Beverage: Beer (favorite brands & articles about)

the grim squeaker · Post by **the grim squeaker** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:41 am

My favourite tipple is "bothers pear cider" 7.5%, and comes in a pint bottle, do you guys have it over in da usa?

tollbaby · Post by **tollbaby** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:02 am

Brad, I have a book about Beer and Stout that someone gave me. It's a regular-sized paperback, and probably dates back to early 80s-late 70s. I was going to get rid of it in my goodwill pile (gave them 30 boxes LOL) but I figured you might be interested in it. Would you like me to send it to you?

Gil galad · Post by **Gil galad** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:56 pm

When I'm in Germany I drink Erdinger WeissbrÃ¤u mostly, sometimes with Banana or Cherry juice added. In New Zealand I drink mostly Hofbraeu Muenchen because it's much cheaper and easier to get than Erdinger and at the moment in Brazil I'm experimenting with different local beers, but I like Brahma the most so far.

the grim squeaker · Post by **the grim squeaker** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:07 am

Carlsberg and carling rock!

so does a double smirnoff and red-bull.

tollbaby · Post by **tollbaby** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:15 am

hehe Carlsberg is somewhat acceptable here, Carling is considered cheapo beer that nobody buys unless they plan on getting so drunk that they won't taste the beer anymore.

I've noticed that in my end of Canada anyway, we tend to be huge beer snobs.

the grim squeaker · Post by **the grim squeaker** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:13 am

Can you get "olde english" cider out your way?

KeE · Post by **KeE** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:06 am

This christmas I discovered the, in my not-at-all humble opinion, best christmas ale ever. Dark as sin, potent, rich... and live, unfiltered (remember to let sediments sink, let the bottles rest in the cellar for a few days before breaking them out, and treat them with the reverence they deserve) I'll definitely order more beers from these guys.
NÃ¸gne Ã˜- try to order them at your local beverages expert.

Post by **Darb** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:21 am

KeE: Check out the video of stone brewing's visit there {http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q66gMkZZc_w}

I'm a fan of Stone IPA.

KeE · Post by **KeE** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:29 am

Just saw it through a link on their website.
Seems he had a nice time... Grimstad in summer is among Norway's better vacation spots. A friendly and laid back little coastal town, but a bit crowded at the peak weeks of summer.

MidasKnight · Post by **MidasKnight** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:03 pm

I'm normally a non-conformist, but I've discovered a mass produced American beer that is really quite good.

Blue Moon (with a slice of orange).

Post by **Darb** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 2:06 pm

Ive had it. Its very pleasant. Styled after a Belgian White Wheat (orange and coriander). The best exemplar of the style ever brewed on American shores to date was the original "Celis Wheat", brewed back in the early 1990's, which was bought out by one of the big brands and dumbed down for broader appear ... thus killing it.

blacklisted · Post by **blacklisted** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:04 pm

Guinness and Smithwicks
oh yea and Jameson

Post by **Darb** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:23 pm

I take it you're Irish ?

I married Irish.

Which Jameson label do you like / drink most often: regular, 12 yr reserve, or other ?

The Egoist · Post by **The Egoist** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:09 pm

I like Czechvar for true Pilsner, Grolsch for Pils, Anchor Steam for California Common, Guiness for Stout, St. Pauli or Beck's if I need quick reliable beer I can get anywhere, Schiltz and Balantine if I'm going for dirt cheap and Stella in anyplace that has only one lager on tap (around here, that's usually Stella).

I drink Presidente in the Carribean, Harp in Ireland and I'm generally on the wife-beater (Stella, Carling, Carlsberg) in England as I don't like English lager.

If you can't tell, i'm a dedicated lager drinker.

MidasKnight · Post by **MidasKnight** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:59 pm

Stella has to be the worst beer that isn't considered cheap.

Post by **Darb** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:36 pm

What was that you were mentioning the other day about hurting other people's feelings by being overly blunt to the point of crass insensitivity, hmm ?

MidasKnight · Post by **MidasKnight** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:18 am

I'm talking about beer, not people.

voralfred · Post by **voralfred** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:21 pm

My son consistently asserts that he is much more hurt when other disparage things he likes than when disparage him.

You don't have fret right now, MK, he is not so particular about beers.
But never say that you don't like the sound of the horn (the orchestra kind of horn, not the hunting horn) in front of him. That would offend him more than anything you could say about him.

The Egoist · Post by **The Egoist** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:44 pm

Actually, Stella is pretty lousy. I only drink it when the only other choice is ale, which for my taste is only an acceptable choice when lager is not available at all.

voralfred · Post by **voralfred** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:39 pm

The Egoist wrote:Actually, Stella is pretty lousy. (...)

So you are decidedly on a collision course with Brad?

You may lose your best friend, on this forum

As for me, like my son, I am not very particular about beer, and your opinion about Stella does not bother me, so you'll still have someone on the forum that rather likes you (I rather shared your indignation at GB's review of Animal Farm, even though I still agree with this forum's policy that anyone should be allowed to post a review; but then the reviewer must be ready to see his review strongly criticised)

daetara · Post by **daetara** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:53 pm

so in the intervening year.5 that i was AWOL, i discovered that beer can be quite good. partly influenced by the acquisition of a beer snob friend that could probably hold his own in a conversation with brad (both beer AND books!), i've started trying all sorts of beers. of course, i then got pregnant and couldn't drink and have therefore forgotten most of the beers i've tasted.

but the two that i do remember liking are richbrau's griffin golden ale and one of legend's ales (either the golden or the brown, i can't remember). i don't care for guiness although i wouldn't rule out trying it again at intervals, and legend's porter is distinctly not to my taste. sam adams isn't horrible, but if i want a beer that i can get from the supermarket i go for killian's irish red. love that stuff. i've also recently discovered blue moon...my volleyball club has it on draft and it is quite tasty.

brad wrote: The best list seems stacked with a lot of new american entries that have been around less than 10 years, and there are entirely too many stouts, IPAs, dopplebocks and barleywines represented. That's a classic example of the limitations of inexperienced beer judges/fans ... everyone votes for the strongest flavors that stand out in their mind, and beers that exemplify delicate elegance, balance, and gravitate towards the more refreshing end of the spectrum, tend to lose out in such lists.

could you list some examples of those that exemplify delicate elegance, balance, and gravitate towards the more refreshing end of the spectrum?

Post by **Darb** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:31 pm

By coincidence, I delayed my post-op pain meds for the eve, so I'm lucid enough to answer: Know the proverb about giving a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teaching him to fish and he eats for life ? It applies to beer tasting too. My pointing you at particular brands will be of limited help, due to issues with regional availability/distribution, freshness, etc.

What I can give you are (a) styles to look for, and (b) protocols for getting free tastes.

STYLES

Beers that target the 'refreshing' motif tend towards dryness (meaning they're not heavy/filling, more restrained alcohols, and lighter flavors (generally speaking, you're better off with lager and lighter ales like wheat beer, and golden pale ale).

Germany: go with labels that indicate 'munich lager' or 'helles'. Brands abound - hackerpschorr, HB, spaten, paulaner ... all are excellent refreshing beers that are meant to be consumed ice cold in large steins. The germans are masters of the style.

Czech: If you can find it fresh, and if you like slightly hoppy beer, try pilsner urquell, or czechvar.

Belgium: In one of the few instances I'd recommend macrobrew over microbrew, if you goal is refreshing, stella artois is a reliable, if obsequious, choice. Think belgian version of coors, only better and slightly hoppier.

American: The problem here is too many choices, but it's also a blessing. On the macro end you have tasteless, but consitent beers, and on the micro end you have an infinitude of beers that are all over the place style wise and vary wildly in quality and availability. My advice is to seek out and patronize your local brewpubs and brewers (if the latter have tasting rooms) ... it's great fun, and educational, and you get to meet people who like to chat beer. If you're not sure where to go, check your local yellow pages for stores with large beer selections, and the web, papers and food/wine trades for restaurants with lots of taps. Go forth, and taste, and discover what you love ... it varies from person to person.

Now, as to the etiquitte of getting free tastes almost wherever you go ... topic for a near future post about bartenders.

daetara · Post by **daetara** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:22 am

okay, i'll keep those things in mind. have you had the beers i like? because if someone could tell me the flavor profile of them, it would help me figure out what things i like in beer. all i know is that they taste good.

Brad wrote:Now, as to the etiquitte of getting free tastes almost wherever you go ... topic for a near future post about bartenders.

can't wait.

daetara · Post by **daetara** » Mon May 04, 2009 5:29 pm

had sierra nevada over the weekend...not bad, a little more bitter than i like, which my friend said is the hops? i tried to get a stella artois but the place i was at only had it in the main inside restaurant, not the outside venue.

Post by **Darb** » Mon May 04, 2009 5:38 pm

Sierra Nevada pale is a wonderful west coast style ale ... it's a little bigger and more full bodied than it's British counterpart, and quite a bit hoppier.
The hop profile of SN Pale is decidedly reminiscent of white grapefruit pith, and sometimes (if it's really fresh) with faint hints of orange pith, mint and pine resin. Without checking the website, I'd guess centennial (aka super cascade) as the signature hop variety.

The full body makes it slightly less refreshing, but I find it proportionally more satisfying. Calorie and flavor wise, I'd rather have 1 pint of SN Pale instead of 1 1/2 pints of heineken ... no questions asked.