43 replies to this topic

[3rd party JKor]

I think Killians is nasty. It's pretty much just BMC macroswill with a dash of specialty grains thrown in.

[Stout_fan]

Most people don't know crap about beer, nor do they care. It's pretty obvious when you meet one of them. I don't bother correcting them. It wouldn't make a difference.

See "Teaching a pig to dance"

[davelew]

When folks ask for "dark" beer I have learned to ask "how dark". Often it's Newcastle Brown.

Yeah, when my uncle asked for a dark beer I made the mistake of giving him a Russian Imperial Stout once. Now I know better.

[3rd party JKor]

DBS, you'll probably be able to write a book of 'common man beer knowledge' pretty soon. We should pin this thread and let you add stories as you come across them. It should be good for a laugh.

[VolFan]

when it came on the market it was a small step in the right direction, but it's long since past any worthwhile accolades

Although I don't drink it now, it was my gateway beer into craft brews. I think it's a good stepping stone for people used to the CAP's.

[davelew]

Although I don't drink it now, it was my gateway beer into craft brews. I think it's a good stepping stone for people used to the CAP's.

Sorry, but this is a pet peeve of mine. I don't think Bud, Miller, Coors, PBR, or the like are Classic American Pilsners. The classic style has a lot more hops, and a lot less rice than the modern versions. The modern versions are mostly American Lagers or American Light Lagers, not CAPs.

[MyaCullen]

Sorry, but this is a pet peeve of mine. I don't think Bud, Miller, Coors, PBR, or the like are Classic American Pilsners. The classic style has a lot more hops, and a lot less rice than the modern versions. The modern versions are mostly American Lagers or American Light Lagers, not CAPs.

have to agreeat one point in time, pre WW2 yeah but not in our lifetimes

[VolFan]

Sorry, but this is a pet peeve of mine. I don't think Bud, Miller, Coors, PBR, or the like are Classic American Pilsners. The classic style has a lot more hops, and a lot less rice than the modern versions. The modern versions are mostly American Lagers or American Light Lagers, not CAPs.

Yeah I'll give you that.

[CaptRon]

Yeah, when my uncle asked for a dark beer I made the mistake of giving him a Russian Imperial Stout once. Now I know better.

I love doing that. Someone comes over, says they like stouts. I say "Cool! I'll be right back" Give them a RIS I've made and watch the look on their face. Turns out they only like Guinness which IMO is just an "OK" Irish Dry Stout, nothing too special. By the end of the bomber they are liking it a lot more usually. :PToo bad I don't have any more RIS any more. I need to make some.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I love doing that. Someone comes over, says they like stouts. I say "Cool! I'll be right back" Give them a RIS I've made and watch the look on their face. Turns out they only like Guinness which IMO is just an "OK" Irish Dry Stout, nothing too special. By the end of the bomber they are liking it a lot more usually. :PToo bad I don't have any more RIS any more. I need to make some.

Under the right conditions guinness is delicious. Under the wrong ones it is pretty piss poor.

[Big Nake]

Under the right conditions guinness is delicious. Under the wrong ones it is pretty piss poor.

Apparently there are something like 30 different recipes based on geography, climate, tastebuds and taxes. I once heard that Irish beer is taxed based on the ABV so the Guinness you get in Ireland is about 3%. Can anybody back that up? They apparently enjoy Guinness on a number of Caribbean Islands too, including Jamaica and Trinidad. I like the idea of it being such a popular product that it's known worldwide, etc., but the idea that it's not the same depending on where you are... that's a little weird to me.

[MyaCullen]

Apparently there are something like 30 different recipes based on geography, climate, tastebuds and taxes. I once heard that Irish beer is taxed based on the ABV so the Guinness you get in Ireland is about 3%. Can anybody back that up? They apparently enjoy Guinness on a number of Caribbean Islands too, including Jamaica and Trinidad. I like the idea of it being such a popular product that it's known worldwide, etc., but the idea that it's not the same depending on where you are... that's a little weird to me.

I can attest to both Heineken and Guinness being brewed in Trinidad, my favprite Trinidad beer was Bull Stout a bigger heavier maltier beer than Guinness, but the beer I drank the most was the local Carib Lager, that stuff was cheap! my 20th birthday was spent there and at best guess I out away a case and a half of tose little bugger 10 oz @ 9% abv + Shore Patrol + a 3 day hangover

[tag]

So I was facing our beer coolers and I won't go into the whole thing but will give you the hilarious bits...this guy was talking to his buddy. He said "You know why there are all these hoppy beers now? Because they are made by bad brewers that have to cover up their mistakes by masking them with a bunch of hops. Ales are just a way for bad brewers to produce something that people will buy....the real beer drinkers know that all ales are mistakes. I can't stand ales, all they taste like is hops and garbage. There are no real craft ales... The only real beer is lager, because the brewers actually take the time to produce a quality product. It can stay in there aging for like 3-4 weeks!!! _______________________So i almost started cracking up while facing, I thought about going over there and giving him a little real knowledge like....actually small craft breweries produce more ales because it is economically unfeasible to have their tanks taken up with lagering operations, etc etc etc.... This guy was pretty gung ho though and heard all this from his "brewer friend." No sense in angering a customer...oh and he then proceeded to grab a sam adams coastal wheat....epic

Sounds like you need to start a "beer class" for your customers.

[DaBearSox]

Sounds like you need to start a "beer class" for your customers.

Actually, every saturday we do tastings with history,knowledge, etc behind them....Myabe I should start a twitter account like the S@#$ my dad says guy....

[zymot]

At our pub last week, some couples came in — Japanese guys with their Chinese girlfriends. They saw our bartender Chris and assumed he didn’t speak Japanese well, so the girls came up and ordered in rudimentary English. When Chris asked what kind of beer they wanted and started explaining our nine regulars and three or four seasonals, they kept insisting they wanted beer, not regulars or seasonals. He just randomly poured them some beers and they were happier than shit. Every time they came up, he gave them different beers, and at the end of the evening, they thanked him saying that our beer was delicious and next time they’d try some of the regulars and seasonals.

I assume you are talking of the Numazu tap room. I have been to this pub. The selection runs the full breadth and width of quality beer. Traditional styles were spot on to style. The seasonal were also exceptional. Example: I got to it late in the evening's sampling, but I remember a beer that contained green tea. Outstanding, that is what craft beer is all about. Tradition and breaking new ground.If these guys did not take full advantage of the many wonderful beers available, it was indeed an opportunity lost.

[brewguy]

Although I don't drink it now, it was my gateway beer into craft brews. I think it's a good stepping stone for people used to the CAP's.

I hate to admit it, but my gateway drug was Pyramid's Apricot Ale. From there I moved on to the harder stuff, black and tans, then to straight Guinness.

[tag]

Actually, every saturday we do tastings with history,knowledge, etc behind them....Myabe I should start a twitter account like the S@#$ my dad says guy....

Sweet! When and where?

[harryfrog]

I was in Arizona last week and the shuttle driver told me a story that some heart surgeons had told him 50 years ago. Apparently, their key to long life was to limit your salt intake in your diet. According to them, all beer has salt in it, except for Miller Lite. The reason they are the only ones to spell their light beer "LITE" is because it doesn't have salt in it - unlike bud-light and coors-light. So he's been drinking 8-10 miller lites a day for 50something years because they have no salt added.I just listened to the story, smiled, and hoped that he didn't start drinking his 8-10 beers daily before his shift...I tipped him 5 bucks and told him it was beer money.

[DaBearSox]

Sweet! When and where?

5060 S. Syracuse DenverSaturday's 3-7pmThis weekend was supposed to be Trappist but the GM let the license renewal slip his mind so we cannot serve this weekend. So next weekend it will be Trappist...I did the write up this week so I will probably be behind the bar...although they haven't gotten me my SIPS (or whatever) license yet so I can't pour...damn liquor laws...I think we have one from Achel, Chimay (obviously), and La Trappe going...."USUALLY" on Friday we'll have a brewery come in and do a tasting (3-7pm) where they'll give you an extra beer for a 6 pack or 2 extra for buying a 12er. I think Wynkoop is up next for the day before the Trappist tasting.

[cj in j]

I assume you are talking of the Numazu tap room. I have been to this pub. The selection runs the full breadth and width of quality beer. Traditional styles were spot on to style. The seasonal were also exceptional. Example: I got to it late in the evening's sampling, but I remember a beer that contained green tea. Outstanding, that is what craft beer is all about. Tradition and breaking new ground.If these guys did not take full advantage of the many wonderful beers available, it was indeed an opportunity lost.

You were in Numazu and you didn’t call me? Thanks for the kind words — we do our best. The green tea beer is something that we’ve made a couple times now. The first was a kind of a golden ale that we “dry tea-ed” with local green tea, the second was a brown ale with tea added the same way. Subtle flavor from the tea makes it a wonderful beer to sip on — glad you liked it. It might become a regular seasonal beer — maybe every quarter we’ll make one, something like that. We have a HopBurst Golden Ale on now that’s mmmmm — a HopBurst Brown Porter will follow next month. It’s fun working in a brewery that allows brewers to experiment. Really “allows” is the wrong word, excourages and expects and embraces is more accurate.Anyone else coming to Japan? Get in touch and I’ll try to steer you toward good beer pubs/breweries, or if you make your way down to Shizuoka, I’ll show you around the brewery and have a pint or seven with you.