It seems that warmer weather has finally arrived and that we’ve seen the last of any snowflakes that may drift from the sky–at least for the next five or six months, anyway.
The Northampton Brewery deck is open, and other outdoor beer venues will soon follow suit, so I thought I’d use today’s column to do my annual list of great summer beers. I realize it’s not summer yet, but the way seasons run around these parts, you know there will be days (like two Saturdays ago) when it feels like summer, with temperatures reaching the high 70s.
Some of these brews have made my list in years past, while others are new entries.
Either way, please feel free to let me know what your favorite warm-weather beers are. I’m always looking for new options.
So, in no particular order, here are five great brews for the warmer weather:
Victory Summer Love Ale – This crisp blonde ale became one of my favorites last year. It’s refreshingly light in its mouthfeel, while retaining a medium body, with a nice bite from the Noble hops employed in its making. The malt has a tasty biscuit/cracker flavor and it finishes dry with a small amount of hop citrus residue. This is a perfect brew for watching the sunset on a river.
Mahr’s Brau Ungespundet Hefetrub (Kellerbier) – Known mostly as Mahr’s U for this clear golden brew is grassy and somewhat fruity, with a subtle caramel note gracing its finish. Smooth and light-bodied, it finishes crisply. I can scarcely imagine a better hot summer afternoon beer than this one.
Pretty Things American Darling – Oh, wait: I just did imagine one. American Darling is the craft beer movement’s perfect answer to so-called “lawn mower beers” issues by large industrial brands. Although it’s infinitely more complex than any big-brand brew, American Darling blends it’s tasty flavors in such a way that probably wouldn’t scare off a Bud drinker. But those who know beer realize that it’s simply Dann and Martha Paquette’s brewing brilliance that makes the beer an across-the-board winner for all types of palates.
Troeg’s Sunshine Pils – This brew’s name all but announces its desire to be quaffed while soaking in the season’s infrared rays and ultraviolet radiation. Pilsners, when made well, are probably the best warm-weather style. This one features a subtle but tasty citrus aspect, with a body that’s a little fuller than most European pilsners.
Northampton Brewery Summer Fling – It wouldn’t be a proper list by me of its didn’t have an IPA on it, right? This session IPA (just 4.4, alcohol by volume) showcases a flavorful grainy malt character enveloped in a light and citrusy hop blanket. It’s a perfect brew for the Brewery’s beer garden.
Source: Brews for the Warm Weather
1. CRISP
Crisp beers are lighter, cleaner in flavor, and crisply refreshing. They range in color from straw to amber, have low to medium abvs, and are light to medium in body.
Delicate fruit: While not particularly malty or hoppy, these styles show a bit of fruit flavor—like green apple, berries or pear—from the employment of ale yeast.
NOTABLE STYLES
Cream Ale
English Blond Ale
American Blond Ale
Wheat Ale
Kölsch
Malt-accented: Lacking the fruit and spice aromatics of most ales and showcasing a much milder hop profile than Pilsners, these brews demonstrate a full bready, almost biscuity, malt flavor in addition to their crisp dispositions.
NOTABLE STYLES
Pale Lager
Helles Lager
Amber Lager
Vienna Lager
Märzen/ Oktoberfest
Helles Bock
Brisk hoppiness: A more emphatic hop regiment, typically employing German and Czech-grown hops (often referred to as Noble hops), results in crisp and refreshing brews that are drier and snappier in the finish, with spicy, herbal, and floral aromas abounding.
NOTABLE STYLES
Pilsner
Kellerbier/ Zwickelbier
Hoppy Lager/ India Pale Lager
Imperial Pilsner
PAIRINGS FOR CRISP BEERS: Spicy cuisines, light seafood, leafy greens and salads, sushi, roast chicken.
2. HOP
These brews are all about the delicious aromas and pronounced bitterness derived from generous additions of hops. Though typically endowed with some malt richness, hops in these brews will always provide the most intense flavor contribution. These beers range from medium to full bodied, yellow to brown in color, and low to high abvs.
Earthy and dry: Lighter and drier malt profiles along with earthy, hay-like, grassy, and woody hop flavors serve to define the character of these brews.
NOTABLE STYLES
Ordinary Bitter
English Pale Ale
English India Pale Ale
Belgian IPA
Malty backbone: While judiciously hopped, these beers have a fuller malt profile and body, often adding fruity flavors and a degree of caramel. The flavor balance still leans heavily toward the hops, which are highly aromatic and suggestive of pine and tropical fruit.
NOTABLE STYLES
California Common
American Amber Ale
American Imperial Red Ale
American Barleywine
Bold, herbal and citric: The milder malt character and the heavy use of intensely flavorful hops leads to brews that are brimming with hop-driven notes of citrus, resin and tropical fruit.
NOTABLE STYLES
American Pale Ale
American Fresh Hop Ale
American India Pale Ale
American Imperial IPA
PAIRINGS FOR HOP BEERS: Aged/hard cheeses, fried foods, burgers, rich/intense meats, deli sandwiches.
3. MALT
Malt-driven flavors dominate the flavor profiles of these brews; in each, expect a degree of sweetness and deep malty notes of nuts, toffee, caramel, toast, and fruit. These beers range from copper to dark brown in color, from light to full bodied, and low to high in abv.
Toasty and nutty: These brews tend to combine a mildly crisp quality with full bready malt flavors; think biscuity, nutty and toasty accents. Stronger versions can show a touch of caramel, while the biggest begin to display raisin and fig nuances.
NOTABLE STYLES
English Mild
Dark Lager
Dunkel Lager
English Brown Ale
Düsseldorf Alt
Dunkles Bock
Doppelbock
Eisbock
Fruit and toffee: In addition to a solid malt backbone, these brews possess mildly fruity aromas; caramelized, toffeeish flavors are layered with notes of dried fruit, red delicious apples, oranges, and plums.
NOTABLE STYLES
Best Bitter
Scottish Ale
Irish Red Ale
Biére de Garde
Belgian Pale Ale
Extra Special Bitter
English Strong Ale
Wee Heavy/ Scotch Ale
Wheatwine
English Barleywine
PAIRINGS FOR MALT BEERS: Pizza, root veggies, blue cheese, cured meats, seared pork, poultry, game.
4. ROAST
These brews employ highly roasted malts grains for coffee and cocoa flavors, rich mouthfeels, and very dark appearances. They can be medium-light to full bodied, from deep copper to black in color, and low to high in abv.
Soft and silky: Though these brews tend to be dark and malty rich, they do not show intensely roasted qualities; the profiles gravitate toward milk chocolate, hazelnut and latte. More intense styles exhibit dark fruit nuances.
NOTABLE STYLES
Schwarzbier
Brown Porter
Sweet Stout
Oatmeal Stout
Imperial Brown Ale
Imperial Porter
Foreign Export Stout
Belgian Stout
Dark and dry: The roastiest and driest of the dark brews; notes of burnt grain, tar, dark chocolate and espresso predominate. Fruit flavors emerge in the strongest versions, including plums, cherries, raspberries, and prunes.
NOTABLE STYLES
Dry Stout
Black IPA
American Brown Ale
Robust Porter
American Stout
Imperial Stout
PAIRINGS FOR ROAST BEERS: Grilled/blackened pork, poultry, game, seafood, dessert, barbecue, raw shellfish.
5. SMOKE
Brews that incorporate malts smoked over various wood fires, or aged in Single Malt Scotch Whisky oak barrels. These beers range from medium-light to full bodied, can be deep amber to dark brown in color, and may be medium to medium high in abv. They are typically milder brews, were it not for the often dramatic smoky flavors.
Subdued smolder: The smoked flavor is more subtle for styles within in this category; prevalent toasty and/or roasty malt flavors balance against the woody, peaty, or spicy smoked notes.
NOTABLE STYLES
Smoked Beer
Steinbrau
Smoked Porter
Spicy and meaty: Heavily smoked, sausage-like flavors are the calling card of these beers. Bonfire aromas overlay a range of subtler flavors, from biscuity malt to bananas, nutmeg, and clove, to raisins, toffee and nuts.
NOTABLE STYLE
Rauchbier
PAIRINGS FOR SMOKE BEERS: Raw fish, sausages, game meats, pork cuts.
6. FRUIT & SPICE
The flavor profiles of these beers are most notable for the bold fruit and spice flavors they possess; fruits and spices are sometimes added to further accentuate such flavors. These brews may be sweet, semi-dry, or dry, but are never overtly bitter. Abv ranges from low to high, body is low to high and color ranges from golden to dark brown.
Bright: Expect brighter fruit qualities from these styles, like apple, pear, peach, orange, lemon, banana, and apricot. Bubblegum is apparent in some cases as well as the following spices: clove, pepper, vanilla, and coriander. Stronger versions show malt notes of toffee, caramel and toast.
NOTABLE STYLES
Kristalweizen
Witbier
Hefeweizen
Belgian Blond Ale
Saison
Gruit Ale
Belgian Strong Blond Ale
Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Tripel
Dark: Expect darker fruit qualities from these styles, like fig, raspberry, prune, raisin, cherry, plum and strawberries; some are downright vinous, sharing aromatics akin to red wine. Spicy aromatics arrive in the guise of clove, pepper, rose, nutmeg, cinnamon, and even a hint of smoke in some cases. Malt flavors manifest themselves with chocolate, caramel and nutty notes.
NOTABLE STYLES
Dunkelweizen
Belgian Dark Ale
Dubbel
Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Weizenbock
Quadruple
PAIRINGS FOR FRUIT & SPICE BEERS: Crab, mussels, lobster, lighter fish, cured meats, sausages, salads, poultry, pizza, spicy cuisines.
7. TART & FUNKY
These are the sour brews that show rustic, earthy and winey notes. Some are rather light and elegantly acidic; some are darker and vinous, while others are exceedingly funky and sour. They can be light to medium-full bodied, range in color from straw to dark brown, and may be extremely low in alcohol or even quite strong.
Delicate: Mild acidity, paler malts, and lighter bodies make these refreshing and crisp. They are characterized by being softly tart, brightly fruity (lemon, orange) and lacking a prominently funky character.
NOTABLE STYLES
Berliner Weissbier
Gose
Faro
Fruity and vinous: The most wine-like of all of the Tart & Funky brews. Pronounced acidity is coupled with fruity aromatics (cherry, raspberry, and black currants), sometimes resulting from an actual addition of fruit. Many exhibit caramelized, vanilla, toffee, and toasty flavors due to oak aging.
NOTABLE STYLES
Flanders Oud Bruin
Flanders Red Ale
Wild Ale
Traditional Fruit Lambic
Earthy: Typically quite sour and funky, and sometimes aged in oak barrels, these brews possess intensely rustic qualities; many show horsey, farmy, earthy, barnyardy, and leathery notes. Milder fruit notes may occur, and are redolent of peaches, strawberries, apricots and grapes.
NOTABLE STYLES
Saison
Wild Ale
Gueuze Lambic
Traditional Unblended Lambic
PAIRINGS FOR TART & FUNKY BEERS: Rich meats, game meats, mussels, clams, oysters, funky cheeses, fruit desserts
Source: 7 Beer Styles
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
There may be some good news brewing for fitness and beer enthusiasts: Somewhere in the north, a Canadian beverage company has concocted a low-alcohol, protein-packed “fit beer” that is expected to be marketed as a sports drink later this year, if funding allows.
The so-called Lean Machine “recovery ale,” created by a team of food scientists at Vampt, touts itself as a healthy alternative to traditional ales, with only 77 calories and 0.5 percent alcohol by volume. And it’s supposedly enriched with nutrients, antioxidants and electrolytes to help replenish the body after a good workout.
The idea, says Vampt founder Ian Toews, is to create a beverage that aligns with the active lifestyles of young beer lovers, while promoting responsible drinking.
“We just thought that maybe we could do something that would support a drinker, make it still socially fun, and help them accomplish what needs to be accomplished after an aggressive workout,” he says.
We wondered what science had to say about this seemingly contradictory, but nonetheless appealing, pairing. Can beer really join the ranks of Gatorade and Powerade to become the next go-to sports drink?
Turns out, the idea isn’t as farfetched as it might seem.
You see, when we exercise, our body gets sapped of some key components. We lose fluid and electrolytes through sweat as the body tries to cool down. We also draw down our small stores of carbohydrates and proteins as we put our muscles to work. By the end of the workout, our body needs to get all those things back to recover.
This is where sports drinks come in. They’re full of carbs, sodium and all sorts of nutrients to keep our bodies hydrated and energized during and after exercise. And beer may be able to do that, too — if formulated the right way, says Ben Desbrow, a sports nutritionist at Griffith University in Australia.
Beer itself contains a small amount of carbohydrates and electrolytes, he says. It’s not enough to do your body any good after exercise, but researchers like Desbrow have been experimenting with ways to reformulate beer so it’ll have the properties of a sports drink without the dehydrating effects of alcohol.
In a study published last December in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, he and his colleagues found that beer’s dehydrating effect can be weakened by changing its electrolyte content — a good first step into turning ale into a sports beverage.
By lowering the level of alcohol by volume to 2.3 percent and adding salt, they found that the manipulated beer actually hydrated their sample of athletes better than traditional ale.
Plus, he adds, since beer is plant based — the key ingredients, aside from water, are barley, hops and yeast — it contains a whole range of naturally occurring nutrients that manufactured sports drinks don’t have.
“A properly formulated beer beverage is likely to do you no more harm than you are likely to get from a sports drink,” Desbrow says. “In fact, it probably is likely to do you more good, because it’s got a lot of these sort of natural compounds, like polyphenols, that are actually good for your health.”
He’s talking about compounds found in plants that are believed to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. A 2011 study in Germany suggested that polyphenols in beer may be especially useful for those who go through prolonged strenuous exercise, which tends to lower the body’s immune function.
In the study, those who were given nonalcoholic beer every day for three weeks before and two weeks after a marathon reported fewer incidences of upper respiratory tract infections and were up to three times less susceptible to the common cold.
So that’s the good news. The caveat is that for beer to be a good sports drink, you’ll have to lose most of the alcohol. And the reasons go beyond just dehydration.
For one, excessive amounts of alcohol can impair protein synthesis, the process by which your muscles repair themselves after exercise, according to a study published last month in PLoS One.
“It impairs some of what we call the protein signaling molecules in the body. These are the traffic lights that turn on protein synthesis,” says John Hawley, an exercise and nutrition researcher at Australian Catholic University, who led the study. “[Alcohol] dims the traffic light signals. So ultimately, that whole muscle protein synthesis is slowed down.”
His study found that when athletes binged on alcohol after an intensive strength-training workout, their protein synthesis decreased by nearly 40 percent.
Now, the athletes in Hawley’s study did a lot of drinking: They consumed roughly eight shots of vodka mixed with orange juice over a three-hour period. Hawley says it’s not clear how more moderate drinking affects the recovery process, but “my guess is that any alcohol impedes it a little bit.”
So how will a low-alcohol beer like Vampt’s Lean Machine ale fare in the market? Hawley notes that consumers haven’t always embraced drinks that mimic alcoholic favorites without the buzz. In the 1970s, he says, a whiskey-like, non-alcoholic beverage called Claytons hit the shelves in New Zealand.
“It lasted on the market three years,” Hawley says. “So there’s your answer to that.”
But Vampt’s Toews says he’s not too worried. His company is in the midst of consumer taste tests for its recovery ale in Canada, and “Canadians know what a good beer is,” he says.
Source: Beer as a Post Recovery Drink
Photo Credit: Courtesy of VAMPT
Guinness is a Light Beer
There is nothing sexier than a tight, sexy little blonde takin’ a big thick Guinness to the face. It’s hot in the same way as a beautiful lady making a giant sandwich her mouth-bitch. Well, it turns out that Guinness is actually a light beer and helping them stay hot! Guinness has only 125 calories and 10 carbs… less than both Budweiser and Coors! A balanced bro-diet contains lots of Guinness.
Germany Has Its Own Beer Pipeline
Our German bros are in the only forward-thinking country looking ahead and putting into place measures on how to handle a true beer emergency. Bars in the Veltsin-Arena are interconnected by a beer pipe several miles long. It’s a popular soccer area and the demand for beer became so great that it actually was invented as the preferred way to keep up with those thirsty soccer freaks.
The White House Brews Its Own Beer
That’s right.. the leader of the free world gets his own fresh White House brewed beer. Who knows how many major cultural and world changing decisions it may have been responsible for. Obama personally pays for the equipment and ingredients and White House Honey Ale is brewed by the White House chefs. Obama busts it out sometimes on the campaign trail and is the first President in history to brew his own beer… he is now dubbed BRO-bama.
Space Has Tons of Booze
If you happen to find yourself floating through the cold depths of space… you’re probably gonna be a little freaked out. Naturally, you might want a drink to calm your nerves. Depending on where you are aimlessly floating in space, you might be in luck. If you’re about 10,000 light years away you could run into an enormous floating space keg. Scientists discovered a floating ethyl alcohol space cloud that contains enough of the good stuff to make 400 trillion pints of beer. Why we aren’t figuring out a way to get to this cloud should definitely be a pivotal issue in the upcoming presidential election.
Barley Beer Was Invented in Iran and is Now Illegal for Most of Its People
In early Mesopotamia, in what is now Iran… beer made from delectable barley was created by some ancient Bros. The production and consumption of beer has been illegal in modern day Iran since 1979 and is punishable under Islamic law. They should just go ahead and rename Iran, Iran-outta-that-country-as-fast-as-possible-to-get-some-beer! That would be a sweet country name to say for Olympic broadcasters.
77 Percent of America’s Hops Come From Washington
It’s hard to have beef with the state of Washington. You can’t get mad at people in Seattle because it rains so much and that’s bad enough. But now, everyone in the USA has a reason to hail Washington state as one of the most important and revered places on the planet. Why, you ask? 77 percent of our country’s hops come out of Washington. We must protect it at all costs. The world will probably help us protect Washington, since it also produces 40 percent of the hops for the entire globe. Terrorists don’t make hops.
The Oldest Known Recipe in The World is For Beer
Beer has been the refreshment choice of bros across the world for a very, very long time. In fact the oldest recorded recipe ever unearthed wasn’t for some silly juice cocktail… nope–it was for beer. Some ancient Meso-bro-tamians figured out how awesome beer was and took their time to chisel it onto stone, so no matter how drunk they got–they would never forget how to make that delicious beverage.
Former Australian Prime Minister Once Held A Beer Chugging Record
Our Australian bros know exactly the right stuff to look for in a leader. They want a guy who can handle all the different problems Australians face (wallabies and spiders mostly.) The Australian people also know that to be a great leader… you must be able to pound some beers. Former PM, Bob Hawke set a record for drinking 2 1/2 pints in eleven seconds. That is worth some votes.
Jimmy Carter Legalized Home Beer Brewing
Jimmy Carter earned himself Bro status on October 14th of 1978 when he signed H.R.R. 1337. It was a magical bill that removed taxation from home brewing and basically made it purely legal to make for family and friends. Carter, your are an icon for bros we respect not only that you are hundreds of years old… but the impact you made on the beer world. HAIL JIMMY CARTER!
Andre The Giant Could Out Drink Any Bro On The Planet
Andre the Giant was such a large man, that nobody would ever talk sh*t to him about how he’s always stompin’ around in a torn women’s bathing suit. But the sheer magnitude of the man was not the only reason to respect him. He enjoyed beer and put it away like a true giant, putting away 119 beers in six hours. The Ultimate Warrior’s bitch-ass could NEVER do that.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Source: Facts about Beer
The first thing you have to do when you start planning your brewery is come up with a name. You can go with something classy, like say, “Classy Ales.” Or you could go a different route altogether and name your brewery “Ass Clown.” Or “Big Beaver.” We found 10 incredible brewery names. An argument could be made that some of the names on this list are in poor taste, but you could also argue that these names are awesome. Check out the gallery and decide for yourself.
Ass Clown Brewing, Cornelius, N.C.
Belching Beaver, Vista, California
Below Grade Brewing, Bend, Oregon
Big Beaver Brewing, Loveland, Colorado
Broken Tooth Brewing, Anchorage, Alaska
Dirty Bucket Brewery, Woodinville, Washington
Pinglehead Brewing Company, Orange Park, Florida
Source: Great Brewery Names
Yesterday we were warned of the health dangers associated with alcohol – not to mention bacon, ham and sausages.
Today there is more cheering news from a different set of scientists. They have come up with the perfect excuse for heading to the pub after a game of football or rugby. Their research has shown that a glass of beer is far better at rehydrating the body after exercise than water.
Researchers suspect that the sugars, salts and bubbles in a pint may help people absorb fluids more quickly.
The finding, which comes from a study at Granada University in Spain, will be welcome news for the legions of evening and weekend sports enthusiasts who enjoy a postmatch pint. It will also ease the worries of those still digesting the report from the cancer experts who linked alcohol and other products to an increased risk of some forms of the disease.
Professor Manuel Garzon, of Granada’s medical faculty, made his discovery after tests on 25 students over several months. They were asked to run on a treadmill under stifling temperatures of 40C (104F) until they were close to exhaustion.
Once they were on the point of giving up, researchers measured their hydration levels, concentration ability and motor skills. Half were then given two half pints of Spanish lager to drink, while the rest were given water.
Both groups were then allowed to drink as much water as they wanted.
Professor Garzon said the rehydration effect in the students who were given beer was “slightly better” than among those given only water.
He believes the carbon dioxide in beer helps quench the thirst more quickly, while beer’s carbohydrates replace calories lost during physical exertion. Based on the studies, the researchers have recommended moderate consumption of beer – 500ml a day for men or 250ml for women – as part of an athlete’s diet. A typical person loses around a litre of water for every hour of exercise in sweat.
People who fail to rehydrate after exercise are more likely to feel tired, fuzzyheaded and suffer headaches.
A spokesman for the Campaign for Real Ale said “moderate levels” of beer had beneficial health effects. Past studies have shown that sensible drinking of one or two units a day can reduce the risk of heart disease, dementia, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, he said.
The ingredients of beer – which include malted barley, hops and yeast – are rich sources of vitamins and minerals.
Dr James Betts, an expert in post-exercise rehydration at Bath University, said: “People think of alcohol as being a diuretic, but if you are already hydrated, a small amount of beer could be a way of getting the fluid in.”
The best way of rehydrating after exercise was with a sports drink containing sugars, water and salt, he added.
Source: Pint of beer better than water after a workout
Source: Shutterstock
As a beer drinker we need to know the language of marketing. When you’re staring at a sixpack or bomber of beer at your local bottle shop, you might encounter some unfamiliar phrases. Here are five essential terms you should know.
Bottle Conditioned
Bottle conditioned is brewer-speak to describe a beer that is naturally carbonated. Prior to packaging, beer is allowed to ferment until the yeast is totally satiated, having eaten all the sugars it can. To bottle condition the beverage, brewers bottle the beer with a bit more sugar for that yeast to munch on. They use a pre-calculated dose that is just the right amount to produce carbon dioxide to be absorbed as carbonation withoutoverpressurizing or worse, blowing up, the bottle. (Nobody wants your beer to explode.) The alternative to bottle conditioning is called force carbonation, in which carbon dioxide is injected into the finished beer without an additional fermentation.
Some beer purists believe that bottle conditioning is indisputably the best way to carbonate beer—arguments in support of the process tout its ability to produce a more pleasant (fine and soft) carbonation, consume oxygen in the bottle’s headspace, and develop character over time.
Dry Hopped
This is an odd one—aren’t all hops dried before they are used in beer? With rare, seasonal exceptions, that is exactly correct. But ignore that for a minute. Dry hopping refers not to the condition of the hops themselves, but how they are used. It means that the brewers are adding hops after fermentation. At this point, the hops are not boiled and thus, the acids held within the flower do not release their potent bitterness. They do, however, release their flavorful and aromatic oils, which will make your beer taste extra juicy, grassy, lush, or floral, depending on the hop variety. IPAs, pale ales, and other hop-driven styles have always used this technique, but brewer experimentation has pushed its presence into the full range of beer styles.
Gypsy Brewer
This arguably-offensive term refers to an increasingly common symbiotic relationship in the beer world. Most established brewers aren’t using their expensive brewing equipment 24/7. Other brewers are just getting into the biz and can’t afford or don’t want to buy all that pricey stainless steel. See where I’m going with this? The brick and mortar breweries can get a little extra cash flowing in by renting out their brew kettles and fermentation space, and those other brewers can get their beers to market without insane overhead. Without the permanence of a physical address, many of these brewers make beer wherever they can, often embracing a nomadic lifestyle…hence the gypsy nomenclature. Some of these folks, like Massachusetts’ Pretty Things, have adopted the alternative name “tenant brewer” to avoid rubbing folks the wrong way.
IBU
I’m often asked what IBU stands for, and feel bad giving the answer. “International Bitterness Units” doesn’t really tell you all that much about what that number on your bottle really means, does it? IBUs, when you get down to it, are simply a measure in parts per million of the isomerized alpha acid content in beer. Oh jeez, this isn’t getting any easier. To make it short and sweet: IBUs are a measure of how hoppy a beer is.
But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Perceived bitterness depends on way more than just how many hops are thrown into the kettle. The sweetness and alcohol level of a beer, for example, plays a huge role in the end bitterness of that beer. Two beers, both with 35 IBUs, can taste bracingly bitter or not at all. So really “International Bitterness Units” is a bit of a misnomer. In fact, as a measure, it is nowhere near as useful as folks to seem to make it out to be, so don’t get too caught up on the IBU number.
Imperial
Imperial IPA, imperial stout, imperial red, imperial pilsner—this “imperial” word is all over beer bottles these days. But what does the word—one long associated with royalty—have to do with your plebian drinking pursuits? The terminology harkens back—way back (think 1700s)—to the days in which the Russian imperial court (there’s that word again!) consumed a custom-made extra-strong stout that was shipped to them from England. Over the centuries, this exalted naming convention was applied to all variations on styles of beer that were bigger—stronger, hoppier, more intense, more royal—than the beers that inspired them.
Source: Decoding Beer Labels
One of the best things about beer is the awesome variety of styles to choose from. This gorgeous interactive guide from the Brewers Association showcases 77 US beer styles to help you decide what to drink next.
We’ve shared a beer style flowchart with you before, but this photo-rich guide is incredibly comprehensive. Turn on the beer style finder and you can narrow down styles by color, bitterness, amount of alcohol, as well as flavor notes.
Each style has its own dedicated page with recommended food pairings and examples. There’s an A-to-Z text-based guide as well.
The whole site is a great reference for beer lovers in general.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Source: Find your Perfect Beer to Drink
When I go home to Tennessee, nobody ever asks me if I want a beer. “How ’bout a col’beer?” say the Southerners as they toss a can through the air. (All one word.) The ice cold brew cuts through the summertime humidity nicely. This frigid February in New York City deserves a different kind of cocktail.
How about hot beer? Mulled wine is nice. Hot toddies are delicious. Why not warm up porter in a mug or sip a steamy spiced ale? Earlier this month, I was turned on to the idea by an Atlantic article about the history of the once-popular hot beer, an idea that sounds utterly insane in the era of Coors cold-activated can technology. Americans love col’beer. Purists prefer a more nuanced approach, where each style of beer is chilled or warmed to the appropriate temperature for maximum enjoyment. (That’s about 45-degrees for pilsners and light beers and 55-degrees for ales and stouts.) Right now, in the Hoth that is Gotham, that right temperature is piping hot.
The idea really isn’t as insane as it sounds. The Atlantic’s historic take suggests that hot beer was actually more popular than cold beer in the centuries before refrigeration. One pamphlet from 1641 insisted that drinking beer “hot as blood” could restore health, since the stomach worked like a cauldron according to medical knowledge at the time. An 1888 book argued, “When beer was the staple drink, morning, noon, and night, it was natural that our ancestors would prefer their breakfast beer warm and ‘night-caps’ flavoured.” Even Charles Dickens wrote about “the happy circumstances attendant upon mulled malt.”
So I did some Googling. A search for “mulled beer” returned half a million results, but a recipe highlighted by Bon Appetit caught my attention. It came from an 1891 bartending guide and basically sounded like a hot toddy made with beer:
Dissolve a spoonful of bar sugar in a little hot water in a mug, fill the mug with ale, grate nutmeg over the top and serve.
As I tend to do—often with questionable results—I improvised on the recipe. Instead of sugar, I used honey, and instead of nutmeg, I used cinnamon. I also added lemon because hot toddy. Since “ale” is such a broad class of beers, I also decided to get a mixed six-pack and experiment on my coworkers. The results were questionable, but amazingly, two of the mulled malt cocktails turned out to be pretty damn delicious. Here’s the breakdown, in some specific order.
Einstöck Icelandic White Ale
Hot damn, this was good. I’d read that steamy brews taste better when they’re made with a wheat beer or a white ale. This almost white-chocolatey ale from Iceland is delicious cold and downright heart-warming when hot. The lemon really brought out the citrus flavors, and it was the only hot beer that the Gizmodo staff universally enjoyed.
Budweiser
LOL. This was supposed to be the joke entry, but it was fucking fantastic. The watery soda beer ended up tasting a bit like hot apple cider with a curious malty finish. Seriously, amazing if you’re on a hot beer budget.
Two Roads Ol’Factory Pils
This is where things get iffy. Long story short, the hoppy taste that gives beer a pleasant punch when it’s cold basically tastes like shit when it’s hot. The sweet aromas from the honey and lemon make for good sniffing, but once you toss it back, there’s a bitter aftermath. The Two Roads wasn’t too bad. But it wasn’t too good either.
Firestone Double Jack Double IPA
This elegant double IPA was perhaps the most interesting warm beer cocktail—not necessarily in a delicious way, though. The complexity of the brew really made this a head scratcher, but nobody at Gizmodo could stomach more than a sip. This is the thinking man’s or woman’s hot beer.
Coopers Brewery Sparkling Ale
Australia’s fancy Budweiser wannabe didn’t taste so hot, literally. It tasted so barfy. So gross. So sad.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Source: Hot Beer
We had such an amazing time at the show this year , the Biggest and Best year to date!
The show was nothing short of spectacular and we are happy to have the pictures to prove it!
Take a look at our BeerFest 2015 gallery on our website here:
BeerFest 2015 Gallery
And on Facebook here:
BeerFest 2015 Facebook Gallery
Be sure to tag yourself and anyone you know!
We hope these pictures bring back some awesome memories for you. We will be back again next year with an even bigger and more amazing show! See you all in 2016!”
we will be back again next year with an even bigger and more amazing show! See you all in 2016!
Edmonton BeerFest truly outdid themselves for 2015. This year’s event was nothing short of spectacular and worth every penny.
We had an amazing line up of musical performers
- Lyra Brown
- Cadence & Nathan
- Rob Taylor
- The Moanin’ After
- Braden Gates
- Carrie Day
Thanks so much to our BeerSchool teachers who gave our Beer Gods a great treat
- David Ort
- Patrick McMurray
- Erick Rosende
Special thanks to our amazing sponsors:
If you missed Edmonton BeerFest 2015 not to worry, we will be back again next year with an even bigger and more amazing show!
See you all in 2016!”
“Stay tuned for some incredible photos from this years event!”
There’s so many types of beer out there that it can be tough to decide what you want to imbibe. This handy flow chart is here to help you with that.
This flow chart from Mike Newman at
Cool Material starts off with one of the most important questions when it comes to beer choice: are you looking to get drunk and don’t care about taste? From there, the chart asks plenty of helpful qualifying questions to help you decide between ten different major styles of beer. You’ll easily find out if you’re in the mood for an IPA, a Porter, or a light and crisp Pilsner. You spend all week stressing about stuff, don’t stress about your beer.
Source: Decide what style of beer to Drink
March 5, 2015
For the 10th year, the Edmonton International Beer Fest is returning, and like previous years, it’s bigger and better than ever.
This year, the event plays host to eight live bands, three beer instructors, and an estimated 25,000 attendees, something Sean Farmers, the owner and organizer of the event said seems like a far leap from the event’s humble beginnings a decade ago.
“We started at Dinwoodie lounge over at the University of Alberta. It went really well the first year, it sold out. We moved it to the Shaw Conference Centre, and it has grown immensely. Every year it grows and grows,” he said.
The event teaches people how to taste beer, how to pare it with food and how to properly appreciate the subtle differences in the roughly 300 different options available, but while the event could be considered a learning experience, Farmers said it leans more on the side of fun than academia.
“Beer is more than just beer. It is about the experience you have while you’re drinking it. You can appreciate it, you can try a bunch of different things. You can home in on the things you like,” he said.
“People aren’t going to turn their nose up at you if you don’t know anything. The whole idea is to take a traditional trade show, and combine it with a craft beer festival. There’s lots of education, there are about 300 different types, if not more.
“Over and above that, we have eight local bands, we try to support local music, and we have a craft beer village. It’s lots of local stuff, stuff that you can only get here.”
Adding to the festivities is the event’s beer school, which features three teachers, all sporting impressive resumes.
For food fans, an Amazon best-selling author, David Ort, will be on hand. Ort, who penned Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook, is an expert in pairing beer with food. His sessions will be called Beer 101.
For fans of seafood, the shucker king will be in attendance. Patrick McMurray, known as Shucker Paddy, and the record holder for shucking oysters, is also a beer fanatic. He will be teaching people how to pair and shuck at the festival’s beer school.
Farmers said having people like this in attendance is important because the festival is about more than just throwing back a few beers, it’s about the experience.
With that said, the main attraction is still, of course the beer.
“There’s lots of exciting things we incorporate. There’s an on-site liquor store,” Farmers said. “If people find something they like, they don’t have to find where to buy it. They can buy a six-pack and have it with their friends.”
Source: International Beerfest celebrates tenth anniversary
1. Beer drinkers live longer
Moderate drinking is good for you, and beer is good for moderate drinking. Everyone knows that if you drink too much, it’s not good for you. Let’s not pull punches: If you’re a drunk, you run into things, you drive into things, you get esophagealcancer, you get cirrhosis and other nasty conditions. But more and more medical research indicates that if you don’t drink at all, that’s not good for you either. According to numerous independent studies, moderate drinkers live longer and better than drunks or teetotalers. Beer is perfect for moderate drinking because of its lower alcohol content and larger volume compared with wine or spirits. And as that old radical Thomas Jefferson said, “Beer, if drank with moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health.” And he didn’t need a scientific study to tell him that.
2. Beer is low in calories, low in carbohydrates and has no fat or cholesterol
For a completely natural beverage, beer offers serious low-calorie options. Twelve ounces of Guinness has the same number of calories as 12 ounces of skim milk: about 125. That’s less than orange juice (150 calories), which is about the same as your standard, “full-calorie” beer. If beer were your only source of nutrition, you’d have to drink one every waking hour just to reach your recommended daily allowance of calories (2,000 to 2,500). And nobody’s recommending you drink that many. The only natural drinks with fewer calories than beer are plain tea, black coffee and water. Surely, beer is loaded with those fattening carbohydrates, right? Wrong again. The average beer has about 12 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving. The U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance is 300 grams of carbohydrates in a standard 2,000-calorie diet. In other words, you would need to drink an entire 24-pack case of beer – and then reach into a second case – simply to reach the government’s recommended daily allotment of carbohydrates. You’re better off munching an apple or drinking some soda pop if you want to carbo-load. Each has about 35 to 40 grams of carbs – three times the number found in a beer. Also, beer has no fat or cholesterol.
3. Beer improves your cholesterol
Beer not only has no cholesterol, it can actually improve the cholesterol in your body. In fact, drinking beer regularly and moderately will tilt your HDL/LDL cholesterol ratios the right way. You’ve got two kinds of cholesterol in your system: HDL, the “good” cholesterol that armor-plates your veins and keeps things flowing, and LDL, the “bad” cholesterol that builds up in your veins like sludge in your bathtub drain. Beer power-flushes the system and keeps the HDL levels up. According to some studies, as little as one beer a day can boost your HDL by up to 4 per cent.
4. Beer prevents heart attacks
If you want to get a bit more cutting-edge than vitamins, beer has other goodies for you. You’ve heard of the French Paradox, how the French eat their beautiful high-fat diet and drink their beautiful high-booze diet and smoke their nasty goat-hair cigarettes, but have rates of heart disease that are about one-third that of the rest of the world? It’s been credited to red wine and the antioxidants it contains. Hey, guess what else has lots of antioxidants, as many as red wine? Dark beer! According to the American Heart Association, “there is no clear evidence that wine is more beneficial than other forms of alcoholic drink.” One study profiled in the British Medical Journal in 1999 said that the moderate consumption of three drinks a day could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 24.7 per cent.
5. Beer helps you chill
The social aspects of moderate drinking are solidly beneficial to your health. In other words, to get out every now and then and relax with your buddies over a couple of beers.
So that’s it. Drink beer. You’ll live longer and be happier. You won’t get fat. In fact, you may weigh less. You’ll boost your metabolism, improve your health and reduce your risk of clogged arteries, heart attack and cancer. What more could you want?
Source: Reasons beer is not bad for you
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Beer makes men smarter.
So say researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
They found that men with a couple beers under their belts were actually better at solving brain-teasers than their sober counterparts.
To reach that surprising conclusion, the researchers devised a bar game in which 40 men were given three words and told to come up with a fourth that fits the pattern.
For example, the word “cheese” could fit with words like “blue” or “cottage” or “Swiss.”
Half the players were given two pints. The other half got nothing.
The result? Those who imbibed solved 40% more of the problems that their sober counterparts.
Also, the drinkers finished their problems in 12 seconds while it took the non-drinkers 15.5 seconds.
“We found at 0.07 blood alcohol, people were worse at working memory tasks, but they were better at creative problem-solving tasks,” psychologist Jennifer Wiley reported on the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (FABBS) site.
Wiley conceded that her findings run counter to popular belief that alcohol hinders analytical thinking and muddies the mind.
“We have this assumption, that being able to focus on one part of a problem or having a lot of expertise is better for problem solving,” says Wiley. “But that’s not necessarily true. Innovation may happen when people are not so focused. Sometimes it’s good to be distracted.”
It may also help explain why raving drunks like Ernest Hemingway, John Cheever or Charles Bukowski were able to write their books.
“Sometimes the really creative stuff comes out when you’re having a glass of wine over dinner, or when you’re taking a shower,” Wiley said.
DRINKING IN MODERATION TIP
Researchers also found that men are more likely to solve a problem when working in groups of three rather than two.
“In groups of two, we tend to be more polite, not to confront or ask questions,” Wiley said. “But when you respond to a question in a group of three, you’re not confronting, you’re speaking up for the whole group.”
Source: Study conducted says Beer makes men smarter
If beer only conjures up images of frat boys pounding cans of the cheap stuff or doughy sports fans reveling in the alcoholic refreshment before, during, and after a big game, think again. Beer has come a long way, baby, and many of the preconceived notions about the beverage are decidedly unfair, as evidenced by the following 11 fabrications.
1. BEER SHOULD BE SERVED “ICE COLD.”
All of those neon ice cold beer signs are actually bad news for beer drinkers. To properly enjoy their beer, it should be served at 44 degrees Fahrenheit (with a little leeway depending on the type of beer you’re drinking—a barrel-aged Stout, for example, should be served only lightly chilled). The reason is that taste buds become dead to the taste of the drink when it is served any colder, which means you’re not really tasting anything or getting the most enjoyment out of your beer.
2. FROSTED BEER MUGS KEEP IT CLASSY.
Piggybacking on the falsehood that beer should be guzzled cold, it also shouldn’t be served in a frosted beer mug. Would you serve wine in a frosted glass? No (and if the answer is yes, there are no words…). An intensely cold beer mug will also numb your senses to the taste of the beer.
3. ALL DARK BEERS ARE HEAVY.
If you’ve been avoiding dark beers because you fear their intensity, you’ve been sorely misguided. “People naturally assume they are heavier,” says Hallie Beaune, a rep for Allagash Brewing Company and author of The Naked Pint: An Unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer. “I think it’s that connection to Guinness, which promotes itself as creamy and almost like a meal, that’s the feeling they give in their commercials. For a lot of people that’s the first dark beer they’ve had so they assume they’re all similar when, really, dark beers are just dark because of the roast level of the malt that’s used in the beer.”
4. GUINNESS IS INHERENTLY FROTHY.
Sure, Guinness is served all creamy and delicious-looking, but Beaune explains it has less to do with the beer itself and everything to do with the tap most stouts use, which has more nitrogen than the standard tap (generally a mix of nitrogen and CO2). To deliver all that frothiness, a stout faucet, which has a long, narrow spout, is used.
5. DRINKING BEER FROM THE BOTTLE IS THE BEST WAY TO ENJOY IT.
Sure, a bottle may look more refined than a can, but it’s still not the appropriate vessel. “Drinking beer from the bottle is another no-no, mostly because what you taste comes from your olfactory senses from your nose, so if you take a sip of something from that kind of bottle your nose isn’t participating at all,” says Beaune. “It’s too small for you to get a whiff of the beer. Just like if you were drinking red wine out of a wine bottle, you wouldn’t really be able to evaluate that wine.”
6. BEER IS TOUGH—YOU CAN STORE IT ANYWHERE.
Think again—all beer should be stored in a refrigerator. It responds best to cold, dark storage.
7. SKUNKY BEER IS JUST A CUTE NAME FOR BEER GONE BAD.
There is actually a reason why seemingly rancid beer is termed “skunky.” “Light can hurt beer—they call it lightstruck,” says Beaune. “The light interacts with the hops in beer (the four ingredients in beer are malt, water, hops and yeast), and it can actually have this chemical reaction that creates a smell that’s the same as a skunk gives off, which is why you hear about skunky beer.”
8. ALL BEER BOTTLES ARE CREATED EQUAL.
Darker bottles are important. Clear or green bottles may be pretty, but they’re not doing much to protect your beer from light. Dark beer bottles work best to help retain its intended flavor.
9. CANNED BEER MEANS CHEAP BEER.
Cans are actually a great way to protect beer, but in the old days they would often give the beverage an aluminum taste. “Most of the cans the craft breweries are using nowadays have a water-based liner so the beer isn’t actually touching the aluminum,” says Beaune. “It can be really good for beer. Cans heat up and cool down very quickly, too, so you obviously want to keep them cold.”
10. BEER IS SIMPLER THAN WINE.
You’ve got your four ingredients—malt, yeast, water and hops—what could be more basic than that? Manipulating those ingredients in various ways will give you different varieties, but breweries are doing some really cool stuff by adding flavors you’d never dream would work so well in beer. “A lot of the flavor in beer comes from the malt or the hops or yeast, but then there’s all of this freedom in beer,” says Beaune. “We did a beer at Allagash called Farm to Face, which is a pretty tart and sour beer. We added fresh peaches to it from a local farm. You can’t do that with wine—you can’t add peaches. People add everything you can imagine to beer like pineapple, coconut, every fruit—there are no rules. That’s one of the fun things about beer, it’s a lot like cooking, you can add rosemary, you can add whatever you want. Everybody experiments. It keeps the beer world really interesting.”
11. BEER WILL GIVE YOU A BEER BELLY, COCKTAILS WON’T.
Sure, anything in excess will contribute to weight gain, but beer is hardly the most calorie-laden drink you’ll find in a bar. Much of the flack beer gets (i.e. the “beer belly”) goes back to the fallacy that beer is particularly heavy. “Most glasses of wine are pretty high in alcohol and a lot of cocktails are way higher in calories,” says Beaune. “If you drink a margarita that’s one of the highest calorie things you can drink.”
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Source: Common Misconceptions about Beer
The thought of one person walking around the grounds of beer festivals for a couple of days and objectively telling you what the “top” or “best” beers are is blatantly absurd. There are hundreds of beers to sample through, and the fact that everyone’s tastes are distinct makes it even more difficult to come up with a list of beers.
And yet, among the greatest joys of attending a beer festival is being able to sample different things and reflect on your discoveries and preferences afterward. With that in mind, you should certainly try the following craft beers during the next festival and see if they make it to your favorites list.
1. 3 Minutes to midnight
An Imperial Stout beer with 10% alcohol content by Bellwoods Brewery, this beer is aged with tart cherries for three months to give it rich and complex notes of tart fruit, roast malt, and bitter chocolate.
2. Fermium House Ales
Brewed by Bar Volo, this Black Imperial IPA with 7.5% alcohol content has a wonderful mix of mango, pine, and orange, as well as roasted malt and chocolate/
3. Red Tape Stout
Brewed by Indie Alehouse with 10% alcohol, this is a delicious, creamy stout with black color.
4. Witchshark
Another Imperial IPA but brewed by Bellwoods, this double IPA has 9% alcohol and combines an aggressively bitter and hoppy taste with juicy and fruity tones. It is deceptively smooth and consistently among the top beers in Canada.
5. Zombie Apocalypse
Another top brew by Indie Alehouse with 10% alcohol content, this is the kind of strong drink with a chocolatey, roasty, boozy feel.
6. Fangboner
A Brett IPA brew by Great Lakes that combines hops with Brettanomyces yeast to produce an appallingly brilliant bitter/funky hybrid that begs to be guzzled down.
7. Amsterdam Bar Hop Brett Bier de Garde
This all-brett IPA by Amsterdam is brewed with a different hop every time, though it maintains its dry bitterness with complex pineapple, mango flavors and notes of herbaceous grape. It has 6% alcohol content.
8. Coffee Porter
Brewed by mill Street, this is a nice, award-winning porter with 5.5% alcohol content. It is made with Balzac coffee.
9. 504 Pale Ale
Brewed by Liberty village, this is a refreshing and vaguely subtle IPA with 4.8% alcohol content that is meant to calm you after riding the dense route for which it is named.
10. Nutcracker Porter
Brewed by black Oak, this dark porter has 5.8% alcohol and notes of coffee, figs, cinnamon, and spice rounding.
This list is not conclusive, and with breweries introducing new drinks to the market, feel free to try out new entrants at the beer festival. They might just make it to the list next time.
Photo Credit: BlackOakBeer
Have you ever had the opportunity to visit a beer festival? There is something very unique about it that makes it an enjoyable experience. Even if you are not a beer lover you should try a festival out, as it will change your opinion of them. There are endless amounts of reasons to go, today we will explore a few of the more popular and more convincing arguments of why you should just drop everything and go.
The first reason you should go to a beer festival is to learn how to taste beer like an expert. Beer festivals often offer you the opportunity to participate in classes that teach you the proper tasting methods. Not only that they will provide the beer that will be tasted. This means that you will teach your palate the proper art of beer tasting! What can be better than that?
These festivals offer a wide variety of culinary booths or areas. These will teach you what foods to combine with certain beers and how to cook using certain types of beers. This will give you the opportunity to try and enjoy new foods as well as picking up a few recipes for that next party. Some of these festivals, especially those in the south, offer the best chili that you will ever try.
These gatherings are also one giant party. These festivals give you the opportunity to go out with friends or family to enjoy a new experience. Many people also make new friends at the festivals as well. There is ample opportunity to find people that have your same tastes or crave the same experiences. It also gives you something fun and new to do with the friends you already have.
Beer! What more could you ask for? These festivals are packed with beer. The prices are at acceptable levels. How many other festival do you know, that make it all about the beer. These festivals pride themselves in presenting their visitors with the best beers available as well as the tools to enjoy them.
More beer! Festivals include a great variety of breweries. These offer breweries from all across the country a chance to present their beers to the public. Many microbreweries go unnoticed or untried, as they are not experienced. These festivals will give you the opportunity to seek new varieties and possibly to find your new favorite beer.
It is important to get out and try new things. Beer festivals give people the opportunity to try not only new beers but also a new experience. A festival will be a fun environment where you can go and experiment new and undiscovered beers. This is only true if they are over the legal drinking age. This is a new opportunity to enjoy your pints and it should be tried at least once. However, be sure that once you have gone, you will most likely look for the next one in town.
Each year we aim to have the highest level of entertainment. This year is no different!
Check out our amazing musical line up for Beer Fest 2015, March 06- 07 at Shaw Conference Centre.
Lyra Brown
Born and raised in Edmonton, Lyra Brown’s innate ability for writing stories, poems and lyrics began at an early age. Raised in a family of musicians, there was no shortage of musical knowledge and inspiration in her household. At 16, she invested in a four-track recorder, which she has used to record and produce over 50 songs.
Lyra’s homemade recordings captivated local audiences and led to substantial opportunities in the music industry. For example, in March 2008, Lyra was asked to open for Metric’s Emily Haines at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Canada. Lyra has been showcased on CBC television, was named the winner of the 2009 Calgary Folk Fest Songwriting Competition, and has had countless songs played on CBC, CKUA, and CJSR.
Source: Lyra Brown
Photo Courtesy of Malorie Shmyr.
Cadence & Nathan
Cadence and Nathan are a sibling duo originally from Sudbury, Ontario and are now based in Edmonton, Alberta.
After dipping their toes into the Edmonton music scene (Cadence as a solo act, and Nathan accompanying various local bands), they decided to combine their musical talents and perform together.
A unique blend of pop, country, and folk, citing such musical influences as Evan Dando and Julianna Hatfield, the pair write songs that are both honest and poignant. With Cadence on acoustic guitar and Nathan playing dobro, their sound is a fresh take on the singer/ songwriter genre.
Source: Cadence & Nathan
Photo Courtesy of Erin Walker – Walker Photography
Rob Taylor
Rob’s artistic life began as an enthusiastic child eager to play his Aunt’s piano or hear his Grandfather play harmonica. Since then, his journey has been an inspiration for many great songs. He’s an expressionist whose presentation is full of sound and fury. He stands alone as a musical bard, reeling stories with a spontaneity guaranteed to captivate attention. Rob has also fused his guitar and vocal talents with Celtic, Rock and Blues ensembles.
Source: Rob Taylor
The Moanin’ After
The Moanin’ After, led by Edmonton-based songwriter Michael Dunn, goes to great lengths to recall a time when a few certain values still meant something to country music. Commitment to songwriting and musicianship. Honesty. Heart.
Their first record, Come On Out Back To The Shed Tonight, co-produced by Michael Dunn and Harry Gregg at Big Dreamer Sound in Edmonton, and released in May of 2013 helped bring Dunn, as the writer, to a larger audience.
Source: The Moanin’ After
Braden Gates
A born raconteur in both his songwriting and song introductions, he is often compared to a young Loudon Wainwright: for his similar grimacing as he hits the notes and the sharpness of his observation and sly humor. Drawn to those with a story to tell, Gates aims to communicate these stories in a way that brings people together – which is often the case in one of his intimate live shows. Gates’ second album, Ferris Wheel, is a combination of intricate guitar work, driving fiddle playing and honest story telling.
Source: Braden Gates
Carrie Day
Alberta based folk/roots singer-songwriter who has gained a reputation for her breathy vocals, poetic lyrics and skilled arrangements that channel raw emotion straight to the listener’s heart.
With a style of her own, Carrie Day’s sound may be described as a cross between Joni Mitchell and Cat Power. She is an emotionally charged artist with an exuberant stage presence, and a keen ability to capture listeners and warm their hearts. An introvert and shy by nature, Carrie’s songs showcase both her musical talents and her gift of reflection.
Source: Carrie Day
Photo Courtesy of Glenn Eilers
Even though I’ve never chased a sip of creamy beer with a a few squirts of cock sauce, I know Sriracha is going to make it better. Hot sauce makes everything better. Just to make sure, though, I poured myself a glass of Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout Beer.
Not that beer needs improving, mind you, it is a Fine and Good thing on its own. But I’m one of those uncultured eaters who puts hot sauce on everything (OATMEAL?!?!) so that my tongue can’t register flavor unless I’ve doused my meal in some caustic red stuff that measures death on the Scoville Scale.
Made by the free spirited brewers at Oregon’s Rogue Ale house, this brew is basically perfectly designed for me. I’m more of a pale ale guy, so I always find stouts a little flat and syrupy for my taste, and Rogue’s beer succeeds in kicking up the flavor to something a little more interesting.
When I first pulled the bottle out of the fridge it was a little too cold, I could only barely glean the spice in the aftertaste. As the beer warms up a little bit you can taste the bite all the way through.
Though my colleague Adam described the flavor as “like squeezing a Sriracha into a good porter,” I don’t entirely agree. Sriracha is wonderful stuff but the flavor isn’t exactly subtle, and I wouldn’t say the spice or flavoring totally overpowers the the stout. It’s got a nice tingle throughout.
Right now I’m about 3/4 of a way through a 750mL bottle, and I’m not regretting it at all. It’s a slow sipper of a beer-you don’t want to drink this too fast any more than you want to plow through a enchilada stuffed jalapeños and covered in green chili sauce. I’ve got another bottle under my desk, and I don’t know that I would necessarily want to dive in for another round. This is a nice novelty, but not a get drunk beer. Or even a drink multiple beer. This is a drink one beer, pound your chest two times, and move on to something else beer.
Even as I write this I can feel my heartburn kicking in. It hurts. I like it. Confirmed: Spicy beer is good.
Source: Hot Sauce Makes Everything Better, even Beer
Cinderella waltzes across a pillow. Alice In Wonderland sleeps on a shirt. Princess Anna smiles from a box of tissue.
Singer-songwriter Lyra Brown’s bedroom is adorned with some of her favourite characters from Walt Disney’s animated films, from Snow White to Frozen.
“I grew up with Disney and I think it’s important not to abandon things that inspired you in childhood just because you’re an adult,” says the 23-year-old Edmonton musician. “One of the main reasons I started singing was because of Disney. First, I would memorize Disney books on tape before I could read, and I’d sing the songs from there. Then, I’d watch the films over and over and over and over.”
With her long blond hair, tiny frame and wide blue eyes, Brown could easily be the model for Disney’s next heroine. The album cover of her just-released debut, The Language of Eyes, even features the musician as the star of her own fairy tale – with fiery eyelashes, a flock of moths and a tower with a Rapunzel-like braid flowing out the window.
Brown’s songs are almost as whimsical – 10 lilting piano numbers starring her acrobatic and innocent vocals – yet her lyrics hint at darker, heavier themes. Demons. Scrubbing toilets. First love. Abandonment. Trying (and failing) to learn the language of ‘I’ instead of always putting others ahead of yourself.
“Let your hair down, I want to save you,” she coos on Big Fish Too Soon. “All I want to do is comfort you and abandon myself again,” she swoons on As It Seems. “I used to sit and wait and drop everything if you happened to need me,” she confesses on Cheek & Bruise, which tackles the embarrassment of letting someone take you for granted.
Sounds like the plight of a Disney heroine, right? Brown won’t divulge specific details about her struggles, but admits they directly contributed to The Language of Eyes. “A lot was crumbling around me and you unconsciously believe that it’s your job to hold everybody up.”
“I was really good at being the strong one – and I think those songs are the result of me crumbling as I tried to hold everybody up. It feels very lonely when you have to put on this facade of strength and I think a lot of people can relate to that feeling. So that’s how I want to comfort people.”
Songwriting wasn’t always a comfort to Brown. She wrote her first tune when she was three – The Washing Machine Song – but didn’t seriously start working on lyrics until she was 13. “Very embarrassing. I only showed my cousin,” she laughs. “Songwriting was such a secret act, I didn’t want to tell anybody, but then I kind of came out of shell and started writing on guitar and piano when I was about 14.”
A year later, Brown played her first gig – at (the now defunct) B Scene Studios off Whyte Avenue. She also forged an online friendship with one of her musical heroes, Emily Haines of Metric, around the same time.
“I gave her a two-song EP I had recorded at B Scene Studios and we started emailing back and forth. She was very encouraging and showed belief in me right away. That really made an impact on me. We kind of lost touch as time went on, but I never stopped writing. So I think she was the catalyst. I owe a lot to her.”
Over the next few years, between 2009 to 2013, Brown developed a faithful following in Alberta, playing various folk festivals, radio shows and house concerts. But it wasn’t until Rawlco Radio stepped in with a $10,000 grant that Brown was able to record The Language of Eyes with Edmonton musician/producer Jay Sparrow and engineer Brad Smith at Red Panda Recorders. “I sent them 20, 30 songs and they were like: ‘OK, you’re beyond ready to do this’!” she laughs.
She’s ready to share her songs with the rest of the world – The Language of Eyes is now available on iTunes and she’s applying to play festivals across Canada. She’s also ready to face whatever struggles come her way in the future.
“If you use your pain for something creative, it’s never a bad thing. I’m sure I’m going to go through a lot more s—, too. It’s unavoidable – and it’s a blessing in disguise.”
Catch her performance Friday, January 23, 2015 at $7:30pm at The ARTery, 9535 Jasper Ave. Tickets only $15.00 at Yeglive.ca
Source: Concert Preview: Lyra Brown Musical Fairytale
Hoptimus Prime. Smooth Hoperator. Hoptical Illusion. If a brewer has the chance to make a hop pun (and odds are good, thanks to the hop boom), they’ll make it. But NPR’s The Salt says that the explosion of craft beer over the past decade has led to a legal problem:
There are no new names left.
Well, that’s not exactly the problem. As The Salt reported yesterday, name trends within the craft brewing community-think place names, hop names, and yes, plenty of puns-mean that more and more, brewers are accidentally naming their beers with the same name as other small brewers:
For example, when the brewers at Avery in Colorado and Russian River in California discovered that they each had a beer named Salvation, they met at an annual Colorado beer festival to talk it out. Vinnie Cilurzo, co-owner and brewmaster of Russian River Brewing Co., says that neither he nor Adam Avery knew who had coined the name. Nor were they particularly worried about it. Still, they took the opportunity to come to a clever compromise. They combined their beers in a blend and named it Collaboration Not Litigation.
They sound chill.
But not all brewers are so relaxed about their naming rights. The Salt mentions several other anecdotes in which brewers ended up in litigation-not only over names, but over actual art and logos, like the common celtic crosses seen on some beer labels.
The story is fascinating, and it highlights a big dilemma for small business owners: If these brewers don’t trademark their names, they’re left open to imitators. If they do trademark them, there’s still no guarantee they won’t be copied, whether intentionally or not. They’re left with a choice between expensive and time-consuming legal action, and turning the other cheek.
Source: Craft Brewers Have run out of New Names
Image via Shutterstock
Liquor Depot and Edmonton’s International Beer Fest are very happy to announce one of our guest speakers who will be making an appearance at this years beer festival! We are looking forward to having David Ort provide all of our beer connoisseurs some incredible insights on craft beer and suggested food pairings.
Every year we run our famous Beer School and always go out of our way to improve upon the one before. This year is no different and we will be unveiling more great news as we get closer to the event. Stay tuned to find out when and how to sign up for this incredible experience!
David Ort
David is based out of Toronto and has been writing about food and drink for more than 5 years. His first cookbook, published in 2013, is titled “The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook” and is full fantastic dishes with 75 incredible recipes that are designed to compliment and celebrate full flavored beer. His book was named one of the Globe & Mails top 20 cookbooks of the year and has spent more than 100 days on Amazon.com’s top 100 cookbooks listing.
David is a well known food, drink and travel writer who covers Toronto’s event, restaurant and retail scene for Post City Magazine.
You can check out more at http://davidort.com
Follow him on Twitter @ortdavid
Beer festivals are great after a few months of extreme cold, and not just because they give you an opportunity to drink outside. The Edmonton 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 beer festivals, you can literally drink as much as you want for just the entrance fee, and there can’t possibly be a better way for beer lovers to spend a few evening hours.
In order to enjoy beer fests, it is important that you take the necessary preparations. The following tips will help you survive massive beer events in 2015 and guarantee you a great time:
Eat prior to entering the festival
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 flights of beer.
Try to come close to drinking equal parts water and beer
If you have four two ounce servings of beer, try and drink that same amount of water before moving on to another flight of beer. Most festivals provide either bottled water or some other way of obtaining water specifically for this purpose. You will undoubtedly 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.
Have a list of beers and a plan
Almost all beer festivals provide lists of both breweries and the beers that they plan to bring along to vend at the festival. Get hold of that list and start planning what flights you might want to try. The Beer festivals also provide a site layout–this makes finding your favorites that much easier.
Make sure you actually taste the beers.
Too often attendees at festivals look at those festivals as a four hour kegger. To enjoy the festival 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
Exciting memories come flowing back when we look at the achievements of the past year, especially the incredible moments of the 2014 Edmonton Beer Festival. On the first day of the Beer Festival, April 4th, there were record crowds assembled to enjoy an incredible evening of musical performances, beer tasting, and BeerSchool, and the ecstatic mood was carried into the second day.
The organizers always look forward to providing the beer lovers with great entertainment, and they outdid themselves in 2014 with incredible musical performances. Among the performers where:
- The Dryland Band, known to bring the passion of a campfire ballad merged with the power of guitars, violin, sax, and tribal percussion
- The Orchard, whose sweet melodies hit number one on 790 CFCW’s Top Canadian Singles chart
- MitchMatic, a local multi-instrumental and former SONIC Band of the Month
- The Electric Religious, an extremely talented and energetic group of rock musicians
- Jessica Denise, a talented songwriter and classical vocalist with impressive piano chops, and
- Sean Brewer, a true Alberta folk/bluegrass/country phenomenon
A lot of work and effort goes into organizing an event like the Edmonton International Beer Fest, and nothing is quite as rewarding as when things exceed your expectations and someone acknowledges you for it. The feedback from exhibitors and attendees was positive, but even better was the recognition by everyone for a job well done. The Edmonton Beer Fest 2014 was recognized and awarded a Golden Fork Award for the “Best 2014 Beverage Event or Festival”.
The 2014 International Beer Fest was the best event yet, and there were amazing exhibitors who were recognized with awards under different categories, including favorite brews and best staff as follows:
- Favorite Lager – Yellowhead Brewery
- Most Innovative Product – Cuvee Bru by Big Rock
- Runner Up – Watermelon Apple by Boxer Beer
- Favorite Ale – Prohibition Scotch Ale by Big Surf
- Tied – Gypsy Tears Parallel 49
- Best Booth – Spider Beverage
- Runner Up – Steam Whistle
- Best Staff – Guinness Black by Diageo Canada
- Runner up – Parallel 49
The success is also attributed to the event sponsors: Liquor Depot, Boonstock, ESSC, TravelGurus, and North Sask River Keeper. It was an amazing show, check out a few pics of what happened at the Edmonton Beer Fest 2014 gallery our Facebook page. Ready for Beer Fest 2015? Get your Tickets Now!
Late fall brings us a preponderance of seasonal brews, from ciders to Christmas porters to Glögg. But one you may not have heard of-and one you should definitely try-is wet-hopped beer, which is suddenly popping up in taprooms and being written about in Bon Appetit. So what is it?
First of all, let’s talk about the hops. Hops are the flower of the hop plant-the resin-packed cones-and they look a little like green acorns. Their bitterness provides the counterpoint to the syrupy sweet flavor of malt, that crisp tang that evens the keel of your IPA boat. Many IPAs are made with hops that are dried and pelletized, while wet-hopped beers are added within hours of picking, still wet and fresh from the field-presenting an interesting dilemma for brewers located further than a day from the farm. Turns out, the hassle is worth it.
A Brief History of Hops
Hops weren’t always used in beer brewing-in the earliest days, brewers used all kinds of plants to flavor beer. According to this excellent Short History of Hops by beer historian Martyn Cornell, one early mention of the usefulness of hops comes from a surprising source: Abbess Hildegard von Bingen, the German mystic whose latin texts inform some of what we know about Medieval Europe.
In the 12th century, Bingen described how hops could be used to preserve liquids. And while it’s not clear when they were added to beer, German farmers were doing good business selling hops to brewers across Northern Europe by the 13th century.
Many of the modern hops we use today are mostly descended from breeding programs, many of them aimed at creating hops that were higher in resin content. Yes, resin is the stuff that creates that bitter, crisp taste, a bit like the resin of cannabis plants. American hops-the ones you’ll be tasting in wet hopped beers around these parts-are famous for their delicious resin-y goodness.
Often, the hop cones are picked and dried, then put into a kiln and turned into little pellets. As Bon Appetit explains in this great post, pelletized hops taste very different than their fresh-picked counterparts, just like dry herbs taste different than fresh ones.
But because fresh hops start to wilt very quickly after they’re picked, pelletized hops are the practical way for most brewers to make their beers-getting hops from the farm to the brewery in under 24 hours is a logistical nightmare for most breweries.
Moving Hops Across State Lines
So, considering the industrialization of the farming and brewing business over the last century, how did the idea of wet hop beer ever enter the picture? To find out, I called Jason Ebel, the co-founder of Two Brothers Brewing Company about 30 miles west of Chicago. Two Brothers makes a wet hop beer called Heavy Handed, and was one of the first breweries to try the technique from the Midwest-where access to hops, normally sourced from the Pacific Northwest and California, was anything but steady.
As Ebel told me, a friend on the West Coast described adding fresh-picked hops to a beer, and he had to try it. “Part of the fun of craft brewing is experimenting,” he says. “I thought, there’s got to be a way to try it here in the Midwest.” Back then, Two Brothers worked with a small Washington State hop farmer to source their hops-so Ebel called her up and asked if she’d be willing to “box them up right out of the field” and put them on an overnight truck.
The farmer was game, and the first shipment of wet hops packed in parkas made of ice packs to keep them fresh left the farm at 3PM and was already brewing in the Two Brothers’ batch by 8AM the next morning. So far so good. The next shipment was scheduled to arrive by truck the following morning for another batch-but strangely, it never arrived. By that afternoon, Ebel had scrapped the batch and given up hope. But late that afternoon, the UPS driver rolled into the lot and revealed that his haul had been opened and the ice packs removed. The hops were unusable.
What had happened? “Sorry it’s late,” the driver explained to Ebel, who cracks up recalling the story. “This got quarantined because they thought it was dope.”
That was in 2000, and much has changed about brewing culture since then. For one thing, hops moving across state lines are a far more common sight. Two Brothers is now in its 15th season of making Heavy Handed, and now grows the hops at a local farm in Pontiac, Illinois. Each six pack of the beer features three separate beers, each brewed with its own wet hop variety-Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook-and every year, the company hosts a day at the hop farm that begins with harvesting the cones and ends with dinner paired to the resulting beer.
So How Does It Taste?
There are now dozens of wet-hopped beers on the market, but keep in mind that wet-hop beers depend far more on the harvest process than conventional beers-so supplies of specific brews might not be as consistent as other IPAs. I tried the three I could get my hands on at my local shop, starting with Denver’s Great Divide Brewery, which makes its Fresh Hop Pale Ale with Pacific Northwest-grown hops.
Great Divide’s contribution to this (deeply empirical) taste test surprised me. I’d read so much about wet hops, I expected a razor-sharp bite of resin. But this leaf-colored beer taste more malty than hoppy at first, until I gave it a few more sips to sink in-then I noticed the earthy stuff everyone mentions when they describe fresh hops. It was more soil than grass, and I mean that in the best way possible.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was Lagunitas’ Born Yesterday Pale Ale, which they shipped to me within 24 hours of brewing-what the company calls a “birth record.” The Pale Ale uses Amarillo, Mosaic, and Equinox hops (“picked on the equinox itself, for all those astrology fans,” says the Lagunitas). It was with Born Yesterday that I really started to taste the grassy notes. In fact, they weren’t just notes, they were intense, blaring choruses. It was almost like tasting the green-stained smell of grass, crackling and fresh. It was delicious and overpowering.
Finally there was the Two Brothers’ Heavy Handed I’d heard so much about, which landed somewhere between the two. It was more like a layer cake of earthiness and crazy, bright citrus, like the bastard child of a rye and an IPA, with a crazy porter uncle. Ebel had described it perfectly by saying that wet hops add “an extra layer of depth,” adding “earthy, sometimes grassy” character to your IPA.
There was a surprisingly huge range between the three beers, which I had kind of expected to taste like double IPAs on steroids. That’s definitely not the case; wet-hopped beers are more of a way to taste the plants themselves, each with their own eccentricities, than a single style of beer. It’s way more fun that way, really, a bit more like wine-tasting for beer fans. Now get out there and drink some.
Source: Wet Hop Beer
It is BEERFEST TIME, so in celebration I thought we should have a list of drinking games. These will provide you with hours of fun and a MASSIVE headache. Enjoy!
Beer Pong
This is a classic game that can be played at the bar. The only materials needed are Plastic drinking cups and a Ping-Pong ball. The object of the game is to arrange the cups in the form of a pyramid so the tip is facing your opponent. Each team will arrange their cups to face the other team. . Once this has been done and each team is on the opposite end of the table, players will take turns tossing a Ping-Pong ball towards a cup on the other end of the table. The shot must be a direct one and the ball may not take a bounce. If the player succeeds in throwing the ball in the cup the other player must drink and empty that cup of its contents. The team or player that makes the other drink all of their cups first will win.
Flip, Sip, Strip
This is an easy game that can be played creating a fun environment. All players will need is a drink in their hands and one quarter or coin. The object of the game is to toss the coin into the air and while it is still in the air the player must call it. If the player guesses correctly he passes the coin on to his right. However if the player guesses incorrectly he must choose whether to drink a shot or strip an article of clothing. The game gets tricky because a player cannot pick the same thing twice in a row.
Boxing
This is a simple fast paced game that will end when one player pukes or quits. The game has two main players and 1 or two players in each corner to help their boxer out. Players will have a shot in front of them that will be their penalty if they get “hit”. Both players roll a die and the one that rolls the higher value “hits” their opponent. The player that has been “hit” will proceed to drink his shot and his team will rapidly refill the shot glass and they roll again. The game can be played in 30-second rounds and the object of the game is to move quickly and have multiple hits per round. The match is over when a player pukes or quits the game.
Quarters
The origin of this game is unknown; however the fun it can inspire is far from a myth. This game is best played with 3 or more players. The object of this game is to sit around a table with a glass in the center. Each player will take a turn to bounce the quarter on its side and try to get it to land inside the empty glass in the center. If a player manages to get the coin in the glass he will pick another player to drink. The amount will vary according to the rules and wagers set by each group. Making higher wagers and increasing the distance from where the bounce must occur can alter the game while making it more challenging.
Flip-Cup
The object of the game is to split into two teams, each with 3 to 4 people in them. Players will have a plastic cup that can have either beer or a shot in them; this will depend on each player. The object of the game is that players must begin in order and drink the content of their cup; they will then place the cup on the edge of the table and flip it. They must make the cup land upside-down, once this is done the next player may drink and flip their own cup. This game is played as a relay race; the first team to finish wins. The losing team can have additional drinks as penalties.
Images via http://www.drinkinggamezone.com/
TOP 20 BEER QUOTES OF ALL TIME
Alcohol drinking seems to produce some of the best quotes which are written by notable authors including Plato, Benjamin Franklin, Ron Burgundy, Jim Morrison and many more. Such quotes bring fun and can be used to convert serious situations into funny ones. Below is a list of some of the most memorable beer quotes of all time from around the world.
- Beer is a proof that God loves people and wants them to be happy – Benjamin Franklin.
- Whoever invented beer is a wise man – Plato.
- I would kill everyone in the room just for one drop of just a drop of quality beer – Homer Simpson.
- No doubt, beer is the greatest invention in the entire history of mankind. The wheel was also a great invention, but it does not go nearly as well with pizza as beer – Dave Barry.
- 24 hours a day and 24 beers in a case equals coincidence – Stephen Wright.
- Since everybody has to believe in something, I believe I’ll get another drink – W.C. Fields.
- May your glass always be full, and the roof over your head always strong. And may you be in heaven for half an hour before the devil realizes that you’re dead – Irish Toast.
- An intelligent man is sometimes forced to drink in order to spend time with fools – Earnest Hemingway.
- Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than what alcohol has taken out of me – Winston Churchill.
- Beer is the cause and solution of all the problems of life – Homer Simpson.
- God made years and dough, and loves fermentation just as he loves vegetation – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
- A quart of ale is enough meal for a King – Tufail Mehraj.
- You cannot be a real country minus beer and an airline – it is good to have a football team or nuclear weapons, but at least you should have beer – Frank Zappa.
- Do what you said you’d do drunk when you are sober, it will teach you to keep your mouth shut – Ernest Hemingway.
- A woman drove me to drinking yet I didn’t have the audacity to thank her – W.C. Fields.
- Beauty is in the hands of the beer holder – Anonymous.
- Not all chemicals are harmful. Without hydrogen and oxygen, which are chemicals, there would be no water, which is a vital ingredient in beer – Dave Barry.
- A non-drinker is a weak person, who succumbs to the who yields to the lure of denying himself pleasure.
- Women are like beer, they look and smell good, and you would step over your mother just to get one – Homer Simpson.
- Apparently beer contains the hormones of a woman, once you drink enough you can neither drive nor shut up – Tufail Mehraj.
