Seconding pendell's opinion, my girlfriend's mother thought she hated beer for most of her life. Had a Guiness a few years back. Now loves beer and she and I always get micros together.
Guiness is an excellent "starter beer". It's flavorful and rich, but pretty thin bodied. It can be consumed fast if that's what you want (see: Car Bombs), but is pretty nice to enjoy slow. And if you're drinking slow, your beer WILL warm up, might as well have something that tastes good warm too. (note to UK drinkers, yes, yes, I know!) It's easy to find, and it's nowhere near as expensive as most good beers (though still might be hard to find at a party with Coors). And it's a good fall back at restaurants and bars...even if they have nothing else drinkable, they'll have Guiness.
...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...
Guiness is an excellent "starter beer". It's flavorful and rich, but pretty thin bodied.
Guinness is thin bodied? Just to make sure we're talking about the same drink, you mean this stuff?
If it is, I have no idea what they're serving you over there as the stuff you get in the UK has a very thick treacly texture, which in turn is regarded as absolute dog [redacted] by the Irish who get the proper stuff.
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Originally Posted by JoshL
...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...
Sounds like to me, you need another drink (or three) then.
If it is, I have no idea what they're serving you over there as the stuff you get in the UK has a very thick treacly texture, which in turn is regarded as absolute dog [redacted] by the Irish who get the proper stuff.
Although this might once have been true, it's not any longer. I think it's just something the Irish like to tell us to make us feel inferior... When I set out in Dublin a couple of years ago to try proper Guinness, I was slightly disappointed to find that it was indeed exactly the same as the stuff we get here.
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Edit: Anybody heard this version? I'm unsure what to make of it: on one hand, I'm disappointed that someone felt the need to improve upon perfection; the other hand is helping to pick myself off the floor from laughing too hard.
That did make me laugh. Although, considering, I thought they could have done a bit more with it.
Now something's telling me that you'm avoiding me
Oo arr oo arr
Come on now darlin' you got somethin' I need
(all together now)
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Originally Posted by Brother Oni
*Stands up to sing the Westcountry anthem*
'Cos oi've got a brand new combine 'arvester and oi'll give you the key,
Come on now let's get together in perfect 'armony,
Oh I's got 20 acres and you got 43,
Now oi've got a brand new combine 'arvester and oi'll give you the key!
*wipes a tear from her eyes*
It's so beautiful that in this day, in the age of the internet a parody song from 1976 is still so well known.
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Originally Posted by Brother Oni
Edit: Anybody heard this version? I'm unsure what to make of it: on one hand, I'm disappointed that someone felt the need to improve upon perfection; the other hand is helping to pick myself off the floor from laughing too hard.
It's oddly fascinating. Especially when that random guy starts shouting . . . something - jump? - towards the end.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoshL
...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...
Guinness is thin bodied? Just to make sure we're talking about the same drink, you mean this stuff?
If it is, I have no idea what they're serving you over there as the stuff you get in the UK has a very thick treacly texture, which in turn is regarded as absolute dog [redacted] by the Irish who get the proper stuff.
That what I thought. It's generally perceived as one of the higher quality, full-bodied beers.
God, I need more of a drinker's vocabulary for this thread now.
It's all Wurzels, cider and beer.
What have we done to this innocent pub etiquette thread?
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Originally Posted by Brother Oni
Sounds like to me, you need another drink (or three) then.
Quick! Nip 'round your local pub/farm and bring samples of all the cider they make/sell! The more scumb - scrumpy the more susceptible he'll be to the Wurzels.
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Originally Posted by Aedilred
That did make me laugh. Although, considering, I thought they could have done a bit more with it.
Imagine a Wurzels mashup!
I Am A Cider Drinker/Combine Harvester!
I've heard that Guinness deteriorates crossing the ocean so it tastes different in the U.S. than Ireland (unlike Harp, they don't brew Guinness in North America). I find this explanation dubious, and I think the beer tastes the same on both sides of the pond.
Also, I'm a little tired of the criticism of North American beers. Budweiser, Miller, Molson, and Labatt's are brewed a certain way for a reason. They aren't supposed to be hoppy and complex. Not all beer should be brewed like a microbrew. Not all beer must be dark. The beer snobs think everyone should share their tastes; their views become tiresome.
I don't mind people liking microbrews; I like microbrews. I mind people sneering at others for liking light bodied pilsners and lagers. Beer is to be enjoyed; if I enjoy drinking a pitcher of Blue Light with my friends while watching a hockey game, then what is it to you?
It is ok to like many different kinds of beer; it is not ok to be a beer snob.
Also, I'm a little tired of the criticism of North American beers. Budweiser, Miller, Molson, and Labatt's are brewed a certain way for a reason. They aren't supposed to be hoppy and complex. Not all beer should be brewed like a microbrew. Not all beer must be dark. The beer snobs think everyone should share their tastes; their views become tiresome.
I don't mind people liking microbrews; I like microbrews. I mind people sneering at others for liking light bodied pilsners and lagers. Beer is to be enjoyed; if I enjoy drinking a pitcher of Blue Light with my friends while watching a hockey game, then what is it to you?
There's nothing wrong with drinking Bud, or whatever, so long as you know what you're doing. What's frustrating is that most people never branch out beyond that limited horizon. I understand that the cheap lagers are brewed that way for a reason, but I don't think that reason is "mass appeal" so much as "minimal cost". The main reason I don't like commercial lager is that it's so full of chemicals that not only does it taste (imo) horrible but it gives you a killer hangover.
Of course not all beer should be dark; my favoured beer type is actually a pale ale. I'm also a fan of proper lager. However, I don't really like commercial lager as a product, I don't like the way they've come to dominate the market despite their lack of merit, and I don't like most of the companies that produce them. If people drink them because they actually like the beer, that's one thing. If people drink them because they've been convinced somehow that it's the only beer available, or the only "acceptable" beer, then I'm going to challenge that, and I'll always encourage people to try as many beers as possible given the opportunity so that they can make an informed choice.
Yup, just about that far. After a few tries I can pick up a few words from each of them.
Edit:
I HOPE YOU'RE ALL HAPPY. Now I've had "Combine Harvester" stuck in my head all afternoon during tae kwon do practice. Threw off my rhythm a few times too.
Also, I'm a little tired of the criticism of North American beers. Budweiser, Miller, Molson, and Labatt's are brewed a certain way for a reason. They aren't supposed to be hoppy and complex. Not all beer should be brewed like a microbrew. Not all beer must be dark. The beer snobs think everyone should share their tastes; their views become tiresome.
It's price minimization, plain and simple. There are some very good light bodied pilsners and lagers, that list doesn't include any of them. Generally speaking, they also come from microbrews, which are by no means restricted to hoppy and complex beers.
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Fudge Assistant in the Playground.
Regarding Guiness. Guiness Draught, which is most common here, is full in flavor, but not in body. Guiness Extra Stout is only sold in bottles here in the US. According to Wikipedia, it also goes by "Guiness Original" in some parts of the world, so it's very likely that's what is common on your side of the pond. And that is thicker...a "proper" stout. Either that or I need to rethink opinions given to me by the "Real Ale" types
Regarding "beer snobbery" the term is generally self-effacing. Me, I don't care what you drink (though when drinking with friends, sharing tastes of new beers is half the fun). If I'm at a party where there is only crappy beer, I might have a crappy beer. But given a choice, they're not to my tastes. I'm a geek...I think way too much about things, so I know a lot about what I'm drinking. If I call myself a beer snob, I'm taking a cheap, yet accurate shot at myself.
And beer snobs do not think everyone should share their tastes. I do not like belgians. I do not like hoppy beers. Those are two of the more popular preferences among that crowd. But no one who has drank with me thinks I don't know what I'm talking about. At the end of the day, beer=awesome, and good times for all. If that involves drinking Labatt's, there's nothing wrong with that. Though I'll be the first to say that Harp is considerably less good since Labatt's started brewing it
And I support people buying me copious amounts of scrumpy until I start singing along with the Wurzels. I blame Nevermind the Buzzcocks for my even knowing who they are.
Cheap rum tastes like gasoline with sugar. Cheap alcohol is always a tough drink. As for the beer, i think that drinking a Corona from the bottle, with a slice of lemon in it, is a good way to start for those who don't like the bitter taste. The bitter is mitigated by the zesty flavour of lemon but it's not suffocated as in fruity sweet drinks as ciders, so you can slowly build a taste for bitter and enjoy another part of the flavour spectrum ;)
Just going to bring it back to nursing one beer for a while night for a moment. The problem with that is that the beer gets flat after a while and in most cases flat beer is disgusting.
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"Elephant trunks should be used for elephant things only. Nothing else."
There's a stunt used a couple of times at parties. Go into the kitchen when nobody else is there, and mix Coke and 7-Up (or the equivalent). It now looks like a mixed drink to the drinkers.
These days, when I don't want to drink, I don't, and that's my choice. But the protective coloration can help.
...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...I will not get coaxed into a Wurzels sing along...
# I am a cider drinker... I drinks it all of the day...
I am a cider drinker... it sooths all me troubles away...
ooh arr ooh arr ey, ooh arr ooh arr ey... #
I'm curious how this works in Japan. I was reading Culture Shock! Japan . The book advises that if invited to a party you have two choices:
1) Say firmly "Thanks, but I do not drink", and drink tea, soft drinks et al for the night.
2) Drink every toast etc and get utterly stinking drunk.
I'm wondering if there's an alternative. I think the above poster is right in that alcohol allows one to say things that are otherwise unacceptable in polite society ... but I remember watching an anime in which one of the stars took one tiny glass, stated "I am now tipsy", and then proceeded to give her significant other fifteen different kinds of peace of mind. So the forms were observed. Even if the lady wasn't actually drunk, she's still gone through the motions of drinking alcohol and thereby getting social cover for doing what had to be done.
Respectfully,
Brian P.
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"Opportunities to do good are everywhere but the darkness is where the light needs to be".
-- Eliezer Yudkowski, author of "Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality"
Blue Moon is an inexpensive, lightish wheat beer you can get out that way that I think is a very nice "starter beer" (put a slice of orange in your glass/bottle for added deliciousnessas that is the only way to properly drink Blue Moon).
Fixed that for ya.
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Originally Posted by snoopy13a
I have a couple of suggestions:
1) Milwaukee's Best: Simply by its name, you know it is good. This beer combines choice ingredients with a crisp finish. After all, it isn't Milwaukee's Worst.
2) Natural Light: This beer is organic--at least its name suggests that it is organic. It has a nice metallic taste and as a light beer, it isn't filling.
3) Coors Light: The famous silver bullet. It has a rich, complex favor and is quite heavy. It is made in the Rocky Mountains as you can tell from the can. It also has fancy color-coded technology that will tell you the optimal temperature for drinking this fine brew.
4) Budweiser: The king of beers. All other beers pay it tribute (seriously, they do). Fun fact: Budweiser is so upscale that is uses an exotic grain, rice, in its brewing process. Budweiser is famous for its complex hops which lend a spicy aftertaste.
5) Labatt's Blue: An import from the exotic and mysterous nation of Canada. Contrary to its name, Labatt's Blue is not, in fact, blue--actually, it is more of a yellow. However, drinking it won't make you blue either. Labatt's represents the best aspects of Canada--hockey, ballet, Tim Horton's, the good side of Niagara Falls, and hockey--in a twelve ounce can.
Now that's you've learned about North America's finest brews, you too can be a beer expert.
Yeah... No... Don't drink American. I'm from Oklahoma, and live just north of Milwaukee now. Milwaukee's Best is nicknamed "Beast" for a reason... It's like drinking Piss water with some alcohol in it.
I am a beer snob, but that's because I've learned better.
I usually drink Guinness, Leinie's, Blue Moon, and any number of microbrews, local brews, craft beers, and imports. I have a taste for darker stouts and ales over all. I find that they actually taste good.
Also: Guinness is nicknamed "meal in a glass" for a reason.
EDIT: Going to add one of my new favorites from the other night: Strongbow. If you can find this, it is delicious. More of a Cider-y beer, but not too sweet. Has a nice, easy flavor.
The book appears to have rather mixed reviews, so I suggest taking any advice it makes with a pinch of salt.
In the situation of a party, it very much depends on the context of the party. Entertaining a client is very different from going out drinking with friends, which in turn is different from a goukon (group blind date).
Quote:
Originally Posted by pendell
but I remember watching an anime in which one of the stars took one tiny glass, stated "I am now tipsy", and then proceeded to give her significant other fifteen different kinds of peace of mind. So the forms were observed. Even if the lady wasn't actually drunk, she's still gone through the motions of drinking alcohol and thereby getting social cover for doing what had to be done.
Actually, from first hand experience of Japanese people's alcohol tolerance, she probably was at least tipsy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adrian Korvedzk
EDIT: Going to add one of my new favorites from the other night: Strongbow. If you can find this, it is delicious. More of a Cider-y beer, but not too sweet. Has a nice, easy flavor.
Er, if it's this stuff, then the reason why it tastes cider-y, is because it IS cider.
From the earlier cider discussion, you'll also note that it's regarded as one of the lower quality ciders (drinkable only with blackcurrant and if someone else is buying as mentioned by CurlyKitGirl).
Edit: D'oh, forgot that Americans have non-alcoholic cider. I wonder if 'cider beer' is the new marketing term for 'hard cider' over there?
Last edited by Brother Oni : 10-01-2012 at 01:55 PM.
Edit: D'oh, forgot that Americans have non-alcoholic cider. I wonder if 'cider beer' is the new marketing term for 'hard cider' over there?
Never heard the term "cider beer" before. Fermented apple juice is referred to as "hard cider". Unless it's changed in the last few months. I suppose I'll have to make a trip to the liquor store. (Only for the sake of international curiosity, of course.)
Never heard the term "cider beer" before. Fermented apple juice is referred to as "hard cider". Unless it's changed in the last few months. I suppose I'll have to make a trip to the liquor store. (Only for the sake of international curiosity, of course.)
It's still hard cider, or just cider when used in context that makes it obvious you're already talking about alcholic drinks. I wouldn't put it past some brewery to make up a new phrase and try to make themselves seem interesting by 'inventing' a new kind of drink, tho. An actual 'cider beer' would probably be labeled as a lambic, an 'x beer with Apple flavors', or an 'apple based malt beverage', depending on legal labeling requirements and the honesty/accuracy of the brewer (a 'malt beverage' is something that is made like a beer but for one reason or another does not meet US requirements to be labeled/marketed as a beer. I suspect it's a term you won't find in many other places.)
(I will note that most of the Strongbow I've seen around here is sold in cans, which could make it more difficult to correctly identify the kind of drink if you aren't already familiar with it.)
Well, that's obviously an entirely American list, which limits it rather. If you're including northern Europe, I doubt there's anywhere in the USA that would make it into the "top 10 beer cities". In fact I doubt there can be many in the "top 100".
American beer is no longer (all) a byword for "rats' urine" but I think they still have a fair way to go to catch up with Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, England, the Netherlands, et al.
I'd completely disagree. In the Boise metro area we have like 30 microbreweries that have some of the best beer I've had. The pacific northwestern US has places like Rogue and Stone (well California). Most of Budweiser's hops come from Idaho, but we put them to much better use locally. I've tried a lot of imported award-winning German beer, and while some of its okay, they seem to look for something else when judging. There are lots of home brewers here too. Several hundred at the last local event I went to, and my city isn't that big. My girlfriend and I have recently started collecting the beer bottles of all the micros we have, I'll try and snap a picture of it tonight. For all the accolades I've heard about European beer I have yet to find one that has beaten out its regional (to me) counterparts. I'm open to brand suggestions though.
I'd completely disagree. In the Boise metro area we have like 30 microbreweries that have some of the best beer I've had. The pacific northwestern US has places like Rogue and Stone (well California). Most of Budweiser's hops come from Idaho, but we put them to much better use locally. I've tried a lot of imported award-winning German beer, and while some of its okay, they seem to look for something else when judging. There are lots of home brewers here too. Several hundred at the last local event I went to, and my city isn't that big. My girlfriend and I have recently started collecting the beer bottles of all the micros we have, I'll try and snap a picture of it tonight. For all the accolades I've heard about European beer I have yet to find one that has beaten out its regional (to me) counterparts. I'm open to brand suggestions though.
See the bolded part, that's your problem right there. When comparing top notch beers you don't drink imported stuff, you drink it locally brewed and from a tap.
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"Elephant trunks should be used for elephant things only. Nothing else."
See the bolded part, that's your problem right there. When comparing top notch beers you don't drink imported stuff, you drink it locally brewed and from a tap.
If thats the qualification then unless you are ridiculously traveled you can't make many statements about most beer. I'm comparing bottled beers to regionally bottled beers.
See the bolded part, that's your problem right there. When comparing top notch beers you don't drink imported stuff, you drink it locally brewed and from a tap.
For me, Budweiser is locally brewed
-I don't live in St. Louis, but I do live near one of their regional breweries.
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Re: Social Drinking
