People love getting fresh air during the summer months. If you want to make the most of the beautiful Canadian summer, you probably plan on drinking your share of ice cold beers. There are so many ways to enjoy excellent beers in the summertime. Some people head to quaint outdoor cafes to sip beers and to converse with their closest friends. Some people like to spend lazy summer weekends at the park with beers in tow. Some people even like to drink beers while they’re hanging out on their balconies taking in the amazing summer air.
Beer is indeed a popular outdoor beverage. Some people believe that wine is the superior outdoor drink option, however. Having said that, it doesn’t really matter which beverage you choose to drink outside. Beer and wine both make classic comforting summer beverages. There are actually an abundance of beverage choices that are perfect for people who want to take full advantage of their summers.
Many people have penchants for Pilsners that are imported. They often specify, however, that these drinks have to be 100 percent fresh. Otherwise they can be a disaster. If you want to experience a delightfully tranquil summer afternoon, a nice and fresh Pilsner can be a fantastic companion for you. Who needs friends, anyway? The truth is, however, that few things can top the combination of good buddies and excellent drinks.
Alcoholic beverages from the United Kingdom can be incredible. That’s definitely no secret. Cask-conditioned ales from England are beyond amazing. If you’re someone who appreciates carbonation that’s on the subtle side, these ales should definitely be up your alley.
Folks often like to drink beer in preparation for outdoor eating. If you want to prepare your mouth for the amazing food you’re about to put inside of it, a summer beer may be the way to go.
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There are so many reasons why we all love grilled meat. First is the flavor. Then there is the fact that grilling meat is fun to do, especially, with guests or friends over. However, in unfortunate news, the great taste that comes with grilled meat compromises on the health quality of the meat. The process of barbecuing meat leads to the formation of Polycyclic Aromatic Carbons (PAH). This is due to the intensive burning of proteins and fat present in meat. These are free radicals that have the ability to alter DNA. Therefore, taking grilled meat can in the long run lead to colon cancer.
That was the bad news. Now here is the good news- Isabel Ferreira, from the University of Porto, and other researchers have found that this impact could be reduced by adding beer. From the Agriculture and Food Chemistry Journal that Dr. Ferreira and the others wrote, you can see that they first conducted an experiment to see if this really works.
Beer is one of the most powerful antioxidants. When burnt, beer produce melanoidins, which performs the role of countering free radicals. Therefore, if it is added to the grilling meat, it will help prevent the production of the Polycyclic Aromatic carbons.
The experiment was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the researchers use Pilsner, which is a pale lager. In the second phase, they repeated the same experiment, but used black beer in this case. They found that few of the PAHs formed when the pale beer was used (18 nanograms PAHs per gram of barbecued meat) and even fewer when the black beer was used (10 nanograms of PAHs per a gram of grilled meat). The varying results were caused by the melanoidins content difference in the two types of beer. Black beers have have a melanoidin content than pale beers and hence are more effective.
Bottomline is, whatever type of beer is used in grilling your meat, and you will be a step closer to eradicating those free radicals in your meat completely.
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Different governments across the globe have different guidelines about what they consider the safe limit for alcohol consumption; so the amount of alcohol you can consume safely depends on where you live. A recent study assessing the safe drinking guidelines in 37 countries revealed the following:
- Some countries have the same drinking guidelines for men and women, implying that the recommended limit is the same for all drinkers. These countries include:
- Australia – with a maximum drinking limit of 20 grams of alcohol per day
- South Africa – with a maximum drinking limit of 24 grams of alcohol per day
- Portugal – with a maximum drinking limit of 10 – 24 grams of alcohol per day
- Grenada – with a maximum drinking limit of 14 grams of alcohol per day
- Although researchers argue that there is no clear benefit to setting different safe drinking limits for men and women, some countries have set very low daily drinking limits for each sex. For instance,
- Sweden, Singapore, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, and Herzegovina recommend a maximum limit of 10 grams of alcohol for women, and 20 for men
- Some countries have very high drinking limits, but this does not necessarily mean that you can consume that much alcohol safely every day. For instance,
- USA and Chile allow women to consume as many as 3 drinks per day, and men up to 4 drinks per day. That said, the recommended weekly limit in the US is 7 drinks for women and 14 for men.
- Some countries allow people to drink a little more than is allowed on “special occasions.” For instance,
- Canada has a recommended limit of 2 drinks a day for women and 3 drinks for men, but allows women to drink up to 3 drinks and men up to 4 drinks, on special occasions.
- Some countries require that people don’t consume any alcohol a certain number of days per week. For instance
- Canada recommends that people have alcohol-free days each week without specifying the number of days
- Poland, Fiji, and New Zealand recommend at least 2 non-drinking days per week
- The recommendation from the WHO about the size of a standard drink is 10 grams of alcohol. Many countries adhere to this standard, but others have their own recommendations for the size of a “standard drink.” For instance, the standard drink size in:
- Canada – is 13.6 grams
- Luxembourg – is 12.8 grams
- Iceland – is 8 grams
- Austria – is 20 grams
It is worth noting that an ounce of wine contains 2.4 – 2.8 grams of alcohol, while an ounce of beer contains 1 – 1.2 grams of alcohol. The amount of alcohol is different in every drink, so make sure you know how much you are drinking to avoid the harmful effects of alcohol as recommended in your country.
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According to a new Gallop Poll, moderate drinkers are the least likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to teetotalers and heavy drinkers. Findings from the survey indicated that 13 percent of moderate drinkers has been diagnosed with depression at one point in their lives, compared with 17 percent of heavy drinkers and 19 percent of non-drinkers.
Additionally, only 7 percent of moderate drinkers reported being currently depressed or receiving treatment for the condition, compared with 8 percent of heavy drinkers and 11 percent of teetotalers. The poll also revealed that moderate drinkers were a little more likely to report positive emotional experiences and a little less likely to report negative emotional experiences compared to both heavy drinkers and nondrinkers.
What experts say about the poll results
Generally, alcoholics tend to be miserable, partly because of the changes that occur in the brain due to drinking. Conversely, moderate drinkers only indulge in alcohol in social settings, usually joyful social encounters that lead to the happiness linked to moderate drinking. Experts claim that drinking in moderation does not lead to the misery associated with heavy drinking. Otherwise, more of the 70 percent of Americans who drink would be living in misery, which is not the case.
That said, experts are quick to point that the poll does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between less depression and moderate drinking. In other words, there is no certainty that moderate drinking will make you happier or less depressed. For instance, although people who are emotionally healthy may choose to drink moderately, it is also possible that those with poorer emotional health may prefer to drink heavily or completely abstain from alcohol compared to those with goof mental health.
Another reason why the poll may not be conclusive is because of the differences in definitions: while the poll defines moderate drinking as one or two drinks a day and heavy drinking as 15 or more drinks per week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines moderate drinking as a maximum of one drink for women and two drinks for men, while heavy drinking is defined as an excess of eight drinks per week for women and 15 drinks for men.
Still, it is not too farfetched to conclude that nondrinkers are more likely to be depressed than moderate drinkers.
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Edmonton International BeerFest
Although beer is only the third most popular drink after water and tea, it is considered the world’s favorite alcoholic beverage. Indeed, there are now more varieties of beer to choose from than ever before. From ales to lagers, you’ll be greeted with shelves of fascinating brews when you walk into any booze shop. So, how do you pick a beer for the day?
Here are a few tips to help you choose a beer depending on your drinking style and preference:
- If you’re only looking to get drunk and don’t care much about the taste, consider getting an American Macro Lager.
- If you’re looking for something easy and refreshing to drink outdoors on a hot day, and don’t mind the bitter hop taste, try a Pilsner. Pilsner is also a great choice when running around breaking a sweat and would like to have an easy time.
- Wheat Beer is a great choice for those looking for something refreshing to enjoy outside on any day but don’t like the bitter taste of hops. You can enjoy wheat beer with some light and refreshing food.
- Farmhouse/Saison is a great outdoor drink for those who love a challenge or those looking for a fun and funky beer.
- If you’re looking to get really drunk on a cold night, you can go for Barrel-aged Stout, especially if you love roasted coffee. Alternatively, you can choose Barleywine if you don’t like the taste of roasted coffee.
- If you’re just looking for something to enjoy on a cold night without necessarily getting drunk, then Porter or Stout is a good option.
- Pale Ale and Ipa are great outdoor drinks for people who love hoppy beers
- If you’re having food or dessert and want a beer to go along with your meal, then Sour is the right drink for you.
These are just a few of the beer styles that you’re likely to experience at this year’s Edmonton International Beerfest. Starting on April 1st at the Shaw Conference Center, beer lovers can look forward to sampling from over 200 different types of beer from both local and international vendors.
With Edmonton’s top and most popular beer serving establishments represented, as well as an entirely new line-up of entertainment, this year’s BeerFest is shaping up to be a blast. The event has sold out six years in a row, so get your ticket today!
Photo Credit: FreeImages.com/ Mourad Mokrane
Beer festivals are great after a few months of extreme cold, and not just because they give you an opportunity to drink inside. The Edmonton 10th Annual Beer Festival gives you access to rare, less-available beers, so you can taste a wide variety, hang out with your heroes and other beer lovers, and learn a thing or two. At BeerFest, you can literally drink as many different kinds of beer as you want, and there can’t possibly be a better way for beer lovers to spend a few evening hours.
In order to enjoy Beer Fest, it is important that you take the necessary preparations. The following tips will help you survive our massive beer event April 1 and 2 2016 and guarantee you a great time:
Eat Before You Come!
Give yourself time to get the flavor of the food out of your mouth or you will be tasting food-flavored beer, and continue to seek out food for the duration of the festival. Typical beer festival fare of turkey legs, pizza, nachos and different sandwiches will give your stomach a much needed buffer between beer and alcohol absorption. Take time to enjoy your food; this will also help to cleanse your palate between your beers.
Try to Drink Equal Parts Water and Beer
We know this one is hard… But if you have four servings of beer, try and drink that same amount of water before moving on. BeerFest has bottled water on sale specifically for this purpose. You might use the restrooms more frequently, but in the end this will keep you from becoming dehydrated and could help reduce the chance of suffering a hangover later on.
Try to Experience Everything
We provide a list of entertainers (check our Facebook Page) as well as run a Beer School during the show. Get hold of that list and start planning what you might want to see. We have an incredible line up of shows, exhibitors and talent at this year’s festival.
Get the Ultimate Beer Fest Experience with a Beer God Pass
Choosing which type of ticket to buy for a beer festival can be hard, but we’ve made it easy. The only pass for a true beer lover is the Beer God Pass. You get 1 hour early access and front of the line service, Free sampling mug and a Free tasting guide! Click here to buy your Beer God Pass!
Make Sure You Truly Taste the Beers!
Too often attendees look at this festival as a four hour kegger. To enjoy BeerFest 2016 and create a lasting impression in your mind, and to retain a happy memory of the beers you drank (that you should be able to find after the festival), take your time to actually taste the beer. Tasting hints to consider:
- Aroma – Since half of taste is actually our olfactory perception, take time to smell the beer. Make a mental note of what you can smell.
- Appearance – Although most festivals pour in two ounce portions, you should be able get a good idea of the look of the beer. The head retention, color, cloudiness, etc.
- Taste – When tasting, it is recommended that you drink only half of the sample initially. Make a note of the different properties of the beer (bitter/sweet/tart, etc.).
- Mouth feel – What did the beer feel like? Thick, chewy, silky, fizzy? The texture will have an effect upon your perception and enjoyment of the beer.
One last tip: dress appropriately for the weather and put on some comfortable shoes, as you will be spending a lot of time on your feet at the Edmonton Beer Festival.
Source: Enjoying a Beer Festival
