We've tasted a lot of beer, in a lot of places...but some flavors, whether simply and beautifully crafted or outright mind-blowing, stay with you. Here are some of our favorites, and the episodes in which they are featured:

In the New York area, when you go to a street 'coffee cart' and order a regular coffee, that never means black. It means 2 creams, 2 sugars. As they say at Carton Brewing, "A whole lot more like coffee ice cream than coffee." So, they made that:

#13: Barrier Brewing Submersion Double IPA.

The guys at Barrier busted their humps (and their bank accounts) getting a brand new production brewery up and running in Oceanside, NY... just before Hurricane Sandy struck. But there was one interesting survivor from the carnage:

The Guys make a stop in Oceanside, NY, just weeks after the surge from SuperStorm Sandy destroyed the brand-new Barrier Brewing Company on Long Island. Evan, Craig and Sean share their inspiring story (and some mind-blowing beers) as, thanks to the help of many others, they are back, and making better beer than ever!

#12: Short's Brewing Wowee Zowee Ale.

They never let "beer should be this" thinking stop them at Short's Brewing in Bellaire, MI. We have had so many WOW moments at this brewery we've lost count, including with this beer which, believe it or not, truly resembles a mojito:

Jimmy, Mark and Joe stop in to this gem of a brewery in northern Lower Michigan, makers of such off-the-wall brews as Bloody Beer and Key Lime Pie. Yeah, you read that right. Amazing!

#11: Alchemist Brewing Heady Topper Double IPA.

There's little to be said about this DIPA that hasn't been said already: What people really need to know is how good the folks to make it are, and how they view beer as an agent of change:

How are would you go? For some, getting up before sunrise to head to work is an everyday thing; for The Happy Hour Guys, it most certainly is not. UNLESS - they're on their way to Vermont to visit one of their favorite Bev-Tour destinations in recent memory, The Alchemist Brewery in Waterbury. Certainly one would go a long, long way for a beer that some have rated as the best Strong IPA on the planet; but Mark, Jimmy and Scott found some even more compelling reasons to visit. Enjoy!

#10: Wolverine State Brewing Gulo Gulo India Pale Lager.

Wolverine State in Ann Arbor, MI specializes in Lagers, and also caters to HopHeads. Who knew that a clean finishing Lager could have such a faceplant of hops? A wonderful intersection of styles here:

Jimmy, Joe, Pete, (and Mark, in spirit) stop by Ann Arbor, MI to meet up the the Insolent Minx herself, the Ann Arbor Beer Wench. Find out why they've had a 650% increase (that is not a typo) in sales this year. Will Jimmy make it out the door with his pants on?

#9: Breckenridge Brewing Vanilla Porter.

This beer was originally supposed to be a one-off; then, just a seasonal. But it became so popular that Breckenridge decided to make it one of their flagship beers. A nitro version is now out in the marketplace, with an even creamier finish!

The Breckenridge BrewMobile enables a triumphant return to Breckenridge Brewing's Main Brewery at 471 Kalamath Street in Denver for Jimmy and Mark. Many thanks to Marketing guru Todd Thibault and Brewmaster Todd Usry, who take The Guys on a tour of great food, even better brews, and a face full of family and philosophy.

#8: Founders Brewing Kentucky Breakfast Stout.

Jimmy grew up in Michigan, "The Great Beer State", and Founders has an incredible story. They make their Breakfast Stout with Kona Coffee and Belgian chocolate... and what happens when they put that brew in a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel FOR A YEAR? This:

The Great American Trail O Craft Beer takes the Guys to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they find a Brewery making toe-curlingly terriffic beer in a super setting. The Founders of Founders definitely followed their Bliss when making the decision to brew these daring, high gravity, rewarding beers.

#7: Avery Brewing Sui Generis Barrel Aged Sour Ale.

Avery Brewing in Boulder, CO is another survivor; down to their last gasp back in the '90s, they began brewing the beer they'd always wanted (starting with Hog Heaven Barleywine) and the world began to beat a path to their door. Now, their barrel ageing program is one of the country's leading experimental playgrounds. Consider this wonderful barrel aged sour:

The Guys make a special stop outside Boulder to commune with the magical properties... of OAK. Yep, The Happy Hour Guys are beginning a journey into the crazy, unpredictable and many times incredible world of Barrel Aged Beers - and no one is doing more cutting edge stuff in this arena than our friends at Avery Brewing.

#6: Samuel Adams Utopias.

Is this actually beer? It is. Barrel aged to within an inch of its life and weighing in at a massive 22% ABV, this is a swooner:

Jimmy, Mark and Jeff make a stop at the home brewery of the Boston Beer Company, (the makers of all the Sam Adams beers) and discover a whole trove of coolness that is happening, OVER AND ABOVE THE BEER. Amazing.

#5: Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils.

Many Americans view Pilsner as that Boring Yellow Liquid that The Big Guys Make: At Oskar Blues, nothing could be further from the truth:

Mark and Jimmy take one more walk around the beer block in Longmont, Colorado with Marty Jones (of Marty Jones and the Great Unknowns) at Oskar Blues Brewing.

#4: Boulder Brewing Flashback 30th Anniversary India Brown Ale.

If there isn't a category for the style of beer you just brewed? You make one up. The folks at Boulder Beer were the first, for many things. Press play:

Mark and Jimmy and the friendly folks at Boulder Beer step back in time: Way back in 1979, there were only 40 or so craft brewers nationwide. Today, there are more than 1400! And in that time, the State of Colorado has emerged as a hotbed of incredible brewing talent.

#3: New Belgium Brewing Fat Tire Amber Ale.

A crazy-ass Amber? Yes. Because it absolutely sets the bar for the entire style. The folks at New Belgium approach their jobs and their lives in brewing in an very refreshing way... and they make incredibly refreshing beer.

A grand swing through Colorado begins at the home of Fat Tire Amber Ale! Mark and Jimmy point the Happy Hour Rent-a-mobile in the direction of Fort Collins and New Belgium Brewing.

#2: Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter.

One of our favorite Big Porters of all time, made with a nod to one of our favorite writers:

Do you want guys who think Dogs can Fly making your beer? Of course you do! The Happy Hour Guys make a stop in Frederick, Maryland, at the Flying Dog Brewing Company, home of such dynamite brews as the Gonzo Imperial Porter, Snake Dog IPA, Old Scratch Amber and Tire Bite Golden to name just a few.

#1: Three Floyd's Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout.

Is this a 'white whale' beer? Yup. Years ago we braved the madness to sample this vinous, lovely brew... but what was more fun was meeting the folks who were associated with it:

In the pantheon of BEER HAPPENINGS, there are a few days that stand out in the calendar from all the rest; and near the very top of that list is Dark Lord Day.

#.5: New Holland Brewing Beer Barrel Bourbon.

This is not a beer, it's a bourbon, but...it was a beer. No, wait, it was in a beer barrel. That counts, right? To round out the crazy, they're really bringing the innovation at New Holland Brewing:

In Holland, Michigan, they're serious about wood. And we're not just talking about the funny little clog shoes - at New Holland Brewing, this craft beverage maker is using wood in all kinds of different ways to simply blow the craft drinker's palate away. Let's take a look!

What crazy-ass beers have you had that you love? Drop us a line in the comments section. Cheers!