With regards to beer, I prefer it to be:
Displaying poll results.35030 total votes.
With regards to beer, I prefer it to be:
If I'd known computer science was going to be like this, I'd never have given up being a rock 'n' roll star. -- G. Hirst
Real Ale! (Score:4, Insightful)
From the like of Hoggs Back, Kings (Horsham) & especially Harverys (Lewes) dunk at cellar temp on a hot day is pure delight
None of this chilled to death stuff.
No Rice in the brew.
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I work about 10 mins walk from the Harveys brewery in Lewes and it's always a pleasure to pop into their shop for a few bottles. It's amazing how many locals you see walking about town with their large plastic containers on the way to/from a fill-up!
micro or regional (Score:2)
a good regional brewery i'd prefer for consistency, a micro brewery for the flavour, even if it varies batch-by-batch.
Darker going in than coming out. (Score:4, Insightful)
Sorry, but if I can see through it, it's not worth drinking.
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True for Coffee too.
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Elitist beer snobbery crap.
If it's hot outside, I wouldn't be caught dead drinking a dark beer. Pale ale and lager it is for me, with veggies and ranch.
If it's cooler outside, I love a good dark beer with a burger.
It's never one or the other -- much like my women, I like them all.
Now I know I'm among friends here on slashdot (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Now I know I'm among friends here on slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
You don't like beer. Does that mean you LOVE beer? Just like me!
Bears (rawl) makes you fat right? (Score:2, Interesting)
And we're at 280 now !!!
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You might be a supertaster [wikipedia.org] or otherwise have a heightened response to bitter taste.
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It's an acquired taste. One that I have absolutely no inclination to acquire.
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Stop, you're making me thirsty and I have to wait another 9 hours, 33 minutes, 20 seconds...
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Now I know I'm among friends here on slashdot (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm tired of beer snobs. Go back to your pubs and drink your $10 cut-me-off-a-slice hipster bullshit and stay away from my beer.
Nothing beats a hot summer day watching baseball with an ice-cold domestic of your choice. I myself prefer the High Life, or maybe even a nice Sam Adams.
Re:Now I know I'm among friends here on slashdot (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm tired of beer snobs. Go back to your pubs and drink your $10 cut-me-off-a-slice hipster bullshit and stay away from my beer.
Nothing beats a hot summer day watching baseball with an ice-cold domestic of your choice. I myself prefer the High Life, or maybe even a nice Sam Adams.
I'm a beer snob and a homebrewer, and I actually respect the macro-breweries quite a bit. It's HARD to brew a light lager -- believe me, I've tried. Even harder to brew it to taste the same, batch after batch, year after year. Those kind of beers are rarely my first choice of beverage, but I'll be damned if I'm going to insult their skill in brewing.
Re:Now I know I'm among friends here on slashdot (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Now I know I'm among friends here on slashdot (Score:5, Informative)
While your basic commercial beer is okay ice-cold, it's not so good if it warms up much. Wheat beers (especially with a slice of orange) are excellent on a hot summer day.
Re:Now I know I'm among friends here on slashdot (Score:4, Informative)
You don't really like beer. You drink it ice cold (and it's advertised that way) because if it was warmer you'd actually TASTE it and realize it was complete ass.
Re:Now I know I'm among friends here on slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
Budweiser, Miller, and Coors is not beer. It's horse piss.
Hey! Where do you get off insulting horses like that!?
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Everybody has something - personally, I never managed to like coffee. I can chug beers all night long.but roasted beans taste just terrible. Fortunately there's always energy drinks if I need the wake-up effect.
Two possible answers for me (Score:2)
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Try Beck's LA.
We did a blind taste test with that and the two shades of Clausthaler from Trader Joe's. MY SO picked the Beck's. It's preferred over Sharp's, here, too.
Personally, I prefer the stuff that looks like root beer, but a Beck's LA is tolerable.
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T2ss can drink - just stay off the high-carb (Guinness-type) stuff and don't drink on an empty stomach.
Best wishes from another T2 (who drinks)
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Or he could exercise it off by leaving his wife and kids, quitting his job, and then he could just run across America for a couple years. It's easy.
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Please don't overgeneralize - While a lot of Type 2s ARE that way due to lifestyle, there are Type 2s that are that way despite living a healthy life.
One of my distant relatives is a Type 2 that is thin as a pencil. He's able to control his disease with just diet and exercise, but still - even at perfectly normal (if not less than normal) weight, he has to be VERY careful about what he eats. Part of his "diet" control is that he cannot eat normal meals like a normal person - he must space out his food int
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No it doesn't - they're thin and healthy but still have significant dietary restrictions in terms of meal timing and meal size.
As in - their daily caloric intake is less than many people, and even then, they cannot eat in a normal meal pattern but must spread that caloric intake throughout the day instead of the typical human "3 meals/day" pattern. They can't even handle a below-average caloric intake if it is in a "typical" meal timing pattern.
Too much of a good thing (Score:2)
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My homebrewing so far has come out a lot less bitter than commercial ales like Greene King IPA and Hobgoblin. As for micro-brewers, you may have a point in that they tend to specialise in bitters (Brewdog in Scotland produce some insane beers) but I promise you there are some good lighter ales out there, at least in the UK! I think part of the problem is that the "signature" ale of a brewery is often quite bitter, as their milder stuff is less distinctive. That doesn't stop them being very tasty. Look up a
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Therefore "all" is incorrect, but I must acknowledge "nearly all". Most of the people in my guild use to much hops and they love it.
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You got pretty much all of that wrong. Well, it's true that some small brewers use lager yeast at higher temperatures, and it's true that it will ferment at lower temperatures -- it's arguably true that ale yeast "needs more heat" ("needs less cooling" in reality). The rest is wrong.
I rate beer out of 3 (Score:3, Insightful)
1 point for free
1 point for cold
1 point for served by a beautiful woman
Missing option, and only option needed: (Score:3)
Cold
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Cold
You must be American ..... nothing beats a good bitter at cellar temperature (slightly below room temp)
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I like my beer at cellar temperature also. But some beers like white beer are good icy cold at a terrasse in hot weather ;-)
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Re:Missing option, and only option needed: (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes, yes, you keep saying that. We all applaud you for your taste and recognize your superior palate.
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You must be American ..... nothing beats a good bitter at cellar temperature (slightly below room temp)
We don't have cellars in Florida, you insensitive clod!
Canadian (Score:3)
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you must be british.... try drinking beer at cellar temperature when its 30-35c outisde :P one word: P u k e
You mean like yesterday [metoffice.gov.uk]? In this weather cellar temperature beer tastes cool but not so cold you can't taste it.
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Did that yesterday. Lovely.
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Wait a minute there, some beers are supposed to be cool but not cold; many european beers for example. A lot of the reason people like their beer cold here is because it deadens their sense of taste. When a lot of the beer brewed in the US gets warm, you can taste it and frankly more often than not, you wish you hadn't.
Getting harder to find non-mega beers (Score:2)
I used to be able to get Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout at the grocery store (here in the US) pretty much anytime I wanted. They'd occasionally have less common beers like Tusker available too. Now, the best I can usually find is Sam Adams. Nothing against it - it's probably my favorite American beer - but it'd be nice to have a wider selection available than just the various American brews (Red Hook, Pyramid, Fat Tire et. al.).
I know grocery stores are selling shelf space for most everything anymore, but goo
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you just have to look around a little more!
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What's funny is I live near Seattle, which is micro-brew nirvana. It's easy to get US-brewed craft beers here, even in the stores... but the beers from overseas are hard to come by now (compared to 20 years ago - yeah I'm old).
Missing option: (Score:2)
missing option (Score:2)
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Re:missing option (Score:4, Interesting)
It does, but in the US you may be disappointed with the size of a pint. Imperial pint=20oz, US pint=16oz, and I've seen US bars sell 12oz as a "pint".
Expecting 20oz and getting 12oz will put a frown on your face.
How about with some flavor (Score:2)
I don't really care where it is made as long as it has some actual flavor. Most major American beers have to be served ice cold to numb your tongue because otherwise you might actually taste them. Most anything from Anheuser-Bush tastes like bad water. Give me something that tastes good served at 50F and we'll be talking about real beer. Bonus points if it is served with good pizza or Mexican food.
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Oh yeah, don't forget to throw it away if it comes in a can. Cans are for garbage.
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Cans are for garbage.
I thought so too - then I had some Oso micro-brew in a can. They sell several including a Scotch Ale in a can - and it's all good. Cans are actually more hygienic than bottles. Aside from that I prefer mine from the tap, or from a Belgian bottle.
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Funnily enough, back in the 90's my parents invited me to meet up with them at a restaurant that happened to be
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Look, most places in the US are spoiled for choice for great beer, just don't by the AB InBev swill, and you won't have to complain about the AB InBev swill.
Good commercial beers? (Score:2)
*Gloat* *Gloat* (Score:2)
Brewed by Monks (Score:3)
I like Orval Trappist most.
(yes,yes, I know, most readily available Trappist is brewed in factories)
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Taste like nostalgia (Score:2)
Root? (Score:5, Insightful)
Root beer!
Don't like beer. (Score:5, Interesting)
Or coffee either. Or smoking. Sadly, that also made socializing a lot harder.
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Re:Beer differences are mostly nonexistant. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Beer differences are mostly nonexistent. (Score:5, Informative)
A research project for you - go to a bottle shop, buy a dozen different small bottles of beer. (330mL or so) Try to get as broad a cross section (styles, colours, country of origin) as your budget allows. Sit down with a few friends and a large supply of small glasses and split each bottle between you. Start with the Pilseners, lagers, wheat beers, etc, progress through pale ales, browns, and end up with the IPAs, stouts, etc. If you have any Belgian beers in there (eg trappist) have them before you're too hammered, and savour them. Try to figure out what you like about each and what you hate about each. Come back and tell us whether all beers are still the same to you.
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I forgot: http://www.xkcd.com/915/ [xkcd.com]
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Yeah, like books. They're all pretty much the same. I mean, letters? I've only ever bought one book, and at least that one has pictures in it!
Re:Beer differences are mostly nonexistant. (Score:4, Insightful)
If you're ever in Belgium come and see me and we'll go to one of my favorite bars and go through a few dozen of the 250 beers they have. I assure you you'll appreciate the difference between beers a whole lot more.
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Firstly, beer is an acquired taste ; I remember my first taste of it. and I hated it too. I think this is magnified by the way that people taste things - teensy little sips - whereas I find the way to actually drink beer is to take at least enough to wash around the mouth.
Secondly, as the sibling points out, Budweiser is horrible, bland, mass market dog piss.
I'm not sure what to recommend for a "starter course" in beer though. Regional variations would prevent me from recommending my local brews (unless you
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I live in North East England and I'm not overly keen on beer. I'd love to hear your recommendations, though!
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Re:First time (Score:5, Funny)
None; both are fucking close to water.
Ta-dam, tching!
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Yeah, I think that's pretty infamous for being mostly for a cheap high. I don't think I've ever had any. :-)
You might give Heineken or Corona a try, if you're in the US. I think Heineken was the first beer I enjoyed when I was trying it out. Some people will recommend Guinness, but that has such a strong flavor that I think it's probably best to wait until you've acquired the taste a bit more. I live in Eng
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If you want to taste a fine Dutch beer choose Hertog Jan or Dommelsch. Both are quite full tastes with some sweetnes (and not to much bitter).
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I suspect that's part of the reason I didn't mind drinking it. :-)
SRSLY, I'm not trying to tell someone what the best beer is. Personally I now love a nice rich stout. All I'm saying is, when I was starting to try beers, I didn't mind a Heiniken; and that helped me develop a taste for other beers.
In any case, if [s]he was drinking Budweisier, it's likely [s]he's in the US, and will not have an easy time finding the two beers you mentioned.
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My first experience with beer was Budweiser, too. That was when I was in my teens and it put me off beer for about 40 years. I now live in Portland Oregon which has a microbrewery on every other block, and I enjoy sampling the varieties. My current favorite: McMenniman's Ruby Ale. Which is barely a beer, not much alcohol to it.
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How interesting that your experiences at McMenniman's are so different from mine and, apparently, your GM.
The food at MickeyMen's varies from almost palatable (St Johns Pub) to very good (Black Rabbit at Edgefield). The beer is consistently good though it varies from barrel to barrel as in all microbreweries. The selection of wines is, I understand, a pretty good one, with emphasis on regional varieties. The landscaping of the grounds is for the most part incredible. More than a light touch of whimsey in t
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I now live in Portland Oregon ...
Produce Row still there?
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In the event that you are not trolling: find a friend that knows and loves their beer, and get them to walk you through it. There's a lot of really terrible beer out there and if you pick up what's on the shelf and seems popular you're limiting your experience a lot. It's like music; there are a lot of acquired tastes out there, but a little context and preparation goes a long way.
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I detested beer in college. I later found out that was because my friends were drinking the cheap stuff. Once I got out and got a real paycheck, I got my first taste of good beer. My palate expanded, I learned to appreciate the different styles; I even learned to appreciate (if not really enjoy) the classic making-love-in-a-canoe American lager. There may in fact be beers out there that you enjoy.
But don't sweat it if there aren't. Try a few different styles. If nothing floats your boat, so be it. Dri
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I actually JUST drank my first beer tonight. "Budweiser". I found it to be absolutely disgusting. Did I just pick a bad brand, or is this really what everyone in the World seems to rave about? I can't fathom why if it is.
Yeah, as far as beers go, Bud, MGD, Coors and most of the nationwide beers kinda blow. I would recommend you check out www.ratebeer.com [ratebeer.com], they have several options to find beer in your area, and are powered by user submitted reviews. A nice lager or ale is a pretty good start for beers, I would not recommend an IPA though as they can be a bit surprising for first time drinkers.
Re:First time (Score:5, Informative)
There is Budweiser and there is Budweiser.
The reason it tastes better outside of the US might very well be that you get the real Budweiser there, which originates in Ceské Budjovice. Some very bad company in the US just 'recycled' the name because there was no trademark registered for it. It's something entirely different from the original, which in its home country is considere
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The Czech stuff is marketed separately as "budvar" in Europe. According to wikipedia, it is also sold in the USA as "Czechvar". Budvar is pretty good, and a lot more flavourful than the stuff sold as Budweiser in the UK.
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Not big on beer, but I'll try anything.
I keep trying beer (it was cheaper than mineral water when I went to Prague recently), but seem unable to acquire the taste.
I drink cider in Britain (home), but its less popular pretty much everywhere else. The same question could still be asked for cider though, and my answer would be "from a micro-brewery". It tastes much, much better than the mass-produced stuff, although it can be ridiculously high in alcohol (the last good, local cider I tried was very nice, but particularly strong, 13%. 1 pint gives 0
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So I drank some good beers for a few years, until something else happened and now a pint will give me a rip-roaring headache. If I'm s
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Were you drinking draft beer? Possibly you were drinking at a place with taps and tap lines that weren't properly cleaned...I've heard that can give ya headaches.
I too find myself at some places, when drinking draft...getting headaches...but not when I drink bottled bee
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Re:Microbreweries (Score:4, Informative)
Despite the original Reinheitsgebot, wheat beer is a bavarian tradition dating back to the 16th century. The brewers needed a special privilege from the local aristocracy, though. That only changed 1798.
I completely agree that rice beer is an abomination, but wheat beer plays in a totally different league. Not even in the same stadium.
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I have to disagree on Blue Moon - I find it weak and about as representative of what a good witbier can be as a bud light is representative of a good pilsner.
And yeah, it's a matter of taste, but I wouldn't drink it.
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90% of the Micro or Regional beers are owned and brewed by either Bud or MillerCoors. They call them craft beers once one become popular enough the big guys buy it keep the name and brew it in their brewery.
Although the larger brewers have bought many brands, your estimate of 90% is quite high[1]. I would agree that more than 90% is distributed by the large brewers, at least in the US because of the three tier distribution process required by federal law since the repeal of prohibition[2].
Citations:
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_the_United_States [wikipedia.org]
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-tier_(alcohol_distribution) [wikipedia.org]
Re:Why is American beer so bad? (Score:4, Insightful)
I can't tell if you are trolling or deluded. You were in San Francisco and couldn't find a good American beer? That's just sad beyond belief. Not only does SF have one of the best regional breweries in the US (Anchor Brewing), you practically can't walk out your door without tripping over amazing craft beer. All of the beers you mention are national brands and are bland to the point of not being worth drinking (IMHO).
Let me put it this way. If I went to Australia and said, "Why does Australian beer taste so bad? I drank VB, XXXX, and Toohey's", you'd be justified in thinking that I just put absolutely no effort into finding anything except the crappiest beer on the market. And yet, I could counter that it is the most popular beer. Yes... In most places in the world bland beer is the most popular. Why is this? I have no idea.
Typing this, I am a little bit fearful that you might actually think that VB, XXXX and Toohey's represent the pinnacle of brewing excellence. If so, just let me say that I am very, very sorry for you. Your country produces a lot of extremely good beer, but those are not examples of it. The US is similar, except that the amount of good beer that they produce eclipses Australia's offerings by a staggering amount.
And, no, I am not American. If you go to the US again, spend some time on the internet looking up good beers to try. It will be worth it.