What Beer, Ale,Grog

[tarless]

Dumbest call ever. The game was won. WHoever called in that play should be fired.

[Roadpizza]

And the beer they advertise at the Super Bowl…..

Make mine a craft beer….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEKqLxtjwDQ

[tarless]

Mass produced beer made out of rice rocks!

Nugget Nectar right now by Troeggs brewery. Just released for spring. Imperial amber. Rocks.

[DWS]

More Vodka please ...

[oxytotl]

I've started my Sunday with a good laugh Devon, "thanks".

[Roadpizza]

Oh, this is going to be a good Valentine's Day…..

http://brewpublic.com/beer-events/co...sport-program/

[DWS]

How many free, limited-edition pint glasses do you think you'll end up with? ...

[Roadpizza]

I'm working on that…..

[vinnie]

Much like the US craft beers we now have many micro breweries in the UK. This is my favourite...



Superb hoppy taste, although I'm happy with a more malty flavour too, such as this - the brewery is actually my closest...



At the last Poole beer festival my favourite of the day was this one...



It's an excellent festival for getting a taste of beers from right across the UK.

[Norfolk UK]

I have this one (among several) nearby: -
http://www.woodfordes.co.uk/

I am also member of a classic car club and we meet there every month !

[vinnie]

Ah, yes we had a walking holiday over a long weekend on the north coast near Wells last May and I tasted several Woodfordes brews.

[vinnie]

Talking of Norfolk, this is another fav that I came across when dropping off my son at UEA...

[Roadpizza]

I'm partial to this Guy…. http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/132/355/

[vinnie]

Ah, interesting.

I'm not familiar with the term Bock, but Helles suggests a lagerey style cool-fermenting yeast, more like the Munich beers.

We went to the OktoberFest a few years back and my favourite was Augustiner...

http://www.augustiner-braeu.de/augus...sere_Bier.html

Their festival special that year was superb.

[TheMeteor]

With St Patrick's Day coming, will probably need reload on the Jameson this weekend.

[tarless]

I'm stocking up on Milk Thistle and other Liver detoxifiers

[Roadpizza]

I am waiting for July….

[Roadpizza]

July is almost here. In the meantime, I tried a new local tibble. Skunk Works moonshine made across the river in Stevenson ,Washington. It was the apple pie version and was a tasty treat that is not like your grandpappy's "Shine" or maybe it is………..

Let"s see, beer, wine,cider, meade and whisky. All made here locally. Oh, and there is weed too. Retirement is very, very good!

[Roadpizza]

Today, pot becomes legal in Oregon. And high time too……

[tarless]

talk about pot-luck

[DWS]

I guess that we can expect some non compos mentis posts from you now Philip ...

[TheMeteor]

OK..I need to comment on the topic of seasonality and the retailers. Yesterday, I visited our local Wegmans supermarket, which is one of the best supermarkets and retailers out there (and I love them) - so this is not meant as a comment on them specifically.

Our store have a very large beer/wine/liquor section which is much larger than most of the stand-alone liquor stores in the area. They have a great variety at very good prices. When I got to the large beer display aisle, it was pumpkin ales, Oktoberfest beers etc. It was about 94 degrees out with a heat wave forecast for the entire week! Nearly all of the summer brews were parked in a more obscure area. One of the great things Wegmans does is have food and drink samplings throughout the store - unlike another grocery chain in the area. In the front of the liquor area they had a very nice man giving out samples of beers to try. Again a pumpkin ale, an Oktoberfest but did also have a Troegs summer pilsner....but the push was the Fall ales. He was very nice and I enjoyed a sample of each...but bought the Troegs in light of the heat wave.

So my soapbox is about the retailer further and further pushing the seasonality to be the first out of the gate. I experienced several years back when I lost my gloves in early February. I went to four or five big-box stores and outerware stores and could not find a pair of winter gloves! You could find swimsuits but no winter gloves in February! I had to go online to purchase a pair. Well looks like this acceleration of seasonality has now hit our beers and ales....a stout pumpkin ales just does not taste right on my deck when it is 98 degrees out.

[tarless]

Unfortunately shipments for just about everything are sent a season early. Beer never used to be this bad but apparently brewing co.s adopted this philosophy. I remember never seeing PumpKing Ale until september, then two years ago I saw it in early august, now I see it in late July. Freakin ridiculous. So how fresh is it in November? I still bought a 4 pack (yuck, not good. Tumblers are better), but will not do so again until the end of september. I too like crisper beers in this heat. MY favorite right now is Captain Lawrence Palate Shifter. Local brewery across the bridge in westchester.

ON another note, all these hops and alcohol level have been getting to me lately. It seems everything I drink is 9-10.2% alcohol with a pound of hops in each bottle. I got so sick of it I tried a regular lager and it was surprisingly good. Aloha's ISland Lager. Kind of like what that old ball park beer taste would be if it was micro brewed. It was refreshingly "simple" and had depth of flavor. Better yet it was easy to pound down 4 on a hot night.

[Roadpizza]

I don't seem to see this here in Beervana. We have a huge variety of beers, ales, and now ciders that seem to follow the seasons at the right time. I think maybe the stuff gets drunk before it can age any. So it is a bit hard to keep up with today's demand."puff..puff"

[tarless]

You pot heads make for a great demographic!

[TheMeteor]

Unfortunately shipments for just about everything are sent a season early. Beer never used to be this bad but apparently brewing co.s adopted this philosophy. I remember never seeing PumpKing Ale until september, then two years ago I saw it in early august, now I see it in late July. Freakin ridiculous. So how fresh is it in November? I still bought a 4 pack (yuck, not good. Tumblers are better), but will not do so again until the end of september. I too like crisper beers in this heat. MY favorite right now is Captain Lawrence Palate Shifter. Local brewery across the bridge in westchester.

ON another note, all these hops and alcohol level have been getting to me lately. It seems everything I drink is 9-10.2% alcohol with a pound of hops in each bottle. I got so sick of it I tried a regular lager and it was surprisingly good. Aloha's ISland Lager. Kind of like what that old ball park beer taste would be if it was micro brewed. It was refreshingly "simple" and had depth of flavor. Better yet it was easy to pound down 4 on a hot night.

Anthony, you had recommended Pumpking Ale to me last year. IIRC, it was around Halloween and I had a really hard time finding any. In retrospect, they probably had lots of Fezziwig Christmas Ale though... haha.

I too like the crisper, lower alcohol beers when this hot.

Edit: I should also mention that the Halloween candy aisle was stock full in resplendent orange the first week of August !!

[tarless]

There's always plenty around here so come on up! It was coming out of my ears last year I was getting so much!

[Roadpizza]

You pot heads make for a great demographic!

I, from time to time work for the local brewery at events held here as an official alcohol monitor. Here is a glimpse of the event last weekend…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdZYvUrlDjA

[Roadpizza]

I work for beer…

[tarless]

I, from time to time work for the local brewery at events held here as an official alcohol monitor. Here is a glimpse of the event last weekend…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdZYvUrlDjA

Huhn? Phil is this the correct vid???

[Roadpizza]

Yes, yes it is…….living in the Gorge has it's moments.

[oxytotl]

How about Dorothy Goodbody? A very nice beer from the Wye Valley.


Doncha love her?

[oxytotl]

My holiday snaps in South Wales, lunchtime recreation.


A new one as far as I know, Guinness Golden Ale, very very nice, I hope to see it in Irish pubs soon.



Hancocks Rhyader, Wales



Greene King, Southwold



Old Black Lion Ale, Hay-on-Wye, very drinkable!



Rev. James, Cardiff



Stowford Press, Cider

[Roadpizza]

The cider looks very nice….

[oxytotl]

The cider looks very nice….

A great taste Philip. You'll have to come over not for sight seeing just for beer and cider sampling - I'm sure your wife would understand!

[Roadpizza]

Don't think that I won't show up at your door sometime if sufficiently provoked….

[tarless]

Terry I"m under the impression you like beer

[oxytotl]

Don't think that I won't show up at your door sometime if sufficiently provoked….

That's a risk I'm gonna have to take.


And that's very observant Antony, I like trying new beers. There's very few proper ales in Ireland it's all bloody Heineken, Budweiser and all those tasteless lagers, you might as well drink alcohol with water. Guinness brew a beer called Smithwicks that's the only ale you can get nationally, it's a little too hoppy for me. There is a little light at the end of the tunnel as micro breweries have started to pop up so here's to the future!! Mine's a pint! Cheers

[tarless]

Bad beer in Ireland?!?!?! That's a crime against humanity! I'm surrounded by some very good local micro/craft brews. I would drink Shirley Temples before I would drink those fake lagers you mentioned above. I would never drink a beer that replaced barely malt with corn, rice or sugar. I've had Smithwicks and was not too fond of it. Good to hear there are some micro breweries popping up. IF they don't open quickly enough you might think of moving to Wales

[oxytotl]

I'm not a fan of Smithwicks but if there's nothing else it's Hobson's choice. I find Guinness too heavy, and can vary on how it's poured - I'm told and bottled Guinness isn't the same as draught. The Mitchelstown micro brewery is called 8% is our nearest one - not sure why as their beers average 4 to 6% and they are either a little too hoppy or roasted malt for my taste. Another is 'Franciscan Well' brewed in Cork City, their Friar Weisse (wheat beer) and Blarney Blonde are very good - I think it's only found in one or two pubs outside of the city. Actually Wales has similar landscapes and scenery to Ireland so I could be in heaven with the selection of ales they have to offer, I'm not sure I could convince the wife though as she's now teetotal!

[TheMeteor]

Finished the last Summer Ale in the fridge last week. Haven't had a cold one this week... fearful of the pumpkin. I guess with Fall coming later this week, I need to reformulate to pumpkin, Oktoberfest, porters, etc. Just living a lie if drinking Summer Ale in the Fall.


I do enjoy all the creative pumpkin brands and labels - if not the flavor. I saw one the other day for which the label was an angry jack-o-lantern and the brand was, 'Wick For Brains'.

[oxytotl]

I don't think I've ever seen 'pumpkin ale' over this side of the pond, can't say I've ever had pumpkin in any shape or form. Am I missing out on some delectable delicacy or is there a reason for them being trashed at Halloween?

[TheMeteor]

I do not care for the pumpkin ales - but they have really caught on here. As has pumpkin coffee, muffins, you name it. I like pumpkin pie and soup...but not pumpkin coffee and ale.

[WildWilly]

Naked is the new clothed.

[tarless]

Terry pumpkin is a tradition during the fall here I suppose due to its orange, falling leaf like color, and its being harvested in the fall. Pumpkin pie is big during thanksgiving and carvings of the shell (Jackolanterns) have been a samhuin tradition for eons. It found its way into beer about 15-16 years ago as a revival of an old tradition of one of our founding fathers. Apparently Thomas Jefferson used to brew with Pumpkin during the fall in the White House.

Of all the Pumpkin beers I only ever liked one, PumKing Ale, and even that is no longer good. Its gotten perfumey.

[TheMeteor]

So.... kicked it back with my ever-smiling Straw-child today and had my first pumpkin of the new season. Beautiful late-summer day... Fall arrives later this week for upper hemisphere folks .

[tarless]

NICE! That's foooking hallmark material Ger!!!

How'd you like the PKing?

[TheMeteor]

Thanks, Anthony. You actually turned me on to Pumking last year. One of the few pumpkins I drink. I picked up a six-pack of The Fear by Flying Dog Brewery yesterday as well (also pumpkin). Trying to keep an open mind on the pumpkin. Will let you know... picked up some Spaten Oktoberfest as backup, just in case.

[oxytotl]

Halloween was never a big thing in the UK when I was a kid (1950s, 60s), we had Guy Fawkes (Firework Night) on 5th Nov instead. The Ireland wouldn't obviously celebrate Guy Fawkes night as he and his mates were Catholics trying to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 to unseat the Protestant James 1st- so we have Halloween here but sadly no Pumpkin Ale.

[tarless]

Funny how we adopted a Pagan Celtic Holiday more than the UK did.