Beer Thoughts

[Stone]

I went to a beer store in Ardsley, NY yesterday and found a surprising amount of beer sitting in the window exposed to direct sulight. My understanding has always been that, brown bottle notwithstanding, sunlight kills beers deader than it does vampires. Am I wrong? If I'm not, should I have said anything?

Green bottles. Is there a good beer that comes in a green bottle? Then why are they so popular?

Crimped Caps v. Twist-off. Is there a substantive difference? If not, why crimped caps? I think crimped bottles are stronger.

Is Corsendonk Brown the best beer in the world?

Is Bud the best beer brewed in America?

[Shiva]

Sunlight will skunk some beers (green or clear bottles) in minutes. Flourescent lights are almost as bad.

Green bottles stink at blocking UV. See above.

Crimped Vs. Twist? Flip a coin. Twist offs are more convenient I guess.

No.

No.

[Stone]

Sam Smiths is amazing beer. I grant you that. The Nut Brown especially.

[oraklet]

i may be in for some spanking, but: i have always believed that any kind of glass would block uv.

[Shiva]

Notes on glass color and skunking

[Stone]

i may be in for some spanking, but: i have always believed that any kind of glass would block uv.

A spanking! A spanking!

[stellabella]

i have not yet had the pleasure of drinking the best beer in the world, though have tried many contenders.

what could be better than a fresh pint of harvey's sussex?

a fresh pint of thwaite's mild?

Big Man, are you joking about the Bud? Just tell me before I start spanking YOU.

[Deacon]

Is there a good beer that comes in a green bottle?

Yes, Heineken. Stop laughing. Have you actually HAD one? Lately?

Is Corsendork Brown the best beer in the world?

No, everything by Samuel Smith's is. Now if we could only get them to put the stuff in brown bottles instead of clear ones.

Is Bud the best beer brewed in America?

*cough*choke* [heavysarcasm] No, Schaefer is. [/heavysarcasm] Seriously, I wouldn't wash my feet in Schaefer. But I think the president of the company does, just before it's put in the can. The best beer brewed in America is my beloved Anchor Steam.

[Stone]

I'd give Sam Smith's a hearty second. Actually, most times in life I'd prefer a Sam Smith's Nut Brown or Taddy Porter to Corsendonk. But the flavors in Corsendonk, I think, are superior. I'd start talking about complex aromes, mouthfeel, boquet. But . . .

I'm serious about Bud. And then the oral sex?

I love Anchor Steam also -- I'd put it third behind Bud and Sierra Nevada. There's just something about a cold Bud that can't be put into words. (Someone's got to take a swing at that meatball.)

[Deacon]

I'm serious about Bud.  And then the oral sex?

Hey buddy, this is the food forum, not the sex forum. We is all highly ed-u-cated round here. We don't want nunna that "sex talk." Haul that kinda talk over to the "seven barely legal virgins and a mule" type of site.

OTOH, it was probably the "eGullet" title that got you thinking of oral sex. My mistake. Carry on.

[malarkey]

Is Bud the best beer brewed in America?

The best beer brewed in America is Diamond Knot IPA brewed in Mukilteo, Washington. And you can't get it where you live.

[Johnathon]

Must agree with the Diamond Knot IPA, damn fine beer. As far as commercially available American brews are concerned... Sam Adams would be a good choice. Budweiser on the other hand... I have no idea why it has not been classified as a chemical weapon towards a global assault of ignorance in beer making. You really can't trust anything coming out of the Millenium Death Star of breweries!

Green bottle beers? Grolsch and Pilsner Urquell. Both excellent.

[Johnathon]

Must agree with the Diamond Knot IPA, damn fine beer. As far as commercially available American brews are concerned... Sam Adams would be a good choice. Budweiser on the other hand... I have no idea why it has not been classified as a chemical weapon towards a global assault of ignorance in beer making. You really can't trust anything coming out of the Millenium Death Star of breweries!

Green bottle beers? Grolsch and Pilsner Urquell. Both excellent.

[rstarobi]

Haven't tried the Diamond Knot (probably can't get it out here), but the most amazing beer I've had from the US was definitely Anchor Old Foghorn Barleywine.

[mynamejoe]

Budweiser may be the best beer found in trailer parks in the U.S., but that's all the leeway I'm willing to give on that point. Big Man, you have become smaller in my eyes.

[Hopleaf]

Budweiser on the other hand... I have no idea why it has not been classified as a chemical weapon towards a global assault of ignorance in beer making. You really can't trust anything coming out of the Millenium Death Star of breweries!

he, he, he. LOL. THat's very good Johnathon. What I really get a kick out of is the stupid commercials for Bud. You know the ones with August Budweiser talking about the tradition, the freshness (freshness dating is the biggest falacy in beer advertising, btw).

We have a pretty decent beer here in Chicago that some of you might have tried, Honker's Ale by Goose Island Brewery. Very flavorful, a little hoppy, crisp ale. If I wasn't at work right now I'd be having one.

Also, New Glarus Brewery in Central Wisconsin has several good beers, including a Barleywine.

Has anyone tried the new Guinness in a bottle? Supposed to be very good, but still nothing like the Guinness in Ireland...why is that? the water perhaps?

[rstarobi]

Re: Guinness

I think that the difference between domestic and imported Guinness has to do with the way alcohol is taxed in Ireland (I got this from one or another of Michael Jackson's books). Since Irish booze is taxed by the amount of alcohol that actually goes into the drink if it's served domestically, domestic Guinness has a much lower alcohol content than export Guinness.

[Hopleaf]

Re: Guinness

I think that the difference between domestic and imported Guinness has to do with the way alcohol is taxed in Ireland (I got this from one or another of Michael Jackson's books).  Since Irish booze is taxed by the amount of alcohol that actually goes into the drink if it's served domestically, domestic Guinness has a much lower alcohol content than export Guinness.

Cool. Any idea on the reason for such a tax? To curb alcoholism, perhaps?

[rstarobi]

No clue, but I think I can peg the book as being either Michael Jackson's Beer Encyclopedia or his 500 Great Beers. I'll take a closer look later tonight.

[Nick]

Oatmeal Stout (Sam Smith)

Old Pounder (now being made in the US by Shipyard in Maine)

Harpoon Pale Ale (Vermont)

[Stone]

I thought Harpoon was brewed in DC (or thereabouts)? They have a great Winter Ale. It's made with pumpkin and a little clove/ginger/cinnamon. It's like drinking a piece of pumpkin pie. It has a great mouthfeel.

Last night at dinner my friend asked for an ice cold Chimay. I almost plotzed. Being the snob that I am, I told him that he could not drink a Belgian ice cold -- he might as well eat his tuna well done. I tried to grab the bottle so I could craddle it lovingly under my armpit and raise the temperature a bit, but no go.

[hollywood]

Is Bud the best beer brewed in America?

Isn't there something about brewing the original Czech Bud again? Wonder how it compares?

[Stone]

If I recall correctly, someone started importing a beer from the Czech Republic called "Budweis", claiming, I think, to be the original. After a trademark battle with AB, I think AB purchased the brewery.

[Shiva]

The REAL Budweiser