In the U.S. it's impossible (at least where I live) to get a beer that is equivalent to something you get in England. What I'm talking about are the "real ales

In the U.S. it's impossible (at least where I live) to get a beer that is equivalent to something you get in England. What I'm talking about are the "real ales" of England. You get a beer that is 3% to 4%, fresh as hell, served from a hand drawn pump (a cask), kept, yes, a little warmer than you'd expect in the U.S. In Minnesota there is nothing compared to that. Some places will try to have a cask, but it's not the same (they usually use some sort of swirler to fake the real cask ale head). Our beers are just too high alcohol and force carbonated, it just isn't the same. When I visit England, I can drink 4 to 6 of these real ales and just have a mild buzz. Try that with a 7% IPA that you get here, doesn't work. So here's a short list of some of my favorite beers from England. If you get a chance, give them a try! You must have them from a good pub (ask around) and they have to be fresh (they will be at a good pub): Hogsback Traditional English Ale (yes, T.E.A) -- https://www.hogsback.co.uk https://www.hogsback.co.uk Hopback Summer Lightning -- http://www.hopback.co.uk http://www.hopback.co.uk West Berkshire Good Ol' Boy -- http://www.wbbrew.com http://www.wbbrew.com Adnams Southwold Bitter -- http://adnams.co.uk http://adnams.co.uk When I get back into brewing, these are the beers I'm going for ... unless it is indeed possible to "buy a 6-pack of something good instead" ;)