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Are You Happier Drinking Beer With Your Buddies than Getting Laid? Are You Happier Drinking Beer With Your Buddies than Getting Laid?This is the king of seduction speaking. Needless to say I do not sit around drinking beer with my buddies. Number one I do not have a buddy and number two if I did we wouldn’t be sitting ... Belgium And Beer: Made For Each Other In addition to some wonderful history, the country of Belgium is "The Beer country". Bordering France, Luxembourg, Germany and The Netherlands, Belgium is in the heart of Europe. This technologically advanced member of NATO and the EU is truly a ... Getting The Most Out Of Your Beer Beer is a precious commodity, and since you pay good money for it, you might as well bring out the best in it. I've discovered a simple trick to improve my beer's taste, and it involves drinking it at the right temperature. Here's what I do: 1. Rinse out ...
Beer Brewing Big And Creative In America
brewing is becoming big business with a resurgence of traditional types of ales and lagers combining with more exotic offerings. With a colourful history, beer carries on its controversial way to regain the traditional role it's always played as an every-day beverage, while taking on a more creative flavour to please every palate.
Back in 1620, when the Mayflower came to America's shores, the boat fell a bit short of its destination due to a shortage of beer, according to a passenger's journal. One doesn't think Puritans would have drunk beer – they were Puritans, after all - however this was the every-day drink of choice. People drank beer as we drink pop, juice, milk and water today. Each tavern and inn brewed its own beer.
It is only in modern society that we see beer as having a perilous quality. There were no laws governing beerbrewing and drinking. There were no police roadblocks to catch drunk drivers. How much damage could a horse and cart inflict? Certainly there were no scantily-clad women prancing about at parties, drinking beer and impressing men with their sudsy sexiness. Beer was an every-day beverage drunk by everyone in the household from adult to child. When the Mayflower arrived, the people discovered that the Natives made their beer from maize. Wonder which beer was drunk at the first Thanksgiving? This may have been the first ever "Bring Your Own Beer (BYOB)."
The United States has become an international contender in beerbrewing and the country can hold its own when in competition with other countries that are notorious for making amazing beer. The U.S. prohibition slowed things down a little, but in the 21st century, things seem to be heating up for American breweries. According to the Brewer's Association, nearly 7 million barrels of beer will be made and drunk by Americans in 2006. That's a lot of kegs, bottles, pints and glasses!
Online there are multitudes of sites about beer: beerbrewing magazines to read like "Yankee Brew News" and "Brewery News;" breweries to visit; associations for beer-makers to join like the Brewer's Association; festivals to attend like the Barleywine Festival in Buffalo, New York; and competitions to enter like the World Beer Cup held in Seattle, Washington. Of these sites, about 85% are based in the U.S. so the Americans seem to be leading the pack!
During the 1960s, 70s and 80s, beer in America was primarily made and distributed by large
beerbrewing companies. In the early 1980s, many of the states passed legislation that allowed the smaller microbreweries to get in on the action. The large companies still do big business, but many patrons are fussy and want high-quality, exclusive beers; they are the "yuppies" of beer drinkers. In and around any city in America, there are anywhere from 2 to 20 breweries within a 15-mile radius of that city and the numbers are growing. Some states have more breweries than others. Each microbrewery has a family tradition they want to maintain and each beer is different; a return to the old days when two taverns a mile apart had two different-tasting beers.
The breweries have gone back to creating beers that are made from all-natural ingredients like malt, hops and yeast. They produce traditional lagers and ales together with exotic beers that have a hint of spices, vanilla, caramel, coriander and anise. One brewery, found online, uses rose hips in their beer. Usually used for tea, rose hips must provide an interesting taste to beer. Lemon coriander beer may be quite refreshing on a hot day.
Soon we will be having discussions about what type of beer goes best with chicken or beef. We'll hear opinions like: "The caramel-flavoured beer would go great with that cheesecake; a sweet beer just made for dessert." Is that beer good for pasta? Would it be better with a roast beef dinner? Already there are countless beer-tasting functions. Is beer the new wine? Is there a "twirl-glass-sniff-liquid-swish-in-mouth" process for beer? Like martinis, there are excessive amounts of beer types. Perhaps the process should be expedited; Beertinis for everyone!
The beerbrewing companies in America, found online, emphasize the importance of quality. They discuss the importance of tradition. They discuss the importance of bringing beer back to its every-day role played for thousands of years. This time, breweries also seem to feel beer can be creative-tasting and still be in demand.
About The Author: Andrea Nichol is a contributing writer to Excalibur Communications, the company that created The Beer Home Page – Your Online Guide to Great Brew Pubs and Beer Labels. If you would like to find the best breweries worldwide, visit http://www.thebeerhomepage.com
Anheuser-Busch amusement parks cut off free suds - WCPO ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - There are no free lunches in life, but one could always count on free beer at Anheuser-Busch theme parks. Until now. The brewer has stopped giving free samples in hospitality centers at its SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, San ...
Beer pong competition gets (almost) serious - Katu.com LAS VEGAS (AP) — Don't let the smell of beer and the rock music fool you: Beer pong is a serious game. Some dare say a sport. Granted, they tend to be grinning and drinking when they say it. There was plenty of both going on this weekend at the ...
Big start is brewing to year in beer - Rocky Mountain News Colorado hosts plenty of outstanding beer festivals, none bigger than the Great American Beer Festival each fall. While this weekend's Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival isn't nearly as big in terms of attendance, it might be the biggest ...
Woman passes out beer to homeless, bites officer - AZCentral.com A 55-year-old woman bit a police officer after she was detained for handing out beer to needy clients at the Paz de Cristo community outreach ministry for the homeless, police said Tuesday. According to police reports, staff members in the Paz de ...
THE BEER NUT: Thirsting for new beers in '09 - MetroWest Daily News Bay State beer drinkers have a lot to look forward to in 2009, as several breweries around the country have new and interesting beers ready to be poured into your favorite glass. And, just as exciting is the news that two top-flight breweries, Troegs ...
World's biggest beer maker to shut ancient brewery - San Francisco Gate The world's largest brewer said Tuesday it plans to close a historic 600-year-old brewery on the banks of the river Thames in London. Anheuser-Busch InBev on Tuesday said it plans in 2010 to shutter the Stag Brewery, in west London, one of the oldest ...
No More Free Beer at SeaWorld - WOAI SAN ANTONIO – SeaWorld officials said on Friday the hospitality house which served beer gratis has been closed. The park’s owner, Anheuser-Busch, was acquired by Belgian brewer InBev in July for $52 billion. At the time, there was speculation the ...
