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Beer

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Jared Louderback

08:39 / 24.03.07

What kind of beer do my fellow 'lithers enjoy?

Tonight I am enjoying some fine Negro Modella, an excellent mexican import, and some Heineken. I am also fond of Guiness now and again.

08:46 / 24.03.07

You have to add a thread summary.

But funny enough, I too have just discovered Modella. These guys I hang out with always seem to have some, in cans, and it's decent enough. Not a huge beer drinker really, you have to drink so many, like you always hear people say they've had eight or twelve beers over the night, and I don't think I could fit twelve glasses of water down my belly in that time. I tend to nurse one or two between shots of stuff.

Jared Louderback

08:56 / 24.03.07

Yes, when drinking specifically for the drunk, beer is not really the way to go, unless there are no other alternative (I personally I always all for a jug of wine) but more and more I find myself able to enjoy a good brew.

For some reason, even though I fancy myself a cultured sophisticate (hah!) the people I am around enjoy the worst beers, which I count as either Bud Light, Bucsh light, or Steel Reserve (ughn).

I guess I should elaborate a little more on what I want to talk about. I am a fan of GOOD beer, be it crazy german imports, or the beer your best friend brews in his basement, and part of me would like to try every beer, even though it is impossible. Beer just really interests me, considering that it has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.

10:10 / 24.03.07

I'm not really a drinker anymore - i quit a while ago, and then, having read a AA book, decided to test the first premise to see if I was indeed addicted - I got myself a drink, and drank it and saw if I could walk away. And I did - no desire to drink the whole bottle of wine, no desire to put the card behind the bar and keep drinking, ignoring the amount, how far over my over draft I could drink - so - there you go.

Anyway, the odd glass of wine aside, I do like a XX (Dos Eques?) with Mexican food while back in Mrs the Ball's home country - I do like a pint of guinness on a very very rare occasion - most beer doesn't do it for me though. For memory loss and the giggles a glass of Belgian beer is always best. (though not Stella - more trapest monk style).

Apart from that, Root Beer is king - no alcohol, and sweet, medicinal smelling happyness.

11:06 / 24.03.07

I drink the same strong lagers as just about everybody else I know - Kronenbourg, Stella Artois, Grolsch, San Miguel.

Some of my friends drink ale, but I always get the feeling they're trying to make some kind of point. I just don't know what.

11:07 / 24.03.07

I'm a real ale drinker, and fully paid-up CAMRA member to boot. I don't mind a decent lager once in a while, especially on a really hot day.

11:36 / 24.03.07

Some of my friends drink ale, but I always get the feeling they're trying to make some kind of point. I just don't know what.

Maybe that they like drinking ale?

11:40 / 24.03.07

Maybe they like drinking ale?

Don't be ridiculous.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

13:53 / 24.03.07

I like Kronenbourg on draught, and Red Stripe from cans.

13:58 / 24.03.07

I like trying new beers when I can. My consistent favorite would have to be Harp. I also like Redhook ESB quite a bit, their IPA is pretty good too, and I loved some of the Magic Hats when I was back East but they don't have that here. I wouldn't say Corona is good but there is just something about it on a summer night.

14:19 / 24.03.07

Ale is the best for pub conversationalists with rolling 'baccy, like myself. my favourites include caledonian 8o shilling and deuchars IPA. I'm also partial to draught kronenburg but i can't get into stella

14:24 / 24.03.07

Arran Blonde. Particularly nice. Also Old Speckled Hen when I can get it.

Leffe blond's nice too but it gives me the runs.

Dark Island. Yum!

14:55 / 24.03.07

Dark Island. Yum!

second.

The Ghost of Tom Winter

00:26 / 25.03.07

Whilst in North Carolina I had some beer from a local brewery known as "Highland Oatmeal Porter" Boy howdy did I fall in love. It was a thick strong beer, just how I like it. My buddy also brought some down to me for Christmas from the same brewery "Highland Winter Ale" which was once again, delicious.

If I intend on getting really drunk, beer is not what I strive for, however it does own itself well sitting around the fire slowly getting more inebriated as the stories go on.

01:56 / 25.03.07

The oatmeal porter is from my neck of the woods. They do make some pretty good beer.
I thought I'd point out the fine Mexican beer mentioned before is actually "Negra Modelo".

09:50 / 25.03.07

Porters are always worth drinking if they are available.

Golden or honey beers are great for summers.

And then there is Imperial Russian Stout

Brewed with a higher alcohol content to withstand transport through the Russian winters...

10:50 / 25.03.07

I am a bad man, the beer I drink most is Fosters, which gets me all kinds of comments from my ale drinking friends. I can drink it quite happily without wanting to be sick for an evening, although when I was younger I could put away a lot more than I can now. really though, I'd prefer a bottle of wine on an evening out, I don't feel so bloated afterwards, and the hangover isn't as harsh (and it doesn't give me the shits nearly as bad - curse my stupid stomach).

And Americans - do you have beer-fests over there? My friend is a CAMRA member, and although I'm not a big ale drinker, I do enjoy my annual ale experimentation, although after an hour you're most likely to find me in the cider room.

lord henry strikes back

19:44 / 25.03.07

At home my usual tipple is Fosters (mostly due to it being 6-for-£5 at the closest offie). When I'm in a pub I go for real ales when they're available. In London either London Pride or Bombardier tend to be the best of what's around. Green King IPA is good if you don't want to feel it the next morning.

I was in the Lake District a couple of weeks ago and tried a good range of Jennings ales. All very drinkable.

19:58 / 25.03.07

Stout. That has at least some vague Irish connection. I think it's genetic, in the sense that two generations above me might disown if I shifted.

I actually find I dislike beer and would rather just have, y'know rum or gin or coffee or water. Really. I'll take a Negra Modelo, given the mood. If someone offers me a Heinekin, I'll accept and give the 'Blue Velvet' line, to be polite. If someone offers Bud, I'll pretend nothing's happened at all, to be polite.

What is it about beer that appeals so, if I may ask all y'all total strangers? In a 'would you drink it if it had no alcohol and tasted like this' sort of way, I mean. And no: you have to add X to it to make it taste right. Adding things and mixed drinks in general is a kind of sin. Unless it makes it a new things. A martini is a martini, but lime and beer, rum and Coke, or chocolate milk and champagne (which my roommate of long ago used to drink for breakfast) are all wrong.

20:01 / 25.03.07

BTW, has anyone had oyster beer? I am slightly astonished that they even have such, since I wasn't aware you were allowed to brew, well, animals. Into beer.

22:14 / 25.03.07

If someone offers me a Heinekin, I'll accept and give the 'Blue Velvet' line, to be polite

It took me a moment to realise you meant "Ah, Heineken!" as opposed to "Heineken? Fuck that shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon!" - which didn't seem very polite...

I'm generally a Guinness drinker, and it's what I can imbibe the most of, the longest. Also fond of Staropramen, which seems to be getting more commonplace. Which is a good thing. For me. My pub/club nightmare is one tap serving Stella... Too many bad hangovers to ever contemplate touching that horrible stuff again.

Jared Louderback

03:56 / 27.03.07

Actually, daytripper, I had a conversation the other day whilst getting beer with some friends as to whether or not the lack of alchol would affect the beer, and I have to admit, I don't know that I would like it as much without it. But I can't say for sure... the reason I started drinking at all was to be drunk, obviously (and you know, peer pressure, and because drinking is just so darn cool) but I truly enjoy beer now, and don't mind springing more money for less beer if the beer is tasty. And I don't always need to drink ten beers in a night (My name is jared, I used to be an alcholic), I am totally happy just have one or two really good beers. At the same time, if they made a super-primo non-alcholic beer, I'm not sure that I would drink it.

I suppose it's the same way with most alchol. I love whisky's robust, woody flavor, but would I drink it if it didn't drive away the boohoos and make me feel like an invincible woman-lover? Probably not.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

04:02 / 27.03.07

I am more of a hard liquor individual, favouring the gin (particularly Bombay Sapphire), but as far as beers go -- there's a local brewery that puts out Hermann's Dark Lager. Probably my favourite. Dark, very-very dark. I also like another local one, the Back Hand of God Stout, although it's not quite as good. Heinie's okay and Guiness is good. I like dark and heavy when I'm drinking beer. I like the bloated feeling that follows to come from something tangible.

I do not like Kokanee or Bud or Molson's. This has something to do with being a smalltown boy but trying to escape it, or suppress it. That said, I've been known to be coaxed into drinking a Lucky Lager (only one or two swaying steps up from your basic Colt 45 piss-brew), but on these occasions the backstory has been dubious and I almost certainly feel it in the morning.

08:44 / 27.03.07

fosters, john? fosters? obviously not an australian. where we have queensland, a state that can't spell, so calls it's tipple xxxx (spoken as 'four ex')

but really, all beers good, only somes better 'n others...

we've a local in canberra called 'wig and pen' that brews everything, and everything's grand. a great velvet stout! and an 'old boot' that is a deep ale flavoured with stuff like clove and aniseed but deeeee-licious.

now another aspect of beer - what size do you prefer? does size matter? me? i'm a big fan of pints and don't quite get small sized beer - an unfortunate affliction in australia where many states have a generic size that is about a half a pint (variously called a middy or a pot. we even have south australia where a 'schooner' is a middy-size and a 'pint' is a schooner sydney [nsw] size. never worked out why they used a real measure and made it a different size...) but pints are excellent amounts to have at one go.

red stripe in jamaica is very good. and surpirsingly, chinese beers in china go down very well! but for everyday, i generally get tooheys ( a nsw brewery of long standing) 'pils', a fresh flavoursome pilsner with some body. but i'll drink most beers.

homebrew: like farts, your own's all right...

12:58 / 27.03.07

Having been brought up in traditional English drinking culture, the pint seems the most obvious and desireable measure.

The first pub my dad ever took me to was a rural "real ale" kind of pub with beer brewed on site. Since then I've always had a soft spot for ales, but I'll drink most types of booze of it's free, and I'll never drink ale in an establishment that I don't think will be capable of keeping the ale properly.

Does anyone like traditional cider? I adore the stuff.

Elijah, Freelance Rabbi

13:38 / 27.03.07

In the winter I like anything from Stone Brewery (specifically their Imperial Russian Stout, Smoked Porter, or Arrogant Bastard Ale) which usually has a pretty hefty kick. When I am feeling spendy I go for the Chimay line. Anything made by monks is usally pretty tasty.

As far as summer brews go it is usually Leffe or Hoegaarden

01:20 / 29.03.07

O'Brien. gluten free beer. not the best beer, but the best i can have, sadly.... pretty reasonable, but not a patch on Guinness.

ORA ORA ORA ORAAAA!!

02:13 / 29.03.07

I had a fosters once. It was in Germany, in an 'aussie bar'. It was the third worst beer I've ever had in my life (the worst being a beer from McDonalds, and the second being some kind of rasberry fruit beer, brewed locally to my hostel in Haarlem).

Ususally, of a Wednesday afternoon free beer event, I'll be drinking Toohey's New, which is ok, but not fantastic. But it's free. I drink Carlton Draught for preference from the usually-available selection at most pubs, and if I'm drinking at home and can't afford to buy delicious belgian/trappist beer.

James Squire's IPA is very good, but a lot of his other beers leave me with a hangover two hours later, from a single beer, which is worrisome. Of course, that can be avoided by having eight or so.

My local bottleshop is run by a nice old Portuguese couple (as is everything in my neighbourhood, which is good), and they import beers from all over the world. They have a much better selection and pricelist than any large commercial bottleshop nearby, and I am working my way through it. Some of the Polish beer is really nice. The Belgian section is next on my agenda, though.

03:15 / 29.03.07

Red Frog, don't feel bad about not liking Fosters. It used to be the beer of choice way back when but I think we all realised it was shit and just exported the stuff to those with less sensitive pallates.

Of course now all the major breweries in Oz now are owned by Lion Nathan in UnZud.

Exept:

Coopers.

How do I love thee, Coopers!

Let me count the ways:

1. Only major brewery still owned and operated by Australians (controlling interest owned by Thos. Cooper and Sons - well, great grandsons these days).

2. Brewed in the bottle without artificial additives or preservatives. Hence, no heartburn.

3. Is the most UV resistant beer in the world. Normal beer (in glass) subjected to sunlight undergoes a chemical change within 5 minutes. Coopers is stable for up to 1/2 an hour.

4.Ralph Magazine's International Beer of the Year 2000 and 2003.

5. Tastes bloody unbelievably good.

Of course all these points would be moot if it weren't for 5.

My particular poison is Coopers Pale Ale, but a Portagaff made with Coopers Extra Stout is pretty damn good too.

The Sparkling Ale also is delicious but at 5.9 alc/vol (I think) is a little too heady at my age.

04:50 / 29.03.07

aah, coopers. aah, james squire (IPA, pale ale, porter - all good!)

and czech beers - yum! zweic (not sure of spelling?) is fabulous, and they all seem to come in decent (500ml) size bottles.

free beer, though, is often best of all. well done, red frog! (btw where is your portuguese cellars?)

ORA ORA ORA ORAAAA!!

04:58 / 29.03.07

I absolutely don't feel bad about not liking fosters. In fact, a small sense of national pride, that we managed to export this menace overseas, has germinated as the result.

Only a small sense of national pride, though. We've been a bit rubbish lately.

I do quite like coopers, too. Usually the sparkling ale. But I have just had a Hoegaarden 'de verboden vrucht', and am currently drinking a Leffe 'radieuse'.

My Portugese bottle shop is in Petersham, occasionally, but not very often, known as 'little Portugal'. It's the closest I've ever lived to a bottle shop, or to really good restaurants. It is bad for my wallet and my waistline. But it's good in almost every other respect.

09:28 / 29.03.07

There is a scottish ale I used to drink called "Selkie". It's blackish in colour and froths a sort of dirty purple yellow. It tastes very wierd but is good.

It get's me bladdered quick as well.

17:03 / 30.03.07

I am a bitter man, and have just discovered Bok Damm, which is the closest thing that Spain seems to offer (I discount the Tetleys on tap available in some establishments).

Bok Damm is brown and toasty tasting, with a bit more fizz than bitter. Only a few places and one supermarket that I know of carry it. Normally I end up drinking Estrella or Moritz, both your bog standard bottled lager. Sometimes Vol Damm (7.2% and cheap). Oh, and of this type of beer, Mahou (from Mallorca) is my favourite. It seems a bit sweeter.

trouble at bill

17:37 / 30.03.07

Guiness was my tipple because it seemed the easiest thing on both the head and stomach the next day. However, due to impending obesity I am trying to avoid all booze and especially beer-booze.

I don't think I could fit twelve glasses of water down my belly in that time.

indeedy - I have a nasty feeling that the beer-drinker's stomach expands soemwhat due to being filled with a somewhat abnormal quantity of liquid but I might just be being paranoid.

06:46 / 31.03.07

o, frabjous day... went to the wig and pen last night (where i waited for an hour for someone who didn't then manage to turn up) to find they have a new red, to add to the wonderful ballyragget red already on offer. the new 'irish red' (i'd have thought a more inventive name was in the offing. shrug) has beautiful toasted malt flavours reminiscent of a good stout. yum.

another pint please...

and i will scour petersham when i next head north... ta.

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