Immigration and Beer

JUST ABOUT BEER...'CAUSE I LOVE IT

When France (who, while they produce great wine, doesn't really have much much in the way of beer) gifted us the STatue of Liberty, we faced her towards the Atlantic. We implored on this lovely symbol of freedom that countries send us their poor..their tired...thier hungry. But we forgot to have them send us their thirsty! Their beer!

Well, as luck would have it, as people flocked to America, they brought their beer with them. And now, other countries send us their beer! This is a special kind of immigration. Oh sure...legally, I guess it is importation. But ideally...we are gaining a heritage, some personality and an ehnancement to our own enjoyment. What goes into truly excellent beer is the same love and effort that goes into a family.

Take for instance: Hacker Pschorr. This is a German brewery that has been around since the mid-1400s. We haven't even been a country as long as they have brewed beer! We are lucky that they have seen fit to travel across the Atlantic and settle on our shores! 600 years of brewing excellence! 24 generations of consistency! This is not a product import...this is the immigration of an entire family and history.

This brings me to a poll.

Which country has sent us their most consistently best "immigrants?" Is it Ireland with their Guinness and Murphys? Germany with their Hacker-Pschorrs and Warsteiners? Belguim with their multitude of wheat beers? Anyone else? Or in this great melting pot, have we taken all the best and incorporated it into our own microbrews...are we now the best with our Sam Adams-es and Sieraa Nevadas?

Post your opinions....who brews most consistently the best (not widest variety...that's another question for another day)? One great beer after another...who does it?