Beer!

[raitalin]

I just recently discovered a local grocery that sells mix-and-match microbrew six packs, after being unable to locate one within a reasonable distance since I was in college. So I've spent the last day sampling various brews and thought I'd make a thread to discuss them.

Obviously, you should be of legal age to drink in your area to contribute to this thread.

I found a great local brown ale "Barley Island's Dirty Helen" that I've absolutely fallen in love with. It might be the best beer I've ever had out of a bottle. Flavorful, not too bitter or sour. Should've taken notes on it last night while I was drinking to do it justice.

After much recommendation I tried Three Floyd's Gumballhead and found it excessively sour.

Also on recommendation Rogue's "Dead Guy Ale". Meh, nothing wrong with it, except perhaps the price for what you get.

Having never had St. Pauli Girl I broke my rule about green bottles (everything out of them tastes skunky to me) and tried their lager. Not bad, but still has a skunky odor I don't enjoy, and isn't particularly flavorful.

So let's all talk about beer, offer recommendations, trash talk various country's brewing habits, comment on why things like Heinekin are horribly overrated, etc.

[The Extinguisher]

I can tolerate beer, and that's really all I care about. It's pretty gross.

[smellie_hippie]

Eh... I make my own.

My next recipe is for a Whiskey Scottish Ale. Soaking oak chips for about two weeks before starting the beer brewing, then adding the entire contents of the chips and remaining alcohol into the fermenter with the beer. Should come out well... and top off at around 12-17%.

Next up, bacon beer. Yes you heard me correctly..... bacon beer. I tried it in Asheville a few weeks ago. I'm putting about 2 1/2 pounds of smoked bacon into a porter just as I described above. It'll be awesome!!

Personal tastes in beer purchases? The last eber I bought was New Belgium's 1554. Very tastey.

[Zeb The Troll]

I need to get back into brewing my own. I don't even have any equipment any more and I'm not sure I even remember how to do it. :smallcool:

Homebrew is by far the best beers I've ever had. Even my own very first batch, which I flubbed by scorching the malt, was pretty darned good in the end.

[Keld Denar]

Oh beer, how I love thee!

Favorite Pilsner - Pilsner Urquell, although it doesn't taste nearly as good in the states as it did in the Czech Rep. Even if you have a green bottle phobia, this one won't disappoint you. Bit pricy though.

Favorite Wheat - Bell's Oberon. Bells Brewery is a small microbrew in Kalamazoo, MI. Oberon is their summer wheat beer, and man is it good. Probably the best. Ever. Too bad I can't get it out here any more, but I used to drink it in college ALL the time.

Favorite IPA - Harpoon. Boston's finest, and I don't mean that Sam Adams crap. Harpoon is an amazing little brewery over in Beantown. Man is that good.

Honorable mention - Arcadia Brewing Company's Whitson and the Seattle local Mac and Jack's. Neither of these beers really fit into any kind of traditional catagory. Maybe thats why I like them. Try em if you can get em.

Super special shoutout to anything that comes out of a brewpub. I love going to brewpubs and trying all their different concoctions. Lately I've been enjoying a crisp IPA from a place called The Ram in Seattle, as well as the exploits of the Pyramid Brewery, also in Seattle. I still have fond memories of Harpers in East Lansing though, their Raspberry Wheat was soooooo good, you didn't even care that you were a dude drinking a beer made from fruit.

[Sneak]

It's all about the pale ale. Dogfish Head is the best.

[Ninja Chocobo]

Home brewer reporting in, although it is imperative that I discard the training wheels of malt concentrates in short order.

[smellie_hippie]

Don't worry about using malt concentrates. We have award winners over hear that still use "pre-packaged kits". I have gone all-grain for about three different beers, and one of them is close to one of my favorites.

I did a Nut Brown Ale as my second all grain, based on a True Brew kit beer (http://www.crosby-baker.com/TrueBrew.htm). I'm planing on having a Beer Birthday, and getting my own mash-tun. I hope to be able to hook my outdoor burner up to the gas from my house, so I don't have to buy propane tanks anymore either... :smallamused:

[KuReshtin]

IN Sweden, it's illegal to brew any beer at home that turns out with more than 2-3% alcohol strength. There were a bunch of hoimebrew kits that were sold with specific instructions to "add [X amount] sugar to the mix. DO NOT add [X*4 amount] of sugar, as the end result will be about 10% strengthm and that's illegal to brew at home."

Or something to that effect.

Personally, I can't stand beer. I'm more of a cider-man myself.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Having never had St. Pauli Girl I broke my rule about green bottles (everything out of them tastes skunky to me) and tried their lager. Not bad, but still has a skunky odor I don't enjoy, and isn't particularly flavorful.

Interesting note: This is why my boyfriend likes the smell of skunk.

I have nothing further to add to this conversation, since I prefer harder liquors mixed with Cranberry juice to hide the flavor, and beer is icky to me.

[Trog]

Eh... I make my own.
And I can personally vouch that Hippie makes some damn good beer indeed. P=

*applies Trog Seal of Approval*

As for other beers I like, my tastes vary. Off the top of my head, beers I've enjoyed are Harp, Guinness (mmm... Black & Tans), Killian's Irish Red, Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat, Corona (hot summer days only - lime is nice to kill a little skunkiness if needed), Warsteiner (bitter and good in the fall with a brat), a local beer called Downtown Brown, and I've liked a few custom batches produced out of the New Glarus brewery. Too bad they can't make some that I've had all year 'round... or ever again, as they are basically experimental small run batches. None of these choices are really exotic I guess and I couldn't say I have a single favorite beer as there's just too much to try and to enjoy to narrow it down just one. Plus trying new things is fun. :smallsmile:

[Pepz]

Ah beer, such a lovely subject.

I'm personally a big fan of triple (tripel ) (sp?) beers. Maredsous and Corsendonk are two of my favourites. A lot of the beers around here are quite good. Duvel, Palm, Hertog Jan, Jupiler and Brand.

I would like to apologize for Heineken, even Dutch people don't like it, and we're the country that invented it. If it's any consolation, some bars here have even worse beer called Amstel. Take goat's piss. Imagine a guy who loves drinking goat's piss, for the taste. Even that guy would not be able to enjoy Amstel.

Oh and belgian beers are great, and I'm ever so happy I live near Belgium :smallbiggrin:

[charl]

Mmm. I do love me some beer. Used to make my own too, though it's been a while now. Currently my favourite is Circlemaster. It's a great ale.


Ah beer, such a lovely subject.

I'm personally a big fan of triple (tripel ) (sp?) beers. Maredsous and Corsendonk are two of my favourites. A lot of the beers around here are quite good. Duvel, Palm, Hertog Jan, Jupiler and Brand.

I would like to apologize for Heineken, even Dutch people don't like it, and we're the country that invented it. If it's any consolation, some bars here have even worse beer called Amstel. Take goat's piss. Imagine a guy who loves drinking goat's piss, for the taste. Even that guy would not be able to enjoy Amstel.

Oh and belgian beers are great, and I'm ever so happy I live near Belgium :smallbiggrin:

Triple is great stuff. Maredsous and Duvel are two of my absolute favourites. Ever tried Gulden Draak? I absolutely love that one.

I am also a fan of kriek beer. The cherry does mask the taste of the beer, but for the occasional treat it's great stuff.

[valadil]

I'm really loving this batch of Sam's Winter Lager. Their Summer Ale this year was awesome too. Sorry Keld, but I like this stuff a lot more than any Harpoon I've ever tasted.

Agreed that Dogfish Head is amazing. And I don't even like pale ales.

Allagosh's white blegian ale is something everyone should try.

The best beer I've had in a while was a Flying Dog. It was silky and smooth (which is not something I usually expect or want from a beer). I forgot which kind though and I've been sampling all the Flying Dog I can get my hands on, but have yet to find it again.

[snoopy13a]

Heinekin has had a great marketing campaign in the US over the years. I've always thought that many of the people who drink it do so to appear trendy instead of for the taste.

Some of the beers I like:

Guinness, Harp's, Newcastle, Bass, Tetley's, Yuengling (oldest brewery in US), Sam Adams, Saranac, Pete's Wicked, Magic Hat, St. Pauli Girl (I admit I initially bought for the label), etc.

Recently though, I've been drinking more mass market American/Canadian beers like Labatt Blue. Honestly, there are few beers that I don't like. I only really dislike wheat beers.

[Tawmis]

For those that don't like beer, might I recommend Killians Red. (http://www.georgekillians.com/) It goes down like water. Doesn't have a nasty taste, like your "standard" beers. It's very easy to drink, which is probably its own fault - as it becomes very easy to become intoxicated with such a delicious beer.

Now for those of you who DO enjoy beer might I recommend one of the best beers I ever found - on accident! - in New Orleans. Abita Amber (http://www.abita.com/) is so delicious. It's a New Orleans beer I found while visiting New Orleans (aduh) last year - and now I go out of my way to get it at Beverages & More (I refuse to call that place by it's current name).

[Don Julio Anejo]

Hmm... this is one thing I could go on forever on :smallsmile: Some of the beers I like very much (in no particular order):

- Newcastle
- Sleeman's Honey Lager (darkish honey lager, kind of like Newcastle)
- Leffe (Belgian blonde)
- Konig Ludwig (German weiss)
- a bunch of other imported weisses that I can't remember the names off to save my life and even if I could, wouldn't be able to spell anyway

Some of the beers I kind of like but only drink if I can't drink any of the above:

- Samuel Adams
- Harp
- Granville Island Honey Lager (local microbrew... they have other great stuff too like their Pale Ale)
- Asahi (it's so bad it's actually good!)
- Guiness

What I hate: any of the watered down North American lagers that taste like apple juice. I'm looking at you Molson, Budweiser, Corona. Heineken also falls under this category despite being Dutch.

[raitalin]

Killian's Red is my general stand-by when I'm looking to drink more than a six-pack in one night, although I've also rediscovered Dundee's Honey Brown recently. I also enjoy New Castle, but its a tad pricey to drink regularly.

I was disappointed by Harp, maybe I've just been away from the lighter ales for too long, but I could barely taste it.

My personal favorite Sam Adams is the Oktoberfest, though the Cherry Wheat is fine too. Never much cared for their standard brew.

Had a Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat last night, very good.

Wish I had the space in my apartment to home-brew, but alas its already pretty cramped in here.

[Iruka]

Normally, I prefer wheat beer, but during this year 'Herbsthäuser Edel-Pils', from a brewery in southern Germany, became my favourite beer. Very nice beery taste, but not bitter.

[Joran]

It's all about the pale ale. Dogfish Head is the best.

I have a Dogfish Head beer house about 5 minutes from my house.

As for my preferences, I really shouldn't drink beer. I seem to have a pretty severe deficiency in acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. This means, after only one beer, I flush, my heart starts to race, and I have a pretty bad headache.

That said, I prefer beers that aren't heavily hopped; I don't like the bitterness. So, I usually shy away from IPAs (Indian Pale Ales) and the Czech/German style of brewing. I prefer porters, stouts, and some Belgium beers. The Belgiums... are interesting.

[THAC0]

If you ever happen to be in Anchorage, Alaska, go to Moose's Tooth for their Hard Apple Ale or whatever seasonal goodies are on first tap. They had a fantastic pumpkin beer this fall, and a few months ago had a Brutella - hazelnut and chocolate!

Only beer I'll drink.

[Weimann]

I can drink beer if I've already had a couple of other beverages to dull my critical sense of taste.

[Kneenibble]

What defines Canadian small operation brewers? I don't know, but a lot of them seem to legitimize themselves with a blurb about how ancient and European their recipe is. The old prejudices are alive and well, if a little stifled under the "can't see me!" blanket.

I love strong beers. Like, wine-strong beers, 10, 11%. I know that guy who's actually from Quebec, thorgrim or something, disagrees with me, but I like Unibroue's malty liquid fire.

Oh, there's a local beer called Stir Stick Spout which is already quite dark and chocolately and has coffee added. Delicious. I'm envious of all of yous talking about pumpkin beer and that kind of thing, except bacon beer. :smallyuk:

Has anyone tried lambic?
Has anyone made lambic?
Has anyone made, or drunk beer with herbs other than hops?

[SDF]

There's probably 20 microbrews and brewhouses within 10 minutes of my house. My favorite is Table Rock.

Also, this topic. I am drinking it now.

[Supagoof]

Eh... I make my own.
A mighty fine beer as well. The Hippie brews get the Goof seal of approval, which along with Trog's, makes it a GT beer.

Hippier Brew GT - for when store bought beer isn't good enough.



Next up, bacon beer. Yes you heard me correctly..... bacon beer. I tried it in Asheville a few weeks ago. I'm putting about 2 1/2 pounds of smoked bacon into a porter just as I described above. It'll be awesome!!
Oooh, can you promise to save me a bottle for the meetup?

My personal favorite - Leinenkugels Honeywise, Shiner Bock, Newcastle, Bass, Blue Moon & Elephant. Yep - I tend to stay on the lighter side of things.

@ Snoop - you live in/around the twin cities? I ask because of A. St. Pauli Girl beer choice and B. User Name - both relates to my beloved city of birth.

[charl]

Has anyone tried lambic?
Has anyone made lambic?
Has anyone made, or drunk beer with herbs other than hops?

Yes, I've had Lambic. I generally like it. I have never made Lambic, which is probably because I don't live in southern Belgium. And I have both made and had beer with other herbs than hops in it, though to be fair the herb in question is closely related to hops. Didn't make the beer anything special, other than give it a strange but not entirely unpleasant aftertaste.

[Copper8642]

Beer! And Lego! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATBl4qH9I54)

[charl]

Beer! And Lego! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATBl4qH9I54)

:smallbiggrin:

[Zar Peter]

Sorry for the english but I just had 3 1/2 beer... well it matches with the thread I think. I'm quite happy to live in an area where I'm only 1 or 2 hours away from the best beer brewery`s in the world (Czech Republic). And Austrian beer isn't bad at all, too.
I was pretty impressed by the black beers in Ireland (Guinness, Murphys) but they are mostly kidney medication (drink 2 of them and you have to pee 4 times in the night :smallbiggrin:)

My favourite beer is Budweiser (the original, not the american) and Starobrno.

[SDF]

Regular Budweiser is not bad. Bud Light is pretty rank, up there with Keystone and Rolling Rock. In fact out of those types of beer PBR is the only one I can enjoy drinking.

[raitalin]

Regular Budweiser is not bad. Bud Light is pretty rank, up there with Keystone and Rolling Rock. In fact out of those types of beer PBR is the only one I can enjoy drinking.

I often lament the fact that I can no longer find PBR in bottles. It is the King of Cheap Beer.

[DraPrime]

Beer is good? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-jOEAufDQ4)

[Zeb The Troll]

Recently tried and highly recommended...

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis (http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/kellerweis.html). It's an open fermented hefeweisen with outstanding subtle flavors and a very clean finish, despite it's hazy presentation.

Just remember when drinking this that it's important to follow the instructions on the bottle, and pour about 2/3 of the bottle into a glass, swirl the bottle, and pour the rest into the glass. If you just drink it out of the bottle, or don't swirl, you'll end up with a mouthful of yeast at the end.

Also, Hippie, you're planning to start doing your own mash too?

*bows to the awesome of the Hippie*
------------------------------------------------

*adds Troll Certified Quality Handcrafted Beer stamp to Hippie Brew*

If others of you would like to get Playgrounder Seals of Approval for you homebrews, I'll be happy to PM you my address. I'm sure Trog and Goof would be happy to sample as well. :smallcool:

[Ninja Chocobo]

If others of you would like to get Playgrounder Seals of Approval for you homebrews, I'll be happy to PM you my address. I'm sure Trog and Goof would be happy to sample as well. :smallcool:

I'm quite certain it's illegal for me to mail alcohol internationally.

[charl]

I'm quite certain it's illegal for me to mail alcohol internationally.

Well, it's not illegal inside the EU. If any European playgrounders want a charl seal of approval you are free to mail me samples. :smallbiggrin:

[Zeb The Troll]

I'm quite certain it's illegal for me to mail alcohol internationally.Really? Hmmm, it may well be. But I know it's not illegal to mail alcohol in general. I've found several online vendors that will let a person of legal age purchase alcohol for mail delivery, to areas where they don't have a retailer, for example. I also had a friend who was part of a "Wine of the Month" club that got her deliveries via USPS. I believe it to be true, however, that each state individually regulates whether or not alcohol can be mailed into or out of it so that would have to be researched separately for each location.

[skywalker]

And I can personally vouch that Hippie makes some damn good beer indeed. P=

*applies Trog Seal of Approval*

As for other beers I like, my tastes vary. Off the top of my head, beers I've enjoyed are Harp, Guinness (mmm... Black & Tans), Killian's Irish Red, Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat, Corona (hot summer days only - lime is nice to kill a little skunkiness if needed), Warsteiner (bitter and good in the fall with a brat), a local beer called Downtown Brown, and I've liked a few custom batches produced out of the New Glarus brewery. Too bad they can't make some that I've had all year 'round... or ever again, as they are basically experimental small run batches. None of these choices are really exotic I guess and I couldn't say I have a single favorite beer as there's just too much to try and to enjoy to narrow it down just one. Plus trying new things is fun. :smallsmile:

Downtown Brown is, surprisingly, sold at a couple local stores (in TN!). Unless I'm much mistaken, you still live far away from here.

Please don't call it a "black & tan," the phrase still has a legacy of cruelty and hardship in Ireland. That being said, I love half-and-halfs. I've been told that in Ireland, they are most frequently prepared as half Guinness, half Smithwick's, which is a delicious, delicious combination, especially for one such as myself, who hates lagers almost across the board.


Eh... I make my own.

My next recipe is for a Whiskey Scottish Ale. Soaking oak chips for about two weeks before starting the beer brewing, then adding the entire contents of the chips and remaining alcohol into the fermenter with the beer. Should come out well... and top off at around 12-17%.

Next up, bacon beer. Yes you heard me correctly..... bacon beer. I tried it in Asheville a few weeks ago. I'm putting about 2 1/2 pounds of smoked bacon into a porter just as I described above. It'll be awesome!!

Personal tastes in beer purchases? The last eber I bought was New Belgium's 1554. Very tastey.

Makes mental note to put serious effort into attending the 2010 meetup.


Really? Hmmm, it may well be. But I know it's not illegal to mail alcohol in general. I've found several online vendors that will let a person of legal age purchase alcohol for mail delivery, to areas where they don't have a retailer, for example. I also had a friend who was part of a "Wine of the Month" club that got her deliveries via USPS. I believe it to be true, however, that each state individually regulates whether or not alcohol can be mailed into or out of it so that would have to be researched separately for each location.

It is definitely illegal to mail wine into TN, as our distributors really gain from this monopoly.

In general, as mentioned before, I prefer ales. I will drink Sam Adams Boston Lager if I must, because it tends to be rather common these days. Yuengling is the only lager I've genuinely enjoyed and, miraculously, it is incredibly common (and getting cheaper) around these parts.

Obviously, Guinness, the aforementioned Smithwick's, and Newcastle are delicious ales from the Isles.

And, as a 21 year old Southern male college student, I gotta throw it up for Natty Light! Natural Light: Are you drinking the beer, or the can itself? Exactly.

[raitalin]

I've drank am awful lot of awful beer in my time, and Natty Light and Milwaukee's Best are duking it out for the bottom spot. I have to hand it to Milwaukee's best though, as it actually gets better when it goes flat.

[Ninja Chocobo]

The second-best cheap beer is Toohey's New. The best is my home brew, since it's like $1AUD/longneck.

[Zeb The Troll]

Please don't call it a "black & tan," the phrase still has a legacy of cruelty and hardship in Ireland.*looks up legacy* I'll be darned. I'd never heard that before.

[Urbek]

I brew my own...

Deep Winter Stout
Oaked Porter
Honey Porter
Red Ale
Pale Ale

and most recently, bottled a club brew...
Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout 11% ABV, 92 IBU's, SRM ∞

I just can't find a commercial beer I can really enjoy, but when I'm out of my own brew, I try various microbrews.

[smellie_hippie]

I brew my own...

Deep Winter Stout
Oaked Porter
Honey Porter
Red Ale
Pale Ale

and most recently, bottled a club brew...
Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout 11% ABV, 92 IBU's, SRM ∞

I just can't find a commercial beer I can really enjoy, but when I'm out of my own brew, I try various microbrews.

Deep Winter Stout? :smallsmile:

You share recipes with me now. I've done a nice Aged Oak centennial which is about 18 weeks old now. It's maturing very nicely.

I plan on repeating the process with my Whiskey Porter and my Bacon Beer. I'm trying to decide which kind of base to use for the Bacon Beer. I think a porter might be too heavy and a brown and pale just don't sound right... maybe an amber?

[Urbek]

Deep Winter Stout? :smallsmile:

You share recipes with me now. I've done a nice Aged Oak centennial which is about 18 weeks old now. It's maturing very nicely.

I plan on repeating the process with my Whiskey Porter and my Bacon Beer. I'm trying to decide which kind of base to use for the Bacon Beer. I think a porter might be too heavy and a brown and pale just don't sound right... maybe an amber?

I'm more than happy to share recipes with you.

The Whiskey Porter sounds good, but I'm not so sure about Bacon Beer. I'd have to try it. I'll talk to a crazy zymurgy friend of mine. He experiments a lot. He madea chicken beer that was actually drinkable once you got past the grease from the chicken fat.

[smellie_hippie]

I had the bacon beer at a little brewery in Asheville called "Dirty Jacks". they brew locally for Greenman Ales. I can't remember all the ingredients for it beyond using 1 pound of smoked bacon per gallon of beer. I'm cutting that in half because it just sounds like a LOT, but plan on used smoked bacon rather than just dropping in something I just fried up.

There's room in my PM box for recipes, or feel free to post them for everyone if you are so inclined.

To date I have brewed the following (True Brew) kits:
Nut Brown Ale
Double IPA
Aged Imperial Oak

The following are all grain:
Coffee Stout
Nut Brown Ale
Honey Brown

I also have a 5 gallon batch of Mead that I'm brewing with a couple friends... but its been bubbling fairly steadily for the past 4 months so it's not ready to bottle quite yet.

[Urbek]

There's room in my PM box for recipes, or feel free to post them for everyone if you are so inclined.

As you wish...

I'll post a couple soon.

[Trog]

Downtown Brown is, surprisingly, sold at a couple local stores (in TN!). Unless I'm much mistaken, you still live far away from here.

Please don't call it a "black & tan," the phrase still has a legacy of cruelty and hardship in Ireland. That being said, I love half-and-halfs.
Sold all the way down there? Really? I brought some down for Hippie a couple of years ago. *wonders at the behind the scenes distribution pull Hippie really has in TN :smalleek: * Though maybe it's the same name, different brand. If it originates in WI though it's the same stuff.

Also I'm gonna continue to call it a Black & Tan because, frankly, if I ask for a "half-and-half" in a bar in the U.S. I'll get offered cream. There is no other name for it around here in the states that I am aware of.


If others of you would like to get Playgrounder Seals of Approval for you homebrews, I'll be happy to PM you my address. I'm sure Trog and Goof would be happy to sample as well. :smallcool:

Indeed. P=

[Obrysii]

I recently had Bell's Wintry White, which is a creamier beer that had an aftertaste of banana - it was very curious.

But so far, everything I've had from Bells has been good.



Please don't call it a "black & tan," the phrase still has a legacy of cruelty and hardship in Ireland. That being said, I love half-and-halfs. I've been told that in Ireland, they are most frequently prepared as half Guinness, half Smithwick's, which is a delicious, delicious combination, especially for one such as myself, who hates lagers almost across the board.

We drink "Snakebites" here in Madison. They're half Guinness, half Strongbow hard apple cider.

[smellie_hippie]

Sold all the way down there? Really? I brought some down for Hippie a couple of years ago. *wonders at the behind the scenes distribution pull Hippie really has in TN :smalleek: *

The hippie knows how to get beer.:smallamused: It's all in the networking...

You should see the awesome bottles I got from Zeb a short while ago.:smallsmile: They should be full and available for the next SE Meet-up. Last year I had three varieties. I'm hoping to have about 5 this year. Maybe even having one of them 'on draft' if I get my kegerator converted in the spring.

http://createapassiveincome.com/images/kegerator1.jpg

[Zeb The Troll]

I also have a 5 gallon batch of Mead that I'm brewing with a couple friends... but its been bubbling fairly steadily for the past 4 months so it's not ready to bottle quite yet.Oh, heavenly mead. Yeah, it's time for me to start looking at getting back into this. Although, now that Alarra's developed an allergy to mead (actually, to anything fermented and not carbonated; mead, traditional grape wines, fruit wines, et cetera), that might be cruel. :smallfrown:

Hippie, you're taking me on a tour of your brewery digs next time I'm down. :smallcool:

Also, what flavor bacon are you planning on using? That would make a difference in what style of beer would be best, I think. For example, if you're going to use a sweet maple bacon, the Honey Brown would probably be a good base. But if you're going more for a hickory smoked kind of bacon, maybe something more like an Irish Red?

[skywalker]

Sold all the way down there? Really? I brought some down for Hippie a couple of years ago. *wonders at the behind the scenes distribution pull Hippie really has in TN :smalleek: * Though maybe it's the same name, different brand. If it originates in WI though it's the same stuff.

So according to RateBeer.com, there are about 29(!) beers with the name "Downtown Brown." The Downtown I was in close proximity to was in fact from California, not Wisconsin. I experienced it at a restaurant called "Mellow Mushroom," a place Hippie should be familiar with, given his apparent familiarity with HippievilleAsheville.


Also I'm gonna continue to call it a Black & Tan because, frankly, if I ask for a "half-and-half" in a bar in the U.S. I'll get offered cream. There is no other name for it around here in the states that I am aware of.

You know, a "Blacksmith,"(Smithwick's) a "Blackcastle,"(Newcastle) etc. I typically just say "give me half of Smithwick's and half of Guinness (or what have you)." I've always had a bartender either know exactly what I want, or catch wise to the fact that it's a good mix very, very fast. Even the guys who work at the aforementioned Mellow Mushroom (who once told a friend "dude, we don't know how to do that. We work at Mellow Mushroom) dug the point of a "Blacksmith" as soon as I ordered it.

[Trog]

You know, a "Blacksmith,"(Smithwick's) a "Blackcastle,"(Newcastle) etc. I typically just say "give me half of Smithwick's and half of Guinness (or what have you)." I've always had a bartender either know exactly what I want, or catch wise to the fact that it's a good mix very, very fast. Even the guys who work at the aforementioned Mellow Mushroom (who once told a friend "dude, we don't know how to do that. We work at Mellow Mushroom) dug the point of a "Blacksmith" as soon as I ordered it.
Yes, well I'm sure there's all sorts of names for beers combined with Guinness but again I'm sticking with Black and Tan for Guinness and Harp. If anyone gets upset with my name for it I think I'll point them here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_tan_%28disambiguation%29) just to clarify that I am not talking about some old military thingy or a breed of dog and am, instead, referring to the drink as it is commonly called throughout the U.S.

[Zeb The Troll]

You know, a "Blacksmith,"(Smithwick's) a "Blackcastle,"(Newcastle) etc. I typically just say "give me half of Smithwick's and half of Guinness (or what have you)." I've always had a bartender either know exactly what I want, or catch wise to the fact that it's a good mix very, very fast. Even the guys who work at the aforementioned Mellow Mushroom (who once told a friend "dude, we don't know how to do that. We work at Mellow Mushroom) dug the point of a "Blacksmith" as soon as I ordered it.Ooo! This reminds me of a drink my daughter told me about where she works. It's called a Black and Blue, and I must try it. It may or may not be obvious, but it's Guiness on top and Blue Moon on bottom. Sounds nummy.

(On that note, I did a bit more reading about calling it a "black and tan" and the consensus seems to be "it's best if you don't do it in Ireland, but even there, if you have a yankee accent, they'll probably just think you an ignorant American rather than assume you're trying to be offensive. And as long as at least two, and very probably more, prominent breweries are allowed to produce a "black and tan" and call it that on the label [Saranac and Yuengling] I'm not going to worry about it being a phrase I should avoid, except maybe on St. Patty's Day, out of respect. :smallcool:)


We drink "Snakebites" here in Madison. They're half Guinness, half Strongbow hard apple cider.Huh. At the Maryland Renn Fest they make something they call a Bee Sting which is equal parts mead and hard cider. It's pretty good too.

[HandofCrom]

Seattle is glorious. We have several microbreweries in the area and all kinds of imports readily available. Truly, this land is blessed by the Emperor himself!

[Bob the Urgh]

steel reserve is the worst beer. I like sam adams cherry wheat as a dessert beer, tastes just like cherry pie.

[Yoren]

My favorite beer used to be Guiness but I recently tried the Pipeline Porter from Kona Brewers and I really liked it. Combines two of my favorite drinks, coffee and beer. Yum!

[Supagoof]

If others of you would like to get Playgrounder Seals of Approval for you homebrews, I'll be happy to PM you my address. I'm sure Trog and Goof would be happy to sample as well. :smallcool:Indeed. I would gladly trade my address for a sample of beer. :smallwink:

Black and Blue - I'll have to try that. Blue Moon has been growing in popularity around here (that I've noticed anyway).

Like Trog - living in the dairy region of the country Half and Half has the connotation of cream to it, so I'll stick with the Black and Tan as well. Sorry, before this thread I had no idea of the historical implications, and I will continue a charade of ignorance for the ease of ordering. Just as I have given up ordering soda in any form other then Diet, as often if I ask for Diet Coke/Pepsi I get asked the question is Diet Pepsi/Coke okay? Which I know why they ask, I just rather avoid the banter about whether or not I'd change my decision from the only kind of soda I drink (diet).

Hippie - you know how to make me suffer. The meet is rougly 6 months away, and already I salivate at the fine brews you concoct.:smallamused:

[Zeb The Troll]

Just as I have given up ordering soda in any form other then Diet, as often if I ask for Diet Coke/Pepsi I get asked the question is Diet Pepsi/Coke okay? Which I know why they ask, I just rather avoid the banter about whether or not I'd change my decision from the only kind of soda I drink (diet).:smallconfused: So, wait, when the server asks what they can get you to drink you just say "diet" and leave it at that? Why not just order "diet cola" if the brand doesn't matter?


Hippie - you know how to make me suffer. The meet is rougly 6 months away, and already I salivate at the fine brews you concoct.:smallamused:Two days and counting until New Year's Eve at the Hipper Hippie Hut. :smallcool:

[Supagoof]

:smallconfused: So, wait, when the server asks what they can get you to drink you just say "diet" and leave it at that? Why not just order "diet cola" if the brand doesn't matter?Because a small part of me, after 25 years of ordering diet in restaurants and most having only cola as an option, hopes that they have more then 1 kind of diet soda in the place. a diet sprite, a diet mountain dew, a diet lemonade....*wishful dreaming*

It surprises me still with the health conscious rising that most places only offer 1 kind of diet soda, yet 8 different styles of sugared. The new and rising light beer* phase has interchanged in with a lot more ease then alternative diet sodas. I can ask in a bar what kind of light beers a place has, and get a list of 10 chatted off to me, but diet soda - only diet coke or pepsi.

Can you feel the envy rays coming from MN - Zeb. Have fun with the Hippie's New Year!

*vieled attempt to keep thread on topic.

[charl]

I thought light beer only meant it had less alcohol and not less sugar?

I mean... beer without sugar? Really? :smallconfused: How do you get it to ferment?

[Supagoof]

I thought light beer only meant it had less alcohol and not less sugar?

I mean... beer without sugar? Really? :smallconfused: How do you get it to ferment?I wasn't stating it had less sugar, but considerably less carbs/calories, thus making it more appealing to those who are health conscious.

Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-alcohol_beer) :smallwink:

Beer without sugar - Diet Beer - loved by health nuts who drink - hated by anyone who has taste. :smallamused:

[charl]

I wasn't stating it had less sugar, but considerably less carbs/calories, thus making it more appealing to those who are health conscious.

Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-alcohol_beer) :smallwink:

Beer without sugar - Diet Beer - loved by health nuts who drink - hated by anyone who has taste. :smallamused:

Carbs are sugars (or they at least become it in metabolism). Though that wiki article did explain it a bit. They have lower alcohol content as a consequence of having a low carbohydrate content. That makes sense, though it wouldn't get me drunk.

[Blas_de_Lezo]

One of my favorites beers is San Miguel Lager! :smallamused:

Anyway, I don't know if you can try it outside Spain... (at least in Ireland and UK you can) :smallannoyed:

[charl]

One of my favorites beers is San Miguel Lager! :smallamused:

Anyway, I don't know if you can try it outside Spain... (at least in Ireland and UK you can) :smallannoyed:

Had it in Sweden. It's ok.

[skywalker]

It surprises me still with the health conscious rising that most places only offer 1 kind of diet soda, yet 8 different styles of sugared. The new and rising light beer* phase has interchanged in with a lot more ease then alternative diet sodas. I can ask in a bar what kind of light beers a place has, and get a list of 10 chatted off to me, but diet soda - only diet coke or pepsi.

Well, you know... are diet drinks really healthier?

[Don Julio Anejo]

Well, you know... are diet drinks really healthier?
Not really, no. They have just as much crap as non-diet drinks and aspartame is in many cases much worse for you than regular sugar (unless you're diabetic). Sugar only makes you fat while sweeteners have a bunch of effects on your entire body, a lot of them bad.

[Ninja Chocobo]

I mean... beer without sugar? Really? :smallconfused: How do you get it to ferment?

Not no sugar. Less sugar. There's also less alcohol in it.
I know 'cause I accidentally made some, once.