Your Cheat Sheet to the Best Beers From Around the World

culled from:inc.com

It was not long ago that I didn’t really like beer all that much. To me it just was not something I would seek out; that is, until a few summers ago in Southern Italy. It was a typical summer’s day in that region: hot and humid. We had been out and about and I was really thirsty. I met our friends at a little bar along the beach, and before I could stop him my friend ordered me a birra piccola (tiny beer). What came was a glass of Peroni on tap. It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. Since then I have been hooked, but not on just any beer. It has to be a great beer.

When Lifehack asked me to write an article on beers, I jumped at it. I love when I can cross business with beer drinking! Let’s start our little foray into the international beer world by stating that although almost every country has a large selection of local beers, I tried to focus on ones you can get at the local beverage store. After all, what good is knowing how great a beer in Italy is if it never leaves that country and you never go?
United States
Brother Thelonius Belgian Style Abbey Ale

Where do I start? There are so many micro breweries here and so many amazingly delicious beers that US beers are a whole article unto themselves. However, if I were to pick out a great beer from my home country I would have to say that I personally love Brother Thelonious from the North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California. Named for jazz musician Thelonius Monk, this beer is a fitting tribute to a master. This is not so much a beer as a soup. And as it trickles over your tongue, it changes and evolves. I find it very compelling.
Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock

I am a bit biased toward Gordon Biersch because my brother went to grade school with Danny Gordon, the man who created this beer-loving empire. Nonetheless, Gordon Biersch has a ton of fabulous beers to choose from. The blonde bock is fabulous because although it is a big and highly alcoholic beer, as bocks generally are, it has a rich and creamy texture. Danny and his partner only use the finest German hops, yeast and barley. They brew in strict accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, which is the German purity law of 1516.
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Available around the holiday season, which coincides with the first harvest of hops, Celebration Ale is famous for its citrus and pine aromas, making it perfect for holiday entertaining.
Sierra Nevada Stout

Sierra Nevada is a great brewery, cranking out great beer after great beer. Their stout is full bodied, rich and delicious. For those unfamiliar with stout beer, this is a good start.
Fat Tire Amber Ale

This ale is from the New Belgium Brewing Company and scores high in the Beer Advocate Ratings. The name Fat Tire comes from the co-founder’s bicycle trip through Belgium from brewery to brewery. Fat Tire is a great ale and that sounds like one hell of a bicycle trip!
Italy
Peroni

This is just great beer! I have it every time I go to Italy. A Peroni in front of you while you contemplate the deep blue Mediterranean and wait for your homemade pasta dish to arrive at your table is the best experience I can ever imagine.
Birra Morretti

Another great Italian beer. Like Peroni, it is light, crisp and refreshing, with enough body to make it memorable but not heavy.
Mexico
Corona

I know I will take a total drubbing for this one but I like Corona! OK, if you are a beer snob you can hate me for it. The fact is that I like pretty much most Mexican beers. Mexico is now the leading importer of beer to America. (Thanks, Corona!) It recently beat out Holland and their Heineken.
Dos Equis

This is a bit more ‘beery’ than Corona. To me, Corona is more for thirst quenching on the beach. Dos Equis is a great complement to a meal of Pollo Mole.
The Netherlands
Heineken

Another great, refreshingly crisp and yummy beer!
Belgium
Stella Artois

I can’t think of Brussels, where I used to live, without thinking of Stella Artois and I can’t think of Stella Artois without thinking of Marlon Brando in a Streetcar Named Desire. In any case, Stella Artois is a relatively light Pilsner beer (the variety is named after the city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic). Stella, like many Pilsners, is crisp and flavorful but not a meal like some beers.