Guinness is good, but there's a universe of other stouts out there. Try something new!
The world of stout beers doesn't start and end with Guinness (though it more or less did start there, in the early 1800s). The style of beer made famous by the Dublin brewery is a classic dry Irish stout, brewed with roasted barley and carbonated with nitrogen (rather than carbon dioxide).
But there are lots of other stouts in the world worth drinking. American-style stouts often use a higher dose of hops or additional ingredients in the brewing process; imperial stouts have a higher alcohol level; milk stouts have a sweeter flavor from lactose added during fermentation. The list goes on.
St. Paddy's may be a lovely day for a Guinness, but it's also a lovely day for a vanilla-bean stout brewed in Portland, Maine. So try to get your hands on one of these beers this weekend. St. Paddy won't mind. —Clare Goggin Sivits
Obsidian Stout, 6.4%
Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon
Obsidian incorporates a touch of espresso along with chocolatey roasted barley. It was named the World's Best Dry Stout at the World Beer Awards last year. If you can get your hands on this any time of year, definitely try it.
Where to find it: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. It's also available in parts of Canada.
