Best Beers

[paul]

Seems to be all kinds of beer on the market now. For the most part I still don't find that they taste good the way Coke does for example. They are refreshing however especially when you'd like a little "buzz" as well.
Recently I've had a chance to drink some Belgian beer/lager etc. I like the Belgian beers especially Stella Artios.
Do you beer drinkers have any favorites now?

[Boodikka]

Hey Paul, my fave Belgian beer has always been Duvel (the one from Belgium, not that export crap).
My fave beer is Xingu, a stout from Brasil, but it's tough to get in New York for some reason. It's even hard to get in brasileiro restaurants!
Others:
Murphy's Oatmeal Stout (hard to find)
Foster's (in the oil can rather than the bottle)
Grolsch
Kirin (bottle)
Baltika 3 (a Russian lager, easily found in my neck of the woods).
We also get several cheaper, Eastern European thingies that aren't too bad...always better than the canned urine sample known as Budweiser's :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: .

[QUINNY]

I'm not really a beer drinker, nor a lager drinker, but I always found the original Budweiser Budvar from Czhekoslovakia (can't spell it) to be a top drawer tipple. Otherwise Grolsch is nice and smooth, as are many others from Belgium/Holland. I find the white lagers a rather odd concept and a little strange tasting.

In my youth I was known to down a few bottles of Schlitz, Coors and Red Stripe, due to the fact that the disco I was working, was one of the few places in the whole of the U.K. to sell them, but the above named Budweiser was my favourite.

The other beer that I used to regularly drink were Stingo and Gold Label Barley wines (I preferred the darker, less sickly Stingo). Forget the 'wine' monicker, these are essentially very, very strong ales that are fairly rare nowadays. So strong are they that once, I was woken rather abruptly one morning after a heavy session the night before and found myself temporarily blind for a few minutes (most frightening). What a hangover I had that morning.

For anyone who's into beer (as opposed to lager) England is a veritable treasure chest, with hundreds and hundreds of real ales now brewed, many of them in micro breweries attached to a single pub. I have to say that many of the CAMRA (campaign for real ales) members that I've come across are pains in the ass, forever finding something wrong with a beer and always moaning about short measures, but their concerted efforts to raise the quality of beers over the past 20 odd years, has really worked. Having said that, if you have the misfortune to taste a real ale that's gone off or hasn't been cellared properly, it really is an abominable experience.

For info on Barley wine and CAMRA:
http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=180684

[buckaroo]

In my younger days :roll: , I have drunk certain lagers like Red Stripe, Heineken :???: , one called Crucial Brew in the late '80s, Carslberg Special Brew (A really strong - 9% vol- Lager favoured by London's Tramps), and even Tenants Super (another Hobo's choice). These days, thanks to my debauched work colleagues, I've been getting into (yes Quinny!!) Real Ales. I don't mean Boddington's either. I'm talking about Waggle Dance, Tangle Foot, Bishop's Finger, Hob Goblin, etc. They're quite smooth tasting - to me anyway - and often dark in appearence...

I hope I don't start wearing sandals with socks :-o

[Videoskooter]

It's a well known fact that the best beers in the world are Belgian-period!

Belgian's favourite beer is Jupiler:



and Maes Pils:



For the special beers it's Duvel:



and Hoegaarden (in the US known as Celis White)



And then you have the best of the best like Leffe:



and Tripel Westmalle:



Both are brewed by Monks and their production is limited!

Almost every village/city/region has a local brewery with unknown but sometimes exquisite beers!!!!

BTW, Belgians hate Heineken, so don't bother to serve that junk to 'em ;)

I never drink beer, my favourite drink is:



and:

[Bernie]

Johan,

I thought you were Belgian... Where's the Chimay???!!!

[Videoskooter]

Bernie, I remember you mentioning it in the past. Chimay however is not that beloved over here :sad:



If you want to taste something special, there's also Kriek, a beer based on cherry's:



And if you want to be drunk as hell, try the Mort Subite ;) (Translation= INSTANT DEATH)

[Bernie]

The Chimay you show in the picture looks a bit different than what I've had. The one I tried had a red label and the cap had hooks attached to the bottle. Not my favorite either, but my friends were making a big deal about the high alcoholic content:icon_surprised:

Is there another Belgian beer with a picture of an elephant on it?

[Videoskooter]

Maybe you mean this one, but it's from Denmark:



For your friends, this is heavy Belgian stuff, Kwak beer and it really is served in these glasses:



BTW, there's a lot of Chimay varieties:





http://www.chimay.com/

[K-Bee]

This is a great topic! :D

Honestly the Carlsberg Elephant Beer is crap! It has a terrible taste and the main reason for it's existance is for people to get drunk fast.
I did notice that the export version apparantly has a lower alcohol percentage than the one for the danish market.
Here's a pic of the local danish one which is 7.4% - still that's nothing compared to many of the belgian trappist beers.



Myself and a good friend recently started to brew our own beers from scratch. It takes around 1 - 1 1/2 from the actual day of brewing and until you can actually taste the result.
You'll need some equipment like a huge boiling pot, fermenting buckets, a hydrometer and a few other item. Fortunately many retailers offer good starting kits. Obviously you'll need a choice of malts,yiest and extracts depending of your choice of beer. Expect to spend around $400 firsthand but obviously, it's an investement.
Brewing is a whole lot of fun, as it's really a social event too. We did have a few starting problems though. Our first ever brew was supposed to be an indian pale ale, but for some odd reason it ended up both looking and tasting more like a brown ale :icon_mrgreen:
Our second take was a weissbier and the fermenting was explosive to say the least! :icon_mrgreen: - still we ended up with a fair amount of yiest leftovers in the finished product.

Despite our initial problems, I'll have to tell you this. Home brewed beer have nothing to do with the stuff you buy in stores. There's abolutely no comparison - home stuff gives you a taste head and shoulders above anything currently on the market.
Every Beer fan should try this out - I guarantee you, you'll be very surprised :D

[paul]

Boodi, I'll look into Xingu. I don't remember seing that in the stores however there is a fairly popular Brasillian Bar/Restaurant in our downtown. I'll check them.

Quinny, Buckaroo, are stouts still popular there and is it true you guys prefer your beers (in whatever incarnation) warm?

Johan, what's up with the Red Bull? I've seen so many people drinking this stuff the last few years. When I see it I see 500 calories and extreme caffiene.

K-Bee, there is something to be said for getting fresh brewed beer. I tasted a Budweiser at one of there breweries and it tasted good. I guess they lose a lot during shipment!

[QUINNY]

Quinny, Buckaroo, are stouts still popular there and is it true you guys prefer your beers (in whatever incarnation) warm?

K-Bee, there is something to be said for getting fresh brewed beer. I tasted a Budweiser at one of there breweries and it tasted good. I guess they lose a lot during shipment!

Paul: You naughty boy!!! Fancy prolonging the old myth that Brits like their beer warm. Luckily, most pubs have cold/refrigerated cellars nowadays and the beer is usually at a reasonably low temperature when served. You'll find that super cooled lagers and beers are the latest fad in dear old Blighty, if you ever came for a visit. Stouts are still drunk, but apart from the odd uber brand like Guinness, are dramatically waning in their popularity. Everything's Lager, Lager, Lager, 'cos that's what the youngsters want and they have mega bucks to throw away on booze.

Personally, I've never tasted a good home brewed beer. There's always been some nasty taste or after-taste whenever I've been unlucky enough to try one. Same, more or less goes for home made wines. I wouldn't offer the budding brewers or vintners much for their wares and that is surely the bench mark for how good they really are. My impression is that home brewing is something for people who don't get out much.

[Boodikka]

Paul, don't be too surprised if they don't carry Xingu. They will probably carry Brahma (Brahma is the evil empire of brasileiro beers) or some Portuguese beer, which is the case here in NYC.

[K-Bee]

Personally, I've never tasted a good home brewed beer. There's always been some nasty taste or after-taste whenever I've been unlucky enough to try one. Same, more or less goes for home made wines. I wouldn't offer the budding brewers or vintners much for their wares and that is surely the bench mark for how good they really are. My impression is that home brewing is something for people who don't get out much.

That's actually what most people think Quinny. Usually the nasty after taste is caused by something gone wrong in the fermentation process. It's important to let it ferment for the correct amount of time. Many brewers, beginners in particular, are just too impatient. Basically, they want beer and they want it now!
Also, storage is important. Weissbier is way more fragile and should be kept cold after the first week of being bottled. That particular type isn't one you want to stash away for too long either. Ales and stouts are more resistant.
Oh...and about the getting out part - I wouldn't say that has changed much after I started brewing :icon_mrgreen:

[buckaroo]

Paul: You naughty boy!!! Fancy prolonging the old myth that Brits like their beer warm. Luckily, most pubs have cold/refrigerated cellars nowadays and the beer is usually at a reasonably low temperature when served. You'll find that super cooled lagers and beers are the latest fad in dear old Blighty, if you ever came for a visit. Stouts are still drunk, but apart from the odd uber brand like Guinness, are dramatically waning in their popularity. Everything's Lager, Lager, Lager, 'cos that's what the youngsters want and they have mega bucks to throw away on booze.

Yes, indeed. Also, the youngsters here in The Yuk as I like to call England :D, seem to love downing Alcho pops like Bacardi Breezer and Hooch. We have a big problem here with young people getting pissed and having fights. A number of people have been killed/murdered even. The Alcho pops have basically been designed to attrack young women drinkers in particular. I don't like to frequent pubs too often, but it always amazes me that something like Guinness is sold near enough frozen solid :roll: I thought it was supposed to be room temperature...Maybe Quinny can answer this. Before anyone says anything, I know there is a Guinness Extra Cold 8)

One beer I enjoyed while in France was called Affliggem. I think my spelling is wrong, but anyway, it's quite smooth, and served chilled with a slice o' Lemon. Nice I could murder one, right now.

[paul]

Boodi, I'll avoid Brahma like the plague :D
Quinny, the warm beer thing is something I always heard but really never knew. If I'm reading right, it seems there must have been some truth to it however.You said nowadays most pubs now have "cold/refrigerated cellars." I'm assuming that wasn't the case in recent history. Anyway, I also thought the warm beer thing was a choice because it tasted better and/or gave the beer more kick!

[Videoskooter]

Paul, RED BULL kicks ass!!!! It refreshes, it boosts you up and it tastes like a horny girl ;) Try it ;)

But since we are having tropical temperatures over here (36°C), you only need the drink of the Gods: SPA REINE, natural power coming from Belgium's underground and considered as divine by the Romans. I drink it 24/7!

[discokicks]

Paul, RED BULL kicks ass!!!! It refreshes, it boosts you up and it tastes like a horny girl ;) Try it ;)

One word of advice in regards to Red Bull....do not mix with booze!

During a small house party that I had, this one guy was drinking his Red Bull with Absolut and became this uncontrolled maniac. He just about tore the island out of my kitchen floor! :-o (Umm...buddy, there's plumbing here!:roll: )

[paul]

[quote=Videoskooter]Paul, RED BULL kicks ass!!!! It refreshes, it boosts you up and it tastes like a horny girl ;) Try it ;)

Why not do as I do then and drink the real thing

[Boodikka]

Paul, Brahma is actually OK, it's just that they seem to be a bit........aggressive in their marketing tactics in the NYC area, making them the Microsoft of Brasilian beers :-? .

[K-Bee]

At the moment this is one of my favorite american beers



Apart from Miller's & Budwiser we don't get that many US beers over here. Fortunately this has become available in specialist stores. It's not for everybody though, as it's extremely dry.

[Marcio**]

Brazilian Beer Artarctica :D


http://baixaki.ig.com.br/imagens/wpa...juliana800.jpg



http://www.blogdoscassetas.globolog....antartica1.jpg

[Angelina77]

:-o Belgian beers the best??? Everyone knows Mexican beers are bestest folks! C'mon who doesn't like to sip on a Corona, Modelo, Tecate with salt n lemon?? Or when your wanting a stronger flavor Dos Equis which by the way all are lager beers. In my younger days I think I committed some alcohol crimes by drinking one too many Mickey 40 ouncers lol, but have grown in my palette and have come to find Mexican beer to be quite tasty...:D

[Bernie]

:-o Belgian beers the best??? Everyone knows Mexican beers are bestest folks! C'mon who doesn't like to sip on a Corona, Modelo, Tecate with salt n lemon?? Or when your wanting a stronger flavor Dos Equis which by the way all are lager beers. In my younger days I think I committed some alcohol crimes by drinking one too many Mickey 40 ouncers lol, but have grown in my palette and have come to find Mexican beer to be quite tasty...:D

I too like some of the Mexican beers when I'm having Mexican food like Modelo Negro. Do keep in mind that Corona is not really Mexican beer as it was originally from Puerto Rico before it was bought by a Mexican firm.

[Nano]

I like beer better than wine, however I'm not a connoisseur on this nor on any food, I'm a bit nerdy for that

Of the latin beers, I grew up drinking our Quilmes, which is very strong in alcohol. One litro and you're outta here :icon_mrgreen: Recently, the Quilmes company was bought by Brazilian Brahma, but the brand stays the same.

http://www.ambev.com.br/eng/pro_31_en.htm

A decade ago, imported beers started to be cheaper and we discovered the pleasure of lighter ones. My fave, within my limited knowledge, would be Corona with a slice of lemon over the neck (I also thought it was Mexican).