Friday, May 23, 2008

Why Drinking beer is the best out of life

Why beer is best



Ale is probably the world's most misunderstood drink



It would soon be time for dinner and I proposed a glass of the very hoppy Shepherd Neame Spitfire as an aperitif. My friends MsTimidityThinlady and her laddish boyfriend, Jack Behaving-Badly were horrified at such a suggestion. They had all sorts of reasons why a classic British ale was inappropriate. After that, I spent a long winter evening mulling over the extraordinary resilience of the great beer myths. Here are a dozen that drive me to drink (I'll calm my nerves with an Old Peculier if you don't mind).






Beer is too filling: You don't have to drink it by the pint. Before dinner serve yourself an appetisingly hoppy beer in a decent-sized burgundy glass or goblet. Perhaps an Orval, from a famous Belgian Trappist monastery; the aforesaid Spitfire, from Kent; or Anchor Liberty from San Francisco.





Beer doesn't go with food: Tell that to the Belgians, who have restaurants devoted to cuisine a la biere. If that sounds too elaborate, treat yourself to a porter with oysters; a Pilsner Urquell with fish; a Westmalle Trappist Triple or a Duvel with asparagus: a Samuel Smith's Nutbrown Ale with a crunchy salad; a reddish ale with red meat; a Trappist Chimay Grande Reserve with cheese; an Imperial Stout with a chocolate dessert.





I don't drink beer - I drink lager: You drink beer every time you raise a glass of lager. Beer is a drink made from grain, usually malted barley, and spiced with hops. The most widely available type of beer both in Britain and worldwide is lager. Yes, it's beer - what did you think it was?



beer



Lager is better because it's lighter: In colour? Body? Taste? None of the above. Not necessarily. The first lagers were mahogany in colour (look out for Staropramen Dark from the Czech Republic - try it with noodle dishes). Some are very full-bodied and malty (Paulaner Salvator from Germany), or hoppy (St Christofrel Blond - another great aperitif - from The Netherlands). The term "lager" just means that the brew was fermented and matured at cool temperatures. This makes for cleaner rounder flavours, but arguably less complexity than is found in ales.





Beer is bitter: Yes and no. All beer has some bitterness. That is one reason for the hops: their herbal, resiny dryness balances the sweetness of the barley malt. Many beer-lovers enjoy the appetising bitterness of very hoppy brews: the bitterness arouses the gastric juices. Some would argue for balance, as exemplified by English classics such as Fuller's London Pride or Marston's Pedigree. Others like sweeter malt-accented brews such as the classic Scottish ales from Caledonian, Belhaven or Maclay's. Both the malt and the hops should be detectable: what's the point of beer that tastes of nothing?





Women don't drink beer: Disappointing news for Sister Doris, the Bavarian nun who makes Mallersdorf lager or for Lady Catherine Maxwell Stuart, whose Traquair House brewery, in the Scottish Borders, produces a fine strong ale. Fortunately, it is not true. The most feminine women I have met in a lifetime's appreciation all drink beer. So does the Queen Mother (that should clinch the argument). Our national matriarch has been photographed with pints of both Young's and Fuller's bitters.





The rest of the world prefers lager: So what if it did? But that is not true. Foreign beers are not necessarily lagers: not the wheat beers of Bavaria, Berlin and Belgium; Trappist brews; the Altbier of Dusseldorf the Kolschbier of Cologne or Antwerp's superb De Koninck ale; most of America's fashionable micro brews. Get out and about, and broaden your palate.






All ales are dark: You weren't paying attention when you drank the golden Kolschbier. Try that innocent-looking Duvel if you are scared of the dark.





Dark beer is stronger: There is no connection whatever between colour and strength. That golden Duval has 8.5 per cent alcohol volume; the famously black Guinness stout has 4.2 per cen.t The colour in beer comes from the toasting of the malts, and that does not contribute alcohol.





Dark beer is fuller bodied: Colour has nothing to do with body, either. Guinness is measurably less full-bodied than some golden lagers. The fullness of body or otherwise, depends upon the density of grain with which the brewer started, and the degree of fermentation. The more the beer is fermented, the more the body diminishes. The body-building sugars are converted to alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol is very calorific (see below).






Dark beer is fattening: No more than pale beer. Colour does not contribute calories. A modest glass or two of beer with dinner is less fattening than a shared bottle of wine. Everyday beers have fewer than half the calories of most wines, because the latter are two or three times as strong. The extra calories lurk in the alcohol. By the way red wine is usually less fattening than white. This is because most reds are lower in alcohol than most whites. So why do the figure-conscious so often drink white? Go figure.





If it is a good beer, it must be strong: There is no connection between quality and strength. One of the world's great brews is the Berlin style of wheat beer crisply refreshing at a mere 2.5 to 3.0 per cent The famously sociable, drink-it-by-the-pint, everyday British bitter typically has only 3.5-4.0. On the other hand, if you want a beer with a book at bedtime, settle down with a classic such as Thomas Hardy's Ale, at around 12.5. Serve this one in a snifter.







Published Online: MAR 21, 2000

Published in Print: FEB 22, 1997


In: The Independent

Monday, May 12, 2008

High 5 - Beers 5 distinct advantages and 5 proven disadvantages revealed

High 5 - Beers 5 distinct advantages and 5 proven disadvantages revealed

Beer is one of the oldest and probably the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world. It is sometimes even referred to as "liquid bread". Brewer's yeast, one of the beer's main components, is known to be a rich source of nutrients and this means that beer may have some health benefits. But on the other hand, beer contains alcohol, which is known to cause some serious negative effects on our health.

First, let's look at the beer's benefits.

  1. Source of vitamins, minerals and flavonoids. Beer is rich in many vitamins of the B group and in minerals such as magnesium. Barley and hops used in the production of beer are rich in flavonoids, which have powerful antioxidant effects.

  2. Coronary heart disease (CHD). There is quite strong evidence that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption has cardio-protective properties. Many research studies demonstrate a lower coronary heart disease incidence among moderate beer drinkers. Moderate drinkers are at lower risk of CHD-related mortality than both heavy drinkers and abstainers. Vitamin B6 in beer also seems to prevent the alcohol-induced rise in blood homocysteine, a probable heart disease risk factor.

  3. Cholesterol. Moderate alcohol drinking affects many processes in the body, one of which is the significant increase in HDL cholesterol - the good cholesterol. There is supporting evidence for beer's cardio-protective effect and for its help in altering the ratio of beneficial HDL cholesterol to the LDL cholesterol.
  4. Kidney stones. Beer consumption may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. Finnish researches found that there was a 40% lower risk of kidney stones in beer drinkers.
  5. X-Rays radioprotection. Japanese researchers found that beer helps reduce chromosomal damage from radiation exposure.

And now some of the negative effects you may expect from regular beer drinking:

  1. "Beer belly". Heavy beer drinking may promote abdominal obesity in men, so called "beer belly".
  2. Heartburn. Beer contains powerful stimulants of gastric acid secretion and may provoke gastroesophageal reflux and cause heartburn.
  3. Blood pressure. Daily beer consumption (approximately 40 g of alcohol) may increase blood pressure.
  4. Intoxication & Dehydration. Alcohol is a dehydrating agent and downer that reduces activity of the central nervous system. High amounts of alcohol can turn into dehydration, intoxication, and hangover.
  5. Impairment of driving-related skills. Even small amounts of alcohol can have adverse effects on attention and motor skills. Many serious accidents are alcohol related.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Basic BEER trouble Troubleshooting

Beer Trouble? Here's a few Beer troubleshooting Tips!

We all love Beers, and too much love can sometimes lead to drunkiness hehe, So if one of these days you got into some kind of beer trouble, use the tips below to troubleshoot your way out! Beer Troubles No more!

Symptoms: Feet cold and wet.

Fault: Glass being held at incorrect angle.

Action: Rotate glass so that open end points toward ceiling.

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Symptoms: Feet warm and wet.

Fault: Improper bladder control.

Action: Stand next to nearest dog, complain about house training.

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Symptoms: Beer unusually pale and tasteless.

Fault: Glass empty.

Action: Get someone to buy you another beer.

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Symptoms: Opposite wall covered with fluorescent lights.

Fault: You have fallen over backward.

Action: Have yourself leashed to bar.

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Symptoms: Mouth contains cigarette butts.

Fault: You have fallen forward.

Action: See previous action.

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Symptoms: Beer tasteless, front of your shirt is wet.

Fault: Mouth not open, or glass applied to wrong part of face.

Action: Retire to restroom, practice in mirror.

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Symptoms: Floor blurred.

Fault: You are looking through bottom of empty glass.

Action: Get someone to buy you another beer.

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Symptoms: Floor moving.

Fault: You are being carried out.

Action: Find out if you are being taken to another bar.

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Symptoms: Room seems unusually dark.

Fault: Bar has closed.

Action: Confirm home address with bartender.

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Symptoms: Taxi suddenly takes on colorful aspect and textures.

Fault: Beer consumption has exceeded personal limitations.

Action: Cover mouth.

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Symptoms: Everyone looks up to you and smiles.

Fault: You are dancing on the table.

Action: Fall on somebody cushy-looking.

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Symptoms: Beer is crystal-clear.

Fault: It's water. Somebody is trying to sober you up.

Action: Punch him.

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Symptoms: Hands hurt, nose hurts, mind unusually clear.

Fault: You have been in a fight.

Action: Apologize to everyone you see, just in case it was them.

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Symptoms: Don't recognize anyone, don't recognize the room you're in.

Fault: You've wandered into the wrong party.

Action: See if they have free beer.

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Symptoms: Your singing sounds distorted.

Fault: The beer is too weak.

Action: Have more beer until your voice improves.

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Symptoms: Don't remember the words to the song.

Fault: Beer is just right.

Action: Play air guitar.

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Symptoms: Feel cold and naked and under some sheets and a cozy bed feeling

Fault: You have just been laid

Action: See to it if it's a male or a female beside you, if it's a female, all is good, if it's a male, check your arse the next morning with a physician

Free Beers Stuff and info of more beer!









 

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