Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Beer you need to try
Ok so it may be late for many of you to get the opportunity to try this beer this time but one beer that every person should try as soon as they find it is Bell's Hopslam. This is a temporary beer that Bells puts out a couple times a year and is amazing. Best IPA/DIPA in the world by far, I urge you to try this beer as soon as you can, words do not give it justice and therefore I will not even try, all I will say is get it an drink it. Don't be put off by its higher price, it is worth every penny.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
FREE BEER
Ok well it has been a long time since my last post but I am trying to get back into it now. One reason for my time off was from working a lot, now i dont work quite as much due to school but I sure do drink as much beer. One extra source of income that I would like to share that I have found is CashCrate now i could go on for a while about how this site is so easy and what not but all i will say is this. I make $20-$50 a month consistantly with this site and have not spent a single penny to do it, this makes for a few free cases a month which is one thing I love.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Drinking Age?
As a legal drinker in the USA I would like to share my opinions on the american drinking age and the idea of a drinking age in general.
For starters I believe that the American drinking age is too high. College towns in the country have too many cops looking for underage drinkers when they should be more concerned with things like theft and drunk driving. For this reason I believe that if the USA should have a drinking age it should be changed to 19. This age is the same as canada, and would allow almost all people out of high school to drink. After high school is the time when the majority of people start drinking the most (many also drink in high school, as did I. But after HS drinking tends to increase, not in a bad way though). They say college is a time for experimenting, not learning about how to avoid cops for something that is non-violent and not dangerous (if done intelligently, like everything) am I right?
My true opinion though is that drinking ages should not exist. True aboloshing the drinking age abruptly would lead to a lot of young people drinking that should not but that would subside quickly. Insted people would learn about drinking from their parents and most would learn how to drink responsibly at an early age. They would learn what "drunk" is and would KNOW that driving in that condition is a poor choice...before they learn to drive and find out the hard way. Early learning is when things 'stick' best, that has been proven, so why not apply that to alcohol as well?
Underage drinking will happen, and cannot be stopped. To a point it is bad and should not happen but most of the time it is completely fine. In many european countries there is no drinking age and children are allowed to drink wine from when they are very young. Consumption of alcohol is not damaging to the body if done in moderation and thus when people learn what moderation is early in life they become much smarter drinkers. This is why I find the system flawed and plea for change to save the future from having my tax dollers go to prevent something that does no harm to anyone. Why can someone die because of a country and not have a beer before they do it?
For starters I believe that the American drinking age is too high. College towns in the country have too many cops looking for underage drinkers when they should be more concerned with things like theft and drunk driving. For this reason I believe that if the USA should have a drinking age it should be changed to 19. This age is the same as canada, and would allow almost all people out of high school to drink. After high school is the time when the majority of people start drinking the most (many also drink in high school, as did I. But after HS drinking tends to increase, not in a bad way though). They say college is a time for experimenting, not learning about how to avoid cops for something that is non-violent and not dangerous (if done intelligently, like everything) am I right?
My true opinion though is that drinking ages should not exist. True aboloshing the drinking age abruptly would lead to a lot of young people drinking that should not but that would subside quickly. Insted people would learn about drinking from their parents and most would learn how to drink responsibly at an early age. They would learn what "drunk" is and would KNOW that driving in that condition is a poor choice...before they learn to drive and find out the hard way. Early learning is when things 'stick' best, that has been proven, so why not apply that to alcohol as well?
Underage drinking will happen, and cannot be stopped. To a point it is bad and should not happen but most of the time it is completely fine. In many european countries there is no drinking age and children are allowed to drink wine from when they are very young. Consumption of alcohol is not damaging to the body if done in moderation and thus when people learn what moderation is early in life they become much smarter drinkers. This is why I find the system flawed and plea for change to save the future from having my tax dollers go to prevent something that does no harm to anyone. Why can someone die because of a country and not have a beer before they do it?
Monday, June 29, 2009
How to avoid and get rid of a hangover
When you enjoy drinking, and especially enjoy drinking in excess with the techniques outlines below, it is inevitable that sometimes you will get the dreaded sickness know as the hangover. This is one thing that you cannot completely avoid though it is possible to make it more bearable. The first thing that I say before I even get to my list is WATER, drink plenty of it! Before, during, and especially after drinking.
Drinking at least one liter, (or quart for those of you still stuck on the obsolete system.) after drinking, before calling it a night will do a few helpful things for you. First it will put something else in your stomach to "push the rest along" and hopefully make sure there isn't any alcohol left come morning and hopefully will make you be able to eat in the morning. Second it will help to prevent waking up with cottonmouth, which always sucks because you never want to get up to get a drink. Lastly drinking that water will help to flush out your system, so expect to take a long pee at some point during the night, and when you wake up.
Now for a few tricks that I have learned that help sometimes, but as you have heard many times there is no fool-proof method of preventing a hangover.
1) I have found that taking a Vitamin B complex pill before drinking helps enormously with preventing a headache the next day, I have no idea why this works but for me and most of the people I have given one to, it sure seems to help.
2) Always eat something before drinking, every time you hear about someone being super sick they always tell you about how they didn't eat anything all day. Even though you may get drunk more easily and faster, drinking on empty always leads to being sick, so don't be that person.
3) Milk with salt. Pour yourself a nice big glass of milk, and shake a bunch of salt right on the top of it, immediately pound the entire glass. At first the salty milk will taste bad, but by the time you get to then end of the glass, the taste will be gone. This helps for 2 reasons: a major reason for a hangover is a lack of sodium in your blood, so this puts a little extra in(taking in a ton of salt wont help you however, your body will just flush it out, and it will be bad for you) and second the milk contains casian protein, which is very slow dissolving, which will keep something in you all night and help to avoid having a belly full of all beer.
4) If you have to puke, then do it. When your body wants you to puke it usually has a damn good reason for it, in this case there is too much beer in it and you will be even more sick if it has to digest all of it, so just get rid of it the easy way so you don't have to suffer.
Once you already have the hangover then you will just have to suffer. Try to take in as much water as possible and get as much stuff through you system as you can. Taking a hot shower will also help by making you sweat out as much of the bad stuff as you can. Also anytime you need to use the bathroom, do it, its all different ways for your body to clear stuff out. Also if you feel like you are going to need to puke. Try to drink as much water as possible and hold it off for a couple minutes after, but then let it go. This will make the puke less painful, and will help you body with getting EVERYTHING out at once.
Have fun with you beer and I hope that these few tips will help make you next day more bearable, so you can get back to it at night again.
Drinking at least one liter, (or quart for those of you still stuck on the obsolete system.) after drinking, before calling it a night will do a few helpful things for you. First it will put something else in your stomach to "push the rest along" and hopefully make sure there isn't any alcohol left come morning and hopefully will make you be able to eat in the morning. Second it will help to prevent waking up with cottonmouth, which always sucks because you never want to get up to get a drink. Lastly drinking that water will help to flush out your system, so expect to take a long pee at some point during the night, and when you wake up.
Now for a few tricks that I have learned that help sometimes, but as you have heard many times there is no fool-proof method of preventing a hangover.
1) I have found that taking a Vitamin B complex pill before drinking helps enormously with preventing a headache the next day, I have no idea why this works but for me and most of the people I have given one to, it sure seems to help.
2) Always eat something before drinking, every time you hear about someone being super sick they always tell you about how they didn't eat anything all day. Even though you may get drunk more easily and faster, drinking on empty always leads to being sick, so don't be that person.
3) Milk with salt. Pour yourself a nice big glass of milk, and shake a bunch of salt right on the top of it, immediately pound the entire glass. At first the salty milk will taste bad, but by the time you get to then end of the glass, the taste will be gone. This helps for 2 reasons: a major reason for a hangover is a lack of sodium in your blood, so this puts a little extra in(taking in a ton of salt wont help you however, your body will just flush it out, and it will be bad for you) and second the milk contains casian protein, which is very slow dissolving, which will keep something in you all night and help to avoid having a belly full of all beer.
4) If you have to puke, then do it. When your body wants you to puke it usually has a damn good reason for it, in this case there is too much beer in it and you will be even more sick if it has to digest all of it, so just get rid of it the easy way so you don't have to suffer.
Once you already have the hangover then you will just have to suffer. Try to take in as much water as possible and get as much stuff through you system as you can. Taking a hot shower will also help by making you sweat out as much of the bad stuff as you can. Also anytime you need to use the bathroom, do it, its all different ways for your body to clear stuff out. Also if you feel like you are going to need to puke. Try to drink as much water as possible and hold it off for a couple minutes after, but then let it go. This will make the puke less painful, and will help you body with getting EVERYTHING out at once.
Have fun with you beer and I hope that these few tips will help make you next day more bearable, so you can get back to it at night again.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
How to beer bong
The next technique that I would like to mention is how to do a proper beer bong, this one is pretty easy and foolproof, regardless, I have seen it done wrong far too many times.
1) get your beer bong, put your hand over end/thumb in end/ close valve. I would also like to add that I am a big anti-valve person, not only is it weak in my opinion, it also hinders the flow into your mouth and some of them can cause foaming.
2) now you fill the bong up with beer, pour it gently into the wall of the funnel trying to create as little foam as possible. more foam means it will take longer before you can actually drink that golden elixir.
3) once the bong is full and there is little foam left in the tube now you want to get the beer as close to the end of the tube as you can, this may mean lifting your hand slightly or venting with your thumb, valves tend to not need this because it is easy to fill the bong without having an air pocket. This is the part that people tend to mess up. any air that is left will be swallowed, and as with shotgunning, air pocket in the belly means beer will probably not stay down there.
4) now that you have this done you are to the easy part, grab the hose, put it in your mouth, unplug it and while someone gets the bong above your head, just let the beer flow down. If done correctly, with 2 beers or less you should be able to take it all down in 3 swallows or less. Experts at this can do 2 beers with one big gulp, keeping the throat open the entire time, it only will take about a second for it all to go away.
And now for a video example
1) get your beer bong, put your hand over end/thumb in end/ close valve. I would also like to add that I am a big anti-valve person, not only is it weak in my opinion, it also hinders the flow into your mouth and some of them can cause foaming.
2) now you fill the bong up with beer, pour it gently into the wall of the funnel trying to create as little foam as possible. more foam means it will take longer before you can actually drink that golden elixir.
3) once the bong is full and there is little foam left in the tube now you want to get the beer as close to the end of the tube as you can, this may mean lifting your hand slightly or venting with your thumb, valves tend to not need this because it is easy to fill the bong without having an air pocket. This is the part that people tend to mess up. any air that is left will be swallowed, and as with shotgunning, air pocket in the belly means beer will probably not stay down there.
4) now that you have this done you are to the easy part, grab the hose, put it in your mouth, unplug it and while someone gets the bong above your head, just let the beer flow down. If done correctly, with 2 beers or less you should be able to take it all down in 3 swallows or less. Experts at this can do 2 beers with one big gulp, keeping the throat open the entire time, it only will take about a second for it all to go away.
And now for a video example
Sunday, June 21, 2009
How to Chug a Beer
Of all beer drinking techniques the plain chug is probably the most common for obvious reasons but many people are still bad at it. In my experience I have seen that there are 2 good ways to chug fast, one with a can, and one by pouring it in a glass.
CAN
Often a can is the hardest thing to drink very fast out of because of simple physics, when beer is coming out air must come in so the beer flows in a staggered way and dosen't come out very fast, in order to fix this there is one simple technique that can be done. All you need to do is take a shap knife (be careful with knives when intoxicated) and cut a small hole at the top of the can on the opposite side of the mouth. This will allow air to come in so that the flow of the beer can be smooth and fast.
GLASS
Drinking fast out of a glass is much easier and can be done much faster than a can even with the above trick.
1) First pour the glass as to avoid foam as much as possible, this will make is so you don't have to wait too long until you have to drink it.
2) If the beer is nice and cold then give it a couple minutes to warm up. Though everyone loves their beer cold (at least cheaper beers) it is much harder to chug a really cold beer, and can give you a painful brain freeze. Too warm is bad though too, it will taste terrible and will make a lot of gas while you drink it.
3) Once the beer is foam free and not too cold but still not too warm yet it is optimal to drink. This is pretty intuitive on the technique. Grab the glass, put it to your lips and tilt the glass up. The best way to drink it is to try and swallow just before the beer hits your throat, this way your throat will already be open and the beer will just continue its flow as it goes. Once you master this the only thing to do it just work to keep your throat open as long as possible, some people can do it for the entire glass, others have to take 2 big swallows to do it all, the idea is to learn to do it in one.
There you have successfully chugged a beer nice and fast. While the glass method is much faster, it is not nearly as convenient as the can so just do what you want and enjoy your time drinking. But enjoy intelligently, don't chug yourself to an Emergency Room.
1) First pour the glass as to avoid foam as much as possible, this will make is so you don't have to wait too long until you have to drink it.
2) If the beer is nice and cold then give it a couple minutes to warm up. Though everyone loves their beer cold (at least cheaper beers) it is much harder to chug a really cold beer, and can give you a painful brain freeze. Too warm is bad though too, it will taste terrible and will make a lot of gas while you drink it.
3) Once the beer is foam free and not too cold but still not too warm yet it is optimal to drink. This is pretty intuitive on the technique. Grab the glass, put it to your lips and tilt the glass up. The best way to drink it is to try and swallow just before the beer hits your throat, this way your throat will already be open and the beer will just continue its flow as it goes. Once you master this the only thing to do it just work to keep your throat open as long as possible, some people can do it for the entire glass, others have to take 2 big swallows to do it all, the idea is to learn to do it in one.
There you have successfully chugged a beer nice and fast. While the glass method is much faster, it is not nearly as convenient as the can so just do what you want and enjoy your time drinking. But enjoy intelligently, don't chug yourself to an Emergency Room.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
How to Shotgun a Beer Like a Champ
One thing I find that most people are terrible at involving beer is shotgunning, here I will explain the best technique possible to blow people away with you skills.
1) get s beer that is not too warm or too cold. too cold will hurt as you drink it and too warm will make you burp like crazy before you finish it, or possibly cause you to have an air bubble in you stomach which will most likely make you puke it all right back up.
2) hold the beer horizontally but on a slight angle, with the bottom being slightly higher than the top, then puncture the highest point with the tip of a knife/key and let the pressure escape, if you do this right no liquid will be spilled.
3) after the pressure escapes, make you hole bigger, i personally find it best to cut a triangle with the base at the bottom of the can, then push the triangle you made into the can, and remember the bigger the hole, the more beer will be able to come out per unit time.
4) at this point put that hole you just made to your mouth, while having your finger on the tab, put the can topside up and open the beer
5) the secret to a good shotgun comes at this point, granted that you do everything else correct. Take in one large suck like you are trying to chug water out of a bottle. After that gravity will take over and the beer will flow into you mouth and all you have to do is open your throat.
6) once you master the suck and opening your throat you should be able to do this in less than 2 seconds (and kick anyone's ass in a race.
1) get s beer that is not too warm or too cold. too cold will hurt as you drink it and too warm will make you burp like crazy before you finish it, or possibly cause you to have an air bubble in you stomach which will most likely make you puke it all right back up.
2) hold the beer horizontally but on a slight angle, with the bottom being slightly higher than the top, then puncture the highest point with the tip of a knife/key and let the pressure escape, if you do this right no liquid will be spilled.
3) after the pressure escapes, make you hole bigger, i personally find it best to cut a triangle with the base at the bottom of the can, then push the triangle you made into the can, and remember the bigger the hole, the more beer will be able to come out per unit time.
4) at this point put that hole you just made to your mouth, while having your finger on the tab, put the can topside up and open the beer
5) the secret to a good shotgun comes at this point, granted that you do everything else correct. Take in one large suck like you are trying to chug water out of a bottle. After that gravity will take over and the beer will flow into you mouth and all you have to do is open your throat.
6) once you master the suck and opening your throat you should be able to do this in less than 2 seconds (and kick anyone's ass in a race.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Non-Alcoholic Beer???
Ok so there is such thing, there is even a Busch N.A. My question is why? What is the point of beer without alcohol, yes it is delicious but the alcohol is the real reason it is so popular, and the only reason people would drink something like Busch in the first place. I can understand this stuff if you have a health condition, but most people that drink it I am afraid don't. And I just don't see the point, what good is a gun without bullets? or an engine without gas? If anyone has a good reason why cheap non-alcoholic beers are made I would love to hear it, but until then I will continue my stance on why the stuff is pointless and hope that it goes away. Though I am sure it never will.
So what are your feeling on the stuff? For you does a nice O'douls hit the spot after a hard day of work?
So what are your feeling on the stuff? For you does a nice O'douls hit the spot after a hard day of work?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Best Place to Drink a Beer in Myrtle Beach
On my trip to Myrtle Beach, SC, USA of all the places I went to have a beer one definitely stood out among the rest. This place was Bimini's Oyster Bar and Seafood Cafe. Being on the beach we choose to go to a seafood oriented place in order to get good food and we discovered a gem. The place is not very big and was full of people having a good time. It was also nice and loud, not always what you want but it makes the atmosphere perfect here.
When we got there we all got a beer to drink while we waited for our table. The beer selection was not enormous but there was a nice array to choose from. I settled for the southern classic Yuengling as it was suggested to me by a local. One we got our table and sat down we looked over the menu and noticed that it advertised an "Oyster Slammer" which I wish I would have had a camera to take a picture of. We ordered a round and waited to see what it was when they came. It turned out to be a slammer glass with 2 raw oysters, hot sauce, and Bud Light. We all took ours down and to be honest it was much better than I expected. Finishing it by taking down 2 full raw oysters was a challenge but overall it was well worth the dollar I paid for it. I really can't explain the taste of it but I will suggest that anyone interested would give it a try.
The food was excellent. A popular item on the menu, which I split with one of my companions that was there is the Steamer Pot, which consists of 6 oysters, 6 clams, and 6 mussels, 1/4 pound of shrimp and a pound of crab legs, all steamed. It also came with corn on the cob, hush puppies, and cole slaw. A very full meal, even when split by 2 people. This entree would probably go best with a lighter beer, maybe a wheat beer would be perfect, but the Yuengling that I had with it was a good complement in itself.
Overall the experience of Bimini's was a great one indeed and the next time I go to Myrtle Beach I will definitely visit there again. I would also suggest it to anyone who plans on visiting there.
When we got there we all got a beer to drink while we waited for our table. The beer selection was not enormous but there was a nice array to choose from. I settled for the southern classic Yuengling as it was suggested to me by a local. One we got our table and sat down we looked over the menu and noticed that it advertised an "Oyster Slammer" which I wish I would have had a camera to take a picture of. We ordered a round and waited to see what it was when they came. It turned out to be a slammer glass with 2 raw oysters, hot sauce, and Bud Light. We all took ours down and to be honest it was much better than I expected. Finishing it by taking down 2 full raw oysters was a challenge but overall it was well worth the dollar I paid for it. I really can't explain the taste of it but I will suggest that anyone interested would give it a try.
The food was excellent. A popular item on the menu, which I split with one of my companions that was there is the Steamer Pot, which consists of 6 oysters, 6 clams, and 6 mussels, 1/4 pound of shrimp and a pound of crab legs, all steamed. It also came with corn on the cob, hush puppies, and cole slaw. A very full meal, even when split by 2 people. This entree would probably go best with a lighter beer, maybe a wheat beer would be perfect, but the Yuengling that I had with it was a good complement in itself.
Overall the experience of Bimini's was a great one indeed and the next time I go to Myrtle Beach I will definitely visit there again. I would also suggest it to anyone who plans on visiting there.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
America's Oldest Brewery
Well for anyone interested my trip was awesome. Had a great time and would encourage anyone interested to visit Myrtle Beach, only be warned it is more family oriented than I expected. Still great golf and some good places to have a drink
While on my trip I discovered what people in the southeastern US "the south" love to drink, Yuengling. Yuengling is the oldest brewery in America, established in 1829. It is also quite a large volume brewery, though I never see the stuff where I live in the Midwest. They make around 8 varieties but the only one that you will find without searching is the lager. It is actually quite a good beer too, and down there it is generally cheaper than bud light or other common American beer. It is brewed in Pennsylvania where it has always been located.
My main experience with this medium bodied lager with a clean hop finish was golfing. It was a great addition to golfing as it is satisfying and not so light that you drink so much that you can no longer swing right. When I golf though, I like to have the taste of beer in my mouth a lot, and Yuengling was the answer to that need.
So if you are even in the eastern or southern US I would suggest that your first beer you order at the bar be a Yuengling, as it is the perfect beer to be having there, and at How to Drink a Beer we are always about having the best beer for the situation, or 10. For more information about the brewery visit their website at http://www.yuengling.com/
What are everyone else's experiences with Yuengling, or drinking in the southern US in general? I would love to hear what you have to say.
While on my trip I discovered what people in the southeastern US "the south" love to drink, Yuengling. Yuengling is the oldest brewery in America, established in 1829. It is also quite a large volume brewery, though I never see the stuff where I live in the Midwest. They make around 8 varieties but the only one that you will find without searching is the lager. It is actually quite a good beer too, and down there it is generally cheaper than bud light or other common American beer. It is brewed in Pennsylvania where it has always been located.
My main experience with this medium bodied lager with a clean hop finish was golfing. It was a great addition to golfing as it is satisfying and not so light that you drink so much that you can no longer swing right. When I golf though, I like to have the taste of beer in my mouth a lot, and Yuengling was the answer to that need.
So if you are even in the eastern or southern US I would suggest that your first beer you order at the bar be a Yuengling, as it is the perfect beer to be having there, and at How to Drink a Beer we are always about having the best beer for the situation, or 10. For more information about the brewery visit their website at http://www.yuengling.com/
What are everyone else's experiences with Yuengling, or drinking in the southern US in general? I would love to hear what you have to say.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
How to Drink a Beer Video Bonus
Well today I will just do a short video post, thought this was pretty clever and deserved to be shared.
Waterfall Drinking Beer - Funny home videos are a click away
Waterfall Drinking Beer - Funny home videos are a click away
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Best Summer Beer
Now that it is starting to become summer in my part of the world, people are starting to crave summer beer. Usually the typical summer beers are wheat beers and corona (puke in a bottle). Obviously the only good choice of those is a wheat beer, and the best of that category in my experience and one that is regarded as one of the best in the world is......
OBERON made by Bells Brewing Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. The reason I may love this so much is because it was the only nice beer we drank back when I was an under-aged-party-animal but the stuff is just damn good. If you are ever in a place where you can try this stuff, and it is getting pretty common around the mid-western and northeastern US, it is definitely something to try and enjoy. I have drank many wheat beers but none have beaten Oberon in my opinion. Hail Summer and Hail Beer.
OBERON made by Bells Brewing Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. The reason I may love this so much is because it was the only nice beer we drank back when I was an under-aged-party-animal but the stuff is just damn good. If you are ever in a place where you can try this stuff, and it is getting pretty common around the mid-western and northeastern US, it is definitely something to try and enjoy. I have drank many wheat beers but none have beaten Oberon in my opinion. Hail Summer and Hail Beer.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Ultimate Way to Drink a Beer
Well since the weekend is coming up again I would like to salute my favorite beer drinking vessel, that's right I am talking about the keg. The beer glass of the gods.
Kegs are one of the best ever additions to parties. Not only are they the most convenient thing for the party attendees, a way to make easy money for the hosts, and a way to unite everyone at the party, they are just plain cool.
Kegs are also a way to unite beer drinkers of all ages, they all love kegs. I have been to high school parties with kegs (had to run from the police at more than one of those), college parties with kegs (these are much nicer), family reunions, and last summer I was at a 58 year old man's birthday party and it had, you guessed it, a nice big keg of beer.
My very favorite kind of keg, other than a big one, is a local brewery keg. What better way to feel good about supporting your local economy than getting drunk. Plus by buying it in a keg you save a whole bundle of money. The local brew around me is about $10-12 USD a six pack right now, you can get a keg and though I don't have the math worked out completely, I believe it comes up to just over $1 USD a beer, or about $7 USD for a six pack. Oh and the other thing, it is actually good beer, unlike the watery, crap Busch light that you see most kegs of. Sure you may have to charge a dollar more for someone to buy a cup, but to me it is more than worth it. Paying $6 for all you can drink is sure better than going to the pub and paying $3 for a single glass of beer, and drinking it with your friends, away from the bar is always a better feeling as well.
So for today I would like to leave you with the international kegger cup and hope you all have a wonderful weekend and have an extra beer out of the keg for me.
Kegs are one of the best ever additions to parties. Not only are they the most convenient thing for the party attendees, a way to make easy money for the hosts, and a way to unite everyone at the party, they are just plain cool.Kegs are also a way to unite beer drinkers of all ages, they all love kegs. I have been to high school parties with kegs (had to run from the police at more than one of those), college parties with kegs (these are much nicer), family reunions, and last summer I was at a 58 year old man's birthday party and it had, you guessed it, a nice big keg of beer.
My very favorite kind of keg, other than a big one, is a local brewery keg. What better way to feel good about supporting your local economy than getting drunk. Plus by buying it in a keg you save a whole bundle of money. The local brew around me is about $10-12 USD a six pack right now, you can get a keg and though I don't have the math worked out completely, I believe it comes up to just over $1 USD a beer, or about $7 USD for a six pack. Oh and the other thing, it is actually good beer, unlike the watery, crap Busch light that you see most kegs of. Sure you may have to charge a dollar more for someone to buy a cup, but to me it is more than worth it. Paying $6 for all you can drink is sure better than going to the pub and paying $3 for a single glass of beer, and drinking it with your friends, away from the bar is always a better feeling as well.
So for today I would like to leave you with the international kegger cup and hope you all have a wonderful weekend and have an extra beer out of the keg for me.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Story of the Forgotton Homebrew
Digging through my fridge today, way in the back I found something. A bottle of the blonde ale I brewed last fall. This beer was designed by me to be similar to many of the Belgian blonde ales such as Leffe, usually I only let my beers that I brew condition in the bottle for 4 weeks or so but this one must have been forgotten about from the night we thought we finished them all. Being a lover of beer though and not having any other beer in my fridge I decided I would give it a try, couldn’t be too bad. So I opened the bottle and poured it into a glass in order to make sure it still had a good aroma, and to make sure nothing weird had happened with it.
The unopened bottle, nothing unusual, I guess that’s a good thing.
As soon as I opened the bottle all that I got was a ton of foam that did not stop, this was the result of my first attempt of pouring.
Eventually it settled to make this good colored but pretty cloudy beer. Looked the same as I remembered it from before though, so far nothing bad.
Smelling the beer I could tell it was a homebrew, had that distinct smell than any homebrewer would recognize of a homebrewed beer made with malt extract (don’t have my equipment to do an all-grain brew yet). I could notice the hops through the smell but the rest was masked by the homebrew scent. This brew I made a little hoppier than most blonde ales would be, because I was craving a nice hoppy beer at the time, and wanted to see how it would turn out.
The taste was not as bad as I expected, though little true flavor remained, was more of just a bland beer with a decent body, and a strong hop finish. I cannot say it was my favorite, nor was it as good as it had been before, but I easily was able to finish every last drop in the glass. Moral of the story, when you homebrew, drink the beer while it is still good and do not forget about it.
The unopened bottle, nothing unusual, I guess that’s a good thing.
As soon as I opened the bottle all that I got was a ton of foam that did not stop, this was the result of my first attempt of pouring.
Eventually it settled to make this good colored but pretty cloudy beer. Looked the same as I remembered it from before though, so far nothing bad.
Smelling the beer I could tell it was a homebrew, had that distinct smell than any homebrewer would recognize of a homebrewed beer made with malt extract (don’t have my equipment to do an all-grain brew yet). I could notice the hops through the smell but the rest was masked by the homebrew scent. This brew I made a little hoppier than most blonde ales would be, because I was craving a nice hoppy beer at the time, and wanted to see how it would turn out.
The taste was not as bad as I expected, though little true flavor remained, was more of just a bland beer with a decent body, and a strong hop finish. I cannot say it was my favorite, nor was it as good as it had been before, but I easily was able to finish every last drop in the glass. Moral of the story, when you homebrew, drink the beer while it is still good and do not forget about it.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Beer Myths
After going out both days this weekend and talking with some people who don't know their beer at all I feel that it is now my responsibility to dispel some myths about beer.
1) Beer makes you fat, causes beer belly etc. - Being lazy and eating more calories than you burn makes you fat. Because beer contains calories you can gain weight from drinking it, but so will energy drinks and Gatorade. Beer itself does not magically make you get a beer belly, being lazy and sitting on the couch all day while drinking beer does.
2) Beer should be as cold as possible to taste best - This is only true if you are drinking cheap, watery, crap beers. If you drink good beers, most of the time chilled but not cold is the best way to drink it, drinking something that is ice cold masks flavors, and in the case of cheap beer that is a good thing. But when you have good beer being that cold will hide some of the complexities and good flavors. This is also the reason why frosty glasses are one of my biggest pet peeves.
3) Dark beer is stronger than light beer - This is not true, though there tends to be that correlation. My favorite type of beer, a Belgian tripel is usually brewed to about 8-10% ABV but is a very light beer. The same goes for heavy beers being stronger. Budweiser is a pretty dark and heavier beer than most wheat beers, but the mircobrewed wheat beers are usually much stronger alchol-wise.
4) Beer kills brain cells - Simply not true, as proven by an austrialian study, because I am sure nobody beieves me, here is a link to the story. Beer not so bad
There so I hope I have at least dispelled a few myths that tend to bug the shit out of me when people argue with me about them being true. Now I hope that you will never be one of those people. Feel free to share the myths that bug you the most.
1) Beer makes you fat, causes beer belly etc. - Being lazy and eating more calories than you burn makes you fat. Because beer contains calories you can gain weight from drinking it, but so will energy drinks and Gatorade. Beer itself does not magically make you get a beer belly, being lazy and sitting on the couch all day while drinking beer does.
2) Beer should be as cold as possible to taste best - This is only true if you are drinking cheap, watery, crap beers. If you drink good beers, most of the time chilled but not cold is the best way to drink it, drinking something that is ice cold masks flavors, and in the case of cheap beer that is a good thing. But when you have good beer being that cold will hide some of the complexities and good flavors. This is also the reason why frosty glasses are one of my biggest pet peeves.
3) Dark beer is stronger than light beer - This is not true, though there tends to be that correlation. My favorite type of beer, a Belgian tripel is usually brewed to about 8-10% ABV but is a very light beer. The same goes for heavy beers being stronger. Budweiser is a pretty dark and heavier beer than most wheat beers, but the mircobrewed wheat beers are usually much stronger alchol-wise.
4) Beer kills brain cells - Simply not true, as proven by an austrialian study, because I am sure nobody beieves me, here is a link to the story. Beer not so bad
There so I hope I have at least dispelled a few myths that tend to bug the shit out of me when people argue with me about them being true. Now I hope that you will never be one of those people. Feel free to share the myths that bug you the most.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Busy Week
I haven't had much time to write this week, next week should be better. Over the course of this week I have received a job offer, moved back home from school, and have gotten a lot of unfinished projects done.
But today is Friday, which is always one of the best days of the week. It is also a good time to head to the bar or wherever you like to go and have a nice brew. Then have another nice one, and then maybe you can move to the cheap stuff for the next 5 or 6 beers. However you choose to celebrate your Friday, just have a good time. I guess safety is the generic thing to say next but the only thing I care about is having a good time, with friends or whoever you choose to have join you. And enjoy your beer and have another to me.
But today is Friday, which is always one of the best days of the week. It is also a good time to head to the bar or wherever you like to go and have a nice brew. Then have another nice one, and then maybe you can move to the cheap stuff for the next 5 or 6 beers. However you choose to celebrate your Friday, just have a good time. I guess safety is the generic thing to say next but the only thing I care about is having a good time, with friends or whoever you choose to have join you. And enjoy your beer and have another to me.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Top 10 Best Drinking Games
Drinking games, we all love some of them and hate others, I have played many and will share my list of the top ten with you. Please feel free to comment or add your own list below, I would love to hear your opinions.
10) High/Low - Easy game, pretty boring but gets a lot of consumption in a short period of time. Good to fill short gaps of time when you want to do something.
9) Suits - Another card game that can be fun for a little while but can not be played for too long, good game though if you want to screw someone over.
8) Quarters - Classic game that is quite fun, especially if you are good at it. Either way though this is one where you have good active participation by everyone.
7) Kings - This game is also known as waterfall often and probably more names in other areas. This game is good when you have group of people and want a game with a lot of drinking but is still pretty chill.
6) Presidents and Assholes - This is a game with many other names as well (Asshole, P&A, etc.) and I personally am not a large fan of it, but it is a good game for a group of people. Also it is very easy to be good at if you actually concentrate on it.
5) Shotgun Racing - Always something guys like to do, and I still believe that nobody can beat me. At least no frat-boy who though he was badass has beat me yet, or anyone else for that matter.
4) Power Hour - Good one for drinking with friends, I have mentioned this before in a blog post as well, as it can be fun when done with others to have a good time.
3) Flip Cup - This is a good game, everyone has fun usually and it is actually a good way to meet people due to the "bond" you tend to make with your teammates.
2) Beer Pong - Probably expected to be #1 but I will disagree with that, though it is an awesome game and thus it is understandable why it is featured at almost any house party you go to, it isn't quite perfect as it can take too long, and not too many people can play in a night.
1) Drinking Darts - Darts is only really an example game here, what is really meant by this is drinking anything. Wii bowling, darts, croquett or any other individual group game is perfect, you just choose the game and decide stakes for how much to drink related to what you place in the game. Makeing and adjusting the rules is half the fun, and the game never gets old because you just make it up on the spot and it they tend to get changed every time you play. Also unlike other games, when the game is about drinking you never really have arguments about the game because no one really cares. If you disagree just everyone drinks, problem solved.
If you are unfamiliar with any game here then I would suggest going to the wikipedia page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_games and you can learn about them there, it would just be too long of a post to explain all of the rules in a single blog entry
10) High/Low - Easy game, pretty boring but gets a lot of consumption in a short period of time. Good to fill short gaps of time when you want to do something.
9) Suits - Another card game that can be fun for a little while but can not be played for too long, good game though if you want to screw someone over.
8) Quarters - Classic game that is quite fun, especially if you are good at it. Either way though this is one where you have good active participation by everyone.
7) Kings - This game is also known as waterfall often and probably more names in other areas. This game is good when you have group of people and want a game with a lot of drinking but is still pretty chill.
6) Presidents and Assholes - This is a game with many other names as well (Asshole, P&A, etc.) and I personally am not a large fan of it, but it is a good game for a group of people. Also it is very easy to be good at if you actually concentrate on it.
5) Shotgun Racing - Always something guys like to do, and I still believe that nobody can beat me. At least no frat-boy who though he was badass has beat me yet, or anyone else for that matter.
4) Power Hour - Good one for drinking with friends, I have mentioned this before in a blog post as well, as it can be fun when done with others to have a good time.
3) Flip Cup - This is a good game, everyone has fun usually and it is actually a good way to meet people due to the "bond" you tend to make with your teammates.
2) Beer Pong - Probably expected to be #1 but I will disagree with that, though it is an awesome game and thus it is understandable why it is featured at almost any house party you go to, it isn't quite perfect as it can take too long, and not too many people can play in a night.
1) Drinking Darts - Darts is only really an example game here, what is really meant by this is drinking anything. Wii bowling, darts, croquett or any other individual group game is perfect, you just choose the game and decide stakes for how much to drink related to what you place in the game. Makeing and adjusting the rules is half the fun, and the game never gets old because you just make it up on the spot and it they tend to get changed every time you play. Also unlike other games, when the game is about drinking you never really have arguments about the game because no one really cares. If you disagree just everyone drinks, problem solved.
If you are unfamiliar with any game here then I would suggest going to the wikipedia page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_games and you can learn about them there, it would just be too long of a post to explain all of the rules in a single blog entry
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day
Haven't gotten around to posting in a while, the last week for me was quite hetic with finals for school, moving back to my home for summer, and then getting an interview and job for the summer.
My mom is one of the first people that I drank a beer with. I started drinking with family a few years before it was "legal" for me to drink (I put that in quotes because I disagree with a drinking age in general, especially the age of 21 that we have in this country, will post on this topic another day though). But family is one of my favorite drinking groups and my mother is no exception. I grew up with her drinking beer around me (never heavily) and now I drink with her occassionally. And for today being mothers day I would like everyone to reflect on how their mother's have effected their drinking lives. Sometimes they are companinons, sometimes they dissapprove, but regardless, they are still the women that brought us into this world with a love for beer.
My mom is one of the first people that I drank a beer with. I started drinking with family a few years before it was "legal" for me to drink (I put that in quotes because I disagree with a drinking age in general, especially the age of 21 that we have in this country, will post on this topic another day though). But family is one of my favorite drinking groups and my mother is no exception. I grew up with her drinking beer around me (never heavily) and now I drink with her occassionally. And for today being mothers day I would like everyone to reflect on how their mother's have effected their drinking lives. Sometimes they are companinons, sometimes they dissapprove, but regardless, they are still the women that brought us into this world with a love for beer.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Beer Jokes
Today at how to drink a beer I have couple that I have heard throughout the years and will only take you a couple minutes to read, Enjoy.
Yesterday, government scientists suggested that men should take a look at their beer consumption, considering the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer. The theory is that drinking beer makes men turn into women. To test the finding, 100 men were fed 6 pints of beer each. It was then observed that 100% of the men gained weight, talked excessively without making sense, became overly emotional, couldn't drive, failed to think rationally, argued over nothing, and refused to apologize when wrong. No further testing is planned.
HOW TO IMPRESS A WOMAN-
Compliment her, cuddle her, kiss her, caress her, love her, stroke her, comfort her, protect her, hug her, wine and dine her, buy gifts for her, listen to her, respect her, stand by her, support her, go to the ends of the earth for her.
HOW TO IMPRESS A MAN-
Arrive naked ... with beer.
and for a final gag, this is a poster I have seen around before but if you haven't then check it out, its rather big so i will just post a link poster
Yesterday, government scientists suggested that men should take a look at their beer consumption, considering the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer. The theory is that drinking beer makes men turn into women. To test the finding, 100 men were fed 6 pints of beer each. It was then observed that 100% of the men gained weight, talked excessively without making sense, became overly emotional, couldn't drive, failed to think rationally, argued over nothing, and refused to apologize when wrong. No further testing is planned.
HOW TO IMPRESS A WOMAN-
Compliment her, cuddle her, kiss her, caress her, love her, stroke her, comfort her, protect her, hug her, wine and dine her, buy gifts for her, listen to her, respect her, stand by her, support her, go to the ends of the earth for her.
HOW TO IMPRESS A MAN-
Arrive naked ... with beer.
and for a final gag, this is a poster I have seen around before but if you haven't then check it out, its rather big so i will just post a link poster
Saturday, April 25, 2009
What Type of Beer are You Drinking?
In general with beer there are 2 main categories, Ales and Lagers. Between the two there is one major difference, Ales are made at room temperature (65F-75F) and lagers are made at refrigerated temperatures (45F-55F). The difference between these two main categories are that lagers tend to be smoother and easier to drink, while ales tend to be stronger and have more of a bite. Most commercial cheap beers are lagers, such as Miller, Bud, and Coors. These are brewed as lagers because that way they can be made in massive batches and still be drinkable to an average person.
I will also mention briefly one other type of beer, though you will rarely come across this one which is a Lambic beer. Ales and Lagers are fermented using a commercial, specially designed yeast that is controlled in brewing. Lambics on the other hand use wild yeast which occur naturally which can cause a much different flavor and also makes the beer much harder to make successfully, this is the reason you will rarely see a true lambic outside of Belgium, where the style was invented.
Within each of the styles as you may know though there are many different types and for the scope of this article I will only cover some of the main types and as an illustration to show how many different types exist I will include a chart at the bottom of the page that only shows many of the different types of ales.
For ales the most common types you may encounter are Wheat, Pale, Dark, and Amber. Wheat beers are made with wheat instead of barley which causes a softer and lighter beer with a unique flavor that is great in the summer, my recommendation for this style would be Bell's Oberon. A Pale ale is a beer that is brewed with a high level of Hops, which causes a more bitter and aromatic flavor, very tasty, for this I would recommend Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Dark beers have many different styles such as Stout and Porter, these beers are heavy and are more of sipping beers, an example of this is Guinness, but only Guinness that is in Europe or if elsewhere in the world is draft from a nitrogen capped keg, only then will you actually taste the true beer flavor of it. Amber beers are hopped with a smooth and full body and have a slightly sweet flavor, for this I would recommend Bass Amber Ale.
Common types of lagers are Bock, and Pale. Bocks are complex and malty beers, good for drinking for a while, not a speed beer, good example is Shiner Bock. Pale lagers cover the majority of American domestics such as lagers, a good example is Yuengling.
And there you have it the basic type of beers below is the chart I promised. Click to see it better
I will also mention briefly one other type of beer, though you will rarely come across this one which is a Lambic beer. Ales and Lagers are fermented using a commercial, specially designed yeast that is controlled in brewing. Lambics on the other hand use wild yeast which occur naturally which can cause a much different flavor and also makes the beer much harder to make successfully, this is the reason you will rarely see a true lambic outside of Belgium, where the style was invented.
Within each of the styles as you may know though there are many different types and for the scope of this article I will only cover some of the main types and as an illustration to show how many different types exist I will include a chart at the bottom of the page that only shows many of the different types of ales.
For ales the most common types you may encounter are Wheat, Pale, Dark, and Amber. Wheat beers are made with wheat instead of barley which causes a softer and lighter beer with a unique flavor that is great in the summer, my recommendation for this style would be Bell's Oberon. A Pale ale is a beer that is brewed with a high level of Hops, which causes a more bitter and aromatic flavor, very tasty, for this I would recommend Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Dark beers have many different styles such as Stout and Porter, these beers are heavy and are more of sipping beers, an example of this is Guinness, but only Guinness that is in Europe or if elsewhere in the world is draft from a nitrogen capped keg, only then will you actually taste the true beer flavor of it. Amber beers are hopped with a smooth and full body and have a slightly sweet flavor, for this I would recommend Bass Amber Ale.
Common types of lagers are Bock, and Pale. Bocks are complex and malty beers, good for drinking for a while, not a speed beer, good example is Shiner Bock. Pale lagers cover the majority of American domestics such as lagers, a good example is Yuengling.
And there you have it the basic type of beers below is the chart I promised. Click to see it better
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