The Beer Thread

[Pomai]

We've previously discussed Heineken Light, Primo Beer, Beer Ice Cream, Banning Beer, Beer may cause Lung Cancer and a Beer Bear. But that's really just a sip of foam off top of the world's stein of BEERS!

Consumed in moderation, beer is a wonderful compliment when paired with certain foods. Or simply a flavorful way to relax. Overdone, and it can become a problem. But this thread is about the good attributes of beer, the oldest alcoholic beverages known to man.

Which style is your favorite? Ale, Lager, Malt, Lambic, Pale or Dark?

How do you prefer it served? Can, draft (keg) or bottle?

What's your favorite label(s)? Budweiser? Heineken? Kona Brew?

This past Pro Bowl weekend, we got to sample one we haven't tried before called Stella Artois, a lager made in Belgium.


Stella Artois

Very crisp, slightly dry, slightly bitter, but after a few sips it smooths out. Nice. This was the draft version, but I'd like to try the bottled version.

Safeway used to sell all kinds of imported labels by individual bottle, which was a great opportunity to sample all the interesting flavors. The most interesting one I remember is this one called Smoke Bavarian. It really had a smoked flavor. Wild.

Kona Brewing Company out in Hawaii Kai offers a sampler where you get to pick 4 of their 6 styles, served in 6 oz. glasses. My favorite is the Castaway IPA (India Pale Ale). Smooth, smooth smooth. Lots of "heart" to it.

Of course my girlfriend loved the Lilikoi Wheat Ale. You ladies and your "fruity" drinks.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: The Beer Thread

ice-cold heineken in the bottle (tap? blech)
ice-cold corona or tequiza with either lemon or lime (again, right from the bottle)

no other beer for me, no other way. I would rather stay sober than drink a brown bottle, a light beer, or a beer from a glass. Speaking of glass, fill it with some whisky I cannot pronounce with an ice water back. And no more than three per evening, thankyouverymuch. I am pro-buzz, anti-drunk.

[Hellbent]

Re: The Beer Thread

Which style is your favorite? Ale, Lager, Malt, Lambic, Pale or Dark?
YES

How do you prefer it served? Can, draft (keg) or bottle?
YES

What's your favorite label(s)? Budweiser? Heineken? Kona Brew?
YES



Okay, seriously. 1) Lambic or Stout. 2) Keg. 3) Chimay, Guiness, Cherry Wheat, Rasberry Hefeweisen, Moosehead, Rolling Rock. I used to be a liqour buyer, then a liqour seller. I've tried to make my own beers, but I need more practice.

[Fat Jeff]

Re: The Beer Thread

Which style is your favorite? Ale, Lager, Malt, Lambic, Pale or Dark?
For me, make it an ale, a red ale if you please...

How do you prefer it served? Can, draft (keg) or bottle?
I'd prefer draft but you better make it real cold no matter how you serve it...

What's your favorite label(s)? Budweiser? Heineken? Kona Brew?
These days I'm liking Deutches Black Butte Porter, Newcastle Brown Nut Ale, and just had it with lunch today...Sam Choy's Ehu Ale. (had to go visit my "mug" at Sam's BLC).

Also worth a mention, Samuel Adams Black Lager

[alohabear]

Re: The Beer Thread

Kadota's in Hilo used to import Foster's from Down under, not the Canadian Foster's ,but the real METAL can....pull top. That was one tasty beer.

[Kahalu'u Kid]

Re: The Beer Thread

My favorite has to be Asahi Super Dry, but only if its bottled and brewed in Japan. The one you get here is produced my Moulson in Canada, and it sucks. Recently I've been drinking Negra Modelo Especial (Mexican import), and also their dark beer version.

[Honoruru]

Re: The Beer Thread

I usually drink Heinekin or Grolsch, which are both from Holand, very similar in style. I'm comfortable with them, but I recently saw advertisements for Stella Artois. Never heard of it. But it's a Belgium beer (close to Holland, right?); and Belgium is known for good beer. How is it (the bottle version) anyone? I'm curious. I want to try it.

[Miulang]

Re: The Beer Thread

When I drink beer (rarely, because I'd rather be downing single malt Scotch!), it's usually a local microbrew, like Pyramid or Red Hook, or, when it's on sale, Longboard Ale from Kona Brewing Co. I used to like St. Pauli Girl and Guinness, but now I like Guinness in stew and not to drink out of a bottle.

Miulang

[LikaNui]

Re: The Beer Thread

Not much of a drinker (beer or anything else), but when I do, it's England's "Newcastle Brown Ale."
Ahhhhhh. Nectar of the gods.
Remember the band Humble Pie and their song "Thirty Days In The Hole"? One line said "Newcastle Brown, it'll sure smack you down."
Newcastle's website: http://www.newcastlebrown.com/ .

[craigwatanabe]

Re: The Beer Thread

This may sound really bad but I love MGD (Miller Genuine Draft/Draught whatever)

I used to like beers that went down like turpentine (Budweiser) but then a friend of mine turned me on to what I thought would be the crappiest beer known to man, a bottle of Miller!

But this is MGD and this is one smooth beer. Not too heavy and not too dry. Has all the taste of barley and hops I could want. Too much hops and the beer becomes to frothy and has a bouquet that can be overwhelming. Coor's is like that.

Does World Cafe still have that beer menu? You could buy a glass of beer from anywhere in the world. I remember I tried a beer from Germany that was served at room temperature and went down like molassas and was dark dark dark with lotsa sediment at the bottom of the glass. That was one potent yet smooth beer.

But for the afternoon unwind its MGD for me. I know I'm getting weak.

[alohabear]

Re: The Beer Thread

Is Lords and Ladies still open in Kailua? They had one hell of a selection and when you drank all on the list, you were made a Knight and put on the wall of fame. Their beer on tap was a classic, Killian's Red.

[Kelly0040]

Re: The Beer Thread

This is pretty much the order of my favorite beers.

My favorite beer: Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest
My favorite beer at an Irish Pub: Smithwicks
My favorite beer at a restaurant: Newcastle (or Sam Adams)
My favorite fruit beer: Lindemans Frambois Lambic
My favorite fruit beer that doesn't taste like juice: Pyramid's Apricot Ale

But even though those are my favorite beers, I'll drink a hefeweisen most often - Sierra Nevada Wheat if I see it (which is super rare), otherwise I'll drink whatever wheat is on tap unless it's Hoegaarden, which I think tastes like dirty laundry. Actually, I'll drink anything from Chico, Ca, cept I'm not really a fan of SN Pale Ale - last time we were at The Willows, they had SN Brown Ale and that made my week. Melborn Bros make really nice fruit beers. Right up there with Lindemans. I'll drink ciders - pear cider is sooo yum.

My husband is a Guinness fan. He'll drink Newcastle, Murphy's, Smithwick's. Young's Double Chocolate Stout is a yumfest.

Beers we won't touch with a 10-foot pole: Purple Haze, Flemish beers.

We used to brew our own beer til we moved here - he's still looking for a small, used chest freezer to continue his hobby.

We used to do this beer tour when we lived in Columbus. But now, since we live out here, we have to squeeze that list into 2 nights when we visit. Every year, we head to Columbus where his drinking buds (5-6 of us total) come out and we try to finish the 100 beers before the weekend's over. We don't always make it, but we come reeeaallll close. This year's trek is next month! woohoo!

[Pomai]

Re: The Beer Thread

Not much of a drinker (beer or anything else), but when I do, it's England's "Newcastle Brown Ale."
Ahhhhhh. Nectar of the gods.

Common', You? Not a beer drinker? A mariner that doesn't drink beer breaks the "code of conduct"!

Craig, World Cafe closed years ago. They moved from Restaurant Row to a warehouse space behind Nimitz Business Plaza (Eagle Cafe). Then new owners took over, renaming it "Volcanoes Nightclub", which has also closed.

A note on Kona Brewing Company is that you can only order their own label at that place. No other brands. Smott' buggahz.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: The Beer Thread

when you care enough to send the very best:

www.beer.trash.net

beats the heck out of some insipid bluemountain e-card...

[reineke]

Re: The Beer Thread

Belgium is the place to go to try different sorts of beer. That and frites. Yum. More different kinds of beer per square mile than any other place in the world. Stella Artois is a mainstream European lager. Worth trying, but remember it's as exotic as Heineken
It should be served at 4-6C I believe - colder than most beers in any case. Now, you might ignore serving suggestions with some other beers but don't try it with this one. It's positively unpleasant if not chilled properly. If I remember well the bottle has a little thermometer indicator telling you if the beer is cold enough. Darn it, I'm getting thirsty.

I usually drink Heinekin or Grolsch, which are both from Holand, very similar in style. I'm comfortable with them, but I recently saw advertisements for Stella Artois. Never heard of it. But it's a Belgium beer (close to Holland, right?); and Belgium is known for good beer. How is it (the bottle version) anyone? I'm curious. I want to try it.