On Beer

[Casey_in_Carolina]

Well, this has certainly been a most fascinating, and educational thread. I'm quite glad to see that the old myth of warm beer is, in fact, just a myth. I've always enjoyed noticing the difference in flavors as a pint warms a bit, and the taste changes slightly.

Now I apparently have another vice to look into, namely these 'cask' ales that are mentioned, and the gravity pulled versus carbonation pumped pints. I'll have to start asking around and see if there's anyone local who does such a thing so I can give it a try.

Thanks for all of the great information.

Take care all,


Casey

[Nervous Jock]

Fascinating thread, just a couple of things to add. For our friends across the Atlantic, what you refer to as "warm beers" are the equivalent of the hand-crafted beers you get from the current crop of microbreweries over there. They are called "Real Ales" over here. It is mostly an English phenomenon (although you do see it to some extent in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, probably decreasing in that order). There is even a campaign but I think you need to have a huge beard to join .

Spoken like a true west coaster

[Nervous Jock]

Also heard a story that Guinness has a lower alcohol content in Ireland so you can drink more of it (before you fall over I assume)

[bowser]

It always used to be the case that "Irish Guinness" had to come from Ireland, so almost everything made in Dublin was exported around the world, and lots of what was sold in Dublin actually came from Park Royal in London !!

[Kilted Surveyor]

Second question is totally unrelated...well, not totally unrelated. Has anyone noticed that they seem to be able to hold a bit more beer when going kilted? Maybe it's just me....
Casey

I have definetely found this to be true!

[JRB]

Also heard a story that Guinness has a lower alcohol content in Ireland so you can drink more of it (before you fall over I assume)

I don't know about Guiness in Ireland, but I do know that there are German beers called "session beers" that are deliberately brewed to be lower in alcohol so they can be drunk in greater quantities (as in drinking sessions).

[Carolina Kiltman]

On my last trip to England (Darlington) I stopped in the 33 Pub. I always make it a point to at least try the local brew, so I asked for theirs. I was told that they had two; White Boar Ale and "Nigle's Nightmare Stout". As I was just coming off ulcer therapy, I chose the first, it was excellent.

A bit off the thread, as a former owner of several British autos, there was a joke that the British drink warm beer because they buy Lucas Refrigerators!

[bowser]

On my last trip to England (Darlington) I stopped in the 33 Pub. I always make it a point to at least try the local brew, so I asked for theirs. I was told that they had two; White Boar Ale and "Nigle's Nightmare Stout". As I was just coming off ulcer therapy, I chose the first, it was excellent.

A bit off the thread, as a former owner of several British autos, there was a joke that the British drink warm beer because they buy Lucas Refrigerators!

A cruel and hurtful thing to say, however alas true !!!

[cloves]

I often wondered why my fav beers often tasted "not right"...then quickly found out it had to do with their serving temperature.
I find the darker the beer, the more it needs to mellow in the open glass or bottle before I really enjoy it.
Pale beers, I prefer to be almost icey cold.

[thanmuwa]

It always used to be the case that "Irish Guinness" had to come from Ireland, so almost everything made in Dublin was exported around the world, and lots of what was sold in Dublin actually came from Park Royal in London !!

"Dublin makes five or six principal versions of Guinness, in a total of 19 variations, and exports around 40 percent of its output." (Michael Jackson's Beer Companion (1993), p 181)

60% of Guinness output therefore went to the domestic market (and that book was written in 93, the brewery in London didn't close until 2005). I very very much doubt that ANY Guinness from London has EVER been sold in Dublin, although if you have a source for that, I would be happy to stand corrected.