Anchor Steam (Maggie Mae's, Sunnyside)

I decided to do a little traveling to find a new beer this weekend, though I have several sitting at home. Found this guy at an Irish pub called "Maggie Mae's" less than a block from the apartment. The bar had some good reviews, but quickly disappointed thanks to blasting b-lot techno-pop and a crowd that made the Jersey Shore look like a WASP wedding. The same, unfortunately, can be said about the beer. With a name like "Anchor Steam", I expected a hardy, unfiltered shore lager. I got water instead. It's clean and crisp, but in the same manner that water is clean and crisp. Any taste it does have vanishes immediately, leaving you ready for the real beer. An ABV of 4.9% doesn't redeem it either. Not totally for the dogs though. I would take it over a shwag any day, and there are far worse things. I wouldn't gravitate to it in a store, but it could be a relief in if you find yourself at a college town nickle night. Think of it as a top-shelf beer pong beer.

Anchor Brewing's "Anchor Steam Beer": 3 out of 5

http://anchorbrewing.com/beers/

I've got 2 more and a profile in reserve. In the mean time, I wander on...