Kevin's Watch

...damn...

Gator Town's a long way from Toronto.

No plans to do WDW while you're on this side of the pond, huh Stoney?

sorry menolly that language barrier strikes again: WDW????

Stonemaybe wrote:sorry menolly that language barrier strikes again: WDW????

WDW=Walt Disney World

Gator Town's about two hours dead north of the resort in Orlando.

doh!

pressures of work normally mean i can only take a week off at a time. For a trip to canada I might be able to stretch to ten days:- not long enough to do a tour of the whole continent, much as I'd love to

(*dreaming of lottery win*)

...one day I will get to do the British Isles myself, and see more of Europe than just the little I saw of Rome many years ago...

But...probably because of my love for the writings of McCaffrey, Ireland most of all calls to me, even though my heritage is Scot.

One day...

But...probably because of my love for the writings of McCaffrey, Ireland most of all calls to me.

One day...

One day I'll find those pesky fire lizards on the beach!

Stonemaybe wrote:

But...probably because of my love for the writings of McCaffrey, Ireland most of all calls to me.

One day...

One day I'll find those pesky fire lizards on the beach!

...not in Ireland you won't...

Too cold...

oh I don't know, summer of '95 we had fluorescent algae, and that was on the north coast!
If it's warm enough for fluorescent algae, it's warm enough for t.p.f.l.!

Pheh!

Come to Florida.

We'll hit Sanibel and/or the Keyes and look among the shellers for fire lizard clutches.

Menolly wrote: I have yet to find any beer I like, but am willing to keep trying new ones...

Neither have I, the difference being I'm not willing to keep trying.

The only way I've ever tolerated beer was to mix it with Sprite or 7UP.

Matrixman said:

The only way I've ever tolerated beer was to mix it with Sprite or 7UP.

Ugh! How could you? Talk about desecration!

I've always found that for non-beer drinkers, the best way in is through fruity beers (or those beverages that may contain a beer-like substance). For me, here with my local Wisconsin brews, this is usually Leinenkugel's Berry Wiess. Then moving on through other lighter, Wiess beers, then to the pilsners, followed by ales, then to the IPAs and stouts.

Beer tends to be very seasonal for me, usually fruity stuff, and wiess beers in the summer, moving to ales through the fall, and stouts through the winter.

Lately my two favorite breweries have been local stuff. Capital brewery, out of Middleton, WI (suburb of Madison) is making a damn fine Oktoberfest. They also do an excellent wheat brew. The other brewery I'm getting attached to is New Glarus Brewery (just south-west of Madison) makes a darn good bock (called Uff-da - gotta love Wisconsin!), a great IPA and great ale with just a hint of corn (sounds bad, but it's not) called Spotted Cow.

FIL grew up in Sheboygan, so he is very excited about finally seeing Leinenkugel's locally. Hyperception says it is bottled from the same batch as their in-state Summerfest beer, but that the bottling makes it not as fresh tasting as that served from the kegs in Wisconsin itself. He says it is very good though, and he would consider it a "dessert" beer, if there is such a thing.

I can handle a sip of the Leinenkugel's. However, I prefer using it to simmer my bratwurst after grilling. I'll use that, St. Pauli Girl, or Spaten Oktoberfest for the best brat flavor.

Speaking of the Spaten, Hyperception loves this time of year for that...

With this thread here, I can't believe I never asked this question on it.

My recipe for corned beef and cabbage calles for stout and malt vinegar, along with a lot of whole spices. I've always used Guiness, and I love the way the corned beef itself turns out. But even I will admit the root vegetables and the cabbage can get quite bitter/sour with that combination.

Reading the older posts of this thread, as I am going through all of the threads looking for recipes to cache in The Cantina, I saw Malik's posts regarding how he finds Guiness to be thin, watery, and sour. The stouts he recommends sound awesome, and as I stated above I am not a fan of beer. But would they be appropriate for my corned beef and cabbage? I just can't picture using a stout that reminds one of chocolate milk along with malt vinegar...

Hey, people are talking about beer again! Yeah!

Sam Adams actually does have a few good ones, though most are bland and forgettable. Their Oktoberfest is fine. The Cream Stout is good (try that one, Menolly). And I've always wanted to get my hands on a Utopia. 25% ABV!!! Holy malted barley.

Hoegaarden is a little too spicy and orangey for me. I don't like coriander and orange peel in my beer. However, I do love many Belgian styles like dubbels, trippels, and quads. I prefer Rochefort to Chimey.

For those who really want to experiment, I recommend lambics (also a Belgian beer). They are sour beers. But they are sour in a good way. Many are sweetened and fruit flavored with things like raspberries, which go well with a tart ale. My wife can't stand any beer, but she loves this one. Even though it is sweetened, it's not going to taste anything like a Bacardi cooler, or any high-fructose corn syrup drink. This is the real deal. A real ale, fermented with wild yeast in open fermenters in Belgium.

Also, the Canadian brewery Unibroue (which brews mainly Belgian styles--world class, at that) make Don De Dieu a triple wheat ale (9%). It's very complex, slightly sweet, and delicious. The link I just provided has this random review:

Pours a hazed, tawny yellow color w/ a full, semi creamy froth. Good head retention reducing to a silky canopy. Strong aromas of creamy banana spice and tropicals. Full nectar w/ ample residual effers. Mildly sweet w/ a big malty backbone supporting tropical flavors and banana cream. Creamy apple, pear, pineapple, and kiwi play an integral role in this ensamble. A touch of mold and smoke without the roast make their way through. It’s more like fog than smoke. A fleshy, meaty brew. The finish is long w/ abundant fruit and a touch of melon and a lemon tart. Very Tripel in nature w/ a nice creamy smooth flavor. Very complex with good balance.

Jonpol was very much right. It's wonderful.

My new beer is Smithwicks:

Here's an online review:


We're beer drinkers. Smithwick's is a beer drinker's beer. Okay, this is one of those beers that just plain tastes better on draught. There's no other way around it, Smithwick's is a pint beer. It's an Irish brew very similar to it's bastard English cousin, Newcastle, which is by far a more popular beverage.

The main thing to know about Smithwick's is that if you're ordering it at an Irish Pub (which you should be), you have to blast the word out of your mouth. In order to pronounce Smithwick's, you almost have to say it like "Smitticks". If you get a chance to speak with an authentic Irishman, ask them how to pronounce it.

Anyways, getting back on topic, Smithwick's is a smooth drinking, solid finishing ale / lager with a bite but not an overbearing aroma or flavor. This is a spring or fall beer, strong enough to remind you you're drinking but smooth enough to maintain the same drink all night. 4 out of 5. Good choice for special occasions, preferably in a pint glass.

Malik23 wrote:Hey, people are talking about beer again! Yeah!

Sam Adams actually does have a few good ones, though most are bland and forgettable. Their Oktoberfest is fine. The Cream Stout is good (try that one, Menolly). And I've always wanted to get my hands on a Utopia. 25% ABV!!! Holy malted barley.

Thanks Malik! With the colder weather, I was planning on doing corned beef and cabbage soon and was hoping you would drop back in. I'll look for the SA Cream Stout.

High Lord Tolkien wrote:My new beer is Smithwicks:

Here's an online review:


We're beer drinkers. Smithwick's is a beer drinker's beer. Okay, this is one of those beers that just plain tastes better on draught. There's no other way around it, Smithwick's is a pint beer. It's an Irish brew very similar to it's bastard English cousin, Newcastle, which is by far a more popular beverage.

The main thing to know about Smithwick's is that if you're ordering it at an Irish Pub (which you should be), you have to blast the word out of your mouth. In order to pronounce Smithwick's, you almost have to say it like "Smitticks". If you get a chance to speak with an authentic Irishman, ask them how to pronounce it.

Anyways, getting back on topic, Smithwick's is a smooth drinking, solid finishing ale / lager with a bite but not an overbearing aroma or flavor. This is a spring or fall beer, strong enough to remind you you're drinking but smooth enough to maintain the same drink all night. 4 out of 5. Good choice for special occasions, preferably in a pint glass.

Once upon a time, when I was about eight years old, a friend and me decided it was about time we tried beer. I knew my mum had a bottle od smithwicks in the back of a cupboard that's been there for AGES and we thought they wouldn't notice if that went missing!

So Smithwicks was my first taste of alcohol, but of course we didn't know about sell-by dates or anything like that. that bottle had been there YEARS. I still don't like beer, after 20 years drinking, and I BLAME SMITHWICKS!

...had a feeling as soon as Stoney saw Smithwicks that there would be a story involved somehow...

My personal motto is: try a new beer every weekend. Damnit, that's a philosophy I can live by. I've tried hundreds. Maybe thousands. I love beer. Did I mention that?

My new favorite is Stone 11th Anniversary Ale.

It is black, so you'd think it is a stout or porter. But this is an IPA, my friends! A hell of an IPA. It's hops are still fresh and powerful 2 months after being released. The dark malty backbone props up these generous amounts of hop flavor and bitterness with complex, smooth, sweet malty goodness. It tastes the closest to fresh homebrew as I've ever had. Wonderful. I need to buy a case of these.

God!

...how did i not see this thread in the 2+ years i've been coming to this forum. I love beer, its kinda genetic (live in michigan and half irish, the other half is tainted by nationalities not worth mentioning).

Since Malik seems to be the Lord-fatherer of beer, i need some suggestions. Typically I'm an ale guy, Blue Moon (i'll probably be excommunicated for this) is my favorite, i enjoy the light, crisp taste and the orange mouthfeel...but i need to expand my horizons. So, considering what i've listed as my favorite beer, could you give me about 5 suggestions for microbrews that you think i might enjoy.