🚨 I’m saying this up front, don’t drink while operating engines or tractors. The safest way to operate these old machines is sober and away from the bottle. 🚨
BUT,
If you’re just going to have a beer, share some stories and listen to those engines run…then here’s my list of the top 10 beers to drink while listening to engines.
Some Background
Even before I was a teenager, I attended the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show in Portland, Indiana with my father for years. He set up in the vendor area and sold tractor and engine parts. We used to stay on the grounds and sleep in a 1977 GMC crew cab dually.
Every night we’d close up shop and walk up to the grandstand area to get something to eat. This included myself, my father and our friend Rex. We’d usually get some kind of burger, followed up by ice cream.
There were hundreds of engines on display. They ranged from large oil field engines, to scale models and they would run all night. I remember falling asleep to the sound of engines firing.
At night the displays are lit with yellow dogs or smudge pots, (cast iron pots filled with kerosene and a lit wick), or by lights powered with an electric generator spinning by the belt of an internal combustion engine.
Dad knew a lot of the engine collectors that displayed at the show. We would eventually end up at someone’s display we knew and sit to visit. I’d listen to different stories about recent excursions to get new pieces, reminiscing on the early days of collecting, and sometimes get a history lesson.
All around us was the sound of engines coasting and firing, the smell of raw gas and exhaust smoke, the air hazy, it was wonderful.
When I got older, I found I liked to have an occasional beer and then I got into craft beers. I’d rather drink one craft than six light beers.
The Beverage
I think a low cal and low alcohol by volume is best here. You don’t want to get too loose lipped and say something you shouldn’t like where an engine you’re hunting is or talk bad about someone because a deal soured or just plain make a fool of yourself.
So let’s get started, here’s my list of ten beers to drink while listening to engines, in no particular order.
Miller Lite – Miller Brewing Company
I needed to have at least one light beer on this list, so Miller it is. I’m not a fan of Coors Light for a number of reasons I won’t discuss. There are other lights I would have mentioned, but brews from that company will not be mentioned. It’s 4.2% ABV and just 96 calories, a great choice if you plan to B.S. all night.
So if you’re going to drink a flavorless, watered down beverage, I guess I’d go with Miller Light. It’s not the worst thing if you have it with a lime.
Milwaukee’s Best – Miller Brewing Company
I was introduced to this beer by my brother-in-law who drank it in college. I’m not sure what to say about it, but it’s made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by the Miller Brewing Company. It’s 4.8% ABV and 128 calories.
There’s also Milwaukee’s Best Light, which is 4.1% AVB and 96 calories.
Both of these beers are lovingly or unlovingly referred to as “the beast.” It gets the name for being a cheap, possibly the worst tasting, highly carbonated beer ever made and for its next morning diarrhea and nausea.
PBR – Pabst Blue Ribbon
I first learned the name PBR from my father, who used that as his go to beverage when he drank, which wasn’t very often. I later became a fan of the beverage in college where you could get a one dollar draft. You have to be careful because for me, it had the same after effects of “the beast”.
While in college the drink also became popular with the hipster crowd and since has moved more into the mainstream. It’s 4.8% ABV and 144 calories.
Shiner Light Blonde – Shiner
I only recently discovered this beer while looking for an alternative to another light beer. It is a solid light blonde with a nice smooth flavor that’s less filling. It’s 4.2% ABV and 99 calories.
Flyjack AKA Mind Haze Light IPA – Firestone Walker
I was introduced to Firestone Walker by some collector friends from California in 2021. I hadn’t heard of the company from Paso Robles, California. Now about every store that sells beer will have their 805 on the shelf.
I’m a big fan of their selection of IPAs and got hooked on their Mind Haze, a hazy IPA.
One of my friends from California handed me a beer and said, “Try this”. I did and It was a delicious IPA. That’s when he told me its a light beer with 100 calories. IPAs are known for their higher ABV and about as many carbs as a loaf of bread. Finding one that was low in each was the silver tuna.
I didn’t think that a light beer could taste like that. The beer was called Flyjack, released in 2020 and only recently discontinued. It lives on as the Mind Haze Light. It’s 4% AVB and 100 calories.
High Light – Lo-Cal Easy IPA – SweetWater Brewing Company
This is a nice tasting easy to drink IPA that’s 4% AVB and 100 calories. I was a little freaked out when I first drank this as there was some kind of cloudy stuff in the bottom of my glass. I had to do some Googling to find out that they’re just harmless unfermented yeast particles.
During the last stages of the brewing process, the brewer will add a small amount of sugar and yeast to keep the beer balanced and carbonated. This produces another fermentation in the container, resulting in white particles at the bottom of the bottle.
I found it didn’t do anything to the flavor, and you can just be careful how you pour or not drink all the way to the bottom.
Founders All Day IPA – Founders Brewing Company
If you haven’t noticed already, I have a liking for IPA beers. I love the taste, but you certainly could not drink it all day without getting totally lit.
Founders All Day IPA has become a favorite, and just as its name suggests, because it’s low in AVB you can drink it all day, although with its calorie count I’m not sure you want to.
Founders makes six different All Day IPAs. I’m partial to the All Day Session IPA that’s 4.7 AVB and 140 calories. I enjoy it in the summer while grilling out, not just listening to engines run.
The All Day brews include,
-All Day IPA – Session IPA
-All Day Haze – Session Haze IPA
-All Day West Coast – Session West Coast Style IPA
-All Night IPA – Session Black IPA
-All Day Chill IPA – Session Cold IPA
-All Day Crimson Sky IPA – Session Red IPA
The AVB and calorie count vary for each.
Yuengling Light Lager – Yuengling Brewing Company
Yuengling holds the title of America’s Oldest Brewing Company or at least their marketing claims it. I got on to Yuengling when I lived in Indiana. You can only get it in 26 states and Indiana is one of those. They have a nice tasting Light Lager that’s 4% AVB and 99 calories.
If you’re wondering if you’re one of the 26, check on their website, https://www.yuengling.com/beer-finder/
Spotted Cow – New Glarus Brewing Company
Continuing with another beer that has a limited distribution network. If you want a New Glarus beer you have to go to Wisconsin. New Glarus does not distribute outside of Wisconsin and they do not ship their beer.
Another brew my brother-in-law introduced me to was Spotted Cow. The Spotted Cow is a cream ale, that the company’s website describes as a Farmhouse Ale, that you should expect to be, “fun, fruity and satisfying.”
The Spotted Cow is New Glarus’ best selling beer making up two thirds of the beer it brews each year.
The company says the reason it only distributes in Wisconsin is because when it tried to sell it in the Chicagoland area from 1998 to 2002 they struggled to keep up with demand.
Think it’s a great strategy for creating scarcity and demand. Buying it in Wisconsin is a treat, but being able to buy it every day, everywhere might just make it another craft beer lost in a growing number of others. Either way its a great beer, so if you’re in Wisconsin be sure to pickup a case.
Hazy Little Thing – Sierra Nevada Brewing
The Final one on my list is…..Yes, another IPA. Sierra Nevada has a whole line of beers they call Little Things. You need to be careful drinking this one with its 6.7% ABV and 214 calories.
It’s a very nice hazy IPA with a bright flavor, but is a bit on the heavy side.
The other Little Things include,
-Hazy Little Thing – Hazy IPA
-Wild Little Thing – Slightly Sour ALE
-Big Little Thing – Imperial IPA
-Sunny Little Thing – Citrus Wheat ALE
-Tropical Little Thing – Limited Time Hazy IPA
-Juicy Little Thing – Hazy IPA
-Dank Little Thing – Hazy IPA
I haven’t tried all of these, but I’d recommend the Big Little Thing and the Hazy Little Thing for sure, but just remember to go easy.
So what brews do you enjoy while listening to engines run? Leave a comment below and if you like this article, consider subscribing to get the latest updates and special offers.
By Dan Boomgarden Nov 2023 copyright
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