[mc whak]

"My substitute is a good old-fashioned broiler -- cheap beer with a shot or two of whiskey poured in. "

Isn't that also called a boilermaker?

And in Ireland, don't they drink Guiness warm?

 

[roll-man]

Quote:

And in Ireland, don't they drink Guiness warm?

I asked that very question when Ireland, to which the response was "oh yes, sometimes when the fridge is on the blink, we drink it warm".

It's a common misconception. It is the Brits who drink their ale warm.

 

[stuartr]

Quote:

In any case, I think it's just wrong to chug Guinness. About microbrews: some of my favorite beer comes from microbrews whose names I don't even know. There seem to be many in the Western MA/Vermont/upstate NY area. There's a great one that Stuart no doubt knows about from Middlebury which has some really great beer. [/B]

Yes. Chugging guinness is only possible in this manifestation. Ahhh. I am longing for some Otter Creek. middlebury's beer. Excellent. It is great to just stop by the brewery with a growler (sp?)...essentially a jug, and have them fill you up. Two or three growlers for an evening, and you will have a great time...unfortunately you will not remember it, but everyone else will, which is arguably better....

 

[redshifter]

if a beer doesn't taste good warm it ain't worth drinking in the first place.

 

[raymondlin]

We don't drink our beer warm! where did that misconception come from?

 

[Trawlerman]

For a real Guiness you really must drink it over in Eire itself.

When they export the stuff they pasteurise it, which gives it an altogether different taste and texture.


When I was 21, I spent a week over on the Arran Island in Galway Bay and for a week solid all I drunk was Guinness. I must say that they really are a friendly bunch of people. On the first night I went to the pub with my mates and we all got Guinness', when I had finished mine I ordered another but the barman pointed out the other 8 that were already lined up waiting for me that the regulars had bought me. Well, for somebody who doesn't drink it was quite a feat for me to drink that lot but i really had no choice as they would have been upset if I hadn't. Anyway I did drink the lot and at around 10pm my mates went home and I stayed. At 3am they came looking for me and found me asleep in the middle of the road I wasn't in any danger as there weren't any vehicles on the island. To this day I havent lived it down

 

[raymondlin]

Guinness is well known that it doesn't travel well.

 

[Old Pa]

Guinness produces product of several different specific gravities (read: EtOH%) for various world markets. On tap always seems best to me, but the pub cans that have been shipped during cold weather (and have not "improved" on a hot truck dock) seem second best. Bottles and regular cans are usually low test and rank third. I am trying to think of something that I like (no sweet tooth) that is not improved by a Fuentes 858 (or Cohiba, when available) or a cool Guinness draught. Maybe having a Guinness and a Talisker at the same time is a bit too much, but one follows the other with a cigar quite nicely.

There has been a really neat resurgence is stouts and dark beers domestically in the last decade. We have a bunch of local microbrewed stouts (including Summit) when I am out of my own product (homebrewer? GUILTY!). Glad to see more beers with FLAVOR!

Beers that are served at or near their actual fermentation temperatures do have fuller tastes. Cold temperature is a taste killer. For ales and stouts (top fermenting) that's 60F to 68F. For lagers (bottom fermenting) that's 35F to 40F. Ice beers are generally lagers that have been chilled after fermentation to "fortify" by removing some water through filtration as ice crystals. It's the fermentation temperature for the type of yeast that counts, not a matter to being "warm" or "cold".

 

[raymondlin]

Thanks for the Beer lesson in fermintation, the good thing is that I live in a the UK, not far from Ireland. And if you like cider and if what you said is true, living close to the brewer is better for beer taste. Where I live (Hereford), we have the Bulmers Cider factory right here. In the Autum after they have picked the apples, and they start making it, the whole town have this lovely apple smell in the air. It's incredible!

How's that for distances? And if you go in to their staff shop (if you know the right people), you can get a can of Cider for $0.40. Anything from Strongebow, scrumpy Jack, Woodpecker.....

Shame i don't like Cider.

 

[Old Pa]

Yea, Raymond, between the Real Ale and the available Habanas I always find good stuff to do in the UK. Hell of a country! Hereford, huh? Run the SAS selection course route for recreation? How about some of that local Yorkshire ale from the open slate fermentation tanks? Good stuff. Minnesota River valley has all kinds of apple orchards up here, but I have yet to find a hard cider that still wasn't too sweet.

 

[Trawlerman]

I live in Hull in Yorkshire, UK.

You haven't lived until you have tried Theakston's Old Fart

No word of a lie. It's a wonderful ale.




Sound as ever

 

[raymondlin]

Yeah, Hereford is a pretty boring place. There is nothing here apart from the Bulmer Factory, Cider Museum & the SAS camp. Oh, and lots of Supermarkets.

 

[lextek]

SAS is cool.

Lextek

 

[TimSchirmer]

lol, I like German hefe-weitzen...

 

[Xevion]

Harpoon IPA.

Very good stuff.

When I went to Canada recently I tried a nice white beer which Ifound delicious, but I forget its name.

Guiness is too, erm, strong for me.

I prefer a lighter, sweeter flavor myself, but am by no means a beer aficionado. Budweiser and similar are pure garbage though, and I won't drink it, period. It is like malt flavored water.

A local restarunt (Martha's Exchange) brews their own beer and also makes their own root beer. Due to age restrictions, I haven't been able to try their beer, but their root beer is really, really good. It has a darker, more full bodied flavor, and a hint of alcoholic taste and a minty aftertaste. I have never had anything quite like it.