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I’ve recently started enjoying beer and so far really like the taste and lightness of Sapporo. Any beers you suggest that are similar?
What are your favorites you think I should try?
I’m in NorCal so local brews are appreciated. I can enjoy beer with my friends now! Lol
Sapporo is a mass market lager. You can try other lagers and pilsners for something similar. Beer snobs are going to look down on something like Sapporo, but it's okay to like what you like. What I might caution is that craft breweries are likely to make beer with stronger flavors than a mass market lager. As you get more experience with beer it is quite possible your tastes will evolve. One reason to like beer is that there are so many styles. While you might like lagers, it would be good to stretch you experience to other styles. A really good resource is Beer Advocate. You can get descriptions of different beer styles and rankings within styles.
As for Northern California, I have limited experience. One brewery I have been to is Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa. They make a vast array of beers including the best IPA I've ever had. Most craft breweries offer "flights" which are a series of small pours (3 or 4 ounces). This allows you to try different beer varieties without committing to an entire glass.
If you like Japanese beer and Sapporo in particular, you might also enjoy Asahi. It's what I order when the restaurant is out of Sapporo. Same light style and fine carbonation.
However, just so my answer is not a measly three sentences long, I would recommend you occasionally try something from the dark-side of beer. I will name only one but there are literally thousands out there and almost all are great.
Spaten is a huge German brewer. They export a lot but you're most likely going to find it in a large supermarket or a Bev-mo or Total Wines etc. It's not usually in the corner liquor store cooler. They make a dark lager called Optimator. If you ever tried Heineken dark or Beck's Dark etc this is the antidote to those poor examples.
Sold in ,33l (six packs, 12 FL OZ) and ,5l bottles (singles). It's about a ~7-8% ABV. For best results, serve well chilled in a tall beer glass. Truth is they're great straight from the bottle, too.
I love to try just about any beer and I have to work hard to find a really bad beer but I have, I'm afraid, found a few. Optamator is the one I know I can always go back to and reset and recalibrate my beer tastebuds.
My favorite beers that every beer enthusiast should try: Newcastle Brown Ale, Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Moose Drool, Alaskan Amber, Mac & Jack's, and last but not least, when I'm at a bar that has limited options, Manny's is a good standby choice. Have fun and don't drink and drive :)
