I just lost the cap to my bottle of cider

[JayKeeley]

This whole "drinking shit cider to get pissed as all fuck" culture must be very British.

Yes, very much so. Where else are you going to get a Snakebite (half lager/half cider). Worse still is the "Snakebite and black" - it's a snakebite mixed with blackcurrant 'juice'. Ugh. Students drink this shit because (a) it's cheap, and (b) it's really drinkable so people get drunk when they neck these down.

And don't even get me started on Shandy. Why anyone under 12 would order this is beyond me. Typical Brits - take something perfectly good and then ruin it. Just like first half goal leads.

 

[NAD]

Snakebite has to be the most overused term in drinking, I've seen at least 10 completely unrelated drinks called "Snakebites" at various establishments. To me a Snakebite is an ice cold shot of Yukon Jack with a splash of lime in it. Very muchly goodly YEAH!!!

 

[JayKeeley]

Shandy is half lager (e.g. Fosters) and half fizzy lemonade such as 7-Up or Sprite. A "Lager Top" is about 3/4 of a pint of lager, and the rest fizzy lemonade.

Yes, you can go to an English pub and order this, even if you are not a 16 year old female.

 

[NAD]

Blech. You don't fucking mix beer with shit.

You've never had a boilermaker then.

Boilermaker = beer with a shot of whiskey tossed in. Lager plus cheap whiskey works the best.

Also, brown ale works surprisingly well with an ounce or two of cider poured on top, seriously. A local brewmaster tossed one my way once and I loved it.

 

[NAD]

Boilermakers fuck you up, I don't think I've ever had more than one or two in a single evening. Technically you're supposed to chug them, it's pretty much a "let's go to the bar and get pissed with the lads" drink.

I can't believe I forgot the biggest combo of them all (although it is two beers put together): black & tan. Stout and pale mixed together. Bass and Guiness work excellent for this.

 

[Ayeka]

Shandy is half lager (e.g. Fosters) and half fizzy lemonade such as 7-Up or Sprite. A "Lager Top" is about 3/4 of a pint of lager, and the rest fizzy lemonade.

Yes, you can go to an English pub and order this, even if you are not a 16 year old female.

Nobody I know drinks shandy anymore (or ever ), though I'd imagine the lads who are driving would. My mate just gets himself a half pint and makes it last though.

 

[NAD]

Americans know dick about beer. DICK. Amazingly, any microbrewery has great stuff. Even a bad microbrew is still good in comparison to Buttweiser, Coors, etc. Also, good beer isn't terribly difficult to find, local supermarkets carry decent imports and there are tons of liquor stores that carry microbrewed stuff from all over the western US.

You know the best part though? Companies like Michelob and Buttweiser have their "microbrews" as well. Red Hook, a most excellent brewer, is brewed by Buttwieser under the Red Hook moniker. Michelob at least puts their name on their microbrew style stuff, Amber Bock, Honey Lager, and a few more. These aren't quite up to microbrew standard, but are pretty good either way.

 

[NAD]

Heh, you're right, Michelob and Buttwiper are from A-B. I tend to separate those two because Buttwiper sucks ass, and Michelob isn't half bad for pisswater beer. Sam Adams is the only big American brewery I'd consider quality, they make excellent stuff. Also do lots of specialty brews, limited editions, etc. which is really cool.

Heehee, drinkin' buddy.

And I do realize that there's lots of good beer coming from the US, as from most any country with a beer drinkin' culture. It's just, as you say, that noone knows/cares.

Beer is just like music, have to look to the underground for good shit.

 

[NAD]

Chudweiser is another good one, if you know the movie C.H.U.D.

I think there is a small German brewery called Budweiser actually...

 

[JayKeeley]

I always wondered what the difference between Budvar and Budweiser was, and why the latter was so bad. And then....Bud Light!! It's the most useless excuse for a beer in the world. I can't imagine a worse beer. In fact, it doesn't even qualify as 'beer'.

Thing is, once you start drinking import or microwbrew beer, and spend 5 minutes looking into why certain beers are better than others (and no, it's not just the taste), you will never be able to go back to shit like Coors Light or Bud. You taste all the chemicals in it that make it that golden shower yellow and give it that distinct stale urine stench.

Anyway, NAD knows what he's talking about. NAD, if you ever do go to England, look into doing a village pub beer tour. Seriously, get away from the London bars etc and hit the high road, tasting local ales & stouts from around the country, in 12th Century pubs or inns.

 

[NAD]

You know what I find the funniest part is this born on dating crap. "Oh, drink the poopy beer before 120 days are up!" That has nothing to do with beer, it's all the chemical bullshit. Good beer gets BETTER with age, you know, that whole fermenting process.

Thanks for the links Erik, I'll read those later tonight.

NAD, if you ever do go to England, look into doing a village pub beer tour. Seriously, get away from the London bars etc and hit the high road, tasting local ales & stouts from around the country, in 12th Century pubs or inns.

Oh I will go to England, hopefully someday soon. I shall do this village pub beer tour, oh yes, I shall.

 

[unhinged]

heres a good drink

the dark angel=
pint of stout (guiness usually) with a shot of irish whisky in it
repeat

tastes a lot better than you's imagine and fucks you up

I've become a few a day drinker over the past couple of years
got a bit of a cholestorol problem and the pills don't work if you drink too much

so I've gone over to either beer (no good for me) or red wine which I'm developing a real taste for, its practically medicine anyway haha

used to drink a lot of cider, burns me bad these days

could never drink that white lightning pish
fucking horrble
but I once drank 9 litres of olde english,

cider is nicer flat, its supposed to be
try some of the real shit from somerset or somewhere
scrumpy kills!

comparing good cider to that cheap shite is like comparing a fine wine to wino piss

 

[JayKeeley]

so I've gone over to either beer (no good for me) or red wine which I'm developing a real taste for, its practically medicine anyway haha

It really is, haha. Red wine increases LDL cholestrol (the good kind) and my doctor even told me to start drinking a glass a day.

Problem is, I hate wine. It all tastes like battery acid mixed with vinegar to me, even the expensive $5 a bottle stuff.

Anyone know a good red wine, with no kick back, doesn't cause a gag reflex, goes down velvety smooth, and actually tastes good? I had a good Merlot once, never to repeat the experience again.

Wine is all trial and error. I hate that. Why doesn't Guinness increase LDL?

 

[NAD]

Problem is, I hate wine. It all tastes like battery acid mixed with vinegar to me, even the expensive $5 a bottle stuff.

Hoo boy...

I can only recommend another decent merlot (more than $5 a bottle for fuck's sake! ), since that's the mellow red wine. I must say though, wine is meant for food, I don't drink it alone. Steak and anything with a red sauce would go great with a merlot or cabernet sauvignon. Or try a nice port with a cigar, good combination.

EDIT: Actuallly the best thing to do is go to a liquor store that specializes in wine, or even a vineyard, and ask. Wine connousosirieorors are a different breed altogether, I just know the very basics.

 

[JayKeeley]

Hoo boy...

I can only recommend another decent merlot (more than $5 a bottle for fuck's sake! ), since that's the mellow red wine. I must say though, wine is meant for food, I don't drink it alone. Steak and anything with a red sauce would go great with a merlot or cabernet sauvignon. Or try a nice port with a cigar, good combination.

I always drink wine with food. But give me specific labels. There is good merlot and there is bad merlot. Most of it, however, is baaaad! And I thought merlot was for beginners. I'm willing to up my spending to $7 if that helps.

EDIT: Actuallly the best thing to do is go to a liquor store that specializes in wine, or even a vineyard, and ask. Wine connousosirieorors are a different breed altogether, I just know the very basics.

Did that. Came back with brake fluid.

 

[NAD]

Maybe you just don't like wine, dude.

I really don't know many labels, I usually go for anything from California's central coast since, you know, it's pretty easy to come by out here. I only drink wine a few times a year so I don't know / remember the good ones. I would go to some wine review site and just look for a real mellow merlot, and my magic number is about $15 a bottle, anything less is crap and anything more is too subtle for me to notice.

This ain't beer or scotch man, those are my specialty areas.

 

[unhinged]

I think I'm developing a taste for wine with age y'know
my magic number is 3 bottles for £10 with a strength around 14%
since I'm only supposed to drink one bottle a day the stronger the better
not that that always happens
usually buy two get one free or something
they're usually better if they have corks and not screw tops haha

had some californian the other week, very tart

most reliable I've found are chilean + south african

haven't had too many bad ones from there
usually they're labelled quite well
read the backs and don't pretend to be an expert
I'd usually go for a full bodied with a hint of blackcurrant or something

a bottle of guiness used to be given in hospital here up untill not so long ago
so its medicine too
well unless like I used to, drink 14 -18 pints of the stuff
too fucking easy to drink

 

[Ayeka]

Oh I will go to England, hopefully someday soon. I shall do this village pub beer tour, oh yes, I shall.

I can't recommend this enough either!