an ongoing list of local sh*t beers

I want to preface this post by saying the inspiration came to me mid-yoga, in my living room, keeping busy during this period of social distancing. I knew I wanted to sink some time into blogging as everything around us slows down, but wasn’t sure what I felt like writing about right now. My school district is closed for the next month, so I will not be working with any little munchkins. I fired up a yoga video entitled “yoga for creativity,” (by Yoga With Adriene) and it was off to the races. Within the first 11 minutes, divine inspiration struck, and I knew what I was going to do with the list on my phone.

The list is lovingly called “Shitty beers” and includes all the cheap local beers I have enjoyed in different cities. I started the list in 2018, while visiting friends spread out across the U.S. I plan to keep a running record, via this post. Feel free to comment where and what I need to try next.

Narragansett {Boston, MA}

I enjoyed a ‘Gansett in a Harvard dive while visiting my best friend in Boston. Narragansett hails from Rhode Island and is most definitely a shit beer of the East Coast. The bartender laughed when I ordered it and checked back in on me after a few sips. It got me through open-mic night though, so no complaints.

mood: stormy Boston weather & cozy bars

Lone Star {Austin, TX}

Lone Star might be my all-time favorite shit beer. It is delicious. And Rust Cohle drinks it in True Detective, so you really can’t go wrong. My brother and I visited one of my college friends in Austin, and we lived on a steady diet of Lone Star and tacos for the long weekend. The retro logo is the icing on the cake. If you ever get the chance to slug a Lone Star, please do it.

mood: dusty sunshine & river swims

Rainier {Seattle, WA}

We picked up a sixer of Rainier on a family trip in Seattle and drank it in the hotel room one night when we were too tired to actually go out after a full day of hiking. It’s what you’d expect. I love that it’s named after Mount Rainier, and has an old-school look to match.

mood: outdoorsy, mountaineering, preferably consumed in a townie bar

IC Light {Pittsburgh, PA}

Iron City, or IC, Light is a Pittsburgh staple. My dad’s family is from Pennsylvania and he claims IC Light was the key to surviving any family gathering. I have not had the pleasure of drinking an IC Light while in Pittsburgh, but my dad brought some back after a work trip so my brother and I could try it. I’ve been to Pittsburgh for other occasions. So I’m counting this one on my list. We got bottles during the Penguins 50th anniversary, complete with a hockey-playing penguin, which definitely made the beer taste better.

mood: sitting in your grandparents’ basement-bar, watching a game