[gashousegorilla]

 The older I get, the more I like it. For years, been drink'in the same old Bud, Coors, Coors Lt, Miller,etc. What ever, with out thinking much about it. Beer was Beer.Ya know? But some of these new and not so new Micro beers are unbelievable. Man, I didn't know what quality Beer was!  Smithwicks, Harp, Sam Adams, Lienenkugels, Bass, Brooklyn, Cape code red, etc, etc. Porters, IPA's, Lagers , stouts,Ales,Wiessbier,etc. It's Enough to boggle the mind !
 What are you boys drink'in? When not on the Bike of  course.

[r80rt]

Not much of a beer drinker, I'm more of a Bushmills guy.

[REpozer]

For me....tap water

[gashousegorilla]

Not much of a beer drinker, I'm more of a Bushmills guy.

Oh Yea Dan, Bushmills IS pretty smooth. I also like a taste of Jamesons now and then.

[scoTTy]

miller lite... trying to watch my weight

[clamp]

For me....tap water

   Beer is 99% clean water, just a bit of other stuff in it to make it taste nice.

    I drink quite a lot of it actually because its cheap here. I also rub it on my testicles.  Its great.

    You could make stew with it as well.

    I once poured a bottle of it on my head to cool myself down but it made my hair sticky, I guess thats the sugar that scotty is on about.

[singhg5]

@GHG:

I am a European beer kind of guy.  The list goes something like Spaten, Warsteiner, Heineken, St. Pauli Girl, Beck's, Stella artois, Lowenbrau, Amstel light and so on.  

But there is one that stands out amongst so many wonderful and top notch European beers.  It is a Bavarian beer made by monks over 1000 years ago !  When they needed some help in praying or to just pass the time, they made Weihenstephaner.  Give it a try  .

[clamp]

Whenstipierohoffer??     I can even say it.

    Thats why Aussis have    XXXX   so they can spell it.

   Lets get this done with,-- Boddingtons is the only beer that touches the parts that other  parts cant be touched --errm something like that.

[Rosetap]

   Beer is 99% clean water, just a bit of other stuff in it to make it taste nice.

 

Beer is at least 4% alcohol, so I refute your statement.

[prof_stack]

Don't try to argue facts with Clamp.  He'll just produce more curious statements.   

The monks who started the Andech's brewery outside of Munich were divinely inspired, I must say.  I've never had a better beer on tap, anywhere, than their doppelbock and their helles beers at the monastary.  OMG, malt so thick it makes waves as it goes over your tongue.  You think I'm kidding, but that was the sensation.

For 20 years I was the ultimate beer geek; making beer at home, growing hops out back, using all-grain, winning awards, drinking beer, writing articles.

Nowadays, sigh, my body doesn't appreciate beer like it used to.  So I enjoy a quality beer a couple times a week.  Right now the new Winterhook from Redhook brewery is available.  It is really a nice tasting well-made beer.

[boggy]

Boddingtons is good.  I've stated before I'm a big fan of Old Speckled Hen.  I'll be happy anywhere in that realm if I have my choice.  Had a few Belhavens lately.  I'll drink Red Stripe when its hot and I'm not lookin' to feel fat.

[singhg5]

The monks who started the Andech's brewery outside of Munich were divinely inspired, I must say.  I've never had a better beer on tap, anywhere, than their doppelbock and their helles beers at the monastary.  OMG, malt so thick it makes waves as it goes over your tongue.  You think I'm kidding, but that was the sensation.

For 20 years I was the ultimate beer geek; making beer at home, growing hops out back, using all-grain, winning awards, drinking beer, writing articles.

@Prof:
 
I think we can learn a few things from you the beer geek - just explain different types of brewing methods and the kinds of beer you like.  One thing though that Doppelbock has 7% alcohol than the usual 5% in most other beers.  So the feeling in mouth could be different.  Germans / Belgians know their beers.

[2bikebill]

I'm genuinely delighted that BEER is getting a foothold in the USA, and that the fraud that's been worked on you guys for decades is being seen through. That overchilled fizzy maiden's water you've been fobbed off with for so long - Bud, Coors, Miller and the rest - has no more right to be called beer than hamburger cheese has a right to be called cheese. It has to be sold freezing cold because it's undrinkable otherwise.

Genuine Budweiser, (Budvar) a Czech beer, is what you were meant to get. What went wrong there I can't imagine. Even so, these mass-produced European lagers although better, aren't quite the business.

Various friends in the US have told me about the increasing availability of properly made German and Belgian (the very best IMO) style lagers - does it apply also to English ales? I hope so. When you drink a pint of well made live ale, well kept, crystal clear and at cellar temperature, from no more that half way down the barrel, you will experience the pinnacle of the brewer's art. Malt, hops, slight bitterness, slowly savoured, your palette will know true fulfilment, and what was previously an ultimately disappointing means to an end will be transformed into a recognition of bliss.   Aaaaahhhhh..........

Sad to say, this wondrous joy is becoming harder to find in England today. Pubs closing at an alarming rate, and decent ale houses all too rare. And at close to three pounds a pint  -  sadly out of the question other than as a rare treat. I do sometimes make my own, not difficult, but a forty pint barrel sitting in the cool back cupboard not necessarily in my best interests.......

[ScooterBob]

For me....tap water

What? Are you CrAzY?? Fish POOP in that stuff .... Hahahaha!! I'm all about the Stout when it comes to beer .... and a well-turned out Lager won't go to waste around me, either. However - the start of the hibernation season in Minnesota (thirty below, two hours of good daylight ....) requires a good hand-crafted Bourbon and LOTS of firewood to ease into ..... after I'm comfortable that the days will be getting longer again, a nice thoughtful Islay Scotch will suffice .....  Solstice party, anyone? You have to appease the gods, you know .... 10,000 of Celtic Druids doing this has kept the daylight turned on in the summers ..... 

[clamp]

For me....tap water

    Oh well you'lle love American beer then.

[ScooterBob]

    Oh well you'lle love American beer then.

I think tap water has more body and taste ...... 

[prof_stack]

@Prof:
 
I think we can learn a few things from you the beer geek - just explain different types of brewing methods and the kinds of beer you like.  One thing though that Doppelbock has 7% alcohol than the usual 5% in most other beers.  So the feeling in mouth could be different.  Germans / Belgians know their beers.

It is hard to make a high alcohol beer that doesn't taste like high alcohol.  What I mean is that a well-made bock or doppelbock tastes like MALT with enough hops to cut the sweetness and help preserve the drink.  The Germans have the brewing down to a science and still get it right.

But, energy costs have forced some breweries to shorten the brewing process (the mashing procedure) and so they get less malt flavor, rather relying on the barley supplier to germinate (malt) the grain a little further than before.  Generally it works fine, but that Andech's flavor does not come from a shortened brewing time.

[boggy]

Oh "beer" has "caught on" here in the States.  I think the micro brew invasion is almost decades old now.  Plenty of English ales here in Boston, as well as some great local beers as well like Sam Adams and Harpoon. 

Lots of "pubs" around these parts as well.  Can't spit without hitting one.  Lots of folks from Ireland come over here to work.  Often students that end up staying.  This is little Ireland, for crying out loud.  Feet from my work is a great Irish owned Pub.  I'll get the dark stuff there after work and toss some darts.

Nothing will defeat the monster that is shit beer.  It's all over the fucking place.  TV, any sports events, any EVENT events.  It has a foot hold that reminds me of the way Marlboro used to dominate.  However, the decline in that brand gives me hope that the younger generations will wise up to flavor.  That's what I see from the stool anyways.

[2bikebill]

Seems I'm well behind the times..   Delighted to hear the good news. As far as the shit beer trend - it's universal I guess. All our major sports events are also awash with piss water and a slice of lemon.  Baffling but true.
Prof  -  time we all got an invite round to your place by the sound of things.....

[gashousegorilla]

 Sam Adams Irish red is probably the best of what they make, IMHO. Boddington's IS good brew !  I had it recently over at the Black thorn, Tellemore chaser, with some nice mash potato Covered Sheppard's Pie, Nice! Ya know, maybe clamp has found some medicinal purpose for it?
 Will, Ya gotta give us that recipe! I've never heard someone paint a more appealing picture of brewski. A 40 Pint cask for the garage ,for the winter? Home made? very nice. " maidens water", LOL !, excellent !

[ScooterBob]

I'm thinkin' that 40 pints is about a week and half ....... It'd take a FEW of those to get a man through the winter up here in the god-forsaken TUNDRA! 

[2bikebill]

I'd always have another 40 pints brewing so that when the barrel ran dry there was no wait until the next was ready. But I was drinking a lot more in those days. Mostly I made bitter. I tried to make stout but never got it to taste anything like Guiness. Apart from a few experiments, mashing the hops and doing the whole business from scratch, I mostly used home brewing kits. Many available and of varying qualities of course. All can be improved with a bit of tinkering, and results can be at least as good as decent pub ales.
The prof sounds like he's gone into this far more seriously than I, who simply wanted to drink more decent beer than I could otherwise afford.
And all this has got me thinking to get up into the attic and dust off the equipment again.....

[prof_stack]

Heh, I got into home brewing in 1985 after a 1984 trip to Germany where I was amazed beyond words how good the tap beers were.  Back then the micro-brew revolution was just underway in the states, most notably on the West coast.

These days there is no need to home brew, imho, because great beer is available pretty much everywhere, even gas station convenience stores, for crying out loud.

Tap (draught, draft) beer is always best!

[2bikebill]

".....Tap (draught, draft) beer is always best....."

I'm inclined to agree. That said - there's not a lot wrong with this bottle of Duvel I'm working my way down as slowly (hic) as I reasonably can......

[Blltrdr]

A few years back I took a home brewing class through Discover U in Seattle. It was a two session class that prepared you for making some really great beer right out of the gate. This class was taught by two of the brewers from Pike Place Ales which instantly sold me on the class because of the outstanding beers they craft. I brewed many batches of many different varieties and for the most part they all tasted superb, except for one batch that just didn't make the grade.

The problem I found with home brewing is space and making sure everything is sterilized properly. I would suggest to anyone who considers themselves a beer aficionado to try there hand at making their own brew at least once, but would also suggest using a U-brew facility rather than purchasing all the equipment and destroying your kitchen.

Of the many years I brewed, one thing that never changed was the anticipation for those batches of beer to finally be ready to drink. I would equate that feeling to be comparable to the agonizing feeling you felt as a kid waiting for summer break to start or that special vacation you were waiting to go on with your family or friends. I find that as you age that feeling of anticipation wanes and to get that feeling as an adult seems to come around less and less. So I would say that anything that can bring back those feelings is a good thing no matter what it is.

I'm always searching!

[gashousegorilla]

 Well put. I was'nt thinking about making my own when I started this thread, But I am now! I guess those "Mr Beer" things are no good Huh?

[2bikebill]

Sterilising the equipment is important and you neglect it at the peril of your beer. Apart from this, I found that using a heated tray to keep the brewing bucket at the correct and constant temperature made the process virtually foolproof. Siphoning the beer from the bucket into the barrel and leaving the sediment behind was always a bit of a trick - remembering to have located the bucket high enough so you don't have to move it and disturb the sediment before syphoning. Even so, you're risking a hernia when you then have to lift the barrel into its final resting place.
Then It's the wait for the beer to clear which tests your resolve. Some folks put a tube with a float on it from the back of the tap to draw the beer from the top so they don't have to wait so long. They don't work very well and tend to let out the built up pressure rather than the beer. And anyway, the beer needs to condition - letting it clear naturally is the way. Waiting is best - the beer improves if you let it.
Dammit this thread is getting me in the mood for it.  

[2bikebill]

What's a Mr Beer? A kit?

OK I googled it. Why not give it a try?
Or look here for more choice:  www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk

[Blltrdr]

What's a Mr Beer? A kit?

Mr. Beer was one of those As Seen on TV products (Ronco). They were popular in the 80's. Google it or even better look for the commercial on YouTube.

[2bikebill]

OK I checked it out. I don't like the look of that "booster" shite. And if you're going to make a full five gallon brew, you WONT want to be cleaning forty bottles  - trust me.
Also with bottles - they can explode as pressure builds up inside, particularly if you use a crown capper and proper bottle tops.
Brew it in a five gallon brewing bucket, then transfer it to a barrel. Don't add any crap - just the malt and hops from the can - sometimes two if want it fruity but best to spend more and get a good one, a couple pounds of sugar - muscavado if you like really strong flavour, yeast, and finings when it goes into the barrel - cloudy beer tastes wrong.
Gas build up in the barrel will enable the beer to be drawn, and you have to add a bit of gas later when the vacuum prevents the beer coming through the tap.
Call me when it's ready.  

[Blltrdr]

OK I checked it out. I don't like the look of that "booster" shite. And if you're going to make a full five gallon brew, you WONT want to be cleaning forty bottles  - trust me.
Also with bottles - they can explode as pressure builds up inside, particularly if you use a crown capper and proper bottle tops.
Brew it in a five gallon brewing bucket, then transfer it to a barrel. Don't add any crap - just the malt and hops from the can - sometimes two if want it fruity but best to spend more and get a good one, a couple pounds of sugar - muscavado if you like really strong flavour, yeast, and finings when it goes into the barrel - cloudy beer tastes wrong.
Gas build up in the barrel will enable the beer to be drawn, and you have to add a bit of gas later when the vacuum prevents the beer coming through the tap.
Call me when it's ready.  

A U-Brew facility is the way to go. They have everything you need including copper kettles and you can keg your beer instead of tapping it.

[dogbone]

when I was in Scotland, I discovered Tennants lager,,,x-cellent. Being weaned on Butwiper, it actually had taste .  alas although available in the states, the thrill is gone, no comparison to the draft, or the pubs they were served in. I don't know how they muck up the guiness coming to the states, it is NOT the beer i quafed at Heathrow, waiting for a plane. Great lakes Brewing is making some fine beers, although, I have to warn you, I have pee'd many times in that lake .

[gashousegorilla]

 I think I will give it a try,... Will. Whats booster? The one I was checking out was a 2 Gallon... thing. Here it is.
http://www.mrbeer.com/category-exec/category_id/139

[gashousegorilla]

A U-Brew facility is the way to go. They have everything you need including copper kettles and you can keg your beer instead of tapping it.

How does it work? Do you bring your own Stuff?

[2bikebill]

Not too keen on keg beer  -  you have to pump it full of CO2 to get it out and you get a lot of fizz. If you make real ale - put it in a barrel (cask) - the gas just goes on top to keep it fresh and allow it to flow out the tap. Just my preference.

As for Tennants - did you get into the Super Lager? 9%ABV!  serious falling down water, and the mother of all hangovers......  

[2bikebill]

Indeed  -  what's booster? I saw it on the youtube demo, never seen it otherwise.
You should be able to get all the ingredients supplied in the one can - malt and hops, it's thick brown gloop. Only water, sugar and yeast needs to be added. A hydrometer is useful to be sure it's ready to bottle or barrel.

[Maturin]

Sorry folks, I almost missed this threat 
Behind this wonderfull bike you can see one of the most important plants: hops. Northwest of Munich, about 70km, there is the biggest area for growing hops on our planet: the Holledau. It´s quite complicated to grow it, it needs a special soil and demands mild temperatures. The Monastry Andechs Prof.Stack was talking about and the brewery Weihenstephan are located on the verge of this area. Both are very recomendable. I´d like to add my personal favorite as a tipp: Augustiner, the last independent Munich brewery.
Prost Freunde!

[Blltrdr]

How does it work? Do you bring your own Stuff?

If there is a U- Brew facility in your area give em a call to find out prices. They should have all the supplies, equipment and recipes. The one located where I live (Gallagher's Where You Brew) actually produces a number of fine beers to sell to local restaurants,pubs and public. They have a tasting room so you can come in and try, buy or brew your own. They will sell anything from a  growler (1/2 gallon) to a pony keg of the beers they produce for you take home.

[Vince]

     Now this is a thread I can sink my teeth into...
     One of the best I ever had was Kiwi Lager, imported from New Zealand of course. The brewery was purchased by some European conglomerate which promptly deleted it to make Heineken. The same thing happened here in Olympia. The brewery was purchased by Miller, then the brand was dumped for the mass market.
     Even American brews such as Pabst and Shlitz were good beers before Big Corporate take-overs.
     Alas, I can't drink much. It really aggravates my gout. I really hate the feeling of broken glass in my ankle. I have to plan a day or two in advance, to load up on cherry fruit extract-a dietary supplement that helps deal with uric acid. Even then a six-pack a month is my limit.
     Luckily, there is Chianti!

[gashousegorilla]

If there is a U- Brew facility in your area give em a call to find out prices. They should have all the supplies, equipment and recipes. The one located where I live (Gallagher's Where You Brew) actually produces a number of fine beers to sell to local restaurants,pubs and public. They have a tasting room so you can come in and try, buy or brew your own. They will sell anything from a  growler (1/2 gallon) to a pony keg of the beers they produce for you take home.

Yea, definitely something to look into. Probably worth it to have someone show you whats what for the first go around. Great Idea !
  Vince, I think there still making Pabst somewhere? They use to make it here, In Newark NJ, they just knocked the plant down a few years ago. Chianti IS good, my grandfather use to make it, that or dago red in his basement. He had one of those old crank handle/screw wine presses. Probably got thrown out

[boggy]

You can get Guinness at Fenway Park too.  Run you about 8 or 9 bucks per not-quite-a-pint.  Thank God we don't do cricket here or I'd be broke.

[prof_stack]

At home the best you can do is to sanitize.  Bleach is cheap, it works, and if you're careful about sanitation of your equipment, all should be fine in that area.

Cleaning bottles is not that bad if you have a "jet-wash" device for your faucet.  I bottled dozens of 5-gallon batches and never did a bottle break or crack.  Just pay attention to the amount of priming sugar you use. 

But going to 5-gallon kegs (soda-pop variety) was much better, easier, faster to carbonation, and more professional tasting.

The one key that I found most important in 20 years of brewing was to make sure the yeast supply was plentiful and healthy (the buggers mutate after awhile).  With a healthy dose of yeast, they win the battle to eat the maltose and poop out alcohols (different types, actually) and B vitamins.  Drink that sediment, it's good for you.  Really.

[gashousegorilla]

 Do you use regular tap water for the brew or botled?  Does it matter?

[prof_stack]

Do you use regular tap water for the brew or botled?  Does it matter?

Tap water typically gives a more interesting flavor than distilled or filtered water.  I used Seattle tap water for all the brewing stuff.  But places with really mineral-ly water might have to make adjustments, I don't know.

Funny how this thread is busy but the UCE section is really quiet.  I wonder if weather has anything to do with it?   

[singhg5]

Funny how this thread is busy but the UCE section is really quiet.  I wonder if weather has anything to do with it?  

Sometime back, I had noticed that too that UCE section is winding down or it has repeats of the same things, but I didn't want to jinx.  

shhh.  don't let the UCE hear it - They are running fine  .

[Blltrdr]

     Now this is a thread I can sink my teeth into...
     One of the best I ever had was Kiwi Lager, imported from New Zealand of course. The brewery was purchased by some European conglomerate which promptly deleted it to make Heineken. The same thing happened here in Olympia. The brewery was purchased by Miller, then the brand was dumped for the mass market.
     Even American brews such as Pabst and Shlitz were good beers before Big Corporate take-overs.
     Alas, I can't drink much. It really aggravates my gout. I really hate the feeling of broken glass in my ankle. I have to plan a day or two in advance, to load up on cherry fruit extract-a dietary supplement that helps deal with uric acid. Even then a six-pack a month is my limit.
     Luckily, there is Chianti!

Vince, ever a fan of Lucky Lager (#1 summertime beer IMHO)? Full Sail Brewery makes a lager in the same stubby bottle same taste and instead of the puzzle under the cap you get rock-paper-scissors. You should try a six-pack one month if you haven't already.

[clamp]

Miltons sterile solution for cleaning baby teets --Geeezuz bleach??   what for whiter teeth?   Then it will taste like Buttwiper.
  Tap water has flouride in it so your beer will taste like toothpaste.

    If you making a dark beer  just back up a tank to the sewage plant,--Im sure thats what Guiness does.  

    Stir up all the shit and piss and you will get a very favourable Guiness taste    

[Blltrdr]

Miltons sterile solution for cleaning baby teets --Geeezuz bleach??   what for whiter teeth?   Then it will taste like Buttwiper.
  Tap water has flouride in it so your beer will taste like toothpaste.

    If you making a dark beer  just back up a tank to the sewage plant,--Im sure thats what Guiness does.  

    Stir up all the shit and piss and you will get a very favourable Guiness taste    

I found this info on the water used to brew Guiness -

It's a popular misconception that the waters used for Guinness Beer came from the Liffey River in Dublin. Many residents of Dublin even believe it.


Eric Newby, the English travel writer, visited Guinness's water filter beds in the mid-1980s when he was in Dublin. The filter beds are to the west of Dublin, near Lock 8 between Ballyfermot and Clondalkin on the Grand Canal (that flows out of Dublin and joins with the Shannon River to the West and the Barrow River to the south). There he found that the filter beds were brick-lined ponds. Some were open to the air, others were not only roofed over, but had grass growing over the roofs. Here in these ponds the water used to make Guinness beer was allowed to rest, so that sediment could sink to the bottom, before being piped to the Guinness plant 4 1/2 miles away for further purification and ultimate use.

The water in those filter beds, still there today, does not come from the River Liffey, but rather from the Grand Canal that the beds are near. And the water in the Grand Canal -- at that point near Lock 8, at least -- does not come from the Liffey, but rather from Seven Springs, St James's Well, in Pollardsdown Fen near Kildare. That water is soft and alkaline, with lots of lime, and that, Newby was told, was the water that was used for making Guinness.

By 1995, though, the water Guinness used had changed. "Above 8th lock are the filter beds from which Messrs Guinness used to draw the soft water that was so suitable for brewing. The filter beds are still in use today, but the water is used for washing purposes only." ("Guide to the Grand Canal of Ireland", The Waterways Service with the co-operation of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, 5th Edition, 1995.) The water now (as of 2004) comes from the Wicklow mountains, in County Wicklow.

If you have seen up close the Grand Canal near Dublin, it's no wonder Guinness changed the source of their water, no matter how scenic the "Fen" it had started from. We remember half-submerged rusting grocery trolleys in a very rough area, but we'll leave it to the "Guide to the Grand Canal of Ireland" to sum that stretch up best:

"The canal rises steeply out of the city, but this is an unattractive area and it is the stretch of canal most subject to vandalism. It is wise to make a point of taking locks 1 to 9 early in the morning, or during school hours, to avoid the sometimes boisterous attentions of children. Despite much time-consuming work by the Waterways service removing debris from the canal, some rubbish may be picked up by propellers, especially on deep-draught vessels."


(Copyright 2010 Practically Edible. All rights reserved and enforced.) Read more of this snippet here : http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/guinness#ixzz15VyUh4j4

[prof_stack]

Miltons sterile solution for cleaning baby teets --Geeezuz bleach??   what for whiter teeth?   Then it will taste like Buttwiper.
  Tap water has flouride in it so your beer will taste like toothpaste.

    If you making a dark beer  just back up a tank to the sewage plant,--Im sure thats what Guiness does.  

    Stir up all the shit and piss and you will get a very favourable Guiness taste

Clamp, you gotta quick drinking so much before posting!   

And possibly accept ideas that you don't understand.  Or is that asking too much from an ex-pat Brit?

Guinness uses a lactic acid in their stout to give it the unique flavor it is known for.  I prefer Beamish stout, smoother and more drinkable, imho.

[Ice]

What are you boys drink'in? When not on the Bike of  course.

 Not much of a drinker really but when I do indulge, it depends on what my taste buds fancy at the time with a good meal so in no particular order,,,,,,,,
Guinness, Labbats, Bass, Molsons, O.V. Harps, Sam Adams,Henry Weinhards,Stella and Cristal .

Knappogue, Bushmills,Jamesons on occasion  

modified to add "no" before" particular"

[2bikebill]

Different time zones mean I get up in the morning and find the USA has been busliy writing posts - and drinking in this case, or preparing to it seems......

They do say the Guiness tastes different in Ireland - I guess its the water.
"Imported" beers & lagers now need to have their labels inspected for the words "brewed under license in UK". There are exceptions - Becks for instance still comes from Germany, and the seriously good stuff - Duvel, Leff, Chimay, Bock etc only come from source (Belgium in these cases). I bought a bottle of Duvel last night because of this thread......  mmmmm  

I wouldn't dream of carbonating home brewed beer. What's known as Real Ale isn't carbonated - if you're being sold beer as English cask Ale/Bitter and it's carbonated - you're being had -  although there are also plenty of decent brown beers now available in bottles. Nothing wrong with em, but different thing.
Boddingtons seems to be the one that's travelling most, I haven't had one for years, don't tell me they're putting gas in it...? It must be made under license - I doubt it would actually travel and survive. They used to serve it here through a gizmo which put a foamy head on it. Presumably to offset bar mangagers who didn't have a clue. They ran a big TV advertising campaign and were obviously going for the global market. Not sure how close it is to the original ..

These days, sad but true, I wont order a cask beer in a pub until I've seen someone else's on the bar. If I see a pint of crystal clear nectar in a drinker's hand I ask him what it is and order the same. The popularity of carbonated keg beers & lagers means that the cask beers can sit in the cellar for weeks on end, spoiling. You get a pint of dead beer, and this is the reason English beer is so often derided around the world of cold piss drinkers as sour brown sludge.

A barrel of beer needs to condition in the cask. Once its been tapped, it needs to be consumed. If you find a busy good ale pub frequented by drinkers who know their beer, you've found treasure. Buy a house nearby and be good to the landlord. Traditional pub culture here is a shadow of its former self.  
I don't even go to my local any more - and I was the barman there for four happy years of free beer.  Yes it was an official perk of the job.

No fluoride in my water Clamp - it comes out of the ground pure and bright.

[2bikebill]

that's a mighty long list for not much of a drinker, Ice....... nudge, wink.... 

[GreenMachine]

I love Beamish too...Of all the stouts I prefer that one over the others...Local haunt was the "Blackbird" where we use to walk to on occassion..Never did develop a taste for the cider but they always had a good selection of that too...I can't believe the price for a pint now...Did someone say 3/4 pounds for a pint at the local pub...I bet alot of people have stop going out for a bit of ale....Someone mention that alot of the houses have closed up and I remember thats all you would see in every town and village....Never did get the taste for old speckled hen...

[boggy]

Never did get the taste for old speckled hen...

Well, you need to really clean the bird first before you... oh, never mind 

A "good" price around here for a pint in a pub is 5 George Washingtons.  If you are out somewhere a little more fancy, you could pay upwards of 7 or even 8. 

A 4 pack of Old Speckled runs me almost 10 bucks at a packie (a liquor store in Massachusetts, nothing to do with the fine folks of Pakistan).  Maybe $8 or $9 for a 4 of the dark stuff or a sixer of Sam Adams.  A six pack of Sam Adams for almost 10 bucks, and I can see the brewery from my house (not really).

I know that less than a couple bucks each for a beer is better than going out to drink, but jeez.  An expensive habit with two drinkers under one roof.

[clamp]

  Let me think now 1-2-3-4-5-6-10-20-    about 30 steps from my house is a beer whole sales shop --whiskey, rum, soap , sardines, toothpaste and tampons etc etc .  I buy a box of 12 pint bottles of Archa Thai beer,--11 dollars and I get about 50 cents back on the box of empty bottles.

     When I get about 20 boxes piled up in the yard I call the beer box man, sell them and go buy another box,--good eh?

  Next to that shop is a Pharmacist and next to that is a shop that sells everything for 75cents, coat hangers N pegs N stuff.

    After that is --oh never mind,--its another pharmacist actually.

    Whats after that?    -- na im not telling yer.

[gashousegorilla]

 I'll tell ya, most of the guys may disagree, but I will always request what ever beer I'm looking for, to be in a bottle.And if they don't have it in a bottle, I'll ask for something that is. I'm not crazy about beer on tap. Maybe too many bad experiences? It never tastes right to me. It's either flat or bitter or just not right? It's always a different beer or inconsistent as compared to the bottle, Ya Know?
 Maybe it's the Co2? Maybe it's just flat? Maybe there lines from the basement are dirty? I don't know? I think all the kegged bear here is pressurized? Like Will says, maybe it has an effect?

[2bikebill]

I know what you're saying GHG, and sticking to bottled beer is the way to avoid it. There's many ways to spoil the beer, and too few bar workers who give much of a shite about any part of it other than turning the tap and getting the wages. Why should they I suppose. C'est La Vie.

[PhilJ]

I have a few good reasons for drinking beir
And one has just entered my head
If a man can't drink it when he's living
How the hell can he drink it when he's dead?

Pilsner Urquel - Remy Martin VSOP - Pinch scotch - Beefeaters w/splash of tonic

[GreenForce82]

Anybody ever get to Baumgartners in Monroe WI?

They have Two of my favorite Beers on tap... Spotted Cow, A local brew from New Glarus and Franziskaner, a Delicious Bavarian Beer.

http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/beers.cfm?BeerID=7

http://www.franziskaner.com/

[Ice]

that's a mighty long list for not much of a drinker, Ice....... nudge, wink.... 

 
 It was far more extensive list in my youth 

Mom always said "all things in moderation"
Dad said "variety is the spice of life"

But FWIW, it was great uncle Pete that said,
 "life is to short to drink cheap wine and dance with ugly women"

[clamp]

Beer helps ugly people have sex.

     Works for me!!

     hey  without a beer I cant even talk to a girl --I go all goo goo.

     It makes the bike go faster too, and makes me giggle a lot.

  (Memoirs of when I was 18 years old.)

[baird4444]

one of my old favorites...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i5k4I1AOEI

[gashousegorilla]

Clamp, you mean something like this ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AQPlebpki4&feature=related
                                         
                                               or this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S2VUCdbhg0&feature=related

[Matthew Harris]

Boulevard in Kansas City makes some good ales.  There are so many good micro- and regional brews now that it seems like too much work to try making my own.   But probably drink more cider than beer, Woodchuck's Dark and Dry, or Magners or Strongbow, or.... well, there is a lot of variety out there.  Fun to try new stuff, always have the old standbys ready.  Ages ago drank Miller High Life and thought it didn't get any better than that. Live and learn.  Of course, the BEST stuff has names like Tyrconnel or Balvenie or Ardbeg or... oops, glass is empty, gotta go...

[clamp]

   Whoooaa thats a helluva saying --Thats gonna change my life is that, ille tell ya.

    Cheers to uncle Pete who obviously knew a thing or two.

[r80rt]

My Grand dad had two sayings about drinking.
"Buy your whiskey first" and "Get it in ya, get it workin"