I was going to comment on that but to be fair now we get the imported stuff on tap and not a inferiour one made for the British pallet - which was frankly weak piss water.
Wetherspoons stock the good Polish and Czech bottles along with a few others that are nice if you're in the mood. Dutch and Russian ones also.
I've tried plenty of German and Polish lagers, a few Dutch ones, one Czech one (Budvar), but never any from Russia yet.
Personally, I find there is more variation in taste between ales, than there is for lagers.
It sounds just like the trip me and MrsKJ did by sleeper train via Ostend, ditto the Oktoberfest. You're too cynical.
I've done that trip from Ostend to Stuttgart (and back) quite a few times. I'm not 100% sure of the differences between the D219 and D218 services, but sometimes the same service would consist of two separate trains, with the second train running about 30 minutes behind the other (first train). Guess what mother and I did? Luckily, we got on the first train, so alighted at Koln and waited for the second one to arrive.
Anyway. Back to beer. I must admit I'd like to go back to the Oktoberfest one day, but at least I've been. I've drunk all sorts of German lagers, the vast majority bottled, but also in a fair few pubs. One of my uncles is a bit of a lager connoisseur. (*)
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Trappist beers yet (or have they?)
I've recently come back from a weekend in Brugge.
I'll never ever drink Carling, Fosters, Calsberg etc again.
Give me Kwak, Brugge Zot, Trapist, Leffe Blonde any day of the week!
I always find those mass marketed lagers have a kind of chemical taste to them. Carling particularly is the worse tasting of all. Budweiser has a weird taste probably because they use rice in the brewing process as well.
Love a bit of ale, but it's summer now, so tend to drink bottled lager or cider.
I'm on a mission to drink as many different bottled ales as I can, but I'm only getting through a couple a week (trying to cut down). Currently up to 62...
I know Guinness is popular in Africa and the Carribean. Is it brewed here and exported or do they have breweries over there?
Diageo exports what could be called the essence of Guinness (a dark treacle like brewing agent) that the overseas breweries use to produce the black stout.
I always find those mass marketed lagers have a kind of chemical taste to them. Carling particularly is the worse tasting of all. Budweiser has a weird taste probably because they use rice in the brewing process as well.
I had the misfortune to be at an event where the bar had a choice between an obnoxious keg bitter and Fosters lager. Fosters is truly the most disgusting drink I've ever tasted, like drinking liquid tin.
Actually, I've had to amend this, because I've just remembered an encounter with Green Devil, a beer produced by Oakham Ales, which is actually my favourite brewery. It was so over hopped that it made me feel physically sick and I had to order a pint of Guinness in an attempt to get the foul taste out of my mouth.
I was told that Guinness was also brewed in London over 20 years ago, so times have obviously changed.
Guinness was brewed at Park Royal in north London for decades but it site was closed down in about 2004. Back then you could easily taste the difference between the Guinness made in London and the proper stuff from Dublin.
I love real ales, I find it strange when people say they don't like real ale as there's such a large variety. I like most ales, from pale ale, stout, wheat beer, golden ales, amber ales, bitters etc etc. They're all so different.
It's hard to pick a favourite, we're lucky have some great local breweries that do good stuff. Whenever I go to a decent pub I try to have something I've not had before. I use the UnTappd app to rate and log beers, I've been using it for around a year and I'm up to around 150 different beers.
It's like drinking a sort of bland, flat apple juice or something.. not least because ale isn't usually served cold and isn't carbonated enough for my liking.
Give me a refreshing, ice cold, continental lager any day of the week.
I'll just qualify that by saying obviously Fosters or Carling doesn't constitute a good lager. I'm talking Heineken and Peroni etc.
You don't seem to understand. Ireland, as an island, is part of the British Isles. Yes, it's a Sovereign State, but one that resides within the British Isles, ergo Guinness could be classed as a British drink.
So, could someone born in Dublin be classed as British?
It's hard to pick a favourite, we're lucky have some great local breweries that do good stuff. Whenever I go to a decent pub I try to have something I've not had before. I use the UnTappd app to rate and log beers, I've been using it for around a year and I'm up to around 150 different beers.
Yes, there's nothing better than walking into a new pub and finding a selection of local ales. There's nothing worse than finding a choice of Fosters and John Smiths Smooth.
Yes, there's nothing better than walking into a new pub and finding a selection of local ales. There's nothing worse than finding a choice of Fosters and John Smiths Smooth.
There is something worse than that. Walking into a pub, seeing a row of pumps with interesting names; asking for them one by one only to be told that they are all off but "We've got Smooth".
Guinness is from the Republic of Ireland, which is a sovereign state and is not part of Britain at all. Guinness is an Irish drink, not a British drink.
It's Diageo anyway, which is a British company (based in Park Royal)
Guinness was brewed at Park Royal in north London for decades but it site was closed down in about 2004. Back then you could easily taste the difference between the Guinness made in London and the proper stuff from Dublin.
Yes, there's nothing better than walking into a new pub and finding a selection of local ales. There's nothing worse than finding a choice of Fosters and John Smiths Smooth.
On a visit to Australia, I was told that Australians don't drink Fosters.
On a visit to Australia, I was told that Australians don't drink Fosters.
I last visited Aus in the late 1990s and they were quite parochial about their beers.
You only drank VB in Victoria. XXXX was the Queenslanders beer of choice.
Not sure what state Fosters is from.
Coopers Ale was a popular one in Sydney that's near-ish to 'real ale'.
Comments
I've tried plenty of German and Polish lagers, a few Dutch ones, one Czech one (Budvar), but never any from Russia yet.
Personally, I find there is more variation in taste between ales, than there is for lagers.
It is brewed in The Bahamas. Guinness is also brewed in Nigeria these days.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinness#Worldwide_sales
http://eng.baltika.ru/brand/0/3/14/7_export.html
I've done that trip from Ostend to Stuttgart (and back) quite a few times. I'm not 100% sure of the differences between the D219 and D218 services, but sometimes the same service would consist of two separate trains, with the second train running about 30 minutes behind the other (first train). Guess what mother and I did? Luckily, we got on the first train, so alighted at Koln and waited for the second one to arrive.
Anyway. Back to beer. I must admit I'd like to go back to the Oktoberfest one day, but at least I've been. I've drunk all sorts of German lagers, the vast majority bottled, but also in a fair few pubs. One of my uncles is a bit of a lager connoisseur. (*)
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Trappist beers yet (or have they?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trappist_beer
(*)
One I remember is Jever Pils.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jever_%28beer%29
Another is Furstenberg.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%BCrstlich_F%C3%BCrstenbergische_Brauerei
ETA. Apparently the latter has been brought out by Heineken. God or bad one wonders.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heineken_brands#F.C3.BCrstenberg_Brewery
I was told that Guinness was also brewed in London over 20 years ago, so times have obviously changed.
I'll never ever drink Carling, Fosters, Calsberg etc again.
Give me Kwak, Brugge Zot, Trapist, Leffe Blonde any day of the week!
Belgian beer is delicious, they reputedly have 365 beers , one for every day of the year, and also seasonal beers, each with its own glass.
I'm on a mission to drink as many different bottled ales as I can, but I'm only getting through a couple a week (trying to cut down). Currently up to 62...
Actually, I've had to amend this, because I've just remembered an encounter with Green Devil, a beer produced by Oakham Ales, which is actually my favourite brewery. It was so over hopped that it made me feel physically sick and I had to order a pint of Guinness in an attempt to get the foul taste out of my mouth.
Guinness was brewed at Park Royal in north London for decades but it site was closed down in about 2004. Back then you could easily taste the difference between the Guinness made in London and the proper stuff from Dublin.
It's hard to pick a favourite, we're lucky have some great local breweries that do good stuff. Whenever I go to a decent pub I try to have something I've not had before. I use the UnTappd app to rate and log beers, I've been using it for around a year and I'm up to around 150 different beers.
You havent tasted real ale have you? Apple juice?
So, could someone born in Dublin be classed as British?
Yes, there's nothing better than walking into a new pub and finding a selection of local ales. There's nothing worse than finding a choice of Fosters and John Smiths Smooth.
There is something worse than that. Walking into a pub, seeing a row of pumps with interesting names; asking for them one by one only to be told that they are all off but "We've got Smooth".
It's Diageo anyway, which is a British company (based in Park Royal)
I suspect Belgium has a damn sight more than 365 beers!
There are more than 2,000 unique British beers on sale alone, and that's a conservative estimate since new beers come on tap all the time.
It needs the water from the Liffey in it!
On a visit to Australia, I was told that Australians don't drink Fosters.
I last visited Aus in the late 1990s and they were quite parochial about their beers.
You only drank VB in Victoria. XXXX was the Queenslanders beer of choice.
Not sure what state Fosters is from.
Coopers Ale was a popular one in Sydney that's near-ish to 'real ale'.