US v. UK, Round 12: Alcoholic Beverages

[copehead]

Cellar temperature not room temperature

Glad to see you point out the difference. It often goes over most people's head. Being a good american and not a beer snob, i tend to like mine colder. But when drinking some decent beers the slighter warmer temps allow more flavors to come through. The same reason you would not serve whisk(e)y on the rocks but simply with a dash of cool spring water.

This could be love!

[trans-chigley express]

I've never had any American craft beers so can only comment on imported mainstream stuff which I don't like and doesn't stand a chance against a wide selection of imported European beers. I did try a Samual Adams Boston Lager yesterday because Griff mentioned it and I saw one in the supermarket. It was fine but reading the label I noticed it had never been anywhere near the US as it was brewed by a Philippines-based brewery. Explains why it was so cheap and not normal imported price. I would still pick a mainstream Japanese beer over it though except for Asahi.

US would win with the wine but I prefer European, Aussi or NZ wines so rarely buy them.

There are, of course, climate issues that could be responsible for different preferences, but I'm not about to defend our cold beer obsession.

You are quite right. The hot weather has kicked in in Hong Kong and only cold beers will be drank for a next few months. My favourite cold beer to drink at home is Fuller's Honeydew which happens to be a UK one.

[Six String]

Exactly. Cool Coors is the only thing worse than cold Coors.

And warm Coors is against the Geneva Convention.

[Deebank]

A bar man in Denver told me they put formaldehyde in Coors.

[copehead]

A bar man in Denver told me they put formaldehyde in Coors.

They certainly put it in the Star beer in Nigeria, worst hangover of my life

They also put it in Tsing Tao in China as well, two bottles with lunch, hangover with supper

I know they put it in to give it a long shelf life in hot countries but who the hell would buy beer that makes you feel like you have cholera after two bottles ?

[toomanyhatz]

I think they put formaldehyde in Coors to improve the taste.

Was it Graham Chapman who said "American beer is like sex in a boat- it's fucking close to water!"?

Disappointed to hear that about Tsingtao, which I sometimes get in Chinese restaurants. It's never troubled me but I usually have just one.

[Minnie the Minx]

I think they put formaldehyde in Coors to improve the taste.

They couldn't make it any worse, anyway...


I had my first Pabst a while back - now that is grotesque.

[trans-chigley express]

Disappointed to hear that about Tsingtao, which I sometimes get in Chinese restaurants. It's never troubled me but I usually have just one.

I've never had a problem with Tsing tao either but I have with San Miguel. I had a Tsing tau stout last week which I'd never seen before. I used it to cook a casserole with as I couldn't buy a single bottle of Guinness but had a swig of it before tipping it in the casserole pan and it tasted ok.

[toomanyhatz]

I had my first Pabst a while back - now that is grotesque.

...And hip as hell right now with millennials. Just how much are young people willing to suffer these days in an attempt to be 'edgy'?

[The Red Heifer]

I had my first Pabst a while back - now that is grotesque.

...And hip as hell right now with millennials. Just how much are young people willing to suffer these days in an attempt to be 'edgy'?

I was smashing that Christmas 2012. The reason? It was ridiculously cheap and chilled to near freezing tastes not terrible. When it first came out it was walking out the door so next Christmas they upped the price and no one bought it

[harvey k-tel]

You're all a dumb bunch of fucking cunts

[The Prof]

Takes one to know one. Ner ner neer.

[Nolamike]

You're all a dumb bunch of fucking cunts

Please pass me another Molsen, eh.

[copehead]

Disappointed to hear that about Tsingtao, which I sometimes get in Chinese restaurants. It's never troubled me but I usually have just one.

I've never had a problem with Tsing tao either but I have with San Miguel. I had a Tsing tau stout last week which I'd never seen before. I used it to cook a casserole with as I couldn't buy a single bottle of Guinness but had a swig of it before tipping it in the casserole pan and it tasted ok.

Probably brewed differently for different markets. This was bought in some port town on the Yellow Sea whose name escapes me.

the hotel were obviously not prepared for 40 thirsty Western mariners turning up and sent out for all the beer they could get, there was dust on some of the bottles, but being a Chinese port that doesn't mean too much, there is dust on everything.

Anyway the stuff tasted OK cold, but I had a swig on a warming bottle and it was foul and chemically, so I got another cold one

Bad mistake.

If they brew it where it is going to be drunk within weeks I suppose they don't need preservatives, but if it is going to be stored for months they do.

[Minnie the Minx]

BUMP BABY

[Jumper K]

You can get Pabst in Tesco now. Its in the craft beer aisle.

[Hightea]

You can get Pabst in Tesco now. Its in the craft beer aisle.

you have to kidding me.

First off if you are going to state the whole Uk then I'm adding Mexico and Canada to US side.

This is a tie
Beer:
US: There is the awful major breweries which spit out some of the most vial swill in the world. The only way to even attempt to drink it is extremely cold at a beach bar. The exception are some of the Canadian Brews and I even prefer a piss water Mexican beer if I'm on the beach over the US stuff. Can't think of any UK beer that is good on the beach but I might be forgetting something.
The new micro brewery scene is catching up to the UK but its not there and there is something about them that gives me a headache if I have more than 2. Not that we do that anymore. I don't get the PA craze here not a fan. Also note in the US several beer companies make different beer for different states/export too as there are weird rules regarding % of alcohol and preservatives.
UK - wonderful beers at the right temp too (Cellar temp). I'm a dark/amber/stout beer drinker.
oh course Belgium beers blow both US and Uk out of the water.

Wine:
Does the UK even make wine?
US: easy win here. However, I will note we are not talking Cali wines which I for the most part am not a fan of. My wine of choice is the Oregon Pinot Noir which in my eyes competes with France. Washington State also has some wonderful wines. Also a fan of Rieslings and a few other wines from the NY state Finger Lakes.
European wines would still be my favorite wines and as others have stated New Zealand/South African, Chilean and lots of other off the beaten path make great wines too.

other spirits
UK -Took me a longtime to understand that Whisky is good maybe because in my youth we only had the vile American version.
US: not a vodka drinker anymore but its why I added Mexico I was a big tequila drinker. Love me some Mexican Tequila especially the top line stuff. Also add Rum from the Caribbean.

summing up
Beer - UK
Wine - US
other spirits: tie

end result tie.
If it was Europe vs the Americas : Europe would win.

[sloopjohnc]

You can get Pabst in Tesco now. Its in the craft beer aisle.

That's funny. For some reason, those old, cheap beers have become fashionable among hipsters. The first one I remember them serving in bars was Rolling Rock, which is not very good. That was in the late '80s and early '90s. But there have been cycles of old timey bad American beers that have cycled through at times as fashionable. Pabst is terrible. Americans will get this reference, but it's between Bud and Old Milwaukee in quality.

I was in the UK mid '80s and Budweiser had just started a promotional and distribution push in the UK. English guys my age were buying it at pubs and supermarkets. I remember seeing them and thinking, "This is what I was trying to get away from."

Like High Tea writes, Oregon, because of its cold climate is very good for pinot noir and are very protective of their viticulture and branding. They are suing a winemaker right now who is using the Oregon appellation on his wines.

But I take it he likes red wines. Napa is the home of Cabernet Sauvignon, mainly because it pays out an inordinately large amount to other grapes. Double or triple pinot, for example.

But I tend to white wines for casual drinking. The best area, in my estimate, is the Paso Robles area for their varieties. After Kid P, his girlfriend and I toured Hearst Castle a few years ago, we hit three or four wineries before they closed. A very enjoyable time.

As for craft brewing, Oregon is champ, but California is catching up. As I mentioned, the two or three best beers in America are brewed north of San Francisco in the Russian River area, also home to lots of wineries as well. I tell people, if you want to go wine tasting and have fun, avoid Napa and Sonoma, which are both crowded and expensive, and head up to the Russian River area. Like Paso Robles, lots of smaller wineries every half mile or so, which are much more fun and informal. And just as good.

[Hightea]

You can get Pabst in Tesco now. Its in the craft beer aisle.

That's funny. For some reason, those old, cheap beers have become fashionable among hipsters. The first one I remember them serving in bars was Rolling Rock, which is not very good. That was in the late '80s and early '90s. But there have been cycles of old timey bad American beers that have cycled through at times as fashionable. Pabst is terrible. Americans will get this reference, but it's between Bud and Old Milwaukee in quality.

Yeah Pabst and Rolling Rock are the two that I first saw showing up on the NY LES. Both are god awful stuff although back in the 70's we drank RR because we could go to the RR plant in PA and get cases for extremely cheap plus they taste like water so you could drink them all day.

Like High Tea writes, Oregon, because of its cold climate is very good for pinot noir and are very protective of their viticulture and branding. They are suing a winemaker right now who is using the Oregon appellation on his wines.

But I take it he likes red wines. Napa is the home of Cabernet Sauvignon, mainly because it pays out an inordinately large amount to other grapes. Double or triple pinot, for example.

Wow who they suing have to look that up. Oregon's Pinot Noir (esp Dundee Hills) is my wone of choice for red. Not really a fan of the Cabernet Savignon from Cali although there are exceptions and agree if I'm going for a Cali wine its most likely from the Russian River. I go elsewhere for my white wines those Cali whites give me a headache and typically to fruity for my taste.

In regards to beer I'm not up to date on the craft beers but friends have told me Maine,NY State and Michigan are catching up to Oregon, Colorado and Washington state. Every state makes their own beers

https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/every-state-in-the-usa-ranked-by-its-beer#

[Sneelock]

BUMP BABY

Bump of the year!!!