Name your favourite beer

[maugein96]

Aint no such thing. There is ein dunkles Weizen (a dark wheat, wheat being short for wheat beer). Except that in the home country of wheat beer, namely Bavaria, they call it Weißbier (white beer) which becomes sort of absurd in the case of dunkles Weißbier.
...

Tried Flensburger Dunkel a few times. It was OK, but I wouldnt buy it by the case. The Danes come over the border to the big border stores in Padborg and take Danish and German beer, tobacco, and electrical goods home by the truckload.

The Danes make one or two good beers, but Carlsberg Export isnt one of them.

Its been quite a while since I was in either country, but Id rather buy the beer in Germany than Denmark. Elefant is quite a good Danish beer, and so is Carlsberg Gold.

A similar joke exists in Denmark about Swedish beer. A man walks into a Danish supermarket and asks if they sell beer. The store assistant tells him that Danish beer is on the left and Swedish beer is on the right. The guy buys a selection of Danish beer and decides to check out the Swedish beer out of curiosity. When he pushes the trolley towards the right hand drinks aisle he discovers it is full of mineral water and soft drinks!

Its a Danish jibe at the fact that Swedish supermarkets are only allowed to sell beer up to a maximum strength of 3.5%. Anything stronger must be bought from the state run Systembolaget, at state run prices.</QUOTE>

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Until his death around six years ago, I used to take an elderly Uncle out for a drink once a week. The pub we frequented was a "free house" which, for the benefit of those outside the UK, means that the pub was not owned by a brewery.

This freedom allowed landlords to sell "guest beers" from micro breweries, some of which sent my old uncle a bit silly. One beer I remember quite well was "Whistle Belly Vengeance". From memory, this beer had a specific gravity in the order of 6 or 6.5%, and slid down rather well.

"Wobbly Bob" was another favourite of ours, and this beer also had a high specific gravity. "Tangle Foot" was often served in this pub, as was "Pendle Witch" and a host of other nice beers.

Charlie died at the age of 94, and I wonder if he would have lived longer had he not partaken of strong liquor. He quit smoking in his 80's, though he still enjoyed beer & Scotch. Seeing that his driving was getting a little erratic, I advised him to stop. At the age of 92, he finally took my advice, but not before he wrecked his car on the gatepost of his drive. (this incident was not related to drink)

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

 

[maugein96]

Stephen,

Where I'm from the average life expectancy of a male is 54. Several local men confounded all the medical experts by deliberately smoking 60 full strength cigarettes, and drinking half a bottle of whisky every day of their lives, often taking a few beers as well.

At least one of them managed to reach the grand old age of 55, so the figures are a bit suspect.

Tanglefoot is a great Dorset ale, so called when those who first drank it were unaware of its strong (for the UK) ABV of 5%. They often got to the staggering stage after a session, hence the name, "Tanglefoot".

Had beer like that been available in the North Lanarkshire of old, you could maybe have taken a few years off that average life expectancy. Known life expectancy for men in my immediate lineage is 47, 55, 60, 72, and 70. I'll be 65 in September so I'm already on borrowed time, and according to the medical experts I'm owing them just short of 11 years.

94 is nearly twice our forecast life expectancy, so Charlie never did so badly, regardless of what he ate or drank.

I went for a check up at the doctor's and he asked how old I was. I told him I was 64, and he scratched his head before saying: "According to my calculations, you must have been born when you were about 23!" That's the consequences of life in Scotland's "Black Country".

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hi John,

The Maternal side of my family all lived into their 80's and 90's, while the Paternal side rarely made it beyond 75 or 80.

What part beer or cigarettes played in any of that is debatable, but old Charlie drank and smoked practically all his life. My Maternal Grandfather smoked at least 40 Capstan Full Strength cigarettes a day, and he lived until he was 86.

Besides yourself, no-one on this forum knows that two of my cousins drank themselves to death, despite my efforts to guide them away from their reckless path to destruction.

I do enjoy a nice glass of Scotch (Gin & Tonic in summer) and the occasional beer, but am ever mindful of the consequences of enjoying it too much.

Cheers, Old Scout.

Stephen.

 

[StargazerTony]

Don't drink beef myself. Tried it a couple of times but never got the hang of it. I'll stick to my brandy.

 

[Geronimo]

Dont drink beef myself. Tried it a couple of times but never got the hang of it. Ill stick to my brandy.

Well, I am a vegetarian myself but I distinctly remember from when I was still a carnivorous kid that drinking beef was a bad idea. A minimal amount of chewing is really called for. No wonder you did not get the hang of it.

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Geronimo,

Most people will have spotted the fact that Tony hit the "F" key rather than the "R", but only you chose to comment on it. Those two keys are in very close proximity to each other, and I would like to think that the vast majority of forum members would ignore the unintentional mistake rather than draw attention to it.

That is all I have to say on the matter, for now.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

 

[Morne]

Dont drink beef myself. Tried it a couple of times but never got the hang of it. Ill stick to my brandy.

Well, I am a vegetarian myself but I distinctly remember from when I was still a carnivorous kid that drinking beef was a bad idea. A minimal amount of chewing is really called for. No wonder you did not get the hang of it.

Actually, you can drink beef without chewing, although Im not sure how well known or popular it is outside of the Commonwealth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovril

 

[Geronimo]

Dont drink beef myself. Tried it a couple of times but never got the hang of it. Ill stick to my brandy.

Well, I am a vegetarian myself but I distinctly remember from when I was still a carnivorous kid that drinking beef was a bad idea. A minimal amount of chewing is really called for. No wonder you did not get the hang of it.

Actually, you can drink beef without chewing, although Im not sure how well known or popular it is outside of the Commonwealth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovril

Theyd have needed an ad campaign like that of Monty Python for spiced pork and ham, better known by its abbreviation SPAM. By now worldwide.

 

[maugein96]

Geronimo,

Most people will have spotted the fact that Tony hit the F key rather than the R, but only you chose to comment on it. Those two keys are in very close proximity to each other, and I would like to think that the vast majority of forum members would ignore the unintentional mistake rather than draw attention to it.

That is all I have to say on the matter, for now.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

Hi Stephen,

I agree with you that typos are best just ignored.

However, when you actually speak a one letter error it does make a big difference. Some years ago I disgraced myself by trying to order two beers in a posh hotel in Spain.

A waiter asked me what Id link to drink and I asked him for Dos cañas (two small beers). However, the Scottish accent can cause us to pronounce the word can like con. An elderly couple dining nearby stopped eating and began to glare at me. The waiter returned with the tray of dos cañas, with a slight grin on his face and I noted all of the bar staff looking at my wife and I.

I downed the beer in one gulp and told my wife to do the same. She was most displeased and asked what the rush was.

I told her it seemed I had made an error when asking for the beers, but wasnt entirely sure what the problem was.

The truth dawned later, after I looked it up online. Now, Id better not type the word the old couple (and presumably the waiter) thought Id said, in case I cause offence to Spanish speakers. However, if you substitute both of the letters a in cañas, with the letter o, then look up the meaning, youll see what I mean.

I suppose a lot of Spanish waiters got a good laugh out of that one for some time to come.

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hi John,

Just like yourself, I have made the odd linguistic faux pas when travelling abroad, but I will leave the details to history.

One beer I quite enjoyed in Germany was Herforder Edel Export. I have seen it only once in England, and that was many years ago.

Back in the 1960's, the only German beer available in my home town was Lowenbrau. I was never sure whether to drink it or wash my feet in it, though I think the latter course would be preferable. The venue which served this stuff styled itself as a "German Beer Hall", though "pretentious dump" would have been nearer the mark.

Visiting York some years ago, my Wife persuaded me to buy her a meal in a French Restaurant. Summoning up my very best "tourist" French, I asked for a table for two and a menu. The waitress looked dumbfounded, so I repeated my request more slowly and deliberately. She finally confessed that she didn't speak any French, and I subsequently discovered that none of the staff spoke French. By now confused, I asked her exactly what made this place a French Restaurant. It seems that the only thing about it that was French was the sign over the door, and the Kronenburg Lager. (which I quite like)

All The Best,

Stephen.

 

[StargazerTony]

Hi Stephen.

Actually, I do drink beef...well not really, however it may have been some autocorrect or predicative text algorithm combined with a fat finger error. Then again, it may not have been. Same thing sometimes happens with my accordion, though

What it all boils down to, is that I drink no beef, beet, bean, barn, bell, book or candle. I will stick to my brandy. In fact, think I'll have one now.

 

[Waldo]

What abut all threw "Beefeaters" drnkers. Dont thy cownt?

Piss on....
Waaldo

 

[jozz]

I love all these enthusiastic replies on a topic I made while being somewhat drunk but it's kind of depressing when reading about all this life-shortening warnings :mrgreen:

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hi Tony,

Yes, I also have a little dab at the wrong keys on my accordions, but no-one seems to mind very much. Hard lines if they do.

Jozz,

I used to drink an awful lot of beer, and just about anything else I could get my hands on, but those wild days are now behind me.

It was never my intention to dissuade anyone from drinking beer, though I thought it only proper to warn against excess.

Here in England there is an old saying: "We dig our graves with our teeth", which simply means that too much of anything is bad for you.

Kindest Regards To You Both,

Stephen.

 

[donn]

While there has been some interest in other styles, in my part of the world, the flagship brew is a thick India Pale Ale, alcohol in the neighborhood of 6% or 7% and plenty of other nourishment included to balance that. Other things are OK for a little variety, but for once I seem to be in the mainstream in my appreciation for the northwest IPA.

But I do have a fond, if scant, memory of English (and Irish) stouts, as up to I suppose the mid 80s we didnt have much to choose from in domestic beer, and Id get Mackeson or Guinness in preference. I havent had another Mackeson since then, as it really isnt so common here, but Ive had Guinness and wondered if I misremembered how it tasted. While writing this I checked, and apparently I remembered right:

In the 1970s, following declining sales, the decision was taken to make Guinness Extra Stout more drinkable. The gravity was subsequently reduced, and the brand was relaunched in 1981

Oh, well, plenty of fine local alternatives (including one thats got oysters in it, which everyone seems to find expecially tasty.)

 

[maugein96]

While there has been some interest in other styles, in my part of the world, the flagship brew is a thick India Pale Ale, alcohol in the neighborhood of 6% or 7% and plenty of other nourishment included to balance that. Other things are OK for a little variety, but for once I seem to be in the mainstream in my appreciation for the northwest IPA.

But I do have a fond, if scant, memory of English (and Irish) stouts, as up to I suppose the mid 80s we didnt have much to choose from in domestic beer, and Id get Mackeson or Guinness in preference. I havent had another Mackeson since then, as it really isnt so common here, but Ive had Guinness and wondered if I misremembered how it tasted. While writing this I checked, and apparently I remembered right:

In the 1970s, following declining sales, the decision was taken to make Guinness Extra Stout more drinkable. The gravity was subsequently reduced, and the brand was relaunched in 1981

Oh, well, plenty of fine local alternatives (including one thats got oysters in it, which everyone seems to find expecially tasty.)

Donn,

With all these modern craft beers, Guinness has taken a bit of a hammering everywhere. Here in the UK we can still get it in two versions, Original, which is the one I prefer, and Draught, which is the one I definitely dont prefer. Original is only available in bottles and cans, and is slightly stronger than the modern offering which IMHO is like drinking pints of dessert pudding. Thats the stuff they serve from the beer taps in the pubs. It used to be considered proper behaviour here in Scotland to ask a Guinness drinker if you could skip in front of him in the queue at the bar, as it could take a few minutes to pour a pint of Guinness at times, and a round of four lagers would only take half the time!

Guinness have now started delving into other beer styles. They brought out something called Hop House 13, but I never managed 13 little sips out of it before I timmed (poured) it down the sink. A plate of hops with cold water poured over them would have tasted the same.

English brewers now have such a bewildering array of sticky toffee pudding types of beer that Ive reverted to Somerset cider, as I know Ill not need to take any wrappers off it before I chew it!

Some of those IPA jobs from your side have so much hop content that I just cannot face them at all. Lagunitas is passable, but I cant think of any others. Without any disrespect to stuff like MIller, Budweiser, and Coors, the versions they make of those in Europe are frankly awful IMHO. We also used to get a Canadian brew called Labatts. It was good for topping up car radiators, but I just couldnt hack drinking it at all.

Since Australia has become an in place to visit and live in for Brits, Australian beers are also quite popular, especially the ones made in England under licence! If thats what beer tastes like in Australia, I reckon Id just stay in Thailand and drink Singha until the plane came back on its way to the UK!

We now get Mexican beer brewed in Europe, and the stuff laced with tequila is a best seller in some places. To my generation the notion of drinking beer out of the bottle with a slice of lime stuck on the top is like drinking Guinness through a straw.

I could go on (as you know).

 

[donn]

OK, I can use the Mexican beer cue to tie in the linguistic confusion sub-thread - in a small but popular local Mexican restaurant near the university, not very long ago, I ordered a grapefruit margarita - I believe it's just grapefruit juice in place of the lime, sugar water and orange liqueur - and used the name on the chalkboard, "toronja", Spanish for grapefruit. I sat back in delicious anticipation, and after a while she came back with a bottle of beer with a wedge of lime - Corona. How not what I wanted.

I'm glad to see Lagunitas makes it out there to the wide world, or maybe conversely glad to see they can still make good beer while doing it. Their IPA is fair, and so I'm reminded that it isn't just a northwest thing, more west coast - of the US, I'm not aware that Canada has much to do with it, and as you go south (particularly San Diego) the hop edge gets sharper. The really good stuff tends to be costly - the neighborhood brewery, Fremont's IPA is fair though a bit unrefined, at ca. $2.50 a pint in 12 oz cans, but their Imperial IPAs are the good stuff and run over $3.00 a pint, as does Ft George Vortex and others of that caliber. Which I suppose means limited production and reduced likelihood that anyone outside the area will encounter them. On the other hand, Hale's (also within walking distance) and Pike make enjoyable IPAs, Super Goose and Space Needle, for $2 /pt, and I suppose they produce them in volume. All of this stuff is in cans, by the way - it's getting to the point where I give bottles only a cursory glance. Also note, "pint" in my cost/volume figures is ca. 474 ml, but a "pint" serving is 12 oz or less here, = 355 ml, the glassware will hold no more. I see an "imperial pint" is 500ml.

I don't know why Miller et al. come up, or why they wouldn't be treated with any disrespect - they sure are here. There was a sort of fad among the younger set for a while to drink Pabst Blue Ribbon, as I discovered when I played in a band where everyone was younger than myself, but as far as I know no one could distinguish it from the others in an unmarked glass. Sort of an affectation of rejecting affectation, I gather. Lagers in general tend to be left to the mass market here, I suppose the extra strength favorites I've been describing may have left us unable to appreciate more subtle styles.

 

[jozz]

I know what all you guys favourite beer is because I am telepathic:

Your favorite beer is free, and your second favorite is cold....

:ch

 

[donn]

Maybe ... I've been in places where the "green room" was stocked with PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon, a light mass produced American lager), and I left it alone. And last free beer I had, our host offered the choice between refrigerator and room temperature, and we all went with room temperature. Generally I do lean towards cold, though. (I also go to some trouble to let the air out a little, I find many disagreeably carbonated.)