Why do some beers seem to make people feel more full?

I think a some of it is psychological - I too remember struggling to drink down a pint of Guinness. But now I can put away plenty!  The darker color and dense head give the perception of a bigger beer.

But in reality most pub Stouts such as Guinness are quite light beers, in terms of their physical density (specific gravity) so it's not that they are physically harder to drink.

Some reasons that Stouts can taste and feel heavier:

Stouts tends to be more bitter, so tougher to drink for those not used to it
Serving on N2 ("Nitro") creates the illusion of a thicker mouthfeel (it's not fully understood at present quite why that is)
The lower CO2 levels removes a certain "light" quality from the beer. Beers with more CO2 feel lighter, effervescent and easier to drink.

Of course, there are some stouts that really are fuller bodied, but I focused on Guinness simply because that's the one most available throughout the world and yet is counter-intuitively lighter than typical pub beers.


Price per Alcohol content of beer formula?

Alcohol content is not the primary driver of the cost of beer and so unfortunately there is not formula for directly mapping the price of a beer to its alcohol content. There are a number of ingredients in beer, and the non-alcohol producing ingredients (hops and other flavoring ingredients) can easily cost as much or more than the ingredients that produce the alcohol (malts, adjuncts, other fermentable sugars.)
This is why some extremely high alcohol beverages (malt beverages, cheap vodka) can cost far less per ounce than a high quality, considerably lower alcohol beer.
HOWEVER:  If you're not looking for a general formula, but want to compare two specific beers, the formula would be to multiply the ABV by the unit of measure for the beer (ounces here in the U.S.) and then divide the results by the price.
EXAMPLE: So I have two beers, one that is 12oz and 4.9% ABV, and costs $0.83 per can, and a second beer that is 16oz and 9.2% ABV, and costs $3.00 per can.
For beer one I multiple the alcohol times the quantity 0.049 * 12 = 0.588  (It contains 0.588oz of alcohol per can.) Now I divide the price ($0.83) by the alcohol content (0.588) and I find that the first beer costs $1.42 per ounce of alcohol.
For beer two I multiple the alcohol times the quantity 0.092 * 16 = 1.472  (It contains 1.472oz of alcohol per can.) Now I divide the price ($3.00) by the alcohol content (1.472) and I find that the second beer costs $2.04 per ounce of alcohol.
So, in this specific case, the lower alcohol beer delivers more alcohol for the price.  ($1.42/oz vs. $2.04/oz.)
GENERAL FORMULA: Units are as you give them (Use price in dollars and volume in ounces to get $/ounce -- Use price in Euros and volume in milliliters to get €/ml -- etc.)
Price of alcohol content = [Price of package of beer] / ([Units per package] * [Volume per unit] * [ABV])


The question could be changed to "craft Italian beer" or "Italian real ale" instead of good. That would fix the question quality.
To answer the better question, there are about 360 micro-breweries in italy under the umbrella MoBI organization (http://www.movimentobirra.it/) which is similar to CAMRA and has an English translation to their website. I would recommend using that as an initial source of information as breweries change and I am not familiar with the Florence area.
http://www.pintamedicea.com/birra/ based in Florence may also be helpful depending on your level of Italian language skills.


You have to think of the volume of beer that's actually made. The big 'non-craft' brewers produce huge amounts of lager because the tradition for last hundred years or so has been to make lighter, more 'drinkable' beers. That also happens to fit with the big business ideal of being cheap to produce (light & drinkable means corn & rice are OK!).

Craft brewer tend to make ales for a few reasons.

Prior to the explosion of lagers, most beer in the world was ale, and
there are many more styles & different kind of yeast to choose from
if you make ale.
Most ales can be produced faster than lagers, which is helpful when
your brewery is small.
Ales are easier to make at home, so home brewers are quite familiar
with these styles (and sometimes become pros as well).

Numbers: as of last year, the thousands of craft breweries in the US still only had 11% of market share. Big breweries still crank out ~3/4 of US consumption, nearly all lager.


Aside from the number of barrels they produce, what is the main difference between a craft brewery and a microbrewery?

That is the difference. The distinction is purely one of size, and exists mainly for purposes of trade and legal organization. The gulf between the two wasn't always so large, but as the Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) has grown, the standard for 'Craft Brewing' has been increased to allow for their continued categorization as a Craft Brewer. Even with the increases, the gulf in capacity between 'craft' and the various major macrobrewers is so large as to render the adjustments to the definition of 'craft' largely benign. The additional standards that a so called 'craft' brewery must restrict the use of cheap adjuncts in their grain bill keeps out the few smaller regional breweries that might otherwise fall under the umbrella. There's no 'craft' in making cheap alcohol water out of rice and corn.


What does the absinthe ritual do?

It is a tradition and it makes the absinthe go cloudy!

It is simply the traditional way of drinking absinthe.

  Absinthe is a distilled highly alcoholic drink. It is 45–74% alcohol by volume / 90–148 U.S. proof) beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit got from herbs. The herbs including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel.

  The preparation

  Traditionally, absinthe is put into a glass. A sugar cube is then placed in the bowl of a special spoon. Ice-cold water is poured or dripped over the sugar until the drink is diluted. During this process, the parts that are not soluble in water make the liquid cloudy. The resulting milky opalescence is called the louche.

Preparing absinthe the traditional way

Apart from just simply the traditional way of preparing absinthe, it also has the merit of sweetening up a little this mildly bitter drink, as well as making it less strong for those who enjoy it thus.

Serving Absinthe with Water and Sugar

  Mix a simple blend. Add 3 parts ice-cold water to 1 part absinthe. For a single serving, this is roughly 3 ounces of absinthe (or 3 shots) to 1 ounce of absinthe (or 1 shot). For each single serving, stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar.

  Alternately, absinthe can be sipped neat if you prefer the undiluted taste. But if so, drink moderately. Keep in mind that absinthe has nearly twice the alcohol content of most other liquors, which is why it is typically watered down.

  If you are a fan of sugar, mix a teaspoon with the ice water before pouring. However, if you like your absinthe to be less sweet, skip it, since the louche’s milky cloud is formed not by the addition of sugar, but by chemical reactions between water and absinthe’s ingredients. - How to Make Absinthe Cocktail

My sister-in-law is from the Czech Republic, where the drinking of absinthe is quite popular. We always have it the traditional way, but many do not. Neat is alright too.

  Collection of absinthe spoons. These are special spoons used to hold the sugar cube. Ice-cold water is poured over the sugar to dilute the absinthe. Note the slot on the handle that allows the spoon to rest safely on the brim of the glass. - Absinthe ((Wikipedia)


Is there any benefit to mixing red and white wine togther?

Your question seems to be based on a false assumption. Rose is not a "mix" of red and white wine.

Red wine is produced by (red) grapes which have their skins left on during fermentation, white wine is produced from pealed grapes (of any colour).

Rose is produced by extracting the skins (or red grapes) at some point in the fermentation process.

It's a common misconception!

Source: Napareserva

To answer the clarification in the comments:

Often wine is blended to bring in the best parts of different grapes:

  The goal in blending is to bring together wines that don’t stand alone to make a wine that is superior to its parts. There is a big difference between blending, which is meant to improve your wine, and mixing, which is intended to make something — like an off-flavor —go away. Source: WineMaker

Personally - being brought up to appreciate good wines - the idea of mixing red and white is blasphemy. They are just too different and therefore do not follow the "rules" laid out in the link above.

However, I did find evidence that it has been considered - I imagine you could end up with a wine very similar to a Rose if you got the balance right. I'm not sure I can really credit that with being a "source" though.

This answer has been asked elsewhere though and, although I don't often like to just copy and paste an answer from elsewhere but the last paragraph seemed exactly what you are looking for:

  Rosé is popular nowadays and some producers do mix red and white wine grapes in order to satisfy demand, it's all about business, after all, however, such wines tend to be made of not very high quality grapes because there is no point in mixing the grapes or wines of premium quality together since they will cancel out their flavours anyway. Sometimes, producers will add some extra sugar to the mix in order to balance out or mask the shortcomings of taste that appeared due to mixing the products that are not supposed to be mixed.

The post also goes into more detail about why they are generally too different.


Broadening my horizons (Ale recommendations in South West UK)

If you're in the South West, then it's definitely worth checking out Otter Brewery (a really good range with a cracking bitter). Also Abbey Ales are the only ales actually brewed in Bath, not to say that Bath Ales aren't great, but this is real Bath ale! Depending how far SW you go, Exeter Brewery's Avocet Ale is a nice drop that you can have a really good session with.
Hope this helps!


Where can I found out which beer cans are "collectable"?

Breweriana has a database of collectable beer paraphernalia with prices.  Tick the "include All (In-Stock & Sold)" button for their complete range.  They're trying to sell to you, of course, so their prices are probably a bit higher than you'd getting selling the same thing, but it's useful if you have an item you want to get valued.

Ebay, on the other hand, is more limited but more practical.  It's a good first stop for selling any collectable, since you can see what people have actually gotten for items.  That'll be the most accurate price estimate, although you're not likely to find really rare stuff on there because of the small audience.

Also, there are a number of books on the subject, of which breweriana helpfully lists a few.

Finally, the BCCA is the largest organization around beer can collecting, and have a lot of resource son the subject.  You can use their site to find a local chapter and ask someone about your specific collection in person.

To expand on this a little, here is a really quick guide:

If it's from the mid 70s or so on, it's probably not that valuable.  Exceptions sometimes include aluminum cans, cans with punch tops, and cans with cone tops.
If it's in poor condition, it's probably not worth much unless it's quite rare.  Unless it's better than "grade 2" (defined as "Has a clean label, but there may be rust or other blemishes near the seam, the lid, or the bottom. Colors may be irregular"), it's probably not valuable.
American OIs (opening instructions, named after the instructions that came with them on how to open them) can be worth $35 to $1000.  Most others before the 70s will have a chance of being between $10 and $500, depending on their rarity.


Who made or makes spirits from poisonous Heracleum?

This book "Reise Um Die Erde Durch Nord-Asien und Die Beiden Oceane ..., Part 1, Volume 3 By Adolph Erman", available on googleBooks, which describes a trip to Russia in 1828-30 quotes yet another text "Vergl. Opisanie semli Kamtschatiki Tsch II Str. 199" which in turn has a more detailed description of the Kamchatskan Cossacks making a preparation of H stems with some kind of honeysuckle berries (lonicera cerulea) and warm water, and eventually distilling a spirit from it with possible hallucinogenic properties.

The text is in German, my own German is a little rusty, and the text cannot be copied to put into google translate.

The other text quoted is probably this A Description of Kamchatka Semi-island. V.2, published 1755:

So I think your sources are quoting much older sources for this.

I found another source (1779), Captain Cook's account of his own travels in Kamchatka also speaks of this plant (page 337), and has another explanation of why it was used for making spirit.

I can't find anything recent to suggest that the practice is still current, but who knows ?


You can make alcohol from anything that contains sugar, so...

Yes, of course you can make alcohol from kiwano melon, using the same technique as with any melon (or in fact most fruit) - get the juice from it and use your normal moonshine technique :-)


What ingredient may I be allergic to in certain beers?

Sounds like allergy to

malted barley or other grains, such as wheat and sorghum
hops
yeast
assorted colorings, flavorings, and preservatives

Can you eat rye normally?


I have not done the 1001 to drink before you die, but I have rated more than 1000 beers on RateBeer. :)

I have many favourites, but a favourite depends on so many things! Westvletern 8 is one of the best beers I have ever had, but I would not like to drink it while mowing the lawn! Snow and Bud are great for quenching a thirst, but not something I would drink with good meal.

London Pride, Stone Ruination, Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, Dogfish Head 60, 90, Midas Touch. Weihnstephaner Weiss, Pilsner Urquell, Duvel, Cockpit Crazy Diamond, Windhoek Light, Badger Golden Glory... The list just continues.

Use sites like Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate to see what others think of the beers.

And sometimes the best beer is the one in front of you. :D


Can you make "herbal tea" out of beer brewing ingredients?

Whew! There are a lot of good questions in your question! To get the credentials out of the way, I'm a tea writer that owns a tea tavern and has done quite a bit of homebrewing (I've also made some tea beer, which may interest you).

First, the only "official" ingredients of beer (if you follow the Reinheitsgebot, or Bavarian Purity Law) are barley, water, hops, and yeast. Similarly, "real" tea is made only from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, but "herbal" tea consists of pretty much any leaf, stem, root, seed, or flower you want to steep in water.

With that covered, we can move on to common terminology, where beer can contain a variety of different grains, like malted and unmalted barley, wheat, oats, rye, and corn. I've even used more exotic grains like triticale in a homebrew. A lot of adjuncts are often added, too, ranging from honey to berries, juniper buds, and every imaginable spice.

So, as to question 1: Yes, you can use beer brewing ingredients for making herbal teas. You'll want to blend them, though. Steeping straight hops doesn't make for a great drink. If you steep the hops for 3-5 minutes in boiling water, most of the aromatic oils will evaporate and most of the bittering agents won't have a chance to take effect. It's pretty meh. Blend hops with tea leaves or other herbs, though, and you can make an interesting drink.

Question 2: Very little of the flavor of a typical beer develops in the keg. It develops during the boil and the primary/secondary fermentation steps. Once it hits the bottle (or keg), beer is ready to drink. You can certainly toss barley in boiling water and let it steep a while to make a drink, but without the fermentation process, it won't taste a whole lot like beer. That doesn't mean it won't be good — especially when blended with herbs — but it won't be beer.

Question 3: Since you're using water to make both tea and beer, and yeast has no place in tea, you're really asking whether barley or hops makes a better tea. It depends on your personal taste. I'd probably say hops.

And Question 4: I'll give you the same recommendation I'd give any homebrewer or tea lover: experiment. Hops are pretty cheap. Buy some (the flowers, not the pellets), get some teas with flavor bases you like, and play around. Malted barley is cheap enough that you can probably talk a homebrewer into giving you a couple of pounds, especially if you trade for a six-pack.

Good luck, and let us know how your experiments turn out!


How do I determine the shelf life of beer?

There are some rules of thumb.  First, if it's a hop-oriented beer (pales, IPAs), drink sooner than later, as the hop aromas and flavor will fade over time.  Second, the higher the alcohol by volume (ABV, think imperial stouts), the better chance it has of lasting longer.

That said, it may be best to ask the brewer what the recommended shelf life is for any specific beer.


It depends if you like the smokier/peatier whiskies such as Talisker, or prefer the smoother whiskies. I find the former generally overpriced but that's me. A good example of the latter is Auchentoshan 12 year old. Easy drinking (is that a bad thing?),  with no overpowering flavour but flavoursome all around and smooth bite (an oxymoron?)  at the end. I saw this for $65 on a Canadian website so I believe it fits into your Aberlour category.


Bacon Beer

I've heard of beers made with rauchmalt - smoked malt, where the brewer has "dry hopped" with bacon or bacon flavored soya to give the beer a bacon flavor and aroma - allowing the bacon and the smoked malt to enhance each other. One commercial example is Bacon Maple Ale from Rogue, which features a variety of smoked malts (over different woods) plus applewood smoked bacon.

Cock Ale

Here is a recipe for ale made with chicken broth:

  PERIOD: England, 17th century | SOURCE: The Closet Of the Eminently
  Learned Sir Kenelme Digby Kt. Opened, 1677 | CLASS: Authentic

  DESCRIPTION: A drink of ale, chicken broth, & sack

  To make Cock-Ale.

  Take eight gallons of Ale, take a Cock and boil him well; then take
  four pounds of Raisins of the Sun well stoned, two or three Nutmegs,
  three or four flakes of Mace, half a pound of Dates; beat these all in
  a Mortar, and put to them two quarts of the best Sack: and when the
  Ale hath done working, put these in, and stop it close six or seven
  days, and then bottle it, and a month after you may drink it.

And PS: the Guinness meat story because of finding rats in the fermentation tanks or barrels is a myth. Or to put it another way, even if it did ever did happen once, it's not practiced now. It's hard enough for bacteria to get into the fermentation tanks or barrels, let alone something as big as a rat! (Nowadays they use stainless or aluminum kegs.)


What wines pair well with vegetarian dishes?

I was brought up in the fashion that one served red wine with beef and white wine with most fish dishes. But vegetarian dishes are something all together.

  Vegetarian Dish Pairing

  White Wines

  Pinot Gringo

  Veggie wraps

  bright salads
  pasta with cream sauce
  bruchetta

  Chardonnay

  Starchy foods such as potatoes or risotto

  Spring peas
  Corn
  Roasted vegetables

  Riesling

  Thai food

  Curry
  Summer BBQ
  Cashews
  Mexican Dishes

  Gewurztraminer

  German foods
  Cheeses
  Cajun Cuisine
  Kimchee
  Indian Cuisine

  Red Wines

  Chianti

  Pasta with tomato sauce
  Caprese
  Veggie pizza

  Merlot

  Veggie Burgers
  Olives
  Avocados

  Cabernet Sauvignon

  Lentil Soup
  Garlic
  Walnuts
  Eggplants

  Pinot Noir

  Mushrooms
  Bread and olive oil
  Mediterranean Foods

  Quick Guide to Vegetarian Wine Pairings

Pairing rules are not set in stone, but there are a few friendly guidline to follow.

  Match Wine Flavors With Food Flavors

  Specific body and color types and their flavors are also elements to consider when you are pairing vegan foods and wine. For example, when choosing white wine, a light-bodied flavor, such as Vermentino, Pinot Grigio and Viognier all go well with pasta dishes, salads and stir-fry vegetables because they will not overpower the modest flavor of these foods. If you are barbecuing veggie burgers or preparing baked potatoes on the grill, consider choosing a classic white Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling, which make a fine complement to the taste of grilled foods.

  If you prefer red wine, then go with Granache for veggie burgers and sweet potatoes, and try a Merlot for olive-based dishes and grilled asparagus. The most important aspect of pairing wine with a vegan meal is to choose flavors that will not overpower the food. For example, avoid pairing a robust, full-bodied red wine with a simple summer salad or pairing a sweet wine with a tart pesto and lemon dish.

  While you might make a few errors when you first start pairing wines and vegan dishes, you should never be afraid to experiment and come up with a few interesting combinations of you own. - 5 Tips for Pairing Wines With Vegan Dishes

And by the way: Bon Appetite!


TL;DR: Yes, but they're growing.

This chart shows, for craft beer sold in 2012, the relative portion of the market each style made up, with IPA being the most popular (a relatively new occurrence).  Porters do not even show up.

Here's another for 2011 showing porters as quite low on the list.

This chart shows the year-over-year increase in sales by style.  You'll note here that, at least in 2011, porters weren't growing very fast either.

More recent data was a little hard to come by, but it seems that the overall sales numbers are unlikely to change that much in a couple years: IPAs, Pale ales, Ambers and Amber Lagers are probably still topping the charts.  So it's not that porters don't sell at all, but they're certainly not top earners.

Drifting into conjecture, I would say that the people interested in 'big beers' will take a stout over a porter, and those interested in a more subtle beer will go for a brown or an amber, leaving porters in a bit of a no-man's-land in the middle.


Germany loves to drink Glühwein (warm wine) in Winter, where else in the world do they practice that?

Glühwein is part of a larger category of heated and spiced wines called Mulled Wines. They are popular all over Europe and go by more names than I can cite here. The tradition is first recorded in ancient Rome in the 2nd Century. I could just cut and paste the excellent Wikipedia article, but here is a link to save us all the hassle. Mulled Wines


None, the hops are added to provide a bitter flavour and because they have an antibiotic property that favours yeast over other microorganisms.

The hops are filtered out in the brewing process so there is no calorific gain.

In a typical UK beer recipe the hops are typically 1% of the dry ingredients.


Glassware for lagers: why did my Stella Artois come in this kind of glass?

The first, and primary reason any beer comes in branded glassware is this:  Marketing.  Brewers, like any other businesses, like for the general public to know that the anonymous tapped beer you're drinking is theirs.  That is why they provide branded glasses to bars, and request (or require) that their beer be served in their glasses.

  Is there a benefit to the mildly curved shape of this glass for this type of beer?

In my observations, yes, there is.  While the throat may not narrow as severely as a brandy snifter, the effect of concentrating the aroma is still achieved. Eyeballing it, I'd say that the curvature is somewhere in between that of my champagne flutes and my red wines glasses, which are presumed to have the same general effect.  More generally I'd say that a glass with a narrowing or restricted throat does concentrate the aroma, and the degree of restriction doesn't seem to matter significantly, to my nose.  (Assuming it isn't too great, that is.  Beer in a bottle or can, for instance, is definitely at a disadvantage.)

I'd like to also look at a few of the reasons they state in their marketing material as well.

  The authentic shape of the body encourages the perfect balance of C02 and liquid, enhancing head retention and flavor.

I don't have any evidence to back this up, but I suspect that this is probably the most legitimate of the claims.  This would have a significant effect on the experience of drinking the beer, it is going to be specific to their recipe, and it's a reason that's often given for custom beer glassware.  (Boston Beer Company laser etches the bottom of their Sam Adams Boston Lager glass to enhance cavitation, for instance.)

  The angles at the bottom cause a wave that works in harmony with the liquid alchemy.

I have no idea what this means.  Alchemy is the term for pre-chemistry, and primarily deals with trying to turn ordinary substances into gold.  I assume they're trying to insinuate that the glass magically turns Stella into better beer.

  The stem provides a means to hold the chalice so that the Stella Artois stays cold longer

This is plausible, and perhaps unfortunate.  This is why you are supposed to hold red wine glasses by the bowl (to warm the wine) and white wine glasses by the stem (to keep it cool.)   However, with wine, a serving is generally five ounces or so, compared to twelve or more of lager.   The effect certainly won't be the same given the significantly higher mass.   The unfortunate bit is that colder is not generally what you want when you're talking about good beer.  Colder is the realm of the cheap macro-brews like Coors Light.   Cold subdues flavor compounds, which is useful when the flavor of the beer is nasty, and not so useful when it's pleasant.  This certainly isn't a a requirement or general best practice for lagers as you won't find stemmed glassware used for Boston Beer's Samuel Adams Lager glass:

or my classic Spiegelau Lager glass:

or any of the glasses you'll see used for the many fine Lagers of Germany.  So, I have to suppose one of the following two reasons.  First, they may simply be pandering to the general belief that colder beer is better.  Second, it would be unfortunate if they were trying to hide a lack of quality by trying to ensure the beer was too cold to taste properly.

Finally, and I've left this to last, because it's purely my opinion...I think they've chosen the chalice glass specifically because it's fancy, and that's the image they want to portray for their beer.  When people see the Stella glass, they don't want their beer to be lumped in with the pint-glass styles, they want it to stand out as sophisticated, and the chalice specifically gives it that cachet.

So, my top line and bottom line are down to marketing, with a bit of truth and a bit of fiction to all the bits in between.


What is a good beer for starters, or people who don't typically enjoy the taste of beer?

I would recommend starting with a draft Hefeweizen or Belgian Wheat, or a fruit flavored mead such as a blackberry or passion-fruit mead.

I would also recommend pairing the beer with a good meal so the experience is not centered around the beer, the beer is instead an accent to the experience.


Similar beers to Hitachino Nest White Ale

That's a tough question. Most of the witbiers I've had are locally distributed in the US, so you'll never find them in the UK.

Here are two lighter ones with a nice citrus kick that you might be able to get your hands on:

St. Bernardus Blanche (Witbier)
Ommegang Witte


Is there a modern wine that is designed to resemble an ancient Hebrew (Palestinian) wine?

How about Marawi Wine from the Recanati Winery in Israel.

  The wine, called marawi and released last month by Recanati Winery, is the first commercially produced by Israel’s growing modern industry from indigenous grapes. It grew out of a groundbreaking project at Ariel University in the occupied West Bank that aims to use DNA testing to identify — and recreate — ancient wines drunk by the likes of King David and Jesus Christ. - Israel Aims to Recreate Wine That Jesus and King David Drank


Who do the brewers of extra strong lager claim their target market is?

You’re absolutely right about the perception.  It’s similar in the US for people who buy Steel Reserve and other malt liquors: they’re a cheap means to an end.

The reality, though, seems to be that a lot of people like the taste:

  'Of course, the most common question I get asked is: 'Isn't it just winos who drink it?' ' admits Katie Rawll, Carlsberg's senior brand manager responsible for Special Brew. 'But our researches show that the underneath-the-arches brigade accounts for only 2 per cent of its overall drinkers. They're certainly not consuming the volume.'

From what I can tell, it’s a special occasion beer for the crowd that isn’t into good beer.  They drink cheap lager year round, but if they want to reward themselves, celebrate an occasion, or make a party a bit more interesting, they’ll break out a strong lager.  Much like breaking out a bottle of wine, but cheaper (and tastier if you don’t care for wine).


How do you pour a bottle conditioned beer?

When pouring a beer with sediment, or lees, make sure your glass is of a size to accommodate the full contents of the bottle plus the attendant foam. Pour smoothly into the glass, watching the neck of the bottle, and suspend pouring when you see sediment starting to come to the neck. If you haven’t screwed it up, you have a glass of clear, inviting beer. Well done.


Can canned beer be frozen for longer than bottled beer?

Cans should be okay in the freezer for a long time, however they will probably dent outward as the water freezes.  Bottles will pop the cap since that is the weakest part of the container.

All that being said, the quality of the beer may deteriorate from being frozen as the water will separate from the alcohol during freezing and they may not mix evenly when thawing.


Why is Guiness so prolific in South-East Asia?

Guinness licenses their brand and recipe to many breweries which is why they are so prolific everywhere. An example is the fact that Labatt's brews most Guinness sold in North America. So, their widespread popularity is simply a combination of marketing and smart distribution.


Yes, you can do this just like a bottle of sparkling wine. It should keep the beer for a couple of days, but not forever. Sometimes the corks don't work great, so I would buy a Champagne bottle stopper like the one below
Don't get the one that hold onto the ridge under the bottle opening. They work great for Champagne bottles but not so good on Belgian beer bottles.


Why does draught (draft) beer cause hangovers?

Draft beer does not give you a hangover, headache, or any kind of sickness just because it is a draft beer. If you’ve ever felt sick after drinking draft beer, you either:

Had too much
Drank from a dirty tap.


Maraschino cherry - can I use an alternative?

There is the Amarena cherry was developed by Gennaro Fabbri and is a particular bitter cherry. Fabbri mixes them with a sort of jam and makes syrups with them.

The sensation is like the maraschino cherry, but more soft, enveloping and a bit less of sugar in it...

I found it perfect in all iced tea cocktail, to give them a twist, also good with pretty everything involving bayleys or similar creamy alcoholic
reference here.

This may be of interest too.


What's the difference between imperial pale ale and indian pale ale?

Most often, if you see IPA, it's an "India pale ale".

"Imperial pale ale" is an informal, descriptive style (i.e., a strong pale ale), whereas "india pale ale" is a BJCP recognized style.  India pale ales are primarily understood as a hopped-up version of a pale ale, made to withstand long travels.  Beers with an "imperial" nomenclature (typically synonymous with "double") are brewed to be a stronger, higher ABV -- think double IPAs, imperial stouts, etc.


Whats a good beer to have with steak and mashed potatoes?

This of course is pretty subjective, but I will try to answer it anyway.

I would say that the choice of beer in this case should depend on one of this factors:

You want to accompany or match the taste of the steak and seasoning.
You want to have the beer as a regular drink nearby that does not disturb the taste of the
steak.

I will assume that you only use salt and pepper for seasoning.

Case 1:

For this, I would recommend a Dunkel (dark lager). From my experience, it compliments the taste of the steak and seasoning, without disturbing it.
The taste does not sit in your mouth too long, thus if you wait a moment (few seconds) between beer and the mashed potatoes, it should not cause any trouble with them, too.

Case 2:

If the beer is just meant as a drink nearby that should not disturb the taste of the meat, any lighter Pils (pale lager) should be fine.
It does not have a long lasting taste, goes well with mashed potato and does not clash with the steak.

Disclaimer:
I am from Germany, thus my choices might be a bit... regional. All of the above are just personal recommendations, based on my experience.


Causes for regional differences in brewery count in the United States

I believe it is mostly due to the laws of each state. Brewers Assoc. stats.

After prohibition ended, it was up to the states and counties to determine their own stance toward alcohol.  One part of the repeal of the 18th Amendment was the legalization of homebrewing wine and mead.  The law did not allow the homebrewing of beer until 1978.  Event then, it was up to each state to determine their stance toward the homebrewing of beer.

The states with the most breweries per capita follow the federal statute, which allows for 100 gallons per person of drinking age up to a maximum of 200 gallons per year. The states on the map with the least breweries have only recently relaxed their laws on homebrewing and alcohol sales in general.

Many homebrewers dream of starting their own brewery or pub, but they need to be able to practice their craft.  I am unable to locate the minutes to the Alabama House of Rep. discussion online, but the Basic Brewing Radio Podcast did air a snipped of the floor arguments on the legalization of homebrewing.  Some of the arguments against were uniformed and antiquated.

Why open up a beer business in a city/county/state where regulations and attitudes are opposed to your product?


I'm not personally familiar with Foster's Gold, but a good site to find similar beers is Beer Advocate. If you search you can find their review page for Foster's Gold. On that page the style is listed as Euro Pale Lager. Click on that link to find other beers of that style. There are quite a few familiar beers listed under this style. You can sort by number of reviews or average rating. Don't be too put out if your favorite beer isn't highly rated. Beer Advocate members tend to rate a bit harshly with mass market beers.


Today they're largely just traditional.  However, originally they helped:

To keep the beer cool by preventing airflow from above.
To keep insects and other contaminants out.
To prevent spillage while cheers-ing and generally carousing.

See the following article on Stein Lids for more detail.


Does bottle size affect aging or storage?

Not really.

In theory, larger bottles mean that the little bit of air trapped at the top of the bottle is smaller compared to the volume of beer than it would be in a standard 12 oz bottle.  However, I've been unable to find any research backing this up, and anecdotally it makes no difference.

Larger bottles are favored for aging beers mostly for practical reasons:

Stores are more willing to sell a single large bottle (whereas many often require the purchase of an entire six-pack for smaller beers)
It's easier to share a large bottle, which you often want to do with a good beer you're aging
They're often (but not always) cheaper than the equivalent beer split up between several smaller bottles.

But taste and aging-wise, there's no benefit to larger bottles.


What is the definition of Beer or the Beer "family" of drinks

IMHO, I would classify ciders, perrys, and meads to be more like wine than beer -- they are made by fermenting fruit or honey without substantial change to the base ingredients. Beer is made from malted grain, which must first be mashed to convert starch into fermentable sugars. Beer must contain 4 essential ingredients: Malt extract (from the grain), hops, water and yeast. It may contain others as well, but if any of these four are missing it is not beer.

I think that your premise of "that alcoholic drinks are essentially either Beers Wines or Spirits." is wrong because it oversimplifies and excludes some beverages. Besides mead and cider, there are also malt-based alcho-pop beverages (Mike's Hard Lemon, Twisted Tea, etc.) that I would not call beer either - they contain 3 of the four ingredients, but lack hops. There are other local indigenous alcoholic beverages around the world that don't fit any of these categories, like Japanese sake.

There are many styles of beer -- so the word "beer" refers to all of them, and there is no style that is called just "beer". Here is a link that describes many styles of beer, mead and cider. Note that this is not a comprehensive list; brewers keep developing new styles all the time to create desirable products. For example, Black IPAs came into vogue a couple of years ago, now I am seeing White IPAs.

BJCP Style Descriptions


Does a session beer have to be below a specific ABV?

Like many beer terms, "session beer" is not rigorously defined.  Several groups have tried, though:

The Brewers Association (PDF) called it 4.0-5.1% ABV
Beer Advocate calls it less than 5%
The Session Beer Project calls it 4.5%.

Really, though, if you call something a session beer, most people will understand that to mean something you could easily drink several of in a session (ie, lighter and more mild than a "big" beer).


Does chocolate stout contain real chocolate?

It depends on the brew really; some do and others do not. More often than not, the chocolate flavor comes from the techniques used to roast the malts rather than chocolate itself. Some brewers will add additional chocolate to enhance the chocolate flavor a bit, but it generally doesn't get its flavor primarily from the chocolate. The same is true for coffee stouts.

As a side note, I've recently tried a smoked imperial IPA (Runaway Smoked Ferry Imperial IPA) from the Port Jeff Brewing Company, a local microbrewery. I swear to God, it tasted like bacon! But there was not an ounce of bacon in it as confirmed by the brewmaster.


What sort of flavours distinguish ultra-high IBU beers from other high IBU beers?

The brewery really needs to indicate how they get the 300 IBU measurement. Most just work it out from the hops they add using hop bitterness calculators, rather than it being an actual measurement of the bittering compounds in the beer. For highly hopped beers, the calculated IBUs can be far off compared to reality - above around 100 IBUs it becomes more and more difficult to increase the IBUs of the beer.

The isomerized alpha acids that give the bitterness are only marginally soluble in wort (they are hydrophobic), and their solubility decreases as more is dissolved: solubility decreases with lower pH and dissolving the iso-acids lowers the pH, so solubility is self-limiting.

Thus, labels with over 100 IBUs should not be considered accurate, unless the brewer has specifically measured the IBUs in the beer, rather than guessed them from the hop regime.


Where to find the Leffe Brune (and other Belgian beers) in South London

If I want to find a beer, I use the Untappd app. Link to the beer is here: https://untappd.com/b/abbaye-de-leffe-leffe-brune-bruin/5941
If you load it up in the App (certainly on Android), you can 'Find It'. This will search for recent check ins close to you. That should certainly point you in the right direction anyway.


Why aren’t people in Ohio allowed to order a bottle of scotch?

It seems as though there were certain restrictions on home delivery of spirits up until just a few days ago, actually.
"Home delivery," being the same as food-service-home-delivery, and different from having alcohol mailed to your residence, oddly...

Ohio
ALLOWED. Ohio has relaxed laws for alcohol delivery fulfillment but
prohibits producers that make more than 250,000 gallons of alcohol
from delivery to consumers. You will need to become compliant for
mailing alcohol to consumers in Ohio, as well as be aware of local and
city laws.
https://2ndkitchen.com/breweries/how-to-ship-alcohol/

Again, this has apparently changed as of 2021 since Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill allowing home delivery of liquor.
So, look for this site and other services to update their respective catalogs and available products very soon - just in time for the next quarantine, no doubt...


This is pure speculation, but here is what I think. The wine is either palatable or not. The traditional way to deal with sediment is decanting. This is where the wine is slowly poured into a container (a decanter) while observing the sediment, usually with a bright light behind the bottle. The idea is to stop pouring just before the sediment escapes. You lose some liquid in the process. I suppose you could try pouring through a coffee filter too. Once decanted the wine should probably be drunk within a day or two.
Fine wine is often aged for 30 years, but it is very likely the wine is spoiled or at least well past its prime. The alcohol in the wine should keep it safe to drink, but since it was home made I can only speculate about that.


It might sound snobbish to be peckish about the type of glass but the glass does influence the taste of the beer.

Some things are:
 - the thickness of the glass. A thin glass invites to a more delicate way of drinking, a really thick glass would let you expect a sturdier beer.
 - the surface compared to the volume of beer. A big surface gives a change to let of more aroma's but I would think you also need a little more foam.
 - the capacity to keep the aroma's. As pointed out by Rube. Think of a cognac glass versus a vase. Some glasses also take in you nose deeper than others.
 - the way the beer flows. The shape of the glass how quickly you can drink it without spilling. Think of kwak, you HAVE to drink the last very carefully.

So to answer your question: there are many factors how the glass influences how you taste a beer. What's best is very subjective. You could at first stick to the opinion of the brewer, what he finds the best glass for it. If you like the taste with an other glass better, use that. I would not approach this as a hard science. Brewers might choose a specific glass to "stand out".


Is there a modern wine that is designed to resemble Noah's wine?

These guys aren't claiming that it's Noah's wine, but they are saying they are using the same methods that they used 8000 years ago to make wine and you can buy it in the Republic of Georgia. Is Georgia's Ancient Wine Making Method Making a Comeback? You can buy it around the world supposedly.

"Kvevri wines from Georgia can be found in a few stores and restaurants in New York City, San Francisco and Washington DC. Noel Brockett, who distributes both conventional and kvevri wine from Georgia in Washington DC for the Georgia Wine House, says it may take time to reach the general public but, “the Sommelier community is definitely becoming much more interested in the kvevri wines as the general market turns toward authenticity.”

Other than trying something out for historical purposes, the wine probably didn't taste all that great. They probably drank it young since they didn't have bottles and it was likely very cloudy and low alcohol. Probably not red since that would require fermenting on the skins in a controlled manner. Probably like a cloudy rose' or a orangeish white. We'll never know what grapes were used by Noah.


There is nothing called "Zinbardel". The only thing close is Zinfandel. Just in case I was missing something I did a google search on ZinBARdel and it had only 6 results. One of them was your question! Now if you are talking about ZinFANdel, all you have to do is go to your closest supermarket and buy a jug of Gallo Zinfandel.


Widgetized beers are packaged with liquid nitrogen, and the widget, which contains a small hole. The liquid nitrogen warms, turns to a gas inside the sealed can, which forces gas and beer into the widget through the hole.

When the can is opened, the pressure inside drops suddenly, causing the contents of the widget to be shot into the beer, agitating the beer, producing the foam.

If this were tried with a regularly carbonated beer, you'd end up with foam erupting out of the can. Hence, beers packaged with a widget have only about 1/3 the carbon dioxide dissolved than regular beers, plus the nitrogen, which creates a smooth mouthfeel and dense foam. Due to the requirements of reduced carbon-dioxide, the widget is used almost exclusively with Stouts, Bitters and Irish Red ales - styles that can be served with lower volumes of carbon-dioxide.

see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widget_(beer)#Method


As Slyboty notes correctly, beer is a very ancient drink predating the oldest written records (and likely any archeological discoveries.) For millennia though beer was made only from fermented malt with various add-ons.

The major change that gave origin to modern beers though is the addition of hops, for the first time creating a beer closely resembling modern lagers. The first documented use of hops in beer is dated 822 A.D. [source] although records of hops cultivation dates back to 736 [source] which suggests use of hops in brewing predates written records by a considerable margin.


Ok, so the basic brewing process is this (not homebrewing detail here, just a distant overview):

Heat your wort with water, steep, then add hops and boil, add more hops as you begin to cool, once cool enough add yeast, ferment, bottle.

Flavored beers can be made a bunch of different ways. You can add herbs, spices, or flavorings before or after the boil, for example.  Seeds and roots would usually be added before the boil; herbs would usually be added after.  I would probably add fruit after but this is something that folks could argue about forever.  If you buy something like smoke-flavored beer, chili flavored beer, etc. these are probably made this way.

There's a second type of flavored beer I have seen for sale in certain bars and restaurants in Asia though.  That's where you take a fairly light beer on tap and add it to a glass along with a shot of flavoring syrup (like lychee or peach).  These usually have sweeter flavor with clearer fruit flavors than the fermented fruit beers.  If the beer is pasteurized, the flavoring could be added before bottling and carbonation.  I think that is what you are seeing.


What are some high-ABV IPA's in the Northeast United States?

Bluepoint Brewery of Long Island NY makes Old Howling Bastard at 10% ABV (though I won't buy their beer anymore as they just sold to InBev a few weeks ago)
Dirtwolf from Victory Brewing Company of Pennsylvania at 8.7% ABV
At 9% ABV, you've got Double Simcoe from Weyerbacher Brewing Co of Pennsylvania
Out of NY, you have Unearthly from Southern Tier, rolling in at 9.5% ABV
From NY, you've got He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. by Shmaltz Brewing Company at 10 % ABV
Dogfish Head makes other IPA's outside of the 60/90/120 Minutes. Give Robert Johnson's Hellhound On My Ale a try (10% ABV).
At 9.7% ABV, Smuttynose of New Hampshire makes the Big A IPA at 9.7% ABV
Stoudt's Double IPA from Stoudt's brewing Co. of PA rolls in at 9.43 ABV
From Vermont, you've got Ephraim by Hill Farmstead Brewery rolling in at 10.5% ABV. I've never seen a beer with a 100 rating on Beer Advocate before...good luck finding this one.
Out of Pennsylvania from Allentown Brew Works you've got Hop'solutely rolling in at 11.5% ABV
Bluepoint also makes No Apologies Imperial IPA at 10% ABV. Again, my discretion about InBev still applies.
Flying Dog out of Frederick Maryland makes Single Hop Imperial IPA at 10% ABV
Brash Brewing Company of Taxachusetts makes The Bollocks at a whopping 12% ABV

I think that list will do for now. Again, It'd be best to rephrase your question as I was not sure if you meant beer brewed in the Northeast or beer available there. I went with the former (since it should satisfy both conditions anyway).

What you want to keep an eye out for are so called Imperial IPA's; it is a category of high ABV IPA's


What is a "White IPA" and is it actually an IPA?

WHITE IPA

A basic definition would be:

strong hop character - similar to ipa
wheat / wit grainbill-
essentially a mashup (beer pun) of wit and ipa, lighter malts with strong hops

As far as the is it an IPA question: as long as its fairly high alcohol, most of the ingredients would point to being almost the same as an IPA. but like noted above, there are different malts and probably a different yeast.


Modern, commercial beers that closely mimic historic styles

Depending on where you live you might be able to find a local brewery that's doing some sort of a recreation of an older style.  In the Massachusetts area Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project does a series of 1800s English ales called Once Upon a Time.  Beer historian Ron Pattinson helps them design all those recipes based on his research, so they should be fairly accurate.  Dogfish Head has a similar series called Ancient Ales which are best-guess recreations of VERY ancient middle eastern and asian beers based on archeological evidence...studying the chemical residue left on beer containers.

You might be able to find some recreations by Brouwerij de Molen who also tapped Ron Pattinson to consult.

Traditional Belgian styles are unlikely to have changed significantly, so those are an option.  The smaller niche styles don't evolve as quickly, though the methods will be updated so they won't be as accurate as deliberate recreations.  Saison Dupont was mentioned.  Fantome springs to mind as well.  Certain sour beers like Faro or Gueuze Lambics should be close, but avoid the fruity ones.  Gose and Berlinerweisse might fit as well.  A lot of those European sour brewers have been doing things basically the same way for like 500 years.

If you can find anyone brewing a Sahti that would be an interesting adventure.  I've also heard rumor of a few recreations of styles like Gratzer/Grodziskie, I think New Belgium might make one...

On the smaller scale, if you're really interested see if you can find Frank Clark or Bob Grossman at a conference you might be able to get them to let you try a historic recreation beer, they generally work in the 1600s-1700s.  Frank Clark works as a food historian at Colonial Williamsburg so he should be easy to track down.  But I warn you, you probably don't want to actually drink the majority of that stuff.  Brewing was very different back in the day and a lot of their beers are pretty foul to modern tastes.  Differently prepared sugars and odd herbs and spices.  Stuff like boiling molasses until it literally lights on fire then fermenting it...kilning grains until some of the kernels straight explode and burn.  And let's not even get into stuff like cock ale, which had a parboiled rooster added during secondary fermentation.

Sorry, that got ramble-y, but the gist was:  Pretty Things Once Upon a Time if you can get it.  Anything involving Ron Pattinson.  Dogfish Head Ancient Ales.  Traditional Belgian Saisons.  Sour Beers: Lambic, Gueuze, Berlinerweisse, Gose, Gratzer, Flemish Red.  Frank Clark might let you drink really gross-tasting things that were technically considered beer in Colonial-era America.


All I've seen anywhere is that the base is eau-de-vie. Eau-de-vie means different things in different places but, in France (where St. Germain hails from) it basically means any distillate. I'd venture to say, since St. Germain refuses to specify, that it's actually a blend of unaged fruit brandys. If this is the case, it almost certainly includes pear (who's distillate is pretty popular in France).... and if you mix grapes and strawberries (both grown in France) you can come close to something approximating lychee (which I doubt they would ship in). The addition of the elderflower would push the grape/strawberry even closer in that lychee direction. This is all just speculation, a whimsy to kick around over a cocktail.

Realistically, I'd pick up a bottle of high quality syrup (Monin is popular), and use that to replace the liqueur. You want to use less in the cocktail as it's sweeter, but it'll bear the brunt of the work.  You can add a cheap neutral vodka (like Smirnoff) to thin it out if you like. Don't use water to cut it, it'll change the mouthfeel and water down your cocktail. For further experimentation you can use a combination of pear brandy or schnapps (really anything clear and pear flavored) and vodka, I'd start with two parts vodka to one part pear. You'll want to mix the two because otherwise the pear will likely be too strong. Consider garnishing with an orange or lemon twist to replace the citrus in the St Germain. I wouldn't worry too much about the lychee side of things, it seems any options would run pricey. Yeah, your mix will be lacking something but, no matter what you do it won't be quite be the real McCoy.... let us know how it turns out. Cheers.


I'm from Germany. Don't care too much about this. Just remove that part of it which would be disturbing when drinking, since some minor pieces might get into the glass or into your mouth directly if you are drinking out of the bottle, which is common in Germany, except in a restaurant or during a dinner.

Also you wouldn't normally remove the gold paper before opening the bottle. Most of the parts will getting removed automatically when opening it. You just need to remove the remaining, disturbing parts, if there are any left. Try it! ;)

That's all you need to know. Cheers!


Are there quarantine themed beers?

What about the obvious: Corona beer!

  The novel coronavirus pandemic has temporarily killed all production of Corona beer — but not because of the fake rumours or jokes linking it to the disease.

  Grupo Modelo, the company that brews Corona beer in Mexico, has been forced to temporarily suspend production under the country’s lockdown measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. - Corona beer production halts due to coronavirus pandemic

It looks officially quarantined to me!

As a joke they should perhaps rename it Ebola in lieu of Corona!

I will say this at least: Doing external maintenance in town I find empty Corona beer cans or bottles every day!

Black Plague craft beer might fit the bill also.

Baphomet - Graphic Stein

If you can not find a ”quarantine beer” in your neighbourhood or home, perhaps to can just go ahead and drink your favourite beer in a beer stein. After all they came out with lids during the bubonic plague as a means to reduce infections from insects.

  Some 500 years ago Europe was inundated with swarms of flies during the summer months. This combined with memories of the plague called for some sort of action by citizens.

  By the 1500s folks in Germany had figured out that the plague had taken fewer victims in areas that adhered to certain hygienic standards. Cleanliness made a difference in who lived and who died so laws were passed to encourage citizens to leave their filthy ways to the past. One of those laws was that all food and beverage containers had to have lids to protect people from dirty insects.

  Covered containers were just a small part of the movement to clean up the community. Another law required that beer could only be made from hops, cereals, yeast and water. This allowed for a better quality beer and did away with the recipes that made beer from rotten bread and such.

  Long story short is that the beer industry took off in Germany and has never looked back. The covered beer stein was one innovation that took the fancy of the population long after the threat of disease had passed. The upper class would have had their beer steins made from pewter but the commoner would have embraced those made of pottery. Other mediums used would have included ivory, porcelain, wood, silver and more. Everyone would have had their own individual stein and some of them could be right fancy. All sorts of designs from coats of arms to biblical scenes have turned up on the outside of these steins.

  When the industrial age hit beer steins became less expensive to make. Instead of individually molding pottery into a mug they could now be mass produced with each design having a sharpness once associated with the hand made. Strong pottery seemed to be the chosen medium for most steins however glass and pewter did enter the market in a big way.

  Finding one of these beauties would be a treat for the collector. Over a 500 year period there would have been lots of steins made in Germany for the discerning collector to find. For the collector of the original steins they can expect to pay hundreds of dollars. Those who collect steins issued by American breweries will pay considerably less. - Beer stein an invention caused by the bubonic plague


Ordering a Drink in Non-Traditional Glassware

I believe the type of glass you are looking for is called an "Old Fashioned glass" named for the cocktail typically served in it. Depending on the size of the drink you may possibly want request your drink in a "Double Old Fashioned glass". I would hope that simply requesting your martini be served in an Old Fashioned glass would suffice.


Why does my slice/wedge of lime go up and down in my glass of Gin and Tonic?

Pieces of lime are slightly denser than a mixture of water and alcohol, and so they will naturally sink at first. However, they also encourage carbon dioxide gas to come out of solution and form bubbles by making the liquid around the fruit more acidic (and thereby reduce the amount of dissolved CO2 that it can hold). Unlike bubbles that form on the side of a glass and then detach, these bubbles will stick to the fruit and cause it to float to the surface. When sufficient bubbles have burst, the fruit sinks to the bottom again, and the cycle is repeated until no more CO2 will come out of solution.


What are abbey beers? How did they come about? Why do monks brew beer?

It is exactly as you would interpret it from the name. It is brewed in abbeys. Monks started brewing beer to gain money. Beer was very popular in the middle ages and water was mostly infected. The brewing process would cleanse the water from bacteria and other filthy stuff because of the boiling process. Some unofficial abbey beers are in fact not linked officially to an abbey but use the name to gain profit out of this. I am not sure whether the monks still brew it completely themselves, but I would strongly believe that they are still hugely involved.
The Trappist is a special and rare beer that is also an abbey beer. An abbey beer can only be called Trappist if it is brewed by monks that are Cisterciënzers. The only trappist beers in the world:

Achel   Abdij van Achel (Belgium)
Chimay  Abdij Notre-Dame de Scourmont (Belgium)
Engelszell  Stift Engelszell (Austria)
La Trappe   Abdij Koningshoeven (The Netherlands)
Orval   Abdij Notre-Dame d'Orval (Belgium)
Rochefort   Abdij Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy (Belgium)
Spencer Saint Joseph's Abey (USA)
Westmalle   Abdij van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van het Heilig Hart (Belgium)
Westvleteren    Sint-Sixtusabdij (Belgium)
Zundert Abdij Maria Toevlucht (The Netherlands)


It will vary based on the quantity of tea as well, but a day or two should be plenty. I have not done tea in rum but I did 4 teabags of Lapsang Souchong in a bottle of bourbon, and that only took a day or two.
You can always infuse for longer if you need to, I would recommend tasting after 24 hours.


Do "premium" liquors contain more sugar?

I have been in the luxury spirits business for a couple of decades.  I can tell you that in the case of brown spirits, whiskey (including subsets like bourbon) and cognac (or in most cases anything aged in high quality wood) the best producers never add sugar.  In almost all cases, the legal standards forbid it.  The fine taste and smoothness has to do somewhat with quality of raw grain material, and very much with distilling methods (and therefore much higher expense) and the aging wood itself.  The best brown spirits producers highly distill their raw spirit (clear without color off the distilling process) that removes a very high amount of fusil oils.  Fusil oils are a bad bunch of chemicals that even include benzine.  These quality producers have a lower yield of liquid that others include in their spirits. This makes the raw alcohol coming off the stills more expensive.  Getting a distillate like this is called a "narrow cut" - retaining only the purist of the distillates.  Won't go into it here.  The second most important thing is the quality of the wood in which they age the liquid.  One company I am intimately familiar with pays 900 Euros for their barrels while most pay 90 USD.  Now 90 USD wood is excellent but only if you are experts in wood buying and many pay in between 90 and 900.  This is why great liquids taste smooth, are complex and leave no hangover (no fusil oils that are the hangover culprit).
Finally, some inferior Russian vodkas add a very small amount of sugar to make them "smoother"  Its not legal but they do.  And they are expensive some of them.  But high quality producers of pure clear alcohol from which is made gin, vodka and is the base for other drinks are also very high quality and exclude as most all fusil oils.  They cost more, and it's worth it for your heath - most have no sugar added.
Finally, remember that a high amount of sugar combined with alcohol (think cocktails) can produce hellatious hangovers because high sugar with low quality alcohol makes for a bad Saturday morning.
Hope this helps the discussion.


How hard is it to find a Three Floyds Dark Lord?

As far as I know it is only sold on dark Lord day at the brewery and you need to buy tickets.  I've only had it once from someone who went.

Three Floyds Brewing cuts off packaged sales on Dark Lord Day


Thought I would add my own answer to this fine list of excellent answers.

  Goose is, of course, stronger-flavoured than turkey - more like game but - crucially - quite a bit fattier which makes it essential in my book to look for a wine that has a fair level of acidity. It also tends to be accompanied by powerfully flavoured accompaniments such as chestnuts and red cabbage. Other traditional (and very good) accompaniments are potato or potato and apple stuffing, apples and prunes which can also affect your pairing:

  Top quality German or Alsace Grand Cru Riesling

  Probably the best match of all if you’re planning an apple or apple and prune stuffing. A dry spätlese Riesling would be ideal, cutting through the fat and providing a subtle touch of sweetness. The drawback is that your guests may well expect a red - but there’s no reason why you can’t serve both.

  Gewürztraminer

  A bolder choice still for Christmas. Obviously it’s not to everyone’s taste but if you serve a slightly spicy stuffing, especially one that contains dried fruits and/or ginger it would make a great match. Again look for a top quality wine with some intensity from Alsace or New Zealand which is making some great examples.

  Pinot Noir

  Probably the most likely wine to please your guests and certainly the one to choose if you’re going for red cabbage, sweet potatoes or other richly flavoured veg. I’d choose an example with some sweet, silky fruit rather than big tannins otherwise you may suffer from palate overload .

  And some beers to go with goose

  Strong Belgian Trappist beers such as Chimay or beers made in that style

  These are just as good a match for goose as wine is if truth be told but there are, admittedly, likely to be fewer takers. No harm in having one or two available though. - What to drink with goose

Here is what another site has to say about pairing drinks with goose:

  The richness of goose demands a good wine, such as a top red Burgundy. However, it is often served with sweet side dishes, in which case a sweetish German Riesling might be a good option. In the mid-range, you could try a California Pinot Noir, a good red Rhône or an Australian Shiraz. - Pairing Wine with Meat, Game and Poultry

If it is beer your into than here you go:

  Dubbel is also great with duck or goose. The rich and earthy flavor of these birds requires a beer with some heft to it and the dense, dried fruit flavor of dubbel recalls the dark berry sauces that are so commonly served with these birds.

  Doppelbock offers another riff on this idea, offering strength and dark berry flavors amidst those of caramel, plums, and figs.

  Beers to try: For Dubbel, look to the Chimay above, or grab a Rochefort 6 or Ommegang Abbey Ale. For Doppelbock, Ayinger's Celebrator and Weihenstephan's Korbinian are awesome, widely-available choices. - The Serious Eats Guide to Holiday Beer Pairing

As for Vodka, how about trying some Grey Goose Vodka.


Do different beers have a different 'buzz'?

The answer is "probably" although it is hard to know with liquors how much of the difference is social or psychological.  There are some important things to keep in mind with alcohol effects and beer though:

Hops are mildly sedative.  It isn't unreasonable to think that very hoppy beers may have a different effect than less hoppy beers.
Gruit beers (unusual but there are some on the market!) often have other psychoactive ingredients in them too.  With historical brewing becoming a bit of an industry, it may only be a matter of time before we see commercially available henbane beer too....
Alcohol absorption will be retarded by carbohydrate content in the beer.  You will absorb alcohol more slowly from a heavy beer than a light beer.
Carbonation works the other way.  Lightly (or rarely available uncarbonated) beers will affect one more slowly than highly carbonated beers.  For most commercial beers this is not a significant factor but for home-brewed beers or specialty beers it may be.

With this being said, it isn't clear that there is a single objective answer as to what beers will effect who in what way.  The purpose of this answer is to go over some factors which may impact how a given individual is affected.

This being said, I don't condone a general pursuit of drunkenness....


Eat bread before drink beer make you drunk less?

Your liver processes alcohol at a fixed rate (what that rate is depends on your tolerance, current liver function, what medications you are taking, and some genetics). So eating some food, particularly foods that absorb fluids like bread, will slow down the rate of alcohol absorption into your bloodstream, allowing your liver more time to metabolize the alcohol.

So for a fixed amount of alcohol, drinking on a full stomach will make you FEEL less drunk because you spread out the alcohol absorption over time so your liver has more time to metabolize it.

However, you can still saturate your livers ability to metabolize alcohol by ingesting high volumes of alcohol and the absorptive ability of the food in your stomach is limited (unless you vomit it out) so it is FAR from reliable technique to drink but avoid becoming intoxicated or hungover since you are still absorbing all the ingested alcohol, just over a slightly longer period of time.


Where is Archetype microbrewery in Vietnam?
Archetype microbrewery is a relatively new microbrewery (2019) situated in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam?

Archetype No Name Pale Ale
Bottle at Biacraft District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Poured a clear medium amber colour with a lasting frothy white head. The aroma is toffee caramel malt, light woody hop. The flavour is moderate sweet light bitter, with a smooth caramel malt, light fruity, light pepper spice, light dry woody hop bitter palate. Medium bodied with to soft carbonation.


Does beer expiration change based on yeasts?

Quick answer no. The yeast used should have very little effect on on the expiry date. Things that will affect this more are:

Temperature of fermentation
Hot side aeration
Cold side aeration
Pasteurization
Filtration
Colour of bottle the beer is stored in
Type of beer ie % dark malts
Live product vs sterile filtered

This list is incomplete. This is an incredibly complex subject, there are PhDs in Brewing/Chemistry handed out for small aspects of each of these topics.

Here is a quick overview presentation of the technical aspects surrounding beer stability and stabilisation.

https://www.craftbrewersconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2015_presentations/F1420_Deniz_Bilge.pdf


I would go with what I call a "Bloody Juanita": Tequila with Sangrita (tomato based).

For Mexican food, Tequila (or Mescal) is the obvious choice. You could go the US way and make some margaritas, but to me that sounds boring (and ideally needs a margarita machine, or at least decent amounts of ice, which is not always available, if you are on a boat or something).

Sangrita is said to be a common partner to Tequila. According to Wikipedia,:

  Sangrita (meaning "little blood"), whose origin dates back to the 1920s, is a customary partner to a shot of straight tequila blanco; a non-alcoholic accompaniment that highlights tequila's crisp acidity and cleanses the palate between each peppery sip. The basic conception of sangrita is to complement the flavor of 100% agave tequila, which is also peppery and citrusy in taste.

Although originally it's a fruity juice, I would recommend the tomato-based variant as food companion.

  While most outsiders would reference its red make up as tomato juice and spices, locals and traditionalists agree that the one ingredient that most likely doesn't belong is tomato.

Another thing to consider is the Tequila variant to use. Originally clear/silver is the way to go, but I prefer a brown/golden Tequila (can be a fake one, does not have a pricey barrel-aged one).

Mix Sangrita (store-bought or homemade, see linked Wikipedia article for recipes) and Tequila to taste and garnish with a big stem of cilantro, and there you go.


Is there a real life equivalent to Bean's Alcoholic Cider in Fantastic Mr. Fox?

Yes, there are several drinks that match that description.

Apple Jack comes to mind. It's made by freeze distillation of apple cider. It's about 25-40% ABV. It's nasty stuff if you've ever had some.

In Germany, there is drink that I used to drink when I lived there called ApfelKorn. This is just spirits with apple flavor added. This is about 20% ABV. It's actually considered Apple Schnapps.

There are two types of Apple Brandy. Cider distilled into clear spirits and aged like Whisky and Brandy (grapes) infused with apple liqueur.

Then of course there is apple liqueur

My guess is that it's Apple Jack. If you want to make apple jack, it's pretty simple. Just take some hard cider and freeze it in your freezer and pour out the stronger liquid. Here are some instructions


What should I expect from a Belgian double (dubbel)?

As with any style, there's a fair deal of variation from one brewery to another.  At a high level, though, you can expect them to be darker (although not stout-dark), rich, and malty.  Expect a complex taste, with many notes and flavors.

More specifically, the BJCP have this to say (abridged):

Aroma: malty sweetness, hints of caramel or chocolate, and moderate fruity esters.  Some will have a little spice to them.
Appearance:  Dark amber to copper in color, Large, dense head.
Taste: Same as aroma. Alcohol flavor, if any, should be mild and not solvent-y.  No or minimal hop flavor.
Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium-high carbonation.

See here for the full description.


Will Adding Wood Chips meant for smoking to whiskey add bad flavor

Yes, it will taste like wood and not the smoked flavor you are seeking. First they should be oak chips. Then they should be charred. You should probably visit the Distiller's Forum and this topic comes up quite a bit. You want the chips to be charred black but not burned all the way through before you use them. Unlike wine chips, that should be toasted to just a deep brown.

Why should you want even more charred flavor in a Whisky that's already got it? If you want to make your own Whisky, just use vodka or Everclear.


I have heard and seen beer shampoo, both as a home-remedy and a commercial product.

Here is an article about beer shampoo. http://lifehacker.com/5908809/shampoo-your-hair-with-beer-for-a-silky-soft-shine


I was in a similar situation as you. I fixed it by venting the keg completely, then sealing everything up and attaching the gas line. I left the pressure off at first though. I slowly rolled it up to about two pounds and poured. I continued to increase the pressure very slowly and now keep it around 8 pounds. It sounds like you are over pressurized when serving.


Traditional drinks for celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany?

According to the wiki that you linked:

  The earliest reference to Epiphany as a Christian feast was in A.D. 361, by Ammianus Marcellinus.

So, it would be pertinent to drink wines made from Italian grapes since the feast was held within the time of the Roman Empire.

More particularly, you might pick a grape variety from a list of ancient grapes from which the Romans, themselves, would have made wine.

Not that it's entirely pertinent to the Feast of Epiphany, but it is apt to say here that, you might purchase your wine here: https://www.epiphanywineco.com/ :)

As far as my quick and limited research has gone, there really isn't an 'official' wine of the feast - not really a Christian concept to have "official alcoholic beverages," imho.

As far as local traditions, the wiki you linked covers the traditions of the feast internationally but again, alcohol consumption doesn't really ever seem to be the focus...

Also, let's not forget that the Roman's would have had beer at this feast...


What would cause the same beer to taste different

There are several things going on here.

1) Temperature absolutely plays a difference in beer taste.

Too Cold

  The biggest issue with beer served too cold is the way the temperature masks many flavors and aromas. The cold temperature slows the volatilization of aromatic compounds causing them to linger in the beer. When these compounds are not released, it dramatically changes the apparent flavor and aroma of the beer, sometimes to the point where it may come across as thin and tasteless. (American Homebrewers Association).

Too Hot

  Warm beer, on the other hand, does allow for more of the flavors and aromas to come to the forefront, but as beer approaches room temperature the sensations from hop bitterness and carbonation can decrease, which can lead to an almost flat-tasting experience. (American Homebrewers Association).

So here are suggested temperatures for serving various types of beer.

....................Beer ................................. Suggested  Temperature

American Mainstream Light Lagers...............     33° – 40° F / 1° – 5° C

Pale Lagers, Pilsners ...................................   38° – 45° F /  3° – 8° C

Cream & Blonde Ales     ...................................40° – 45° F / 5° – 8° C

Nitro Stouts    ...................................................40° – 45° F / 5° – 8° C

Belgian Pale Ales, Abbey Tripels    ..................40° – 45° F / 5° – 8° C

Wheat Beers     ................................................40° – 50° F / 5° – 10° C

Lambics     .......................................................40° – 50° F / 5° – 10° C

Dark Lagers     .................................................45° – 50° F / 7° – 10° C

American Pale Ales & IPAs   .........................45° – 50° F / 7° – 10° C

Stouts, Porters     ............................................45° – 55° F / 7° – 13° C

Strong Lagers   .............................................50° – 55° F / 10° – 13° C

Real & Cask Ales ...................................... 50° – 55° F / 10° – 13° C

Belgian Dubbels     .........................................50° – 55° F / 10° – 13° C

Data from Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher.

2) Glassware makes a HUGE difference. The shape allows for nucleation sites, temperature control of beer, aromatic release/retention. (See /user/MDMA's full response to my question about glassware and beer here)

3) What type of beer is it? If it is a nano brewery, it could be several things (wild yeast, inconsistency in brewing process, fermentation time, bourbon barrels stored in, etc.).

4) What was your drinking environment the first time/subsequent times you drank? Have you ever eaten somewhere for the first time while starving and with good friends you haven't seen in a while? That food will forever be amazing in your mind. You go back years later with a normal appetite and people you see regularly and the experience can be very different.


Foam comes from over pumping. For most of my keg beers I (with a CO2 tank) use about 11-15psi). For a hand pump this is more difficult. You will have to resist the urge to over pump. If you are a little more engineer-minded you can look at THIS article to gauge more consistently your tap pressures. Make sure you let the keg settle after moving as well. Just like shaking a soda can, a lot of jarring will make the CO2 come out of solution.

A trick I use on my homebrew system (I use 5 gallon kegs) is gently placing the keg on its side and slowly rolling it about 3 feet forward and then 3 feet back. Then, I place it back in the fridge and repeat 3 times throughout the day. This helps the CO2 re-dissolve into the beer. However, if you are pulling the keg out of a trunk, throwing it in a trash can and packing it with ice...this solution isn't viable. In which case you want to let it settle and resist the urge to over pump.


What was the most common hard liquor of the Late Middle Ages?

I finally did a little digging. The Late Medieval Period is generally considered from 1300-1500. Whisky, did not become wide spread until the 1700s. The first recorded instance of Whisky production was in 1494:

  The Guild of Barber Surgeons.[15] The earliest Irish mention of whisky comes from the seventeenth-century Annals of Clonmacnoise, which attributes the death of a chieftain in 1405 to "taking a surfeit of aqua vitae" at Christmas.[16] In Scotland, the first evidence of whisky production comes from an entry in the Exchequer Rolls for 1494 where malt is sent "To Friar John Cor, by order of the king, to make aquavitae", enough to make about 500 bottles.

There is ample evidence that liquor distilled from grapes and other fermented fruit well before the 1300's and Brandy was widespread by 1500. Neither Brandy or Whisky was drunk as much as wine or beer during this period, but just from the time line it looks like Brandy was a) easier to make since you start with wine and no cooking involved until distillation b) had a several hundred year head start on Whisky.

There were distilled beverages in Asia, but again not as widespread as Brandy in Europe.

Just based on the fact that the first mention of Whisky production isn't until 1494, only 6 years before the end of the Late Medieval Period and Brandy production is mentioned many times in The History and Taxonomy of Distilled Spirits before 1500, I think we can safely assume that Brandy was the most widespread distilled beverage in this time frame.


Growler fillups in San Jose/South Bay Area

It's not quite the South Bay but close. I've seen them fill growlers that do not have their name on them.

Steelhead Brewing Company

333 California Dr

Burlingame, CA 94010

United States

If you like IPAs or APAs, the Bombay Bomber and the Double Play are worth a try.


Yes, they will.   Given beer is (generally speaking) more than 90% water, and water expands when frozen, beer will make a mess of your freezer if left in there too long.  The bottles themselves don't tend to break, in my experience, but the cap seals fail and the beer will leak out everywhere.


Is it true that Rodenbach beer should be drank with a shot of cherry liquor?

In 1821, the four Rodenbach brothers (Pedro, Alexander, Ferdinand and Constantijn) invested in a small brewery in Roeselare, in the West Flanders province of Belgium. The brothers agreed to a partnership for 15 years. At the end of this period, Pedro and his wife, Regina Wauters, bought the brewery from the others and Regina ran the business while Pedro served in the military. Their son Edward later took over the brewery (1864) and, it was during his directorship that the brewery saw great growth.

Edward's son, Eugene, took over in 1878 and, in preparation for this position, travelled to England where he learned how to ripen beer in oak barrels and then mix old and young beers. It was this that became the method of producing beer that Rodenbach became famous for. As Eugene produced no male offspring, a public limited liability corporation was created and most shares remained in the hands of descendants of the Rodenbachs until 1998 when the brewery was sold to Palm Brewery.

There are 4 different types of Rodenbach beers:
 1. Rodenbach Original (5,2% ABV) blended from aged and young ale (25%/75%);
 2. Rodenbach Grand Cru, a rich winey beer (6% ABV) which, although blended, contains less young ale (67%/33%) (in the past this beer was unblended aged beer from a single cask selected for its qualities by a tasting panel. This type of beer has now been renamed Rodenbach Vintage beer and is available in limited quantities);
 3. Vin de Céréale, an aged beer that is 10% ABV.
 4. In commemoration of the brewery 150th year of activity, it produced Rodenbach Alexander (5,2% ABV). It was a variant of the Original one with a cherry taste. It is name comes from the brewery founder Alexander Rodenbach.

After the take-over, Palm quickly stopped the production of Rodenbach's Alexander beer, a cherry-flavoured beer.[1] When Palm Brewery bought Rodenbach, another brewery it owned already made a cherry beer. At that time Alexander Rodenbach had to be ceased for contractual non-compete sorts of reasons. However, in recent years, Palm/Rodenbach has produced and distributed, first, Rodenbach foederbier, which is served only from cask, and is unfiltered and unblended. It comes straight from an oak riping barrel and is not processed further.

I think the bartender told you to drink your Rodenbach with a shot of cherry liquor, so that you can taste the original Rodenbach Alexander (the cherry-flavoured beer, Rodenbach's erstwhile cherry beer which produced before the brewery was sold to Palm).


Refrigeration has little to do with preservation.  As a food product beer and NA beer are pretty strictly regulated for safety so as long as the rubber in the cap maintains a seal it should stay sterile.  Refrigeration is mostly for taste and carbonation.


Why is it every time I try an old expensive wine it's doesn't compare to a 25-35$ two year old wine I buy?

Not all wines are suitable for keeping - and the ones that may be, still require good stable conditions with regards to temperature, sunlight and so on. Assuming the 20+ years old wines you’ve had were suitable and have been stored well, there still are other aspects worth considering.
Some districts have a ‘classical’ and a ‘modern’ style of wine making, where I generally find the modern more mainstream-friendly compared to the classical ones that typically pair better with quite specific foods.
At the end of the day, it most often comes down to personal taste; younger wines often exhibit more power and fruit while being a bit rough around the edges - whereas older ones are more subdued as the tannin levels have decreased, allowing finer notes to appear. Having an 'average at best' sense of smell, these notes are often wasted on me unless they are very obvious.
Example: While older Vintage Port (e.g. 1963, 1966) is regarded as more sophisticated than the newer vintages, I still prefer the sheer power of a 10 or 15 year old Vintage Port. Conversely, I always prefer older wines from famous districts such as Burgundy, Rhone, Bordeaux as they are made for storing a few years before release, making the newest vintages quite aggressive.


Temperature changes aren't great for beers, especially hoppy beers, because temperature swings of greater than 20 degrees will degrade flavor.  But it takes a LOT of that to produce a noticeable effect.

Most beer probably went through a few cycles of heating and cooling before it gets to your fridge, especially in the summer.  You know, maybe cold in the brewery but warmed in the truck before cooled in the warehouse then warm in the truck again before hitting a store's cooler.

It'd be hard to notice anything.  Hoppy beers might have their big aromas fade a bit or get a less smooth bitterness.  Anecdotally, some of the smoother DIPA style beers with big floral or citrus hop smells/tastes might degrade into more biting bitter territory.

Big beers made for aging will generally be forgiving but heating and cooling them a lot might make them taste flatter or cardboardy.  But again, we're talking several upon several times before anything noticeable happens.

Long story short...it's probably not going to do anything you're going to notice chilling unopened beers back down from room temperature.


What cocktail could be paired with French cheese?

My favorite French cheese is Roquefort and is often served with nuts and honey in France.

I would like to recommend an Appletini with Roquefort along with the most authentic French bread you are able to procure in your area. The French love their fruit and fruit flavored food and drinks.

Appletini cocktail: Vodka with dashes apple juice and apple liqueur. Serve in a classic martini glass with  Roquefort, French bread and garnish with apple slices as garnish.

This is one that I have had in France and enjoyed it very much, perhaps you would too.


Does beer really help to improve muscles?

There was a study at the University of Tokushima that showed beer containing flavaprenin
(8-Prenylnaringenin), which is found in hops, limited muscle atrophy in debilitated lab mice. The idea that humans could have benefits of flavaprenin through drinking beer is not quite right, as you would die from alcohol poisoning before you would see the benefits.

if you are interested here is a non-technical article on the topic: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2208966/Beer-help-strong-old-age--youd-need-drink-83-litres-A-DAY.html


Why New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and French one are so different?

The French call it “terroir.” Microclimate, soil composition, even water minerality all have an effect on how the grapes taste.

Then there are the style elements, often dictated by tradition (and law, more below). How long do the grape skins remain in contact with the grape juice? How long is the wine aged? What is it aged in (stainless steel tanks vs barrels, etc).

Back to the tradition piece, France and many other European countries have laws and a legal designation system applied to their products. You may have seen them: Appecation d’Origine Controlee (AOC), Vin de Pays, Vin Ordinaire, etc.

All of those factors play into whether you can get the coveted AOC, which requires strict traditionalism. You can sell your wine for a lot more with that designation. More experimental things will get you a lower tier certification.

Newer/non-EU wine-making areas (Australia, New Zealand, Chile, USA) have no such laws, and are free to experiment.

Couple the terroir with the lack of homogeneity,  you have lots of room for difference.


Where can I found beer's logos / labels in good image quality?

No, there isn't a central place where you can find high quality beer or wine labels. Sometimes you can find them at the brewery's website or an app like Untappd. But in general nobody has aggregated those labels. You would also run into intellectual property issue since many labels contain unique art work and you must get permission to reproduce. I know in the wine industry, people stopped putting high quality labels online because they were being downloaded in China and fake wine was being labeled as such.


The alcohol in beer is created as a byproduct of the yeast consuming the sugar in wort during the fermentation process.  For a beer to taste sweet, there are two possibilities:

The yeast died before the fermentation process ran to completion.  There are various chemicals that can do this.
The wort contained some non-fermentable sugars.  If the yeast can't feed on a particular type of sugar, then it is going to remain in the end product.  Lactose is a traditional example of such a sugar but some artificial sweeteners have a similar effect.

Assuming that the flavour was intended, I would guess that this was (2): using non-fermentable sugars allows the brewer to know exactly how much will end up in the final beer.  It is also the only option if they do in-bottle carbonation, since that requires live yeast in the bottle.


Why does Guinness have a special pouring process / bottle, while other stouts do not?

Guinness is "carbonated" with nitrogen, where most beers use carbon dioxide. This requires different hardware, bottling equipment, etc.

If you've ever witnessed the appearance of a perfectly poured Guinness, and paid more than $5 USD for it, you'll understand why. It's partly about presentation. As one of the oldest beers on the market, it requires us to jump through some hoops to ensure we are enjoying it correctly. In short: I think it's mostly marketing!


Just like wine, absolutely! I'm not a doctor and I am not giving medical advice; I am not liable whatsoever for your drunken antics.

With that said, in addition to kidney benefits:

Beer contains high amounts of silicon, which makes bones stronger
In moderation, it has been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular problems. However, when abused, cardiovascular problems spike instead. It helps to raise levels of "good cholesterol" which helps to keep arteries free of blockages.
It may help out your brain, keeping Alzheimer's disease at bay.
It is high in antioxidants and helps reduce your risk of cancer.
It is high in B vitamins, namely B6 and B12
Moderate amounts of any alcohol, beer included, may help decrease your risk of stroke by reducing the chance of blood clotting in the cardiovascular system.
I highly doubt this one, but apparently, studies have shown a reduced risk of diabetes among men who drink occasionally.
Studies have shown that it has been linked to lower blood pressure.
It contain fiber! Beta-glucans in particular, which are a soluble type of fiber.
Like sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, yogurt, miso, and kombucha, beer is a fermented food, so many of the benefits of fermented foods such as aiding in digestion may apply to beer as well.

Yahoo Beauty

4 Health Benefits Of Beer Drinking: Antioxidants, B-Vitamin, And Protein Are There... But Don't Overdo It


I recently had their "Crime" and loved it. Here are some other beers brewed with Jalapenos, but not a whole lot from major breweries like Stone.

Rogue - Chipotle Ale

"smoked jalapeno peppers"

Twisted Pine - Ghost Face Killah

"serrano, jalapeno, habanero, fresno, anaheim" (notoriously hot)

Alaskan - Jalapeno Imperial IPA

Horseheads - Hot-Jala-Heim

"jalapenos and anaheim"

No Label - Don Jalapeno

"this beer is brewed with 60lbs of jalapenos. 30 lbs raw and 30lbs roasted (seeds included)"

Hot Box - Imperial Smoked Pepper Porter

"smoked poblano & jalapeno peppers"


There are beer blends served in England and Scotland although it tends to be the older drinkers.

Mild and Bitter is one where a half pint of bitter is mixed with a half of mild.

Brown and Bitter is half of bitter with a brown ale such as Mann's.

A common Scottish blend is the Black and Tan which is Guinness and IPA/Heavy - this can also be made a Sweet Black and Tan by using sweet stout and IPA.

Before Fullers shut Gales of Horndean down they produced a bottled Christmas ale which was a mix of their HSB premium bitter and their 555 mild with spice.


Sourness may have been, in a higher or lower level, a common characteristic of beers centuries ago, specially after some time of storage, once the common vessel to keep it was wooden barrels, and wood often harbor a lot of microorganisms, including bacteria and wild yeast, the former being responsible for souring the beer. After the Industrial Revolution, with more hygiene and sterile tools, that characteristic became more and more uncommon, and at some point, undesirable. So, meanwhile, yeast was "discovered", isolated, and fermentation controlled so that we had a clean taste profile, free from acids at all, which is what you know as beer nowadays.

Don't be fooled: what really sours a beer are bacteria, not Brettanomyces. The later, also known as 'wild yeast', are usually found in sour beers as well, but are responsible for other aromas and flavors (barnyard and horse saddle being the most recognizable). (Brett actually produces a tiny amount of acid, no more than that).

Some Belgians have been intentionally making sour beers for centuries, through spontaneous fermentation process (in the case of lambics) and wood-aging (in large oak vats) after "clean" fermentation (in the case of flanders reds). Germans did it too, but their two traditional sour styles (gose and berliner weisse) are almost dead there, and differ from the belgians ones on the absence of brett character.

Nonetheless, nowadays people comprehend a lot better how those processes occur, and are doing sours again on purpose and manipulating those organisms in many ways. Basically, souring bacteria used are pediococcus and lactobacillus (not very different from lambics, actually). Most of the time, barrels are still used in the process, because of the micro-aeration those microorganisms need. And, off course, for keeping the microflora inside it, etc, etc, not to mention the flavor complexity that comes from wood compounds itself.

A contaminated beer may end up being a sour. Well, so what distinguish a spoiled beer from a sour? Nothing actually, except that when people intentionally want to produce a sour, they do that with some more control in order to get the outcome they want and not some weird aleatory taste at the end. But, at some level, producing a sour beer, specially when using barrels, is always unpredictable too.

As you can see, it's a rich and complex topic, probably the most exciting one about brewing.

As suggestions, I definitely encourage you to taste the classic ones, belgian lambics (any Gueuze you find) and flanders reds (have you ever heard about Rodenbach and Duchesse de Bourgogne? they're amazing). I love Petrus Aged Pale too.

And, if you are from US, then you are bloody blessed, because american craft brewers are doing sour/wild beers like there were no tomorrow. =P Look for Allagash, Russian River, Lost Abbey, The Bruery, Avery, Boulevard, Almanac, Deschutes. The list is infinite. The thing is getting so serious that in the last years, all-sour breweries are popping up, like Rare Barrel from Berkeley.


My Guinness is mixing into my harp and not staying separated, any trouble shooting ideas?

Here are some troubleshooting tips I've found (source):

  Hold your pint glass at an angle, and fill just over halfway with Harp
  or Bass.

  Rest the spoon upside down over the center of the glass, and pour the
  Draught Guinness over the spoon which will evenly disperse the flow
  and keep the Guinness from mixing -- the Guinness needs to be on the
  top.

  Serve while the nitro is still cascading.

If they're mixing, my guess is that the Guinness is not being poured carefully enough, so that would be where I'd start.


There are a lot of different factors that provide the alcohols percentage,

  It's not really the liquid burning. It's the vapors that catch fire.
  Higher proof equals more vapor, depending on temperature. source

So burning alcohol is not a guaranteed way of finding out the percentage as whilst cooking wine will 'flame on' despite being low percentage and this is all to do with the vapor of the alcohol. Sure a High proof alcohol will catch fire easier but that will only tell you that it is a high proof alcohol not the percentage in it. A low proof vodka can ignite if a flame is held to it as the change in temperature will make it produce more vapor and it will ignite

(Please don't try and set fire to alcohol if you don't need to it can course spillage that will then cause an out of control fire and we don't want any of you guys to start burning up on us now )


According to the OECD (The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), alcohol consumption in its member countries (which includes the US) has been decreasing since [at least] 2000. Litres of pure alcohol consumed (a metric for standardizing alcohol consumption across drinks of varying alcohol content) has fallen from 9.5 litres per capita in 2000 to 9 litres in 2015 (roughly 5% decline).

The definition of alcoholism can vary since it typically includes the frequency of consumption within its own definition. The paper I cited includes stats on binge drinking (at least once a month) by gender, but does not compare data to prior years. There's been a ton of research on this topic, so a bit of googling should quickly turn up something useful. CAMH has useful publications and so does the WHO.


What is the largest winery that supplies sacramental wine to the Catholic Church?

The nation's largest producer, the Mont La Salle Altar Wine Company in the Napa Valley of California, makes a rose of petite sirah, zinfandel, ruby cabernet and cabernet sauvignon.

From the NY Times: Sacramental Wine, Lowest Profile of All

Mont La Salle Altar Wines website

I love the screw cap!


Does use of Isinglass require special mention on the beer?

NO.

In 2003, the EC discussed requiring labeling for Isinglass as a potential food allergen.

The brewers in the EC successfully argued that it was part of the processing and not an additive and thus did not require labeling.

  Isinglass finings are a tried and tested method of clarifying beer and so it came as a great relief to traditional cask ale brewers when the EC, last year, introduced an amendment to the 2003 labelling directive. The brewing industry successfully argued that as a processing aid, not an ingredient that would be consumed, and with a long history of use with no recorded incidents of an allergic reaction, there was a good case for isinglass to be exempt from the directive.