The Beer Stop (Beer thread)

EKIMIKE

Just like the 'beer stop' follows the 'cake stop' on a good Sunday run, The Cake Stop needs a good general beer thread.

We've had an entire thread on Belgian stuff in Pro Race but lets go 'general beer' here. We've also had the wine thread which actually turned out to be an investment thread. Plus it turns out wine lovers like to give themselves a funny name which sounds like there should be a naughty-register involved... So no BS, please. I promise this thread has no veiled pretence.

Anyway, it's an interesting time for beer. Some say it's the new wine. 'Craft beer' has gone crazy in the U.S. and over here there is BrewDog going national on a chain of eponymous bars selling beers from all across the globe as well as their own. Is it just a fad, another load of ponsey old rubbish that we'll all get tired of hearing about (like the f**king foodies)? Or are the beer lovers amongst us just excited about sampling some new brews? Same goes for those who might not have ventured beyond the ubiquitous big-brand lagers for fear of ordering something that tastes like one those very big-brand lagers, except it's warm, flat and tastes like it's probably been sat on a table in the corner for a few days.

What do you like to drink?

What don't you like to drink?

What would you like to try?

Do you give a toss about the whole craft vs macro brew thing? Does it even matter?

Anyway, Beer...

BelgianBeerGeek

"Do you give a toss about the whole craft vs macro brew thing? Does it even matter?"

Nope. There is just good beer, then the rest. And it's all subjective.

Mmmm....beer

EKIMIKE

Amen to that!

simonhead

I love beer, nothing wrong with a pint of cold lager on a hot day but its normally starts off so cold it has no taste, rapidly warms up is then acidic and tinny. Give me a nice ale anyday of the week. I am 33, started drinking real ale at about 15 and seemed to bypass the alcopop and cider stages of teenage inebriation.

Dont really get the craft v macro thing, its purely beer snobbery.

I love Ascot Ales - Anastasia and Cob, Woodfordes Wherry and Surrey Hills Shere Drop. Wherever I am I will try and try the local brew.

Cant stand beers like Blue Moon, tastes like mixing Kia Ora and double diamond and not keen on sweet tasting beer.

I have in my mind an East Anglian brewery road trip, sampling ales in pubs and visiting the Norwich Beer Festival.

mrbrightside

simonhead wrote:

I love beer, nothing wrong with a pint of cold lager on a hot day but its normally starts off so cold it has no taste, rapidly warms up is then acidic and tinny. Give me a nice ale anyday of the week. I am 33, started drinking real ale at about 15 and seemed to bypass the alcopop and cider stages of teenage inebriation.

Dont really get the craft v macro thing, its purely beer snobbery.

I love Ascot Ales - Anastasia and Cob, Woodfordes Wherry and Surrey Hills Shere Drop. Wherever I am I will try and try the local brew.

Cant stand beers like Blue Moon, tastes like mixing Kia Ora and double diamond and not keen on sweet tasting beer.

I have in my mind an East Anglian brewery road trip, sampling ales in pubs and visiting the Norwich Beer Festival.

Now amen to that! I'm 31 and like nothing greater then a pint of woodfordes wherry out in the wilds of Norfolk. Adnams do a brewery tour as do woodfordes with their own pub on site. Probably circa 60 miles between the two if you cycle along the coast from southwold and then inland via the Norfolk broads - that's stage one sorted, let me know when we begin!

simonhead

MrBrightside wrote:

simonhead wrote:

I love beer, nothing wrong with a pint of cold lager on a hot day but its normally starts off so cold it has no taste, rapidly warms up is then acidic and tinny. Give me a nice ale anyday of the week. I am 33, started drinking real ale at about 15 and seemed to bypass the alcopop and cider stages of teenage inebriation.

Dont really get the craft v macro thing, its purely beer snobbery.

I love Ascot Ales - Anastasia and Cob, Woodfordes Wherry and Surrey Hills Shere Drop. Wherever I am I will try and try the local brew.

Cant stand beers like Blue Moon, tastes like mixing Kia Ora and double diamond and not keen on sweet tasting beer.

I have in my mind an East Anglian brewery road trip, sampling ales in pubs and visiting the Norwich Beer Festival.

Now amen to that! I'm 31 and like nothing greater then a pint of woodfordes wherry out in the wilds of Norfolk. Adnams do a brewery tour as do woodfordes with their own pub on site. Probably circa 60 miles between the two if you cycle along the coast from southwold and then inland via the Norfolk broads - that's stage one sorted, let me know when we begin!

Norwich Beer Festival starts 28th of October, so how about starting then?

BelgianBeerGeek

simonhead wrote:

MrBrightside wrote:

simonhead wrote:

I love beer, nothing wrong with a pint of cold lager on a hot day but its normally starts off so cold it has no taste, rapidly warms up is then acidic and tinny. Give me a nice ale anyday of the week. I am 33, started drinking real ale at about 15 and seemed to bypass the alcopop and cider stages of teenage inebriation.

Dont really get the craft v macro thing, its purely beer snobbery.

I love Ascot Ales - Anastasia and Cob, Woodfordes Wherry and Surrey Hills Shere Drop. Wherever I am I will try and try the local brew.

Cant stand beers like Blue Moon, tastes like mixing Kia Ora and double diamond and not keen on sweet tasting beer.

I have in my mind an East Anglian brewery road trip, sampling ales in pubs and visiting the Norwich Beer Festival.

Now amen to that! I'm 31 and like nothing greater then a pint of woodfordes wherry out in the wilds of Norfolk. Adnams do a brewery tour as do woodfordes with their own pub on site. Probably circa 60 miles between the two if you cycle along the coast from southwold and then inland via the Norfolk broads - that's stage one sorted, let me know when we begin!

Norwich Beer Festival starts 28th of October, so how about starting then?

Don't forget to visit the Fat Cat (numerous other hostelries are available in what is probably the best beer drinking town in Britain).

EKIMIKE

Oooh it's like a beer related dating agency. Two 30 something real ale lovers looking for companionship. Beautiful. I hope you two flourish together as one!

Has anyone got The Oxford Companion to Beer? I don't really know anything about beer, except that I like it... quite a lot. I just want to know what the various terminology means. Garrett Oliver, the editor, seems a pretty interesting bloke from a few vids on youtube that i've seen. Some of the history is kinda fascinating. Is the book worth my pennies?

Oh and it's interesting to see (so far) that no-one really gives a toss about the craft v macro thing, contrary to what the endless column inches would suggest. Personally I don't give a damn who brews it - so long as it's tasty. Anyway, trying to be virtuous in the world of beer is surely a mugs game when the Trappist stuff is basically as close to 'beer brewed for charity' as you can get?

simonhead

EKIMIKE wrote:

Oooh it's like a beer related dating agency. Two 30 something real ale lovers looking for companionship. Beautiful. I hope you two flourish together as one!

Has anyone got The Oxford Companion to Beer? I don't really know anything about beer, except that I like it... quite a lot. I just want to know what the various terminology means. Garrett Oliver, the editor, seems a pretty interesting bloke from a few vids on youtube that i've seen. Some of the history is kinda fascinating. Is the book worth my pennies?

Oh and it's interesting to see (so far) that no-one really gives a toss about the craft v macro thing, contrary to what the endless column inches would suggest. Personally I don't give a damn who brews it - so long as it's tasty. Anyway, trying to be virtuous in the world of beer is surely a mugs game when the Trappist stuff is basically as close to 'beer brewed for charity' as you can get?

You know what they say, beauty being in the eye of the beer holder and all that. Wouldnt mind a bit of this though

Bozman

If you like beer go to Derby the real ale capital of the country, you're spoilt for choice with plenty of good real ale pubs. Camra have even moved the national beer festival there next year.

mrbrightside

simonhead wrote:

MrBrightside wrote:

simonhead wrote:

I love beer, nothing wrong with a pint of cold lager on a hot day but its normally starts off so cold it has no taste, rapidly warms up is then acidic and tinny. Give me a nice ale anyday of the week. I am 33, started drinking real ale at about 15 and seemed to bypass the alcopop and cider stages of teenage inebriation.

Dont really get the craft v macro thing, its purely beer snobbery.

I love Ascot Ales - Anastasia and Cob, Woodfordes Wherry and Surrey Hills Shere Drop. Wherever I am I will try and try the local brew.

Cant stand beers like Blue Moon, tastes like mixing Kia Ora and double diamond and not keen on sweet tasting beer.

I have in my mind an East Anglian brewery road trip, sampling ales in pubs and visiting the Norwich Beer Festival.

Now amen to that! I'm 31 and like nothing greater then a pint of woodfordes wherry out in the wilds of Norfolk. Adnams do a brewery tour as do woodfordes with their own pub on site. Probably circa 60 miles between the two if you cycle along the coast from southwold and then inland via the Norfolk broads - that's stage one sorted, let me know when we begin!

Norwich Beer Festival starts 28th of October, so how about starting then?

Suits me, a multistage event with a difference. Southwold, Adams tour / woodfordes / Norwich beer fest plus other legs.

Bring out the auduax bike and soks and saddles...

verylonglegs

I was in the Woodfordes brewery pub, the Fur and Feather, for dinner lastnight..good food as well as good beer. I was driving though so missed out on the liquid delights

nevman

Bozman wrote:

If you like beer go to Derby the real ale capital of the country, you're spoilt for choice with plenty of good real ale pubs. Camra have even moved the national beer festival there next year.

Hic.I`ll drink to that.
Try Hartington and anything from Leatherbritches brewery.
http://www.derbyshirebrewers.co.uk/

laurentian

I love beer me.

Real ale is my tipple of choice and my "usual" at the local changes about every 6 - 12 months. Prefer beers under 4% - session beers basically. As others have said, don't really give a toss whether macro or micro breweries although I enjoy trying beers that are as local as possible - my tipple of choice at the moment is brewed about 3 miles from my local.

I do find it one of the most amazing aspects of our evolution that, whatever country, creed or culture (well almost) is visited, they have their own beer . . . when away, it usually doesn't take me long to get used to it.

Frank the tank

Real ale for me, not one for lagers etc.

TheCoo'sTail

Guinness for me, that and anything from the Orkney Brewery. I like the odd Timothy Taylor's Landlord too. Henry Westons Cider in the summer.

antlaff

Guinness from here

http://goo.gl/maps/GVNOa

pinno

Yes, drink beer - I was told once by a Geordie that you should never eat on an empty belly.

ethanhayes

Love beer, all sorts of beer.
Could not stand the stuff a year ago, now I'm drinking with breakfast!
I'm only 20, so I've only had 2 years to sample beers (and as I said, didn't really enjoy it until recently).
My favorite larger is a mass produced Japanese larger brewed in Bedford. Kirin Ichiban, surprisingly flavorsome. Some good local ales around here as well.

I like a good cider, but I can not stand that crap like strongbow or magners. It's utter shite.
Going to turn my hand at making my own batch next year I think.

EKIMIKE

ethanhayes - I like a tastey lager too, especially on a hot day. If you haven't tried them already then you should find plenty of supermarkets selling Budweiser Budvar (the original Budweiser from the Czech Republic) and Pilsner Urquell. The larger Tesco's will do Krombacher too, a German lager. All far tastier than the Fosters, Stella's, Bud's and Peroni's of this world.

I'm only 22 myself. So much beer, but luckily plenty of time to try a few yet.

ballysmate

I sometimes pass a pub, The Swan, on my ride that prides itself on real ales and traditional ciders. They usually stock around 10 ciders, ranging from 4% abv to 7.5%. When you order , the barman scurries off down the cellar and returns with your cider, having had to pour by hand. It is as flat as a witch's tit, not like the lucozade you get from the pull such as Strongbow or Blackthorn. Damn good though.
As I said, sometimes I pass the pub, other times...... I don't.

BelgianBeerGeek

Nice warm weather at the weekend, so was time for some wheat beer.
German to start with - a couple of Weihanstephaner Weiss. The some Belgian wit from St Bernardus and Struise.
Chill well before quaffing on a hot day. The perfect quencher.
Do not under any circumstances add lumps of fruit.

neilrobins

Blue Bird- Coniston Brewery session beer for all weather

muffin top

There are only two things I have to say about beer

1. Current favourite is Blacksheep Best Bitter (3.8%)
2. After 2 or 3 pints I get this crazy urge to drink all the beer in the world, not stopping until it's all gone. This always ends messy.