How do you feel about PBR?

[FestivusMiracle]

I'm talking about the beer, not the rodeo league, just in case there are any cowboy graduate students on here.  Is it just me, or is it fashionable to be somewhat of a beer snob and yet claim that PBR is pretty decent beer?  Every time I try PBR, I feel like I can't judge it objectively because there is so much weird cultural baggage that goes along with this beer.  On one hand, beer snobs tell me I should like it, and on the other, it is the only beer hipsters drink at bars, which makes me want to despise it.  My understanding is that this beer used to be a true blue collar, working man's beer (way back in the day), and recently hipsters latched onto it due to its lack of popularity with mainstream crowds.

 

Is PBR a decent beer?  Or is it all hype?

 

And while we're at it, how do you feel about hipsters?  Do you consider yourself at least a little bit of a hipster?  Sometimes I can't tell if my non-conformism makes me less of a hipster, or more of one, because hipsters seem to 'refuse to conform' by engaging in the exact same behavior as every other hipster.  It's a paradox.  

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

I don't know any beer snob who thinks PBR is a good beer. I think it's horrible. I can't tell the difference between PBR and other shit beers like Bud, Coors, Keystone and Rolling Rock. I frequent dive bars and most people I know who drink that stuff are poor alcoholics who will drink anything. I feel like anyone who isn't poor or addicted to alcohol and still drinks that does because it's either cool (or not cool, according to hipsters) or because they've never had any decent beer. Personally, I only drink a few things. I used to try craft beer from time to time and it's hit and miss. There's a lot of garbage out there. I usually just stick to what I know. Guinness, scotch and water, rum and coke, honey bourbon on the rocks, Bloody Mary's, and margaritas. I experiment from time to time and if I find something I like I add it to my list.

Edited February 26, 2014 by Gnome Chomsky

[dstock]

I always just thought it was a cheap crappy beer.  I've only ever had it a couple of times.  I've never heard of it being popular...  maybe I just don't know any hipsters. 

 

I did just Google to see what you might be talking about and found a Huffington post article saying exactly what you are, that hipsters like PBR.  

 

I don't have any feelings about hipsters.

[fancyfeast]

Haha I grew up seeing my mom drink pabst, which she picked up from her father who's the definition of blue collar. I just see it as my mom's favorite beer and then belatedly remember it's now the hipster beer. My mom is pretty cool at parties now she likes to say she's been ahead of the curve for over 20 years. I don't like it personally. I'm going to come off as a snob but I just think it tastes cheap (sorry, Mom). I'm no beer connoisseur because I prefer wine or girly fru-fru drinks, but when I do drink beer it's when something nice is being offered  

 

I think everyone is a hipster to some extent and people always have been. There's always been a mindset of "I don't want to do what everyone else does." And so people go against trends just because of the actions of the majority. That's conformity in and of itself. As long as you do something because it's what you want to do, you're not conforming to anything. You're just doing you.

[FestivusMiracle]

I always just thought it was a cheap crappy beer.  I've only ever had it a couple of times.  I've never heard of it being popular...  maybe I just don't know any hipsters. 

 

I did just Google to see what you might be talking about and found a Huffington post article saying exactly what you are, that hipsters like PBR.  

 

I don't have any feelings about hipsters.

 

If you haven't picked up on the hipster/PBR thing, you must live in a hipster-free area, because it is blatantly obvious where I'm at.  

[FestivusMiracle]

I don't know any beer snob who thinks PBR is a good beer. I think it's horrible. I can't tell the difference between PBR and other shit beers like Bud, Coors, Keystone and Rolling Rock. I frequent dive bars and most people I know who drink that stuff are poor alcoholics who will drink anything. I feel like anyone who isn't poor or addicted to alcohol and still drinks that does because it's either cool (or not cool, according to hipsters) or because they've never had any decent beer. Personally, I only drink a few things. I used to try craft beer from time to time and it's hit and miss. There's a lot of garbage out there. I usually just stick to what I know. Guinness, scotch and water, rum and coke, honey bourbon on the rocks, Bloody Mary's, and margaritas. I experiment from time to time and if I find something I like I add it to my list.

 

Check it out on Beeradvocate...one of the "Bros" gave it a pretty positive review, despite almost always saying how terrible the big macro brews are.  

 

Oh, and check out their review of Guinness...it may make you cringe a little when you see what a poor review Guinness receives by the same guy.  

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/209/754/?ba=bros

 

Personally, I don't get it.  Guinness is freaking incredible out of the nitro can.  The nitro can makes it so much smoother than regular beer.  

 

One thing I notice about beer snobs and Guinness is that they seem to think that they have to drink it closer to room temperature "to get the full flavor."  Personally, I love it ice cold.  It's kinda like iced coffee.

[FestivusMiracle]

Haha I grew up seeing my mom drink pabst, which she picked up from her father who's the definition of blue collar. I just see it as my mom's favorite beer and then belatedly remember it's now the hipster beer. My mom is pretty cool at parties now she likes to say she's been ahead of the curve for over 20 years. I don't like it personally. I'm going to come off as a snob but I just think it tastes cheap (sorry, Mom). I'm no beer connoisseur because I prefer wine or girly fru-fru drinks, but when I do drink beer it's when something nice is being offered

 

I think everyone is a hipster to some extent and people always have been. There's always been a mindset of "I don't want to do what everyone else does." And so people go against trends just because of the actions of the majority. That's conformity in and of itself. As long as you do something because it's what you want to do, you're not conforming to anything. You're just doing you.

 

 

This is what I try to force myself to do...If I like something, I should do it/not be ashamed of liking it.  It's tough sometimes, though.  One thing I've noticed, though, is that a lot of the stuff that I was too ashamed to admit that I liked eventually wound up becoming the cool thing...

[pears]

As an aside, just because I got all excited about the title: I love Pro Bull Riding PBR. Fan Club member, I go to as many Built Ford Tough Series & Touring Pro events as I can (along with general rodeos), I have a shirt full of signatures from various riders I got to meet on the dirt, & I even participate in fantasy PBR (yes, it's really a thing!). Okay. End fangirling.

 

To be on topic, though: I think Pabst Blue Ribbon PBR is okay. I prefer its taste to green & clear bottle beers (Heineken, Corona, etc.), but there are other cheap beers I like better (Coors, mostly). My S.O. & I usually get cases of PBR or Miller Lite (his drink, not mine!) to keep around the house. As far as reliably cheap beers go, I prefer PBR to other cheap &/or light beers, but if price isn't an issue, I prefer better stuff.

[Marina CM]

The price/quality relationship is OK. It is mega cheap and at the same time it is horrible!

[thenewgirl10]

It used to be all my SO would drink. Like.... Really. Now she discovered rolling rock, which is almost as cheap but 10x better.

I'm still a beer snob. I prefer our locally brewed beers first. I'm trying to make myself like cheap beer, but I just can't.

On the topic of hipsters, SO is a hipster (sort of), but drank pbr before the hipsters claimed it. Does that make her the original hipster?

[overworkedta]

I'm a beer snob dating a beer snob who also brews and I can tell you that NO ONE we know would drink PBR willingly if there was anything "better" and certainly none of us would call it "good" beer.  That said, it's beer.  It does the trick and there may be no other choices.

 

RE: Guinness is a "good" beer.  Not a "great" beer and certainly not "great" for the price.  I sometimes get a hankering for it. I did last night when I picked up a sixer.  It tastes the same every time.  That said, it's not the best stout on the market by a long shot.  Currently, if I get to choose, I go for Bell's Expedition Stout or a Young's Chocolate Stout if beer is your favorite dessert.  Both of those are harder to find and more expensive but Stouts are my drink of choice.  Similarly priced to Guinness is Nitro.  I would choose Nitro over Guinness most days because it's just a better beer.  But sometimes, I just really feel like a Guinness.

[toasterazzi]

I'm not a beer snob or a hipster. When I drink PBR, it's because PBR is extremely cheap (and the taste isn't as offensive as some other cheap beers). That's about it. I do think I've developed a certain appreciation for the taste of PBR over the years, but it's not like the best thing I've ever had

[gingin6789]

My first beer.  I was at a party shortly after turning 21, so my friends were naturally telling everyone I turned 21 just a couple weeks before.  I was told of the "glory of Pabst" from my friend's fiance and his friend.  They told me a story about how they once got caught up in a fierce bidding war for a Pabst folding chair.  They didn't win the chair.  They then, of course, passed me one and strongly encouraged me to partake in the "glorious nectar."

 

It wasn't very good.

 

[Later that night, a group of party-goers, including an off-duty trooper, were trying to convince me to do "just one shot" of Jager or however it's spelled.  The truth is, I don't like drinking too much, especially things that don't taste good (I can usually have one mixed drink and I'm content and don't want any more)! The Pabst was unpleasant enough!  So, they kept heckling me, and I broke down, dissolving into tears in front of them.  Everyone, including Mr. trooper, immediately changed their tune and were all very apologetic about trying to force me to drink. Pretty embarrassing, but they stopped pestering me!]

[rising_star]

Deadspin ranked 36 cheap beers: http://deadspin.com/36-cheap-american-beers-ranked-638820035

At one point, I drank PBR. I will say that of its three forms (draft, can, glass bottle), the bottle is the tastiest (which, tbh, is not saying much), though the rarest. Used to have it for $1/bottle at a lunch spot where I did my MA, making it cheaper than a fountain soda.

 

Overworkedta and I seem to have similar tastes in beer. The Bell's Double Cream Stout is delicious. I'd list all the beer I currently have but, I buy singles a lot so I have wide variety. Some favorites include Big Sky's Cowboy Coffee Porter, Lugene Milk Stout, and Sierra Nevada Narwhal Stout. I've become quite attuned to beers you can buy for $1-$1.50 at the store, so I tend to go for those rather than the truly cheap beers because there's not a huge price difference given the volume I drink (as in, buying 30 cans for $15.99 doesn't matter because it'd take me weeks to drink all those cans anyway).

 

Also, when did the hipsters give up Tecate and move on to PBR? I totally used to drink Tecate with a lime during my MA because they were a buck a can during happy hour.

[glm]

PBR was really popular at my college. I thought it was a bit of irony mixed with obscurity. Hipsters are too poor to buy decent beer, don't want to be associated with the coors or miller light masses, so PBR it is. Its horribleness was transformed into a humorous selling point.

 

I was never and never will be cool as far as beer is concerned. It always gives me stomach cramps, and is a bane to my life as a sports fan.

[ss2player]

Philly has the city wide special: 5 bucks for a PBR and shot of bourbon. Being on an academia salary, I often went with this when going out with friends. Plus my undergrad was always Keystone Light, so I needed something to make me forget about those times. I enjoy craft beer and we have some cool spots for that, but paying $7-8 a drink makes my brain hurt. My palate can't fully appreciate the difference anyway, so it's a "once in a while" type of outing.

[talpostal]

Check it out on Beeradvocate...one of the "Bros" gave it a pretty positive review, despite almost always saying how terrible the big macro brews are.  

 

Oh, and check out their review of Guinness...it may make you cringe a little when you see what a poor review Guinness receives by the same guy.  

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/209/754/?ba=bros

 

Personally, I don't get it.  Guinness is freaking incredible out of the nitro can.  The nitro can makes it so much smoother than regular beer.  

 

One thing I notice about beer snobs and Guinness is that they seem to think that they have to drink it closer to room temperature "to get the full flavor."  Personally, I love it ice cold.  It's kinda like iced coffee.

 

Beer snobs will tell you to drink most beers at "cellar temperature" (IE slightly cold) because it gives you the best taste of all of the flavors. This, coincidentally, is why beers like Coors Light have so much invested in serving their beers "super cold" or having the "mountains turn blue"--they know that their beers don't taste good and want it served cold to mask the flavor.

 

That being said, drink beer the way you want to drink beer. If you like a cold Guinness you're not going to get the full flavor but if that's how you like it, that's how you like it and anybody who tries to make you feel bad for drinking it that way is a jerk.

 

As for cheap beer, PBR has always been popular with hipters as a blue-collar beer (locally they drink Stroh's too, for the same reason). Personally, if I'm buying a yellow fizzy beer I'd much rather have Blue Light or Yuengling.

[overworkedta]

Deadspin ranked 36 cheap beers: http://deadspin.com/36-cheap-american-beers-ranked-638820035

At one point, I drank PBR. I will say that of its three forms (draft, can, glass bottle), the bottle is the tastiest (which, tbh, is not saying much), though the rarest. Used to have it for $1/bottle at a lunch spot where I did my MA, making it cheaper than a fountain soda.

 

Overworkedta and I seem to have similar tastes in beer. The Bell's Double Cream Stout is delicious. I'd list all the beer I currently have but, I buy singles a lot so I have wide variety. Some favorites include Big Sky's Cowboy Coffee Porter, Lugene Milk Stout, and Sierra Nevada Narwhal Stout. I've become quite attuned to beers you can buy for $1-$1.50 at the store, so I tend to go for those rather than the truly cheap beers because there's not a huge price difference given the volume I drink (as in, buying 30 cans for $15.99 doesn't matter because it'd take me weeks to drink all those cans anyway).

 

Also, when did the hipsters give up Tecate and move on to PBR? I totally used to drink Tecate with a lime during my MA because they were a buck a can during happy hour.

 

You may be my beer twin.

 

There is a dive bar in town where Stag and PBR are both $1.00.  Those are your choices.  I take the PBR if our group ends up there.  God, I hate that place.

 

I would much rather go to the other dive where Guinness is $2-$3.00 a pint depending on the day.

[rising_star]

Oh man, there's a dive bar here that only has two beers on tap: Coor's Light and New Belgium's 1554. For a while, it was only the Coor's Light. *shudders* Luckily, they had cheap well liquor drinks to make up for it and were basically always open, which compensated for many, many flaws. The addition of 1554 was a valuable upgrade to my social life.

[gellert]

I really, really don't like PBR.

 

As for my feelings on hipsters:  I'm not much of a fan if they're hipsters of the over-college-age sort, because I feel like that sort of "trying to be cool" vibe should end with graduation.  But I'm also a person who was never particularly cool to begin with and is probably pretty boring tbh, so maybe I'm just bitter.

Edited February 26, 2014 by gellert

[Sociolite]

I made a sport of debating people in undergrad regarding cost-effect analysis when I would show up to parties with a 6 pack of a rough and tumble IPA and would be scoffed at for my "fancy" beer. You'd be surprised how many people can't grasp that a $40 case of 8% abv beer is essentially the same as 2 $20 cases of Coors Light. Made for some good conversations and was always a good ice breaker because eventually a fellow craft brew enthusiast would make their way out of the woodwork to defend my cause. Met some decent friends that way. 

 

Edit* I don't like PBR, but if I was forced to drink an adjunct lager thats the way to go.

Edited February 26, 2014 by Sociolite

[overworkedta]

My BF drinks IPA's.  He doesn't understand why more people don't drink them for that reason alone.  I am not a big IPA fan but for a house party where all I want to do is forget my troubles, we can bring a sixer and very much enjoy ourselves between the two of us with a double.

 

That said, we missed the hopslam premiere this year and my boyfriend was absolutely WRECKED.

[talpostal]

My BF drinks IPA's.  He doesn't understand why more people don't drink them for that reason alone.  I am not a big IPA fan but for a house party where all I want to do is forget my troubles, we can bring a sixer and very much enjoy ourselves between the two of us with a double.

 

That said, we missed the hopslam premiere this year and my boyfriend was absolutely WRECKED.

 

Hopslam is great. If you're in Michigan you can find it in stores still if you know where to look. I also hear that Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree is being distributed right now and that may be better.

[Sociolite]

I'm riding the Nugget Nectar wave right now. Though I am an IPA fan mostly, I pretty much focus in like a cheetah hunting its prey when late February and March rolls around. Pennsylvania is lucky to have such a strong craft brew boom going right now with Troegs, Weyerbacher, Victory, and Yards easily accessible nearly everywhere. 

 

Bells is a great brewery. Two Hearted Ale is one of my favorites and a regular staple of my liquid diet.

[GeoDUDE!]

I feel like this thread is full of people who just hear stories about PBR instead of actually experiencing PBR. It won a blue ribbon for christ's sake! That being said, I don't think that pbr is a "hipster" thing since most people call anyone with thick dark glasses a hipster. I enjoy it because its 1 dollar. it's really hard to complain for 1 dollar.