Do you remember beer's "dark days?"

So somebody should start a poll with the question being:

"Why do you drink alcohol"

A. For the taste
B. For the buzz
C. For the taste and the buzz.

You two would fall into the most likely small minority that choose A and the other 95-98% would choose the other two. I choose C by the way.

 

I drink alcohol for the buzz; I drink beer for the taste and the buzz. Although it's not very often that I drink a glass of pure alcohol.

 

Yes, I remember Andeker, the super premium that Pabst put out. As well as Erlanger from Schlitz and Herman Josephs from Coors.

The Andeker sign? I never saw one but here it is for old time sakes.

 

So we've reached agreement you were wrong:


"...nobody just drinks alcohol for the taste...."

"....no matter what anybody tells you about why they drink alcohol, there is the buzz wanting element that comes into play to a certain degree...."


and we're just discussing the relative sizes of the three groups? Then I agree you should feel free to start a poll to see how the results break out.

 

Thinking about this stupid debate, even when I stray beyond beer to wine or Irish whiskey, I'm still enjoying the flavor characters more than I'm looking for any buzz or trying to get hammered.

In fact, I'm pretty discouraged that Irish whiskey doesn't sit as well with me anymore and I can't enjoy it like I used to.

 

Yeah rough night. Was up til 3:00 watching TV. Got up at 8:30 and hung out a bit then went out for breakfast and to the grocery. Came back and logged into BA. Then went out and bought some clothes and went to Costco. Now back here on BA while waiting for the shade to cover part of the pool so I can go out there and swim around a bit and listen to the radio. Then it will be off to the bar for at least three pints tonight while watching the Ranger game. Maybe more if the right mix of people is there and fun is ensuing. Can't wait cause I haven't had any tasty alcoholic beverages for a few days and I know they have Devil Dancer.

 

Yes, per the letter of the law of the english language, my using the absolute "nobody" does in fact make me wrong sir. Your witness.

 

One of the reasons most of my professional travel outside the US involves going to the UK is that one can find very tasty Session beers (below 4%) and congenial places to drink them with friends is to avoid the effects of the buzz while still getting the flavors.

BTW, sorry to hear about the Irish Whisky situation. Have you encountered Knappough Castle Single Malt? Might give you some of the flavors, etc. without the disrupting effects...

http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/23/review-knappogue-castle-12-year-old/

 

We schlepped it to Milwaukee to get a keg of this for my buddies 18th birthday. We bought alot of beer there as underagers in Illinois. Good stuff that Andeker.

 

Couldn't agree more. And more good session beers are showing up in the U.S. too -- love it. Anchor's California Lager is 4.8 and real tasty.

I received a bottle in payment for freelance work, but I guess I didn't realize it was so light in alcohol. Just sort of sipped a glass now and again as I usually do when the mood strikes. I'll have to give it closer inspection.

 

Little Kings--loved them but OUCH

 

Oh year...saw those all over South Milwaukee/Cudahy back in the day...mid 70's

 

I remember a six pack of Mash 4077 beer in the cooler at the convienence store I worked at. I kept thinking I should buy this, it could be worth something. Same thing with Billy beer.

 

Actually some people do drink mainly for the taste, not to get drunk. Once in a while I'll drink for the buzz, but most nights I choose one or 2 beers I really just drink for the flavor. It may be a sour, or a Rochefort 10, whatever I feel like. My wife is doing a thorough cleaning of our spare bedrooms and she almost wishes I'd go back to drinking more, I have bottles stashed everywhere and at my current rate of consumption I may not have to buy beer again this year.

 

Dark days is an understatement. My friends and I thought Miller High Life was a premium beer. I used to drink Schmidt's (from Phila) and Matt's from Utica, NY. I would say the last 5 years therehas been an explosion of choices in my area of upstate NY.

 

you are standing on the shoulders of giants.

 

a fairytale, light penatrating green bottles can cause a beer to deteriorate faster. Heineken being one of the first green bottles on the market people assumed that is why the beer was skunky and the myth began. green bottles can only affect beer or wine that has been around for a long time. brewers would be foolish to spend hundreds of years brewing to bottle their product in something that would destroy their product. light penetrates the green easier than dark brown so most long term(laydown) beer and wines will be in dark glass. Only if high wattage lighting is in constant contact with the body of the bottle(which six pack holders obstruct) is the product subjected to damage. Ever drink German or California Riesling wines that were skunked? of course not the green bottle is used for generally ready to consume product and is PRETTIER than dark brown bottles. Beer pasteurized and shipped from cold regions into warmer climates, once refrig and the longer its been bottled will often gain a SKUNKED smell and funky off taste, especially a light lager thats taste is fairly delicate anyway.

 

Of course not, there are no hops in Riesling.

Here's your "fairytale:"

http://beeradvocate.com/articles/527

 

Waiting every fall for Lowenbrau octoberfest to arrive. At the time I thought it was the best beer in the world and because it was seasonal it made it that much more desirable.

 

have you ever opened a closed case of Heineken, Grolsch(pasteurized now), Augsburger.....which all used Spaltz hops to discover a terrible skunky aroma when opened? super ultraviolet light penetrating cardboard boxes? ever had say some Budweiser that got hot and re-refriged and tasted crappy? try letting it set for a couple of months(typical travel time for import beers to get to your store shelf) and cool it off and open that bad boy and notice the fragrances........