Clemens' preference at least into the 1870s appears to have been (generic)
lager, judging from a handful of letters. Among the supplies he packed for
a trip with Billy Clagett and others from Carson City to the Humboldt were:
"Ten pounds of Killikinick, two dogs, Watt’s Hymns, fourteen decks of
cards, “Dombey and Son,” a cribbage board, one small keg of lager beer and
the “carminia sacrae."

More instances can be found on marktwainproject.org.

He appears to have developed a taste for Bass ale on his trips to England,
but I find no easy evidence to show for it (just memories of (uncatalogued)
bills in the MTP document files). Perhaps this is also mentioned in
interviews.

German beers were quite popular at the Hartford house after his trip to
Europe in 1878-9. For Jan, Mar and May of 1881 there are bills in the MTP
files from Goerz Bros for Pilsner beer, and one bill for Bohemian beer from
another purveyor in 1888. No brand names mentioned.

On Wed, Jul 14, 2021 at 12:52 PM Robert STEWART <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> A local craft brewer has asked if Twain had a favorite beer such as
> Pilsner, ale or dark ale, hefeweisen, etc. Has anyone in the Forum ever
> noted a Twain mention of a lager or ale he favored? Brewer said there may
> be an event at a brewpub here in Carson City, Nevada, the city where in
> 1863 Sam Clemens first used the name Twain to sign a letter to the
> Territorial Enterprise, and the brewer wants to have an appropriate brew
> ready for it.
>