Good, Cheap, Domestic Beer.

[Sun Tzu]

This past weekend I had the in-laws over. My father-in-law drinks Keystone Light (aka "blues"), which tastes like beer flavored seltzer water if you ask me. We picked up a 30 pack for, oh I donno, $15 or something, and figured he'd be happy. As it turns out, he brought some Coors Light with him, which tastes like a slightly stronger beer flavored seltzer water. All of the beer was left here afterward, so now I have about 45 mix-and-match Keystone/Coors.

That got me thinking. Are there any good tasting, cheap, domestic beers on the market? I typically pick up a six pack every other week of something random...dark, wheat, ale, IPA, etc...but I always skip right past the domestics and go for the $7.99+ stuff. If I found something quality that I don't have to shotgun three cans inside of ten minutes just to feel the effects, I'd probably buy it semi-regularly.

[Coffee Warlord]

Like the old 'Good, Cheap, Fast, pick any two' quote, much the same applies with beer here.

[CleBrownsfan]

I'm strictly an IPA / Pale Ale kind of a guy now....

When I do drink domestic - it's Miller Lite.

I know this doesn't answer your question but had to reply because I like beer ;)

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

I'll probably take flak for this but I've found Landshark to be an enjoyable domestic lager.

[Sun Tzu]

I'll probably take flak for this but I've found Landshark to be an enjoyable domestic lager.

You know, I thought Landshark was decent too. I think it still falls under the more expensive type though. Most 6 packs are $6.99 or so, which makes it just as pricey as a Stella. In other words, you can't buy a 30 pack for $20, and it doesn't come in can form :)

[digamma]

Life is too short to drink cheap, tasteless beer.

[mckerney]

For a cheap domestic I like Summit Extra Pale Ale, 6 pack is $6.99 or 12 for $12.99. Or a six pack Grain Belt for $5.99.

[johnnyshaka]

Life is too short to drink cheap, tasteless beer.

Amen, brother.

[Scoobz0202]

Life is too short to drink cheap, tasteless beer.

Amen.

I'm young (23), and have dabbled here and there in micro/craft beer before. Around 18-19 I tried but I didn't really grasp what the hell I was doing and at that point my palette wasn't ready for it I don't think. Last year I had a Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald and my life changed....

[QuikSand]

For a pretty long time, I think the slam dunk answer here was Old Milwaukee. (Not Milwaukee's Best, mind you)

It's been a long while since I bought some, and it's now owned by Pabst (not sure how long that has been the case) so it may not be the case any longer -- but simple Old Milwaukee made a very acceptable and pretty cheap lager at least late into the 1990s.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

Life is too short to drink cheap, tasteless beer.

I think its all about context. There are times when I want a Dogfish. There are times I want a Victory. There are times I want a Guinness. But there are definitely times where I want (several) cold Bud Lights too.

[jeff061]

Harpoon, known for their IPA but they are pretty good all around. Bout the cheapest I get. May be local to New England?

Dogfish head's the gold standard for IPA, but not cheap.

[Sun Tzu]

I wonder if they even have Old Milwaukee on the west coast. I've tried PBR before, and while it does have a unique taste (almost to the point of being sweet) I'll stick to my belief that unique does not = good.

On the point of life being too short to drink tasteless beer, aren't you only selling yourself short by not tasting as many beers as possible? I wouldn't call myself a beer connoisseur by any stretch, but I do enjoy a $10 single bottle of craft beer from time to time. My only issue is that for my palette IPA's that are over-the-top hoppy, are just too bitter to actually enjoy.

[cartman]

When I was in China last December, their gourmet beer was...

Pabst Blue Ribbon

[Sun Tzu]

When I was in China last December, their gourmet beer was...

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Funny. My buddy spent a good amount of time in Jolly ol' England in the early 2000's. He said their beer of choice was...

Budweiser.

[MacroGuru]

PBR or Labatt for me....

But I do prefer the micro's or specialty beers.

[k0ruptr]

Primo - it's available on the west coast now too, but I'm not sure how cheap it is.

[mckerney]

Funny. My buddy spent a good amount of time in Jolly ol' England in the early 2000's. He said their beer of choice was...

Budweiser.

The American one? There's a European beer named Budweiser that's sold undetermined a different name in the US (Czechvar, I think).

[Sun Tzu]

Primo - it's available on the west coast now too, but I'm not sure how cheap it is.

Haha, they don't have that stuff on the mainland...at least not in places like Safeway/Vons/Raleys/etc. You have to go to a specialty store to get that or any of the Maui Brewing Company stuff. It's a shame too, because the MBC Coconut Porter is probably my all-time favorite brew.

The American one? There's a European beer named Budweiser that's sold undetermined a different name in the US (Czechvar, I think).

That I don't know. I'd have to ask him. He talked about it like it was the American version. He said they drink a lot of Coors too.

[k0ruptr]

Haha, they don't have that stuff on the mainland...at least not in places like Safeway/Vons/Raleys/etc. You have to go to a specialty store to get that or any of the Maui Brewing Company stuff. It's a shame too, because the MBC Coconut Porter is probably my all-time favorite brew.

damn, they need to get that stuff in a safeway over there, I'd have to think it would sell pretty well... hmm

[Crapshoot]

Maybe its the former Yinzer in me, but I really liked Yuengling, even though its hard to find on the West Coast.

[dolfin]

I like Bud Select (the black label)

[PilotMan]

The simple answer is no, but honestly, Michelob Ultra Dark, and Amber Bock are really good inexpensive beers. Otherwise, Shiner is the best for my money.

[yacovfb]

Yuengling and Rolling Rock are my favorites of the cheap domestic beers.

[stevew]

Most good cheap american beer is good for.......cooking.

[britrock88]

Last year I had a Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald and my life changed....

Love the Edmund Fitz!!!

Umm, Bud? Molson? Killian's?

[JediKooter]

Hamms?

[Karlifornia]

It's time for you to start living the High Life!

[Suburban Rhythm]

Maybe its the former Yinzer in me, but I really liked Yuengling, even though its hard to find on the West Coast.

Former?

Once you are in, it's FOR LIFE!

I'll echo Yuengling and Rolling Rock. Maybe it's in comparison to the Iron most people like around here that makes it seem better.

[k0ruptr]

I love Rolling Rock.

[Sun Tzu]

I can't think of Rolling Rock without thinking of this movie.

http://youtu.be/V95cSlAu2l8

[miked]

It's time for you to start living the High Life!

This! The champagne of beers!

[cartman]

I haven't tried it yet, but Walgreen's is selling a private label beer for $2.99/six pack.

[SackAttack]

Like the old 'Good, Cheap, Fast, pick any two' quote, much the same applies with beer here.

I was just gonna say this. Good, cheap, or domestic. Pick two of three.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

There are good, cheap, foreign beers?

[Sun Tzu]

There are good, cheap, foreign beers?

That was my reaction too.

[PackerFanatic]

PBR. Hell yes.

[lungs]

Not sure if it's available much outside of Wisconsin, but I like Schlitz since they've gone back to their old recipe. It at least resembles a beer unlike the Millers and Budweisers of the world.

I drink PBR when I want something a little lighter. Old Style used to be my clear favorite but they tried to mimic Schlitz by going back to some old recipe that tasted to watered down for me.

[molson]

I'm enjoying a can of coors light right now and while I wouldn't try to convince anyone it was "good", if it's ice cold it's not too bad on a summer night and you can usually find some crazy volume deals of the stuff

[CleBrownsfan]

Amen.

I'm young (23), and have dabbled here and there in micro/craft beer before. Around 18-19 I tried but I didn't really grasp what the hell I was doing and at that point my palette wasn't ready for it I don't think. Last year I had a Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald and my life changed....

Scoobz - I'm not sure where in Ohio you live but the micro brew I worked for is now selling their beer in other bars, supermarkets, ect. The Brewery is called The Brew Kettle. If you see any of their beers (Old 21 IPA, Red Eye PA, 4 C's are their most popular) then I suggest you try them out. Damn good beer - they have beaten Great Lakes a couple years in a row in the IX Center's beer festival.

[Scoobz0202]

I'll try and find it. I'm going to highly doubt I can get it though. I live in western ohio, right on the Indiana border. Mercer county. Middle of the ohio indiana border.

Small town. For a small town I have a couple good stores with some selection, but i don't have one of those AWESOME beer stores. I am almost positive the local carry-out doesn't have it, but I will check out the super market that has a pretty good selection.

[Ryan S]

The American one? There's a European beer named Budweiser that's sold undetermined a different name in the US (Czechvar, I think).

Yep, the US version.

Pretty much every pub, bar and club in the country sells it.

[sterlingice]

I love the number of people who cannot resist posting in a thread about beer even tho it's clear that OP is looking for "cheap domestic beer" with all the standard disclaimers of "haha, I know there's no such thing", a good third of the thread has to go "haha, there's no such thing" or "how about my snobby beer that doesn't qualify?" :D

(Then again, I just did the same thing in pointing that out. D'oh)

SI

[Honolulu_Blue]

Yuengling is excellent. I wish they sold it in Michigan.

When I drink in bulk, I like PBR, Molson or Labbats usually. While I love more expensive beer with more taste to it, if I am going to be drinking 10+ beers over the course of an evening or so, I need something with less flavor to it.

[I. J. Reilly]

I drink Miller Lite quite often. Two reasons: one it’s so damn hot here that anything that isn’t watered down tastes like crap, and two they have that sweet vortex bottle. Any marketing campaign that fucking stupid simply has to be patronized.

[tarcone]

Back in the 80s I drank red, white and blue. 2.99 a 12 pack. I ignored the fact that my SIL found gravel at the bottom of a can.

Old Style is the beer of Chicago. I drank a lot that also.

[CleBrownsfan]

Yuengling is excellent. I wish they sold it in Michigan.
.

Rumor is that Ohio will be distributing Yuengling starting this October. If true - I'll be a happy man ;)

[ColtCrazy]

When I was in India, we went to a party put on by one of the richest men in the city (Amritsar). He came up to me, as I was the only American male there below 45, and said "I have a treat for you!" He lead me to a barrel with ice and cold Stroh's beer inside. Cheap, yes. Good....meh.

[SteveMax58]

I am definitely not a fancy beer guy. I am usually a Bud Light guy for similar reasons as IJ Reilly.

But when I want a similar beer that actually tastes good to me, I will pickup some Icehouse. I actually really like it. Matter of fact...I think I'm going to grab some for the weekend.

[DanGarion]

The American one? There's a European beer named Budweiser that's sold undetermined a different name in the US (Czechvar, I think).

Yes, real American Budweiser. It's popular in Ireland too, my wife's father loved the stuff and it was basically all he drank and he was as Irish as they come...

[DanGarion]

Amstel Light...

[McSweeny]

I'm a big fan of Miller High Life in a bottle. Especially during the summer.

[Sun Tzu]

FWIW, I've become a martini man. I prefer Grey Goose, but I've found Kettle One to be a pretty smooth and less expensive alternative. I'm 75% through my first one tonight. I typically load the drink up with 4-5 little manzanita olives too.

[Terps]

Natty Boh

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/files/2009/07/productsideimage.jpg

[B & B]

FWIW, I've become a martini man. I prefer Grey Goose, but I've found Kettle One to be a pretty smooth and less expensive alternative. I'm 75% through my first one tonight. I typically load the drink up with 4-5 little manzanita olives too.

Try Titos.

[Karlifornia]

Amstel Light...

This came to mind for me, but it isn't domestic.

[DanGarion]

This came to mind for me, but it isn't domestic.

It's close enough. I mean honestly who cares what country it came from.

[Karlifornia]

It's close enough. I mean honestly who cares what country it came from.

I dunno..maybe the OP does. I was just trying to answer the question that was asked. :)

[Chief Rum]

I'm a big fan of Miller High Life in a bottle. Especially during the summer.

So was my grandpa. :D

(J/K I actually drank this all the time in college, and I still enjoy it)

[Scarecrow]

Mt. Rushmore of Good, Cheap Domestic (USA) Beers:

1. Busch
2. Miller High Life Light
3. Natural Light
4. Pabst Blue Ribbon

[JonInMiddleGA]

I don't often drink domestic but when I do ... it's straight up Coors.

I don't why it seems to taste considerably better in the summer but I swear it does (and I'm not really a cold-beer-in-July guy, so it doesn't seem likely to be as simple as that cliche)