Recommendations for Tea/Fruity/Sweet beers? I mainly drink ciders and sometimes I find a beer that I can tolerate the taste, even if I don't enjoy it. Something like Yuengling or Stella (not the cider). Recently I tried Sea Dogs Tea Beer which hasn't hit the stores as far as I know. From what a bartender has told me, it is because it is very expensive to brew, so at the moment I'm drinking things like Blood Orange/Strawberry Mike Hards, Strawberry-Lime Rekorderlig, most Sour beers, and other ciders like Angry Orchard.

I'd like to find something new that fits my taste buds with a sweet or sour after taste that is light in color (like pale ales and such). I'm not a big alcohol buff like my boyfriend, but I learned this much just from going to tap houses and tasting rooms.

If you like sour beers and fruit flavors, try lambics.  I've known several people who "don't drink beer" who like this style.

A lambic is a Belgian style, light in color and usually in alcohol level, that is fermented with wild yeasts and (usually) combined with fruit.  It has a sour element to the taste, which is most notable with the non-fruit variety (gueuze).

Tame beers with low hops and malts would be a great transition, look for fruity beers low in IBU. I'd suggest something like a Raspberry Wheat, which will be light and refreshing, with a sweet berry finish.


Are we born to either like or hate beer? I know some people like beer so much while some other resist do drink, is it determined by DNA? Can the situation be changed?

Beer is a taste preference, and therefor the chances exist that you may "learn" to like beer.

As a child I tasted the pale mass-produced lager that my father drank and I did not like it. But children (usually) prefer sweet over bitter.

As we grow older, our taste change and we learn to enjoy a more varied amount of flavours, including bitterness, and we then start to enjoy beer more.

Another thing to take into consideration: There are MANY different types of beers! A person might love sour beers, but hate IPAs. Or prefer Bocks over fruit beers. It is a personal thing, but it means that, even though you do not like one style of beer, it does not mean that you will hate all beers!

As a brewer once said: "If you have have not found a beer you love, keep drinking more beer"

For reference:
Explosm.
http://explosm.net/comics/52

Beer contains alcohol. Beer is addictive because some people are indeed predisposed to be an alcoholic. Beer drinking is no different than any other method of consuming alcohol. Yes, alcoholism is in your DNA. That's why some people get carried away with the allure of Beer only to find out that they are now dependent on alcohol.

Easy Peasy. Answer is good Ya?


Why does Trento (Italy) have such a range of German beers? Trento in Italy has a lot of German influence and especially when it comes to food and beer. They even serve their versions of German Weizenbier. See Wikipedia and TripAdvisor.

Why is that so? Does anyone know whether there is a difference between Trento's German style beers and German German style beers?

To add to Leo's answer... Northern Italy is very much associated with Austro-Bavarian heritage. The province of South Tyrol is predominantly German speaking, and Trento is just south of that province. In addition, Weissbier is to Bavaria/Munich as Pretzels are to Philadelphia or Pizza is to New York.... Hmmm maybe that pretzels analogy was a bad idea  since they are a German thing. Oh well, I think you get the point. You've got German people in Northern Italy making German beer. I would trust any Hefeweizen from Trentino over Blue Moon, that's for sure. Cheers!

Is "because local people want to buy it" too glib? Where there's demand there is (or should be) supply. If the Italian versions of German style beers are anything like their British counterparts there will be a flavour difference (just as there is between the different beers that are produced within Germany) but the brewers will tend to (in their own unique fashion) try to be as true to the original style as possible. As this depends on the availability and quality of raw materials there will always be a difference, but that is true even within Germany.

In total:
1) because people like it.
2) not consistently but probably slightly more variation than in Germany.


Decreasing foam in over-carbonated beer I have some homebrew that is really over-carbonated (before i learned about priming sugar calculators). Consequently, i have to pour it into two pint glasses to contain all the foam, and wait 5-10 minutes for the foam to settle out enough to actually drink it. The bottles are well-chilled first.

Is there something i can do when pouring it to reduce the head? I know some amount of head is desirable, but this is over the top (literally).

[Edit] I get this much foam despite pouring very slowly and carefully down the side of the glass.

Soap is absolutely the worst thing you could do I guess :P.
Sometimes I notice that badly dried glasses (with soap rests) produce more foam...
In general, make sure your glass is spotlessly clean. You could then either leave it dry or make it a little wet, works sometimes...
Keep your glass diagonal to make sure the liquid touches the glass almost parallel to the glass' inner side.
Then when pouring, make sure you have a slow and fluent ray of beer that doesn't splash out of your bottle.

This isn't the "best" answer but a dab of soap (think back to grade school science) with help break up the bubbles and bring that head down real fast


Can modern distilling techniques produce quality Scotch in significantly less time? My brother-in-law is opening a distillery in Canada, which has got us discussing whisky on the regular. And by the sounds of it it looks like there are certain techniques that can be used these days that 'age' whiskies faster than has classically been done.

So what this has got me wondering is whether the 12 or 18 year old labels of some Scotches are more of a placebo, and a product of popular opinion on how Scotch should be distilled? In other words, the history of Scotch has created a situation where the consumer demands a specific age, when in reality it's not really necessary. And so Scottish distillers use this aging method more for image than necessity.

As alluded to by Eric Shain, this is more a matter of the mathematics of aging than anything about the distilling process.

The key trick going on here is that years of aging have been standardized with respect to interactions with the barrel they are aging in.  While time is certainly important when it comes to aging whiskey, much more important is contact with the barrel.  As shown here, conversions are done based on the internal surface area to volume ratio of the containers used to age the whiskey.  A greater surface-area-to-volume ratio means more rapid interaction between the whiskey and the barrel and therefore faster acquisition of the flavors desired from aging (though the different parameters will almost certainly yield at least subtly different results).

It is important to note, however, that this is a trade-off.  Yes, you can age whiskey faster using smaller/higher-ratio barrels but you'd need many more to make the same amount of whiskey.  So for a smaller producer who wants to match their demand as best they can, using small barrels can be a good way to sell longer aged whiskey more quickly and in more manageable quantities.  On the other hand, for a larger producer who expects to have a large demand down the road, full-size barrels are likely a better option.

So ultimately, this is more a matter of the fact that "years" of aging has an implicit "in standard size barrels" as a part of it, we just don't generally think of it that way.

Short answer no as Scotch only comes from Scotland. The ageing is a personal preference and does not garentee quality or taste. A whiskey MUST be aged for 3 years minimum and any barrel can be used (sherry, brandy, wine etc) and that will have an effect on the final taste but you can not 'speed up ' the ageing process.


What is the benefit of organic red wine? Red wine is a rich wellspring of a polyphenol called resveratrol, which goes about as a cancer prevention agent. It shields the cells of the body from harm and avoids perpetual infections. These cell reinforcements assume a noteworthy part in the anticipation of disease, including colorectal growth and lung malignancy.

Recent studies suggest that resveratrol found in red wine and red grapes may help in preventing age related memory loss.

As indicated by the discoveries of the diary Nature, wine restrains the union of endothelin-1, a supermolecule to blame of the operating of fats on the dividers of veins prompting to arterial sclerosis. Wine, in addition, has giant amounts of procyanidins, a category of phenols. that assume a section within the oxidization of cholesterol, decrease the danger of gas ailments.

What is the benefit of organic red wine over non-organic red wine?

Your question is a little vague. I'm assuming by the nature of your question, you mean the health benefits as opposed to the environmental benefits. Having been growing organic wine grapes for 18 years I think I can address both issues. I might have a more controversial view than most people, but in the end I don't think it makes a lot of difference to drink Organic wine vs. traditional farming from a health perspective.

Grapes are grown, generally, in a dry and hot climate. California, Australia, Spain, Italy. Because of this, there are usually less problems with rot and mildew on grape vines. The two biggest problems are powdery mildew and botrytis. There are some insect problems, but generally they are not a big deal. Compared to other crops like lettuce, strawberries, potatoes, the amount of fertilizer and spraying is minimal.

So, what I am trying to say is that amount of chemicals sprayed on grapevines is already at a low level compared to many other foods you might consume. Here is my controversial take on Organic vs. Traditional wine making. Growers will actually spray MORE chemicals on their grapes they are just "organic" just because the Organic chemicals are not as effective. That means more tractors, more people contributing to pollution in and around the vineyard.

On top of that, in the USA, "Organic Wine" is different than in Europe. In Europe, it means that grapes were grown organically. In the USA, it means that they were grown organically AND do not use sulfites. Which the Europeans have known to help preserve wine for thousands of years and are naturally occurring during the fermentation process. (BTW, sulfites are also a nasty chemical in large amounts). There are way more sulfites on your pre-packaged salad and raisins than there are in wine.

REMEMBER, you are consuming a beverage that contains about 14% of a known carcinogen, namely Ethanol. So expecting your drink to have these huge health benefits is kind of a false flag.

You have to ask yourself why there isn't a lot more Organic wine on the market? A fellow grower told me that it doesn't make economical sense. It costs way more money to grow them vs. traditional or just grow Organic grapes and not have to do all the record keeping, which takes a lot of time and money. High quality growers, for the most part are a thoughtful bunch and really don't want to spray non-organic chemicals and winemakers use non-organic chemicals in the winery.

So, here is my recommendation. I really don't think there is a huge environmental or health edge for Organic wine. High volume, low priced wines will generally have more chemicals in them. If you can find an Organic red wine that you like and you can afford, got for it. If you can spend a little more money, say $20 or more for a bottle of wine, those wines probably came from grapes that were babied way more than a box wine grapes and probably have less chemicals in them in general. In fact as you go up the price curve it's generally known they have less and less chemical inputs. So, the more you can spend, the less chemicals will probably be in your wine.

(And to blow your mind, many wines are not vegetarian! And you have no way to find out.)

Organic wine gives you no hangover! That much i can tell you from personal experience. I do live on an allover organic diet and love red wine, so naturally that is all i drink. I live in Europe and have visited quite a few organic wineries. The benefits become apparent when you talk to these people who tend to their vines personally day in and day out. The output of wine is not sure from year to year, since they can not rely on pesticides to guaranty output. The benefits are in the taste, environmental support, personal well being and knowledge that you drink something which was made with heart and soul.


What fruit spirit is in St. Germain? I love St. Germain, and it's become a staple at my house... but it is so damn expensive. I'd like to make a homemade version using elderflower cordial for a fraction of the price.

St. Germain lists their ingredients as: fruit Spirit, elderflower, sugar cane.
What type of fruit spirit is it? Pear / lychee?

All I've seen anywhere is that the base is eau-de-vie. Eau-de-vie means different things in different places but, in France (where St. Germain hails from) it basically means any distillate. I'd venture to say, since St. Germain refuses to specify, that it's actually a blend of unaged fruit brandys. If this is the case, it almost certainly includes pear (who's distillate is pretty popular in France).... and if you mix grapes and strawberries (both grown in France) you can come close to something approximating lychee (which I doubt they would ship in). The addition of the elderflower would push the grape/strawberry even closer in that lychee direction. This is all just speculation, a whimsy to kick around over a cocktail.

Realistically, I'd pick up a bottle of high quality syrup (Monin is popular), and use that to replace the liqueur. You want to use less in the cocktail as it's sweeter, but it'll bear the brunt of the work.  You can add a cheap neutral vodka (like Smirnoff) to thin it out if you like. Don't use water to cut it, it'll change the mouthfeel and water down your cocktail. For further experimentation you can use a combination of pear brandy or schnapps (really anything clear and pear flavored) and vodka, I'd start with two parts vodka to one part pear. You'll want to mix the two because otherwise the pear will likely be too strong. Consider garnishing with an orange or lemon twist to replace the citrus in the St Germain. I wouldn't worry too much about the lychee side of things, it seems any options would run pricey. Yeah, your mix will be lacking something but, no matter what you do it won't be quite be the real McCoy.... let us know how it turns out. Cheers.

St. Germain is made from liqueur flavored with Elderflower.

As soon as the flowers reach the collection station, they are immediately macerated using a “secret” family technique, which is said to give them the best flavor, while not being too bitter, too sweet or as inconsistent as other methods, such as freeze drying or pressing the flowers.

These are then infused into eau-de-vie (Unaged Brandy), although this part of the process is not well elucidated by the company. The spirit is then sweetened lightly, but is said to contain less sugar than a typical liqueur. The liqueur is then bottled.

Since st. germain is made without any preservatives, it is recommended that you use the bottle within 6 months of opening.


Are there any beer styles that are best enjoyed hot? I'm well aware that beer is commonly enjoyed warm in Europe. However, mulled beer aside, are there any beer styles that fare well when enjoyed hot?

First, to clear up the myth.   European beer is not served warm.  Some beers, such as real ale (or cask ale) are served at cellar temperature, which while certainly above the temperature of a beer fresh out a refrigerator, at 12-14 degrees celsius (53-57F) is still much colder than room temperature.

To answer your question:  Mulled beer is heated beer.  As with wine, mulled beer is usually warmed over a low stove or in a crockpot with spices, often including cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus zest, and a sweetener like brown sugar, but it doesn't need to include any additional ingredients, particularly if it already has strong spice or fruit characteristics.  So, any beer style that you heat is, in fact, mulled beer.

As to styles of beer that would be suitable for mulling, Belgian Strong Dark ales would be good candidates, as would nice fruity lambics.   Barleywine ales, milk stouts, chocolate stouts, and oatmeal stouts I would imagine might also be nice.  The characteristics I'd look for would be a heavy body, more malty than hoppy, a bit of sweetness, and if present, dark fruit (plumbs, figs, raisins) or berries.

Similar to the new question, 'what temperature should I serve my beer', which I've just commented on - serving warm beer is largely a myth! The continental Europeans think British beer is served 'luke-warm'. No. Cool, not ice-cold is the preference, at a cellar temp around 13C (room temp being 20-22C). Not sure where the OP is from, but they appear to believe that all Europeans drink warm to hot beer

I really thought the myth of warm or luke-warm beer had dissipated - obviously not.


Is there any benefit to mixing red and white wine togther? I'm no expert on Rose but it appears that it is not necessary either red or white wine.

My question is historically or even now is there any benefit / interesting flavor combinations that are made through mixing various ratios of various types of red and white together?

Your question seems to be based on a false assumption. Rose is not a "mix" of red and white wine.

Red wine is produced by (red) grapes which have their skins left on during fermentation, white wine is produced from pealed grapes (of any colour).

Rose is produced by extracting the skins (or red grapes) at some point in the fermentation process.

It's a common misconception!

Source: Napareserva

To answer the clarification in the comments:

Often wine is blended to bring in the best parts of different grapes:

  The goal in blending is to bring together wines that don’t stand alone to make a wine that is superior to its parts. There is a big difference between blending, which is meant to improve your wine, and mixing, which is intended to make something — like an off-flavor —go away. Source: WineMaker

Personally - being brought up to appreciate good wines - the idea of mixing red and white is blasphemy. They are just too different and therefore do not follow the "rules" laid out in the link above.

However, I did find evidence that it has been considered - I imagine you could end up with a wine very similar to a Rose if you got the balance right. I'm not sure I can really credit that with being a "source" though.

This answer has been asked elsewhere though and, although I don't often like to just copy and paste an answer from elsewhere but the last paragraph seemed exactly what you are looking for:

  Rosé is popular nowadays and some producers do mix red and white wine grapes in order to satisfy demand, it's all about business, after all, however, such wines tend to be made of not very high quality grapes because there is no point in mixing the grapes or wines of premium quality together since they will cancel out their flavours anyway. Sometimes, producers will add some extra sugar to the mix in order to balance out or mask the shortcomings of taste that appeared due to mixing the products that are not supposed to be mixed.

The post also goes into more detail about why they are generally too different.

One can make outstanding rosé by mixing red and white grapes, but that is not the same thing as mixing red and white wine.  Based on process, rosé is made (with an exception to be described below) just as a white wine:  fermenting only the juice of a grape, not the skins.  Fermentation in this instance is what happens when yeast consumes the sugars in the must (defined as the juice or juice/skins - possibly stems, too, whatever is being fermented)).   Red wines are made by fermenting juice and skin of grapes.  A wine's color primarily comes from the skins.  Most 'red' or 'black' grapes used for wine have dark skins, but clear flesh.  If you press them quickly and remove the skins, you'll have white juice (blanc de noirs, in French wine terms).  To make a rosé, vintners typically take red grapes, press them gently, and let the juice and skins macerate together for a short time in order for some of the pigments from skin tint the still unfermented juice.  When the winemaker decides there is enough color, he/she/they removes the skins and then ferments the now pink juice.  Just like white wines, there is no fermentation on the skins.  It should be added that many white wines are made with some amount of pre-fermentation skin contact, too, since the winemaker might want to extract some aromatic or structural elements from the skins. Since 'white' grapes don't have dark color, this extraction does not significantly change the color of the unfermented juice or must.  A winemaker might decided that the rosé might be improved by blending some unfermented juice from white grapes to the must, or, perhaps, blend the fermented pink juice (now wine), with other fermented white juice, again, wine.  Understand, the pink wine (rosé) is not red wine.  It is made just like white wine - especially those white wines made by some pre-fermentation skin contact as described above.    This blending is not at all a cheat. Some of the finest rosé wines are made that way, including the most expensive still rosé on the market, Gérard Bertrand's Clos du Temple, made from Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Viognier, the  latter being a white grape, retails for $190/bottle. A great number of far less expensive rosés are made similarly.

So, about the exception: sparkling rosé wine can be made by blending a little red wine into white. The reason for this might be chalked up to historical precedence as well problems getting red grapes properly ripe in the Champagne region of northern France, but also since most quality sparkling wine is made by a process of double fermentation.  That is, a base, still wine is made that is then put into bottles with a little yeast and a little sugar, then sealed by using a crown cap (a soda bottle cap). The yeast consumes the sugar, creating the by-products of alcohol (not much, since there isn't much sugar) and carbon dioxide, which creates the bubbles. A good deal of this base wine is in fact made from red grapes like Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, which are pressed quickly with skins immediately removed, often blended with Chardonnay, in order to make white sparkling wine. However, it is permissible to add a quantity of still red wine (made by fermenting on the skins) to the white base wine, before it goes into bottles for secondary fermentation. Since fermentation will, in fact, be achieved now, without skin contact, the resulting bubbly rosé passes muster. Truth be told, no one cares about the rationalization, they just do it that way.  The influence that the Champagne region has on the broader world of sparkling wines has meant that the practice of coloring the otherwise white base wine with red wine has spread to them, as well.

The prohibition against blending red and white wine for rosé, by the way, is pretty much a European thing.   You can do it in the US, but I don't know any quality producers who do so.   Surely, a lot of the cheap stuff is made that way, basically because the needs of production for huge volumes of wine that doesn't have to be all that good require flexibility.

By the way, it has become fashionable in the past decade or so (though the practice is thousands of years old), to ferment white grapes on their skins, too, essentially making a red wine from white grapes. Well, sort of.  What do you get when you mix red with yellow (which is the actual color of most ripe white wine grapes)? Orange.  Hence, what are

  One can make outstanding rosé by mixing red and white grapes, but that is not the same thing as mixing red and white wine.  Based on process, rosé is made (with an exception to be described below) just as a white wine:  fermenting only the juice of a grape, not the skins.  Fermentation in this instance is what happens when yeast consumes the sugars in the must (defined as the juice or juice/skins - possibly stems, too, whatever is being fermented)).   Red wines are made by fermenting juice and skin of grapes.  A wine's color primarily comes from the skins.  Most 'red' or 'black' grapes used for wine have dark skins, but clear flesh.  If you press them quickly and remove the skins, you'll have white juice (blanc de noirs, in French wine terms).  To make a rosé, vintners typically take red grapes, press them gently, and let the juice and skins macerate together for a short time in order for some of the pigments from skin tint the still unfermented juice.  When the winemaker decides there is enough color, he/she/they removes the skins and then ferments the now pink juice.  Just like white wines, there is no fermentation on the skins.  It should be added that many white wines are made with some amount of pre-fermentation skin contact, too, since the winemaker might want to extract some aromatic or structural elements from the skins. Since 'white' grapes don't have dark color, this extraction does not significantly change the color of the unfermented juice or must.  A winemaker might decided that the rosé might be improved by blending some unfermented juice from white grapes to the must, or, perhaps, blend the fermented pink juice (now wine), with other fermented white juice, again, wine.  Understand, the pink wine (rosé) is not red wine.  It is made just like white wine - especially those white wines made by some pre-fermentation skin contact as described above.    This blending is not at all a cheat. Some of the finest rosé wines are made that way, including the most expensive still rosé on the market, Gérard Bertrand's Clos du Temple, made from Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Viognier, the  latter being a white grape, retails for $190/bottle. A great number of far less expensive rosés are made similarly.

So, about the exception: sparkling rosé wine can be made by blending a little red wine into white. The reason for this might be chalked up to historical precedence as well problems getting red grapes properly ripe in the Champagne region of northern France, but also since most quality sparkling wine is made by a process of double fermentation.  That is, a base, still wine is made that is then put into bottles with a little yeast and a little sugar, then sealed by using a crown cap (a soda bottle cap). The yeast consumes the sugar, creating the by-products of alcohol (not much, since there isn't much sugar) and carbon dioxide, which creates the bubbles. A good deal of this base wine is in fact made from red grapes like Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, which are pressed quickly with skins immediately removed, often blended with Chardonnay, in order to make white sparkling wine. However, it is permissible to add a quantity of still red wine (made by fermenting on the skins) to the white base wine, before it goes into bottles for secondary fermentation. Since fermentation will, in fact, be achieved now, without skin contact, the resulting bubbly rosé passes muster. Truth be told, no one cares about the rationalization, they just do it that way.  The influence that the Champagne region has on the broader world of sparkling wines has meant that the practice of coloring the otherwise white base wine with red wine has spread to them, as well.

The prohibition against blending red and white wine for rosé, by the way, is pretty much a European thing.   You can do it in the US, but I don't know any quality producers who do so.   Surely, a lot of the cheap stuff is made that way, basically because the needs of production for huge volumes of wine that doesn't have to be all that good require flexibility.

By the way, it has become fashionable in the past decade or so (though the practice is thousands of years old), to ferment white grapes on their skins, too, essentially making a red wine from white grapes. Well, sort of.  What do you get when you mix red with yellow (which is the actual color of most ripe white wine grapes)? Orange.  Hence, what are called "orange" wines.


Sangria left out overnight I made some sangria for a party - Spanish red, brandy, triple sec, peach schnapps, orange slices, lemon slices, strawberries, pineapple, generic tropical juice - and have accidentally left it out on the table while I was busy out dancing while under its influence. I know that as a rule, sangria that isn't on the table with some ice in it should be kept refrigerated, so my question is whether the leftovers are drinkable having been out for around 24 hours?

Well, I had a sip of it out of curiosity, and it tasted great, so I finished off what was left. No ill health effects to report so it would appear it was fine! I will say that the fruit looked slightly worse for wear so I didn't eat any of it, but otherwise the drink was delicious.

Well I left mine out for 3 days with oranges, apples, peaches, lemons, pineapple along with Stella Rosa peach wine, triple sec, Cpt. Morgan rum, Jim beam vanilla, Malibu rum, crystal lite lemonade, and drank it without getting sick. Just didn’t eat the fruit as it looked very ripe!


Why shouldn't you mix baileys and cola? Some time ago I ordered a Becardi Cola, I however received a Baileys cola. The cola and Baileys seemed to have reacted, it turned into something spongy. How did this happen? What reaction took place?

Cream liqueurs curdle because of their high dairy content. Dairy products (such as milk or cream) curdle in the presence of an acidic liquid. Acids have a very low pH, which lowers the overall pH of the mixture. As the pH drops below 5.5, the casein proteins in the dairy ingredients begin to curdle. That’s what you called “spongelike texture”. To safeguard against this avoid mixing cream liqueurs with high-acid mixers such as citrus juices and soft drinks (most soft drinks do not taste sour, but they do contain high levels of citric and phosphoric acids and they have the same effect due to the pH levels).
If you enjoy a mixed drink with cream liqueurs try coffee, hot chocolate, other cream liqueurs, or milkshake-style cocktails (in which the dairy enhances the smooth mouthfeel of the ice cream). Cream liqueurs are also delicious served alone on the rocks.

The carbondioxide in the cola will react with the cream in the baileys, this results in the cream solidifying in your stomach which can suffocate you in high quantities. Tonic is even worse..


What style of lager is Corona? And what other beers are similar? Corona Extra is a Mexican beer that is very popular (in Australia anyway). Most people seem to like it for it's drinkability, and suitability for enjoyment in hot weather.

Is there a name for this style of lager? Eg; I don't think it's a pilsener or dark lager.

And what other beers are in the same style?

The BJCP classifies Corona Extra as a Premium American Lager, being, clear, yellow, not hoppy but with a little more body than a light.

Assuming 'dry' isn't some radically different beer, the category would probably still be correct. BJCP draft guidelines (not official) consider putting Asahi Super Dry and Corona Extra in  2A 'International Pale Lagers' which is 'Loosely derived from original Pilsner-type lagers....'

1MB PDF if you want to read the draft.

Corona is a very famous, international beer consisting of corn. It's made by a starchy product, and that's why we use to lemon wedges at the time of serving: in order to disguise the starchy taste.


Whats a good beer to have with steak and mashed potatoes? What type of beer goes well with hearty, 'British' style dinners?  What characteristics should I look for?

This of course is pretty subjective, but I will try to answer it anyway.

I would say that the choice of beer in this case should depend on one of this factors:

You want to accompany or match the taste of the steak and seasoning.
You want to have the beer as a regular drink nearby that does not disturb the taste of the
steak.

I will assume that you only use salt and pepper for seasoning.

Case 1:

For this, I would recommend a Dunkel (dark lager). From my experience, it compliments the taste of the steak and seasoning, without disturbing it.
The taste does not sit in your mouth too long, thus if you wait a moment (few seconds) between beer and the mashed potatoes, it should not cause any trouble with them, too.

Case 2:

If the beer is just meant as a drink nearby that should not disturb the taste of the meat, any lighter Pils (pale lager) should be fine.
It does not have a long lasting taste, goes well with mashed potato and does not clash with the steak.

Disclaimer:
I am from Germany, thus my choices might be a bit... regional. All of the above are just personal recommendations, based on my experience.

The hoppiest of IPAs... They're good at any (preferably every) meal.

Joking aside, I would personally choose something like a porter, though I have a fairly strong bias toward them. Something with a fuller taste seems appropriate though, since (in my opinion) is would work quite well with the potatoes.


Why is drinking beer after wine a bad idea? As the well known rhyme reminds us, drinking beer after wine is a bad idea. Having made the mistake during my student years more than once and regretting it, why is it that consuming these two beverages in the wrong order causes such effects?

Beer contains a lot of CO2, and CO2 causes the alcohol to 'hit to the head' much faster. This is why champagne has such exhilaration (Rausch) effect.

It's not a good idea to drink any high-CO2 drink after drinking wine or stronger alcohols, and even more discouraged is mixing carbonated water with vodka, for example. Many people have heavily regret such mixing.

As well, it is said you should never drink lighter alcohols after stronger. You can start with beer, than after an hour/2 drink some wine, rest and drink vodka. Never opposite. But the best is to keep one genre of alcohol on one evening. At least so are saying people in Poland.

The two don't mix. Beer is heavy, and wine is lighter in consistency, which would make it hard on your stomach, kidneys and liver to de-toxify.
Wine also contains sulfites, which by themselves can make you sick.


What styles of beer pair well with white fish? I eat fish often, and as a beer lover, would like to know how I can drink a beer that would best complement a fish such as tilapia or hake.

When it comes to wine, it's said that white pairs well with fish, and red with meat. Is there any similar rule with beer?

Take your cue from recipes for fish cooked in beer/ale.  "Ale" (not usually specified further) and "amber beer" (example) seem to be the most common, and I can say from personal experience that these work well both for poaching fish and drinking alongside baked, broiled, or grilled whitefish.1  Of course, how your fish is flavored may affect your beer choice, but that might be a question for Seasoned Advice.  If the dominant flavor isn't the fish but, say, curry or habenero, that's a different matter.

Anecdote: In the context of a renaissance-themed event I once cooked from a 15th-century recipe for whitefish poached in ale.  I consulted my local brewing experts and together we made the ale (recipe and documentation).  They told me that the key difference in that time period was that ale didn't use hops.  There were no leftovers.  Based on that experience, I usually reach for a low-hops medium-strength beer to go with whitefish.

1 I don't eat a lot of deep-fried fish so can't advise there, sorry.  @Hunse suggests in another answer a sturdier beer for deep-fried fish.

Lighter beers typically pair well with fish.  Darker beers are much better with steak then seafood.


Beer swapping online? I've tried hundreds of beers in recent years. But it starts to get expensive buying some beers less accessible online. Is there any site about swapping beers between people of different countries?

Check out BeerTrade.  It's not specifically limited to swapping between countries, but there is no reason you couldn't organize something there. There are about 10,000 people watching that subreddit currently.

In the US, it's completely illegal for regular people to ship alcohol through the US Post Office inside the US. You can if you are a certified wine/beer/spirits shipper through UPS or Fedex or get someone to do it for you. That just inside the country! I am a certified shipper for my (defunct) winery and I've tried shipping wine internationally several times and it was so expensive we all decided not to do it. You can do it under the table (illegally) but I'm not sure it's worth the effort.

Pretty sure it's much easier in the EU.


How was beer brewed before the discovery of Yeast? Yeast was identified as the cause of fermentation in the 1800s, but beer has been around since long before then.  How was fermentation started before the intentional introduction of yeast?  Was it all lambic-style ambient yeast, or what?

You don't need to know what something is to use it effectively.  Though yeast was only identified as a microorganism recently, it has been known as the cause of fermentation for many centuries.  It's easy to underestimate how sophisticated people throughout history were.

Before yeast was monocultured in labs it was actively cultured by brewers.  They would transfer the yeast cake from a batch that's finishing into a recently-brewed batch.  This cake contained a whole ecosystem of yeasts and bacterias, but a few strains were usually dominant.

By applying artificial selection brewers developed different strains of yeast in different areas.  The yeast culture was the make-or-break characteristic of a brewery, and defined the styles of beer that could be produced more than any other factor (other than water in Burton).

Evidence of this process comes from the history of lager: bottom-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) emerged in the fifteenth century as a direct result of the cold storage regime of northern brewers such as Carlsberg.

They may not have known it was a microorganism, but middle ages brewers most certainly knew that yeast was the cause of fermentation.  That's why they called it "Godisgood".

The Vikings used to brew beer (some of us still do!). They did this without the specific knowledge of yeast. Each family owned a stock of wood that belonged to the family brewery which was used to stir the wort prior to fermentation. This inoculated the wort and provided the yeast needed for fermentation.

Although they didn't know why it happened, they did know that unless they used the stirring stock, they wouldn't get beer.


What characteristics are used to distinguish styles of beer from each other? There are many styles of beer. It's straightforward to discuss the differences between two types of beer, but what are the characteristics used to distinguish between styles of beer?

For each general characteristic, what kinds of beer have each specific quality?  For example, if color is a general characteristic what styles of beer are light, medium, and dark?

The BJCP Style Guidelines specify a wide variety of variables.  These include:

Aroma (malt, hops, yeast, diacetyl, etc)
Appearance (color, clarity, head, etc)
Flavor (sweetness, bitterness, dryness, alcohol, carbonation acidity, diacetyl, fruitiness, etc)
Mouthfeel (body, carbonation, smoothness, astringency, etc.)
Ingredients (yeast, mash bill, hops, added ingredients, etc.)

These guidelines are from the Beer Judge Certification Program, so they are by necessity based on idealized judging, rather than the intent to taxonomize all of known beer.

The first four are subjective, coming from the standpoint of categorizing based on the drinking experience.  The last, Ingredients, is objective and is used for quite a bit of general categorization (ale vs lager yeasts, for example).

You could also argue that the source of many of the subjective factors is variation in the brewing process, such as fermentation temperature, addition or subtraction of various steps, etc.  However if you come at it from the angle of "how do I categorize an unknown beer?", then the first four subjective items are key.  Some of the question is whether you focus on what it is or on how it got that way.

One very important criterion that @phoebus briefly mentioned is brewing process. The first big distinction is ales versus lagers. Lagers are stored in cold rooms during the production process, and I find they're lighter on average than ales, certainly in terms of flavour, and often in terms of colour as well.

After that, there are lots of less-black-and-white brewing differences between styles of beer. For example, IPAs generally have a considerable amount of hops added, but that's not always true. Hefeweizen has considerable amounts of yeast left after brewing, giving it its cloudy appearance. The list goes on and on.

Personally, I think that the traditional names for beer styles (stout, lager, IPA, wheat beer, etc.) are based a lot on brewing process, and in the case of something like lager or wheat beer, the name clearly shows the brewing origin. However, more and more brewers are pushing the boundaries of these styles, so when it comes to things like appearance and flavour, which are ultimately the things that matter, two beers from different brewing styles can be quite similar, or two beers from the same brewing style can be quite different.


What's the definition of beer? What defines beer? Specifically, what's a definition of beer that allows this to be classed as one:

  Snake Venom is the world’s strongest beer as of 24 October 2013, coming in at 67.5%. It is dark amber in colour with no carbonation due to the high ABV. Unlike the previous Armageddon, the alcohol is not masked in Snake Venom. It is highly present yet it still tastes like a beer with a good degree of hop profile. Each batch is tested by the brewery before bottling and random batches are tested externally.

An alcohol content of 67.5% is not something I would associate with beer. So, why is this considered one and not a spirit?

Dictionary.com defines beer as

  an alcoholic beverage made by brewing and fermentation from cereals, usually malted barley, and flavored with hops and the like for a slightly bitter taste.

This is not a very restrictive definition and would seem to also apply to whisky if you add some hops to it. So, is there a better one?

Snake Venom is beer not a spirit because spirits are distilled. Beer is technically not distilled.

As the definition you cited says, beer is the product of fermenting sugar derived from cereal grain which is dissolved in water. So water + grain + yeast = beer. The grain has to undergo a saccharification process where the carbohydrate chains (starches) in the grain are transformed into sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose...) which is then converted into alcohol by yeast. Fermentable sugar is extracted from barley through malting and mashing. The yeast is generally added to the wort (unfermented sugary water) manually by the brewer or wild yeast can fall into the beer from the air.

Other processes may be involved with fermenting other grains. For example, in sake brewing, koji (a type of mold) is grown on rice (and soybeans) before fermentation in order to convert starches into fermentable sugars, as rice does not contain the enzymes needed to convert its starches into sugars (note: sake is generally not consider beer, but there are beers made with significant quantities of rice, up to 100% rice beer is possible).

Hops is not a necessary ingredient in beer, and beer was made for thousands of years before people started adding hops to it.

These strong beers like Snake Venom are generally brewed to this high ABV level through freeze "distillation." This isn't really distillation, because no heat is involved, so people still call them beers. But this is a concentration process similar to distillation. Alcohol has a lower freezing point than water, so when you freeze beer, you can remove the ice and you're left with a more concentrated beer. This is the process used in the German eisbock style. The brewers also start with a high ABV beer, using special ingredients (sugar sources other than malt, like table sugar) along with strains of yeast that can tolerate high levels of alcohol and still continue to live and ferment. This process can be somewhat difficult and expensive, so it gets attention. In my opinion it's a novelty, but I guess people like it, because they sell a lot of it.

For me the hardest definition seems to be between beer and wine. Both are a source of carbo plus yeast plus fermentation (and minus distillation).
In a general sense it would seem beer is from cereals and wine is from “other” and doesn’t require the addition of water. Then we have cider, which I’m guessing is defined by the substances used, ie apples and pears, and carbonation. But champagne (sparkling wine) is carbonated...
I think it comes down to language conventions.


How much of an impact does the water have on a beer? How much of an impact does the water (minerals/quality/distilled) have on a beer?

Most of beer is water, so it is vitally important.

Here in Atlanta, we have some of the better tap water compared to many cities, but Monday Night Brewing in particular takes all minerals and chemicals out of the water and adds back in the appropriate properties to match the style of beer that they are trying to brew.

They emulate the water from the origin of the beer style. Just consider that anything but the most pure form of water will impart some taste in your beer good or bad and is worth being aware of.

Water is the primary ingredient in beer.  In my opinion, the water quality is more important than anything else.  I believe in drinking beer for health, and as I don't drink dirty municipal water, why would I drink beer from it?

Just think about city water from a second.  Much of it comes from the same river that the sewage is dumped in.  Just because the stink has been taken out of it with carbon filters, does that make it tasty to you?

Also, I don't believe in drinking sodium fluoride.  No rat poison in my beer, thank you.  I don't care how many people say that it's in there for your smile.

When I buy commercial beer, my primary criteria is the water.  If it is fluoridated, no thanks.  If it is spring water, super thanks!  Spring water is natural and it has natural minerals built in.  Also, you will notice that the finest beers have spring water.  See BFM of Switzerland and Samuel Smith of England.


Dumping small amount of cigarette ashes into the beers By dumping a small amount of cigarette ash into a beer, I have heard people say it helps give the beer an extra "kick"...

Is there any truth to this? Or, is it just a myth?...

Adding any particulate to a beer will reduce the carbonation due to more nucleation sites and the flavor may change from the tobacco ash, but the only way to increase the alcohol content of a beer in your glass is to add alcohol.

As happy as the above comments may make you, ashes in your beer is not a big deal and frankly, I'm amazed at the question. I tried your experiment of adding cigarette ashes into my coffee.  I have to say I was disappointed.  Besides seeing the happiness on the faces around me, I can't say it made any difference in the taste.  Now beer on the other hand may have a more profound taste change due to the ashes.  It really depends on the kind of beer and the type of ashes.   However, I do believe that if you like beer you might not even notice the ashes.  For example, if I'm looking into a beer glass and something is floating inside, I would be surprised to even notice it.  From the point of view of the ashes.  I can only surmise that they would prefer to go into an ash tray.

Answer: no, there is no change in taste in small amounts of ashes.  The more ashes you add to the beer the more of a scratchy texture but no difference in taste.  If you fill the whole beer with ashes you might find it milk shake like but bitter.  If you ever try that I'd like to hear your experirences.


Is there any diet beer? I want to drink beer because I feel stress of my life. However, I don't want to gain weight because I have been overweighted. Is there any diet beer in US?

This is what would be referred to as the "Light Beer" category. For the most part, this is mass-produced beer, done by the big commercial breweries in the USA (I don't know much about beer production outside North America).

If you want some good light beers, I'd suggest taking a look at lists like BeerAdvocate's Best Light Lagers

if you use the Google translator - here's a description of one of these diets пивная диета


How common is Guinness with a Smithwicks head in Ireland? I was just in Ireland on holiday and obviously went to some pubs. Of course Guinness is everywhere there. While in Dublin, I got advice that a common drink was not only regular Guinness though, but 'Guinness with a Smithwicks head' and any barman would know it. So I tried it out, it was fine, nothing special.

Now I'm home and I Googled guinness with a smithwicks head and there are like no results. So my question is: Is this really a common Irish drink or is this just something they tell visitors so it's easier to spot the tourists?

As Anon mentions above, you're probably thinking of Smithwick's with a Guinness head, rather than the other way around — Guinness has a creamier head, which I think is the reason why people order it.

It is not, by any stretch a Black and Tan — and yes, the name would be seen as offensive by most in Ireland and I have never heard ordered by locals (this is a sure way to spot a tourist) — which, as far as I know, is normally made with a larger or pale ale (Smithwick's is a red ale), and whose ratio is more like 50:50. It would look something like this:

Smithwick's with a Guinness head is just that — the proportion of Guinness in the drink is just the head, i.e. maybe a inch on the top of the glass. The pint of Smithwick's is poured as normal, with a small amount of Guinness added at the very end, which sits on top of the pint giving it a head of stout. Adding too much Guinness at this stage will cause the beers to mix, and will ruin the pint.

Can't find a picture of it, but it will basically look like a pint of Smitwick's with a creamer (look and texture) head, and taste as such.

As a barman in a country pub for a couple of years during college, I had a couple of regulars who used to order it. It's not particularly common, but neither is it unusual — any barman should know what you want and be able to serve it.

It is quite common but is usually Known as Black and Tan.

So searching Guinness with a Smithwicks head wont get you a lot of results, but Black and Tan is a quite common drink

Although as far as I know, it originated in England - but was linked to Ireland with its ties to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, which was sent into Ireland in the early 1920s and nicknamed the Black and Tans.

  The Black and Tan almost certainly came from England, and the first
  written mention of the drink comes from the Oxford English Dictionary
  in 1889.

More information on Black and Tan

Extra information


What alcohol would go good with tea? I drink tea.  I had a thought about putting something into it.  What good alcohol can I think about putting into the tea?

Irish whiskey is one I like to do with tea. In fact I like to make an Irish coffee by substituting the coffee with a strong black tea.

Try it! I am rather fond of it.

I would avoid alcohol in tea, its so much better in coffee!

I put any bad whisky (grouse etc) in plain old instant coffee with a bit of caster sugar and thats nice.

If you want to be more adventurous then make a strong black coffee, preferably espresso and add a shot of Irish whisky, a shot of baileys (or equivalent) add one teaspoons of sugar and a little whipped cream to your taste. The result is well worth the effort! I dont personally drink caffeine so I do all this with decaf and its still amazing!


What's the difference between normal and Christmas beer? What's the difference between normal and Christmas beer? What makes them special?

A Christmas Ale seems to be another term for a "Winter Warmer" beer -- a dark, malty beer (raisins, dark fruit) meant to be enjoyed in colder months, with a warming effect, either from the actual alcohol, or spices it was brewed with (think nutmeg, clove, that sort of thing).  To my mind, its kindred to a barley wine, just spiced up.  This is not a warm summer day, sitting on the porch, type of beer, as you may have guessed.

So a Christmas Ale is a sub-classification of beers in general.

Christmas beer are seasonal beers brewed for consumption during Christmas period. These beers  often (but not always) contain more alcohol than the brewery's other types of beer and may also contain spicing. It is usually quite dark, but not as dark as a stout, with a big malt presence.


What is the technical term for the "vinegar/easter egg dye" smell in some wines? I frequently notice a very specific smell/taste in wine.  I find it rather unpleasant, so I presume it is a known commonly occurring wine defect (I notice it probably at least 30% of the time).  The trouble is, I don't know what it's called, so it's difficult to complain about it or send a bottle back because of it.  I know it sounds silly, but the taste I'm referring to reminds me exactly of easter egg dye, though it's not exactly a vinegar taste.  It often becomes more pronounced as the wine sits out in the glass.  I've tried reading up on common wine defects, but none seem to really match.  Does anyone have any idea what the taste is I'm referring to?

Probably what you are smelling is a combination of oxidized wine, ethyl acetate and acetic acid. Oxidized wine smells like sherry and the volatile acidity smells exactly like you described it. Vinegar. Ethyl Acetate smells like nail polish remover.

What happens when you leave wine out, the metabisulfites break down and can't prevent oxidation anymore and also will allow the acetobacter bacteria to do it's thing, which is to convert alcohol into vinegar.

What is the technical term for the “vinegar/easter egg dye” smell in some wines?

The technical term for smell is odour.

An odor (American English) or odour (British English; see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds that are generally found in low concentrations that humans and animals can perceive by their sense of smell. An odor is also called a "smell" or a "scent", which can refer to either a pleasant or an unpleasant odor.

  While "scent" can refer to pleasant and unpleasant odors, the terms "scent", "aroma", and "fragrance" are usually reserved for pleasant-smelling odors and are frequently used in the food and cosmetic industry to describe floral scents or to refer to perfumes.

  In the United Kingdom and other Commonweath, English-speaking nations, "odour" refers to scents in general – without positive or negative connotations; but in the United States, and for many non-native English speakers around the world, "odor" generally has a negative connotation as a synonym for "stink".1 An unpleasant odor can also be described as "reeking" or called a "malodor", "stench", "pong", or "stink".

Taste is simply the gustatory perception of flavours while eating or drinking foods.

  Taste, gustatory perception, or gustation is one of the five traditional senses which belongs to the gustatory system.

  Taste in the gustatory system allows humans to distinguish between safe and harmful food, and to gauge foods’ nutritional value. Digestive enzymes in saliva begin to dissolve food into base chemicals that are washed over the papillae and detected as tastes by the taste buds. The tongue is covered with thousands of small bumps called papillae, which are visible to the naked eye. Within each papilla are hundreds of taste buds.3 The exception to this are the filiform papillae that do not contain taste buds. There are between 2000 and 50004 taste buds that are located on the back and front of the tongue. Others are located on the roof, sides and back of the mouth, and in the throat. Each taste bud contains 50 to 100 taste receptor cells.

  Bitter foods are generally found unpleasant, while sour, salty, sweet, and umami tasting foods generally provide a pleasurable sensation. The five specific tastes received by taste receptors are saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and savoriness, often known by its Japanese term "umami" which translates to ‘deliciousness’. As of the early twentieth century, Western physiologists and psychologists believed there were four basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and bitterness. At that time, savoriness was not identified, but now a large number of authorities recognize it as the fifth taste.

To say that wine tastes or smell like vinegar or Easter Egg dye is a way of describing the odour or our gustatory perception of how bad wine smell or tastes.

  I've found cheap wines to have a higher likelihood of tasting like vinegar Easter egg dye. - Hacker News

Why this is to be occurring in a particular wine is due to various possible reasons. What gives wine a particular gives off a bad smell or has a particular bad taste may be caused as the examples below demonstrates:

Too much air contact to the wine: oxidation
Bacteria can turn your wine into an odd smelling juice at times.


How did South Australia come to have smaller measures of beer? The "Beer in Australia" article on Wikipedia, includes a table listing the names for various size glasses in the different states.  One peculiarity is that some South Australian glasses are one size down compared to the equivalents in other states.

For example, it lists their pint glass as three quarters of an imperial pint (which would be called a schooner in other states that use that size), and their schooner glass as half a pint (which would be called a middy in a number of other states).

So my question is how did this discrepancy occur?  The Wikipedia page includes a number of references that indicate that these names have been used in SA, but doesn't indicate why.

In short, it's because of taxation.

In the Commonwealth of Australia's Parliamentary Debates of 1904 (p.8534),  The Honourable Chris Watson (who went on to become the 3rd Prime Minister) made a statement about the brewers of Sydney strongly objecting to a proposal for an excise duty on beer. The sentiment amongst Sydney's brewers was that the additional cost would be difficult to pass on to the consumer, and in fact they had thus far failed to do so. In response The Honourable Alexander Poynton, said that the tax had successfully been passed from brewers to consumers in South Australia by making the glasses smaller.

For the record, The Honourable Chris Watson expressed sadness at the notion of smaller glasses.

While the names might differ, this is the key principle: there’s a
  name for a large (425ml) and small (285ml) size in every state. Most
  (but not all states) use schooner for the larger size, but the options
  for the smaller one vary considerably:

there is no reason that I can find to why they have different measures but i have found a really good source of information to help understand what size beer to order

here is the handy guide for buying your beer


Do kosher beers exist? Does anyone know if kosher beers exist? To be kosher, the beer would have to totally (100%) brewed by Jewish hands? Such wines do exist!

Indeed there are kosher beers

All unflavored beer with no additives are considered to be kosher, even without certification. Some of the most popular kosher beer companies include:

  Many breweries are coming out with specialty brews that have
  additives; don't assume that all varieties are acceptable - check the
  label.

Coors
Saranac all products
Pete's Brewing all products
Brooklyn Brewery all products

  These beers are generally available where ever beer is sold.

Read more: Kosher Beer (Orthodox Jews)

The following beers from Samuel Adams, The Boston Beer
Company, are Star-K kosher/pareve, even without the Star-K on
the label.

Black Lager
Boston Ale
Boston Lager
Brown Ale
Cherry Wheat
Cranberry Lambic
Cream Stout
Double Bock
Hefeweizen
Holiday Porter
Light October fest
Old Fezziwig
Pale Ale
Spring Ale
Summer Ale
White Ale
Winter Lage

Beer manufacturing and ingredients are free from 'trefa' suspect and do not require special examination. All beers are kosher.


How can a beer be flavored? I've heard of beers such as our local brand in the Philippines and this one, and though I haven't sampled them yet, I am quite curious: how do you add flavor to beer? I've drank a few style of beers but I haven't dealt with any "flavored". As I'm not familiar with the brewing process yet, I want to know how as I don't think it's as simple as adding a syrup on the beer after brewing.

Ok, so the basic brewing process is this (not homebrewing detail here, just a distant overview):

Heat your wort with water, steep, then add hops and boil, add more hops as you begin to cool, once cool enough add yeast, ferment, bottle.

Flavored beers can be made a bunch of different ways. You can add herbs, spices, or flavorings before or after the boil, for example.  Seeds and roots would usually be added before the boil; herbs would usually be added after.  I would probably add fruit after but this is something that folks could argue about forever.  If you buy something like smoke-flavored beer, chili flavored beer, etc. these are probably made this way.

There's a second type of flavored beer I have seen for sale in certain bars and restaurants in Asia though.  That's where you take a fairly light beer on tap and add it to a glass along with a shot of flavoring syrup (like lychee or peach).  These usually have sweeter flavor with clearer fruit flavors than the fermented fruit beers.  If the beer is pasteurized, the flavoring could be added before bottling and carbonation.  I think that is what you are seeing.

Just a fun fact: Some consider if you add something other than hops, malt, water and yeast to beer, it is no longer technically a beer according to German purity law. What you have is a malt beverage. (You can see this in the small print on malt beverages such as SweetWater Blue for example)

Sweet Water Brewing Company Label

Edit: (This is controversial and certainly not enforced)

There are tons of flavors you can impart based on the types of hops and malts you use and when you add them in the brewing process.

When boiling the wort, you can add hops to impart flavor midway through the process. If you add them at the beginning, you get bitterness primarily from the hops. If you add them at the end, you get primarily aroma from the hops.

It is common practice to add hops in all 3 stages for those reasons.

There's also a lot of flavor that you can add to the beer by aging it in barrels. It is common to use barrels from whiskey or bourbon for this purpose among craft brewers. This can add a huge punch of flavor in some beers. (This may be happening on in the Rogue beer you linked to)


Are Spittoons Used in Beer Tastings? When tasting wine, it is often suggested that tasters do not swallow the wine, but simply taste as necessary and then spit into a bucket/spittoon of some sort. This, of course, aids in the tasting of large amounts of wine without the effect of the alcohol (getting drunk).

In casual tastings among friends, part of the fun is obviously getting drunk. However, I've been wondering if judges at competitions or more formal tasting venues (possibly breweries themselves) use spittoons.

To put it in the form of a question: Are spittoons ever used for beer tasting?

To my knowledge, the answer is always no.

To fully experience the flavor of beer, one must swallow it. This is because, unlike the vast majority of wine, beer is carbonated (albeit to varying degrees). When you swallow beer, some of the carbonation escapes the liquid as gas, and actually rises up from your throat into your nose (or, at least, into your nasal passages), carrying with it some of the flavor molecules of the beer. Thus your sense of smell combines with your sense of taste to produce an overall sense of flavor in a manner that is different from what occurs when you drink (uncarbonated) wine.

If you spit out your beer, you're ruining the experience.

(This explanation is based on one that I heard years ago from a brewmaster at Anheuser-Busch. I can't remember his exact words, but you get the gist.)

On a side note, regarding the important relationship between taste and smell, I'm sure you will see tasters at both beer tastings and especially wine tastings swirl their drink a bit to smell it from the glass before tasting it. The difference is that carbonated beverages pack a smell double-whammy coming at you after you swallow.

As far as I've seen, no. The reason has nothing to do with alcohol content or getting drunk (some beers like Belgian tripels, imperial stouts, or barley wines can easily clock in at a higher ABV than wines). It's got more to do with the human tongue itself and how taste buds are organized on the tongue. Essentially, beer is a much more complex drink; beer tasters use all of their taste buds while wine drinkers may only use a select few. So when you drink beer, you're not going to be overwhelming any set of taste buds unevenly while you run that risk when drinking wine.  Generally when drinking wine, you're only using your sweet and sour sets of taste buds. For instance, I don't know about you, but I've never really had a bitter wine. I've had sweet or sour wines, but never bitter or salty wines. On the other hand, I've had all of that with beer.

If you look at the diagram of the tongue below, you'll notice that the bitter taste bud receptors are on the back of the tongue. In order to reach these receptors and taste the beer to its fullest, you must swallow the beer.

If you're curious, see page 3-4 of this article. It goes into much more detail:
http://www.gabc-boston.org/_Newsl/2012_11.pdf


Maturation process in casks I’m curious about the cleaning process of casks before a distillery transfers its whisky to mature/age. To use one of the popular names, just as an example, before Macallan transfers its whisky into a sherry [or bourbon or port or ale] cask, is the cask cleaned? If yes, by what method? Does it vary by distillery or country (à la, whiskey vs. whisky)? Is it all arbitrary or are there laws dictating cleaning process?

I’ve researched (online only) but wasn’t able to find any (sourced) information. Hoping there are experts here who can enlighten us.

Liquor casks are not cleaned between transfers, just emptied and stored until they need them again. The liquor that soaked into the wood makes sure nothing will grow in them.

Wine barrels on the other hand, need to be cleaned between transfers. Typically they are rinsed with hot water and then maybe steam. Left to drip dry for a day or two. Then sulfur dioxide is put into the barrel either through a gas or burning sulfur in the barrel. This sterilizes the barrel.

Many wine/sherry casks are reused as Whisky barrels. Minimal amount of cleaning is need before the strong alcohol is put in them (which sterilizes them).

This will vary greatly by product- bourbon for example requires “New “barrels other spirits might re use a sherry or wine barrel- scotch for example uses American whisky barrels. And so on. Typically barrels need to be either totally dry or totally full so cleaning will depend on if they are new or not. You can use steam to clean or rinse with water and so on. Chemicals or soap kind of things are rarely used as they can permeate and damage the wood.


What's the difference between normal beer and trappist? What's the difference between normal beer and trappist? Is there any difference in flavour or brewing style?

Trappist beers are all abbey beers, but not all abbey beers are trappist. It's a bit like champagne, it's a protected product name to designate a certain type of classical brewn beers.Trappist is the enumeration of beers brew within the walls of an abbey inhabitted by the Trappist monks of the Tre Fontane.

Currently (Okt. 2015) there are 11 recognized trappists, of which 10 are actively producing:

Six Belgian trappists:

Chimay
Orval
Westmalle
Westvleteren (St. Sixtus)
Achel (St.  Benedictus of the Achelse kluis)
Rochefort

Netherlands:

La Trappe (Brouwerij de Koningshoeven)
Zundert (Brouwerij Abdij Maria Toevlucht)

Austria:

Stift Engelszell

Italy:

Tre Fontane Abbey

United States of America:

Spencer

There's also one aspiring Trappist brewery in the US named St. Joseph’s Abbey.

There are some strict rules to obtain "Authentic Trappiste Product":

The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery,
either by the monks themselves or under their supervision.
The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and
it should witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way
of life
The brewery is not intended to be a profit-making venture.  The
income covers the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance
of the buildings and grounds.  Whatever remains is donated to
charity for social work and to help persons in need.

There are some standardized naming conventions, for instance the Double (orginally used by Westmalle) is a brown ale which has an alcohol level of around 7%.

The Tripple is another name first used by Westmalle, which are often blond and have an alcohol level of about 8% to 10%.

For future reference you can always visit the Trappiste website here.

The wort in a trappist beer contains several kinds of malt and 'candy' (sugar) to increase the alcohol content.


What is a good beer for starters, or people who don't typically enjoy the taste of beer? Asking as a beer lover, my roommate does not enjoy most beers, nor does my fiancé. I have nobody to share my enjoyment and taste testing with. What is a good beer that I can get them started out on to maybe get them to eventually appreciate the taste of beer?

They enjoy sweeter flavors, whereas I enjoy more bitter flavors.

My roommate recently started drinking Angry Orchards and will occasionally drink a Blue Moon Cinnamon Horchata Ale, so he is starting to appreciate the taste more, but my fiancé just has not found her favorite yet. She says that she didn't mind Dos Equis as much as others, but still didn't really like it.

Is there a beer that is good for starters that is not overwhelmingly "beery"?

I would recommend starting with a draft Hefeweizen or Belgian Wheat, or a fruit flavored mead such as a blackberry or passion-fruit mead.

I would also recommend pairing the beer with a good meal so the experience is not centered around the beer, the beer is instead an accent to the experience.

If you want a lite domestic beer that really is a very light beer flavor to start.  Coors Light.  Very weak beer flavor.


Why do most beers from ex-soviet countries have a honey note? Almost all beers, especially lager beers I've had in ex-soviet countries have a slight honey taste to them. I'm sure this is not intentional. It could be due to Pentanedione but why in this region?

Let me specify that I do not think that honey is used in the brewing process. I see the sickly sweet honey taste as an off-taste and I wonder how this could be explained in the case of a whole region having it.

It turns up in regular lager beers as well as darker things. It also turns up in former soviet EU countries that are not very russian and have their beer tradition rather from germany.

Examples:

Almost all Saku beers (Estonia)
Almost all A. Le Coq beers (Estonia)
Švyturys Ekstra (Lithuania)
Baltika (Russia)

And more...

First, let me state that I'm a 4th generation Italian American; I know nothing about Russian customs other than what I learned in a Russian history class (humanities requirement) a few semesters ago. With that said, I could probably shoot an email to the professor who I took the class with if you want more info, but I think my answer will suffice (but please let me know, he is a pretty cool guy).

Anyway, I would presume it has something to do with Russian culture and the importance of honey in that part of the world. I remember when I was a kid (like 2nd  grade I think), we read a collection of short, non-fiction stories of a Russian girl and her grandfather, who was a beekeeper. I cannot remember what the name of the book was nor the author nor whether or not the stories took before or during the Soviet era; but I do remember that honey played a really important role in most of the stories.

Of course there is other more concrete evidence other than my childhood reading material. For instance, just take a look at Russian cuisine. They have a mead-like beverage called Medovukha, which is made with honey and yeast. It's apparently a traditional drink at weddings over there. Also, you've got Russian honey cakes and other food based items. Finally, honey is also a good preservative as it's antibacterial, so it was often mixed in with jams back in the day to preserve them.

So I'd be surprised if many of the ex-soviet brewers didn't use honey as an additive to their beer. Especially if the beers you have in mind are bottle conditioned, they would need to add a sweetener of sorts for proper carbonation. I've used honey in two of my home brews and I like it.

Perhaps some substantiating points:

Baltika Medovoe Light seems to be a popular "first Russian beer" to try. It's a pale lager with natural honey added.
Indeed honey does seem to have played a central role in Russian culture.

  Like the Assumption, the three "Saviors" (Spas), August 1, 6, and 16, were associated with the fruits of the earth. The first was called the "Honey" (medovyi) or "Wet Savior" (mokryi Spas), signifying either the gathering of honey or the religious procession and blessing of the waters traditional for this day.

Ivanits, L. "Russian Folk Belief." [http://books.google.com].

  According to Russian historian Vasili Kliuchevskii (1841–1911), we must learn about the Russian forest, river and steppe in order to understand the Russian people. [...] "The forest provided the Russian with oak and pine to build his house, it warmed him with aspen and birch, it lit his hut with birchwood splinters, it shod him in birch bast sandals, it gave him plates and dishes, clothed him in hides and furs and fed him honey. The forest was the best shelter from his enemies."

Riordan, J. "Russian Fairy Tales and Their Collectors." [http://books.google.com]

It's notable how closely intertwined honey and their ideals of paradise were, as found by a search for the term "honey" in "The Paradise Myth in Eighteenth-century Russia: Utopian Patterns in Early Secular Russian Literature and Culture" (Baehr, S. L.).

So, though still conjecture, it may be so that Russian culture has had a higher demand for honey notes in their foods and beverages, naturally selecting those tastes.

Frankly, it may simply be the case that there's not an objective ("provable") answer to this question.

There was a national drink called "Medovukha" (Med - honey).

Nowadays it is very rare drink, meaning that few people consume it. The drink has almost same properties and is brewed just like beer. So, I suppose, this drink has influenced Russian tastes. And during soviet times Russia have shared this tastes around all Soviet block.
By the way, I'm sure not all beers have honey flavour, however almost every brewery makes as well honey flavoured beer.


Why do steins have lids? What's the point of the lid on the beer stein?

Today they're largely just traditional.  However, originally they helped:

To keep the beer cool by preventing airflow from above.
To keep insects and other contaminants out.
To prevent spillage while cheers-ing and generally carousing.

See the following article on Stein Lids for more detail.

I visited Bavaria last November and
noticed how comfortable the people
were outdoors. Maybe they used the lids
to keep the snow from watering down
their beer. I think it’s the best!


Flavour components in beer What are the most important chemicals for the flavour of beer, and what effect do they have? I mean chemicals as components in the beer not regarding if they are naturally or artificially added.

When yeast ferment the sugar into alcohol it produces a lot of different by-products that give beer most of it's flavour. The brewer can influence the by-products produces by controlling the temperature at which the fermentation takes place.

Hops also add a lot in particular aroma. Since so much of tasting depends on the nose aroma comes of as flavour too. By boiling hops most of the aroma disappears and your left with only bitterness. By boiling hops for a shorter time, or not at all you can add more aroma. Brewers often talks about bittering vs aroma hops. Hops bitterness and aroma contribution depends on the variety of hops used. Hops growers are constantly coming up with new types of hops.

Malt, grain having been processed, also add flavour. Though most malt come from the same type of grain, barley, it can be processed/malted in many different ways giving a different flavour. When mashing (getting the sugar out of the malt and into the liquid) you can adjust the flavour by temperature. At high temperature (68c) you get almost only unfermentable sugar, which will give you a sweet result, while mashing at 64 will give you fermentable sugar and therefore a dry product.

Water does not add so much to the flavour in it self as it helps other parts of the recipe add a certain flavour. PH and content of minerals have a huge impact on mashing and fermentation.

I don't want chemicals (as in not natural grown plants) in my beer.

The standard natural ingredients are:

water
yeast
hops
barley

To be a craft brewery in Texas you are limited to those ingredients
A good link

There are different types of hops and barley.  The type and amount affect the flavor. Naturally the brew process, water, and yeast also affect the flavor.

A hoppy beer will have more hops.  Link to hops.  An IPA is heavy on the hops.

Link to barley / malt

There are also wheat and rye beers but I don't know much about them.
Brewers may use corn syrup and number of other ingredients.

Low calorie beer will naturally not use as much high calorie ingredients.


Difference between Whiskey and Bourbon? I was wondering if anybody could give me the differences between a whiskey  and bourbon, as I was in a conversation the other day and we were talking about Jack Daniels.

It is a bourbon but a lot of people still call it a whiskey. We got into a lot of different discussions about it, such as where it's made (USA vs. UK) and what goes into it (different barley) but we couldn't all agree on one reason.

So can anybody tell me what the difference between these drinks is?

Bourbon is a type of whiskey, whereas not all whiskies are bourbons!

  Bourbon is a type of whiskey that gets its name from Bourbon County, Kentucky, where it originated. Bourbon tends to be amber-colored, and a little sweeter and heavier in texture than other whiskeys.

What make a bourbon a bourbon and not just an ordinary whiskey? The following is from Men's Journal: What, Exactly, Is the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey?

  The most popular form of American whiskey is bourbon, which has its own specific definition.

  "Bourbon needs to be produced in America and made from 51 percent corn, and whisky does not," says Maker's Mark Master Distiller Greg Davis. Bourbon also needs to be stored in new charred-oak barrels, whereas whiskey barrels do need to be oak but not new or charred. "Lastly, to be called bourbon, the liquid needs to be distilled to no more than 160 proof and entered into the barrel at 125." For other whiskies the liquid must be distilled to no more than 190 proof. David notes that this isn't just common practice — "it's actual bourbon law."

  What Makes a Bourbon: A Cheat Sheet

  •Must be made in the United States.

  •Must contain 51 percent corn.

  •Must be aged in new oak charred barrels.

  •Must be distilled to no more than 160 proof and entered into the barrel at 125 proof.

  •Must be bottled at no less than 80 proof.

  •Must not contain any added flavoring, coloring or other additives.

The following is taken from Bourbon vs. Whiskey:

  Somewhat like champagne isn't champagne unless it's made in Champagne, France, Bourbon is not actually "Bourbon" if it is made outside the USA, even though other whiskeys may adhere to the same recipe and distillation guidelines.

  Tennessee Whiskey

  The legal requirements for whiskey to be called Tennessee Whiskey are that the whiskey should be:

  -distilled in Tennessee

  -made from at least 51% corn

  -filtered through maple charcoal, and

  -aged in new, charred oak barrels.

  This is the process by which Jack Daniel's is manufactured. The company is the largest whiskey producer in Tennessee and wields an outsize influence on liquor laws in the state; they lobbied the state legislature to create such stringent requirements for labeling Tennessee Whiskey. Other whiskey producers in the state, including UK-based Diageo that owns Tennessee's No. 2 whiskey distiller George Dickel, oppose these criteria and are lobbying to have them loosened.

Some consider Tennessee Whiskey a Bourbon, while most do not. The fact remains that both Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel's are filtered through maple charcoal making them a different product.

Addendum

What is scotch?

  The main difference between scotch and whisky is geographic, but also ingredients and spellings. Scotch is whisky made in Scotland, while bourbon is whiskey made in the U.S.A, generally Kentucky. Scotch is made mostly from malted barley, while bourbon is distilled from corn. If you’re in England and ask for a whisky, you’ll get Scotch. But in Ireland, you’ll get Irish whiskey (yep, they spell it differently for a little colour).

How long should Scotch Whisky be aged?

  It is not possible to lay down any precise age as being the best for a particular whisky. Generally speaking, Malt Whiskies require longer to mature fully than Grain Whiskies. UK and EU law insist that Scotch Whisky should be at least three years old. However, it is the practice of the trade to mature for substantially longer than the legal minimum.

What is rye?

  Rye whisky, like its name suggests, is a whiskey that is distilled from at least 51% rye. What is rye? Rye is a type of grass that is a member of the wheat tribe and closely related to barley.

Canadian whisky is simply a rye whisky.

To be considered a Kentucky Straight Bourbon it must be made in Bourbon County Kentucky. All others are a Whiskey.


Where can I find open APIs with wine data (such as numerical expert rating)? I'm looking for a wine API with basic info (producer name, name, varietal, region, expert rating, description). Wine.com seems to have deprecated their API last month. I can't find any other ones from sites like WineEnthusiast and WineAdvocate.

Wine-searcher.com has one, but it costs $350 a month and they won't give it to me temporarily (I'm just a student building a prototype app).

Anybody know of any?

Thanks,

The closest thing I can find (and am currently aware of) is LCBO API. This free API provides details for products sold through the gov't owned liquor retailer in Ontario, Canada. They have a fairly large selection as they are one of the largest buyers of alcohol products globally.

By providing a product's SKU code to the API, you can retrieve some of the product details you're looking for except rating, and varietal. As a consolation, it does provide details on wine type (red, white, rose, champagne etc.) and country (incl. region for some products), but doesn't provide details such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Merlot, etc.

I'm not sure if you are still looking for this information but I found this list on programmableweb.com, https://www.programmableweb.com/category/wine/api

Hope it helps.


What should I expect from a Belgian double (dubbel)? I know dubbels are considered as strong beers, but what should I expect in when I try one of them?

What are their defining characteristic? What should I expect in term of taste, foam, color and mouthfeel?

As with any style, there's a fair deal of variation from one brewery to another.  At a high level, though, you can expect them to be darker (although not stout-dark), rich, and malty.  Expect a complex taste, with many notes and flavors.

More specifically, the BJCP have this to say (abridged):

Aroma: malty sweetness, hints of caramel or chocolate, and moderate fruity esters.  Some will have a little spice to them.
Appearance:  Dark amber to copper in color, Large, dense head.
Taste: Same as aroma. Alcohol flavor, if any, should be mild and not solvent-y.  No or minimal hop flavor.
Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium-high carbonation.

See here for the full description.

In short, prepare for a hangover. They pack a strong amount of alcohol (6-9% ABV), but you won't really taste it much. You're gonna get a lot of malt flavor, they're not very hoppy beers. So expect some sweet, fruity flavors. I'd recommend you give Allagash Dubbel Ale a try. It's a bit pricey (at like $12 for a 4-pack), but it's well worth it. I've never been disappointed by any beer from Allagash.

Now If you're curious, a Tripel is like a double, but they use three times the amount of malt than a standard Trappist "single", hence the name. So expect flavors similar to that of the dubbel, but much more pronounced. They are also higher in alcohol than a dubbel (9-12% ABV). For this style, my personal favorite, as of now (I've only had two of them) is Weyerbacher Brewing Co's Merry Monks Ale. The other one was the Allagash Tripel, which was also outstanding, but I'm partial to the Monks.


Are some beers 'too hoppy'? Hoppy beers appear to be fad at the moment.

It seems that some brewers are aiming to produce beer with the sole aim to be as hoppy as possible, without consideration to other flavors or characteristics.

Is it fair to say that some beers are simply 'too hoppy' by some objective measure? I would say the New Zealand's Boundry Road Mumbo Jumbo IPA fits this category.

International bittering units (IBU) measure the bitterness of different beer styles. IPAs have a wide range, and they're typically higher on the scale. If you can find the IBU of a beer you want to try (on Untappd, on the bottle, or some bars make this information available), you can compare it to other beers that you like to determine if it might be too bitter for your tastes.

I've tasted some beers that are way off the IBU scale that I linked to, but it's still subjective to say that these beers are "too hoppy." It's a matter of taste that I'd compare to saying that some foods are "too spicy." Some people might just like to try these novelty beers once, and other people might really develop a taste for them.

I've had beers that were sub 100 IPU's that were too hoppy and 100+ IPU's that were very good. Question of taste to the drinker.


What are requirements for a micropub? So my question is what are the requirements for micropubs?
Are there any specifications on room size, interior, beers, staff?
Has anyone got experience in setting up and running a micropub and can give more insights about what are key factors?

Young in terms of establishments - Micropubs "traditionally" have to adhere to certain "standards":

There is only one room
Generally too small to have a bar
No Televisions
No Juke Boxes
No manufactured (think commercialized) beer
No lagers! (Literally is a dirty word - think yelling a racial slur among the people associated with that slur)
No spirits (usually just Wine, Ale, Cider - though soft drinks and water can be supplied for children and DDs)

The focus is to shun electronics (outside of electricity) focus on social interactions and ales (and maybe sometimes pub snacks).

This seems to be a very United Kingdom centered movement (as I havent heard of this in the US).

In the US, the "microbrewery" name is going away, and being replaced with "craft beer" as many formerly small breweries have grown so much. But they are still small compared to companies like Budweiser, Miller, Coors, etc. One definition is: "Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less..."

Beyond that, they take every conceivable form: big restaurant plus small brewery, small restaurant attached to big brewery, tasting room in an industrial park (without food), some guy's garage... whatever the local law allows.

The only constants, for businesses that last, are good beer and staff that like beer too.


Craft brew in Dublin Other than the popular Porterhouse (http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/bars-dublin-temple.php), are there other pub that serves craft/microbrewery beer in Dublin, Ireland?

Other than the famous Guinness brewhouse, are there other microbrewery around Dublin?

Other than Guinness Stout, what other Guinness beer is a must-have? Are there any Dublin exclusive beer?

Try against the grain on wexford street got a good selection there

Try the J.W. Sweetman Craft Brewery on 1-2 Burgh Quay. Just after O'Connel Bridge.


What effect does brandy have on blood pressure? I've heard that Brandy can have an impact on blood pressure, but mixed responses of lower or higher feelings in the human body. What exactly does it do? Does the direction of the effects change over time? What about with different amounts of brandy, with different types, or with repeated use over time? What is the science behind it all?

Brandy affects blood pressure in the same way that any alcohol affects blood pressure. In the short term, alcohol can temporarily increase blood pressure. In the long term, with too much repeated consumption, there can be long-term more permanent blood pressure increases.


Are there any medicinal uses for beer? Are there any common medicinal uses for beer? I'm thinking along the lines of how liquor can be used as an antiseptic and less of how red wine can improve your heart health.

Just like wine, absolutely! I'm not a doctor and I am not giving medical advice; I am not liable whatsoever for your drunken antics.

With that said, in addition to kidney benefits:

Beer contains high amounts of silicon, which makes bones stronger
In moderation, it has been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular problems. However, when abused, cardiovascular problems spike instead. It helps to raise levels of "good cholesterol" which helps to keep arteries free of blockages.
It may help out your brain, keeping Alzheimer's disease at bay.
It is high in antioxidants and helps reduce your risk of cancer.
It is high in B vitamins, namely B6 and B12
Moderate amounts of any alcohol, beer included, may help decrease your risk of stroke by reducing the chance of blood clotting in the cardiovascular system.
I highly doubt this one, but apparently, studies have shown a reduced risk of diabetes among men who drink occasionally.
Studies have shown that it has been linked to lower blood pressure.
It contain fiber! Beta-glucans in particular, which are a soluble type of fiber.
Like sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, yogurt, miso, and kombucha, beer is a fermented food, so many of the benefits of fermented foods such as aiding in digestion may apply to beer as well.

Yahoo Beauty

4 Health Benefits Of Beer Drinking: Antioxidants, B-Vitamin, And Protein Are There... But Don't Overdo It

Beer is alcohol no matter what people may think. Alcohol is a dangerous drug that happens to be legal right now.

There are no proven benefits to drinking, bathing, washing hair or dishes in beer.

Beer has a reputation of being safer than whiskey, but the opposite is true.
Both can kill you.


What is the significance of a beer's head? In many beer tasting guides it tells to describe the head, or to 'admire' the head of the beer. From Wikipedia, I understand that:

  Beer head (also head) is the frothy foam on top of beer which is produced by bubbles of gas, typically carbon dioxide, rising to the surface. The elements that produce the head are wort protein, yeast and hop residue. The carbon dioxide that forms the bubbles in the head is produced during fermentation.

But what is the actual significance of focusing on the head of the beer so much? Why does one concern themselves with how much head exists, how long it lasts, etc?

There are some good answers here, but to distill and maybe enhance:

Beer heads are a great indication of proper serving because if any number of factors that could affect the taste are off, they'll also affect the head.  Some of these are:

Warm beer foams too much. If your server is dumping tons of head down the drain to fill your glass with enough beer, it might be too warm.
Too much pressure in the keg makes beer foam too much.  The brewer carbonated it to the level they wanted, the bar might be over-carbonating it.
Cold beer does not foam very much.  If the kegs are chilled too cold or the bar is serving beer in a frozen glass, your beer is probably too cold.  Cold temperatures will dull flavors and kill aromas. Obviously if you're into beer for flavor, this is bad.
Dirty glasses tend to dissipate the foam very quickly, so you could be drinking whatever was in the glass before, or soap scum... neither of which sounds very tasty.
Under-carbonated beer doesn't foam very much.  Under-carbonation can also dull flavors since so much of taste is based on smell and you can't smell volatile aromatics if there's no fizz to carry them out of the liquid.

There are various schools of thought on the head as an indicator of beer's quality or freshness but realistically this will vary by style.  Think of the thick creamy head of Guinness stout; remove the head and you completely change the experience.  The large luxurious heads of Belgian beers, or the thinner off-color head of porters.

Also, without a good head with lots of tiny popping bubbles of CO2 to spray the air above the glass with volatile aromatic oils, you wouldn't have nearly as much hoppiness to smell and taste in an IPA or spices from a Belgian style.

A good thick head of foam prevents the alcohol from volatilizing out of the beer


What is so special about corona beer? I have heard a lot about corona in terms of its taste and being the great alcoholic beverage !! It is worth the hype or just a fad ?

There are a few main things contributing to this 'hype'.

Firstly is the addition of the lime. It adds the citric acidity that pairs well with the light beer and gives it a unique zing that you don't find in other easily available beers.

Secondly, its a light beer that is easy and pleasurable to drink. It may not have rich notes that some love, or special characteristics, but what it gains is wide appeal and a product that you can't really hate, even if you don't absolutely love it. It is a very refreshing beer to drink when compared to a heavier lager or IPA.

Finally, is the marketing / ambiance it embodies. This is very likely a smaller contributing factor, but often one recalls having a nice corona on the beach as they relaxed, or correlate the beer to that image in their head, so it has that mental factor as well.

It comes down to the fact that reviews and 'class' aside, you should be drinking the beers you enjoy, and for many non-connoisseurs Corona fits that bill very well.

It's a light beer that tastes great and since it has the name imprinted on the bottle instead of a paper label stuck on, it is not messy when taken out of ice bucket.


Are brown bottles sufficient to protect beer from skunking? I have read that when stored in a clear container, sunlight can cause beer to skunk in a matter of seconds or minutes. I have also read that brown bottles are "better" when it comes to preventing this.

But how much better? Enough to "not worry about it" for short-term storage?

My specific situation is this: I have a (clear) glass cupboard in the living room. I also have a rotating (every few weeks or so) selection of beers, some of which are in rather nice bottles. I would like to store the bottles in said cupboard.

The bottles are brown, and the cupboard is not exposed to direct sunlight, but the room is generally well-lit. Would I be risking (or just waiting for) spoilage?

Certain wavelengths of light are responsible for skunking beer. I believe these are mostly in the blue and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum. Brown bottles do the best at blocking out the UV rays. This is why you can get an occasional Rolling Rock that tastes off. I've never heard of a UV reflective coating before, but it makes sense.

What follows is probably only relevant if you want to be nit-picky about this:

If it is not in direct sunlight, I'd say your pretty ok. I don't know what your lighting situation is, but I know most incandescent bulbs mostly give off infrared light (I'm not sure if infrared light has been correlated to skunking) and the modern CFL bulbs mostly give off light in the visible spectrum. I'd say both however give off some sort of UV light.

If you are really concerned, you could tint the cupboard glass. Vehicle window tint is designed to block out UV rays that can damage the interior of cars. Your level of protection depends on how dark you want your tint. If you want the highest protection though, I'd recommend a wooden cupboard.

There is no way to prevent skunking! Except drink it fast and drink it cold;)
This is awesome!!