelo Beeradvocate overall rating (731 reviews): B- (“Worthy”) RateBeer overall rating (1466 ratings): 27/100 overall; 46/100 to style 5.3% abv Soxtalk Voting - 34 points Negra Modelo is a Vienna lager-style beer first brewed in Mexico by Austrian immigrants. It was introduced as a draft beer in 1926. The beer comes in an unusually shaped, wide brown bottle with a trademark gold label. It probably fits most comfortably in the Munich Dunkles category, although it could be considered a Vienna-style amber. The beer is too black for a standard Vienna and that it has more than normal roast malt character to compare it well with other Viennas. In some states of the U.S. the beer has the words “dark ale” on the label. This is only due to certain state liquor regulations. The beer is definitely a lager due to the fact that Modelo makes no ales.

For anyone who enjoys a good not safe for work Brett Favre joke blog as much as I do... http://prevailandride.blogspot.com/2010/10...avveerrrra.html

Just wait until the honorable mentions on the list.

16 is not my fault.

16. (#6 Lager) Corona Extra Beeradvocate overall rating (932 reviews): D (“Avoid”) RateBeer overall rating (2,482 ratings): 2/100 overall; 13/100 to style Soxtalk Voting - 33 points Corona Extra, better known as Corona, is a brand of pale lager owned and produced by Cervecia Modelo (Grupo Modelo) at a number of breweries in Mexico. It is one of the best-selling beers in Mexico and is one of the top-selling beers worldwide. Corona beer is available in over 150 countries. Outside Mexico, Corona is often served with a wedge of citrus fruit – usually lime - inserted into the neck of the bottle. Within Mexico, especially in the south, Corona served with lime is not uncommon, but is not considered mandatory. Available in over 150 countries, it is also Mexico's leading export brand. It was first brewed in 1925 by Cerveceria Modelo on the tenth anniversary of the brewery. In 1926 the brewery decided to package the beer in clear glass. Clear bottles increase the opportunity for spoilage. Exposure to sunlight or light from fluorescent bulbs such as those used in refrigerated display cases significantly damages the taste of beer, yielding a taste that is often described as “skunky”. This is the result of the essential hop oils spoiling due to UV exposure. In 1997, Corona Extra became the top-selling imported beer in the US, surpassing Heineken. Grupo Modelo is currently the sixth largest brewer worldwide.

17. (#7 Lager) Stella Artois Beeradvocate overall rating (49 reviews): C+ (“Decent”) RateBeer overall rating (2,093 ratings): 19/100 overall; 91/100 to style 5% ABV Soxtalk Voting - 31 points Stella Artois is a lager originating from Leuven, Belgium, predominantly brewed in the UK. It is named Stella after the Latin word for "star". Although Belgium is best known internationally for its ales, bottom-fermented pilsner lagers such as Stella Artois head the list for domestic consumption, making up almost 75% of Belgian beer production. Stella is promoted as an international brand by its brewer, AN InBev AB. In its home market of Belgium, however, it is marketed, priced and sold as a regular lager. In 1926, Stella Artois was launched initially as a seasonal beer especially for the Christmas holiday market. It was first sold in Canada and it was such a commercial success that the brand became available year round and, apart from the duration of the Second World War, has been produced ever since. The first Stella Artois beer was exported to the European market in 1930. By 1960, 100 million litres of Stella Artois was being produced annually. InBev opened a new fully automated brewery in Leuven in 1993, and by 2006, total production volume was over a billion liters annually. Despite its success internationally, the number 1 selling beer in Belgium is its sister beer Jupiter.

18. (#11 Ale) Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Beer Advocate Rating: A- (excellent) based on 2228 reviews Rate Beer Rating: 96/100 overall and 99/100 to style based on 2871 reviews 5.6% ABV, 37 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) Soxtalk Voting - 30 points (Voted #2 by Balta1701) Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is an American Pale Ale. It is a delightful example of the classic pale ale style. It has a deep amber color and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. The fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor are the results of the generous use of the best Cascade hops. The pale ale is the second best selling craft beer in the United States, behind Sam Adams Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada produces almost 700,000 barrels of beer per year.