Exploring my alcoholism

[Grimlock]

Hey Everyone, FUUUUUUUUUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!

I recently had my first full serving of alcohol, a Smirnoff Ice, and would like to find less faggy drink to have on a semi-regular basis. If anyone has a suggestion outside of the regular domestics (Bud, Miller and Coors), that would be great. I am leaning towards a Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, or Corona or some of the more well known imports, but I am open to anything. Also, no hard liquors, liquers or mixed drinks.

Thanks for the help. By the way I am 27 and have never had more than a sip until a few weeks ago.

[william]

Here's where I'm supposed to list exotic micro-brews and imports.

I've had most of 'em.

At the end of the day I came back to Bud.


Bud.
Bud Light.
Corona.
Sam Adams.

[rellek]

Ditto, I always end up with Bud Light, if there is Blue Moon I'll have that.

[jeffdrafttech]

Looking at beer? Mudmilloors is light bodied tasteless lager that is great for when you're having a bunch of em. Light beer is especially good for pacing yourself because they contain ~20% less alcohol.

Shiner Bock is the big selling local brew there. A bock is a strong lager beer. Shiner Bock isn't what you would get with a german bock, but it is ok. Shiner's balance is a bit malt-heavy and hop-light, so it comes across as a bit sweet.

Defining malt, hops, and yeast:

Malt:
Malt is germinated grain that is dried then mixed with hot water at the beginning of the brewing process. When the malt is dried it is sometimes roasted to become dark. The porridge of malt and water is called the mash. The longer and hotter the mash, the more the starch in the grain is turned to simple sugars. A shorter or cooler mash will result in complex sugar. A long hot mash results in mostly simple sugar. The yeast will eat the simple sugar and leave behind the complex sugar later during fermentation. The brewer uses different roasts of malt, different strengths of mash, different temperatures of mash to control the malt body and perceived sweetness of the beer. If the brewer wants a light beer he will use a smaller amount of grain and mash longer/hotter to make all of the sugar ferment-able, resulting in a beer where the yeast got all the goodies and there is little flavor. In a more robust malty beer the mash will be more concentrated and the time will be shorter so the result is a wort (wort is unfermented beer) with complex sugars that wont be eaten by yeast and will end up in the finished beer. Different roasts of malt give the beer more/less color and toasted or caramelized flavor. There are infinite recipes for doing this and infinite beers on the market.

Hops:
Hops are a bitter aromatic spice. They look like tiny green cones and grow on a vine. They are a cousin of cannabis and some hops smell a lot like good weed. Aromatic hops are added near the end of brewing so their olfactory presence isn't lost. Most aromatic hops have a floral, citrus, or spicy quality. Bittering/flavor hops are added earlier in the brew/boil to add acidity and bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt.

Yeast:
Yeast is a single-cell fungus that eats simple sugar and produces Alcohol and CO2 as a result. This is where we get the terms ale and lager. Lager yeasts typically are used at lower temperatures and leave a more subtle flavor in the beer. Lager beer is aged longer on the yeast. Ale yeast varies widely but all ale yeast is somewhat "estery". Esters are fermentation byproducts with a ripe fruity aroma. Many american ales have a very subtle yeast character, while other ales have a very forward fruit/ester quality. A lot of german and belgian styles are very very fruity.

These three items combine to make a lot of choices in the marketplace.

Common ones already named:

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: High in malt character and pretty hoppy. Domestic very-floral cascade hops very evident on the nose. Medium caramel malt used. Mild very light ale fruitiness. Defines west-coast craft beer style.

Blue Moon: Very malty for a wheat beer. Low hop character. Medium-high fruitiness from yeast.

Shiner bock. Very high malt character, low hoppiness. Nutty quality and brown color from roasted malt. Very clean yeast.

Bud Light: Very dry because virtually all malt in the beer is converted to fermentable simple sugar, and eaten by the yeast. Very light hoppiness, you don't need much spice to balance not-much malt. Clean yeast quality. Very polished. Home brewers will poo-poo this because it is hard to make and they fuck it up every time they try.

Guinness: Similar malt profile to american light beer, with a big exception: lots of dark-roast malts. Even some unmalted yet roasted barley in there. Medium-light hoppiness, the dark roast malts balance much of the malts sweet character without a bunch of hops. A sour quality to the fermentation flavors. Very low carbonation level. This combines to make a light bitter chocolate taste that is vary smooth on the palate. The beer is so low in malt that it will float on most beer other than light lagers.

Sam Adams: Similar to sierra nevada in malt profile. High hoppiness that isnt as floral as west-coast SNPA. Clean lager yeast.

In texas I have noticed a lot of new belgium brews. Fat Tire is a light bodied ale with very little hoppiness (beginner brew). Blue Paddle is the finest domestic lager I have ever tasted. Tripple is a great ultra-big-malt, high hop, high alcohol, fruity yeast work of art.

Go to local brew pubs and ask questions. Beer people love to tell you about their beer

There are some great craft breweries in Austin that I have tried. I would bet a bunch of them are available locally, if gambrinus hasnt taken over your market totally.

You might find bridgeport there because the company that owns the brewery is local. Bridgeport makes great beer in many different styles.

[ncfcyank19]

OK Jeff had a great post there on beers.

If it's man drinks you're after, there's straight whiskey, bourbon, and scotch. Also Vodka, Gin and Rum. Not mixed...straight. If you're in the mood for a beer, the darker the more masuline I feel. Guinness Extra Stout.

Then again I haven't had a drink in a few years and when I did drink I was into the Margharitas, lemon drops, midori sours and the rest of them fruity "chick" drinks. Well not so much the cosmo. I'd have to cut my nuts off to drink that.

[jwdd27]

Stella Artois, also known in the UK as "wifebeater".

I think it's getting quite widespread in the States now.
I found all your US domestic beers much the same - a bit bland. Like the way the bars keep glasses in the freezer though.

When you have a Stella, you feel like you're having a DRINK.

[arcatacat]

I like dark beers. They give you a sense of satisfaction when you're done drinking them. Porters and stouts are my favs. You drink 'em slow and enjoy the flavors. Though, on a hot summer day when you want a cool one that quenches your thirst, it's Coors every time. And that's not because I work within sight of the Coors brewery in Golden, CO.

/shrug

[jsavimbi]

Maybe I'm single-minded, but I always stick to these three. Or booze. And if I can get Carib, Pacifico or Negra Modelo instead of Corona, I'll drink that.



Yes, there are approved "stand-by" beers, but that selection is fairly limited. And being from Boston, I'll drink warm alley piss before I drink anything made by Sam Adams. Don't kid yourselves, that stuff is shite.

[blobby]

when i was in the states last i really liked ice house



else i really like Tuborg classic but i doubt that you can get it in the states.

[blue eyes]

Originally Posted by arcatacat

I like dark beers. They give you a sense of satisfaction when you're done drinking them. Porters and stouts are my favs.

/shrug

I agree Arc, i prefer porters too. Not a thing to do with manliness