Top Ten Beer List

This is the list that everyone is waiting for. What beer fuels the Back of the Pack Racing Machine? What beer do we, the Back of the Pack racers, travel countless miles, travel through wind / rain / snow, travel at morning / noon / night to purchase and consume? What beer should you bring over to Judd’s house when invited to a Cheetos BBQ?

Well, It’s taken one year to build this list. Countless evenings (or afternoons) were spent taste testing. Yeah, we all have better things to do, but as a semi-official unofficial team we must do these small things to define our mission, our purpose, our future.

A Few Things to Understand:

This is a list that supports beer drinking in the Rocky Mountain states. If it was a national or international list, there would be a few changes. BUT this list drives the Back of the Pack Lifestyle. A beer from Michigan (Bell’s Oberon) can’t influence Back of the Pack behavior and / or Back of the Pack race results. Get it.
The list is HEAVILY weighted by IPAs. Because Dude, that’s the way it is. It’s the B.P.R. Top 10 Beer List, not ‘Your Top 10 Beer List’.

We could argue the Top 5. Ok, we could argue about #2 – #5. #1 is SET IN STONE. I was going to list FOUR #1 beers. But that would be idiotic. You can’t have a Top 10 list with FOUR #1s. That’s something a communist would do. Us Americans must support the democratic process; there is always a winner and a loser in America. Someone always gets 2nd place. AND remember, Dead Last Doesn’t Mean Loser.

Anyway, The Founding Fathers all agree on this ranking. I’m sure of that.

The Back of the Pack Racing Top 10 Beer List

Ska Brewing : Modus Hoperandi
Marble Brewery : IPA
New Belgium Brewery : Ranger IPA
La Cumbre Brewing : Elevated IPA
Oskar Blues Brewery : Dale’s Pale Ale
Steamworks Brewing Co : Third Eye Pale Ale
Odell Brewing Co : 5 Barrel Pale Ale
Boulder Beer: Hazed & Infused
Ska Brewing : Steel Toe Stout
? Maybe Top 9 is enough. I’ll schedule a conference call.

Honorable Mentions:

New Belgium Brewery : 2 Below
Steamworks Brewing Co : Lizard Head Red

When Times Are Tough and We’re Late For Dinner

The Lt Col’s Cooler : Tecate
The Judd’s Cooler : Schlitz
The Morale Chairman’s Cooler: Bud Light with Lime
Prob-eee’s Cooler: White Zinfandel
Rhino’s Cooler: The High Life

A Few Comments:

Two of The Founding Fathers are Durango boys. So, Ska Brewing is #1 NO MATTER WHAT. Steamworks is guaranteed a spot on the list. But Steamworks beer is not easily acquired in north central New Mexico. I could find Third Eye Pale Ale a year or two ago, but not in 2010. (Maybe I don’t look very hard. Why should I when Modus Hoperandi is ALWAYS staring me in the face?)
La Cumbre Brewing could easily jump to #2. Once the canning process is moving and six packs make their way to the B.P.R. beer fridges – then it will easily move to #2.
The Judd plans to generate and distribute a B.P.R. Marketing Strategy. A beer sponsorship is the Numero Uno goal for 2011. All we ask for is patches, banners and some beer. We aren’t big beer drinkers, we are finely tuned endurance athletes, so just a keg or two per race is all that we ask for. BUT we will take patches and banners and PAY for the beer, if required. We just won’t tell the B.P.R. fans that we are actually paying for the beer sponsorship.
The Judd will hold a beer tasting / beer ranking party, if there is enough interest. We need 10+ flavors. I will organize it, we will drink it, we will rank them. Pick a date. Just remember. #1 is Modus Hoperandi. That’s just the way it is.

And NO! Schlitz is not a joke. Schlitz should be / could be in the Top 10. Schlitz has fueled many parties back in the day. If you don’t agree, go buy a 12 pack and bring it over. I’ll educate you in the Schlitz lifestyle.

8 thoughts on “Top Ten Beer List”

#27 Rhino's Cooler: The High Life

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The High Life. That's a classic. How about #11 The Judd's Backup Cooler: Coors, The Banquet Beer. As awesome as Coors is, it brings back some very painful & sad memories.

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Missing key ones like Hazed and Infused, 2 Below, Trippel, and Bean Rock (New Zealand only – come on guys!)
At least you are able to recognize IPAs as the finest of flavored beers.

p.s. Schlitz isn't a real beer.

Team Cuteness

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OK Team Cuteness. I'm glad there are some educated beer drinkers that read this blog. I can't believe I forgot about Hazed & Infused. That's on the list. Thanks for pointing out my error. I created an Honorable Mentions. 2 Below definitely fits it that category. And I will add more to that category as I receive feedback, maybe. And I must defend Schlitz. Schlitz – The BEER the made Milwaukee Famous. Enough said!

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No Avery beers? What about he Maharaja?

http://www.simplybeer.com/blog/tag/maharaj/

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Avery. That brewery makes some awesome beer. Maybe worth an honorable mention. Maharaja? Yikes. Back of the Pack Racing believes in a calibrated balance of quantity and quality. A brew like the Maharaja would eliminate the 'quantity' – simply because after kickin' back a few a mere mortal would fall off the bar stool. But I understand your point. Now that you are a Michigander you have unique drinking skills that the rest of us fools don't.

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My favorite is Sweetwater IPA. A GA beer you may not have tried….

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Sweetwater IPA? I'll check for it at the local shops. Or you could send me a few 12 packs. I'm going to schedule a taste test party at my house. We have to schedule it around The Lt Col's responsibilities, of course. But that's cool. So, the REAL, OFFICIAL, Voted on Top 10 list will be out in a month or so. Just in time for Old Pueblo.

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