Being that I am just recently out of TSCC I know absolutely nothing about drinking, other than that even as a TBM I never had a problem with people drinking and the only thing stopping me was the WoW.

Today was my first time experiencing beer and I can see why everybody loves it so much. I went to a buddy's house (another exmo) and we had 2 bud lights and then we went to a local micro-brewing company and had a hamburger and a specialty beer. I don't remember what it was called but it was a "dark beer with a hint of toffee and nuts" and was quite good.

So all you seasoned exmo beer drinkers, what are all your secrets? What's your favorite beers? Help a brother in need, I have 33 years of catching up to do!

I've been a beer drinker for nearly 40 years (minus the time I spent in the cult as an adult convert).

Seems to me the "beer palate" changes as one ages. When I was young, the "lite beers" were my thing: Coors Lite, Miller Lite, Stroh Lite. But somewhere in my early thirties, the lite stuff just didn't taste good anymore.

I progressed to "dark" beers: Lowenbrau dark (did it disappear while I was in the cult???). Also love Harp ale and Guinness Stout. Where I live, there is a local microbrewery which brews some nice ambers, reds, and porters.

Right now, I love New Belgium's Fat Tire amber ale and Four Peaks' Kiltlifter. Both are brewed in microbreweries. New Belgium is out of Ft. Collins, CO. Four Peaks is out of Tempe, AZ.

Since you're new to beer, I'd say stick with the lites for awhile, but do try the occasional amber or "dark" or even a porter or a stout. Your palate might surprise you. (But watch the carbs and calories--those can creep up on you.)

Enjoy your new freedom. :-)

Dos Equis XX Lager with a squeeze of fresh lime. Yum!

Yeah, that works for me, too, especially with homemade tamales! Yum-O! :-)

I left TSCC when I was 33 and have been out for 7 years now, so I'm not a seasoned beer drinker, but I am working on it.

I like wheat beers (hefeweisen but when you order it, just say "hef"), pretty much any amber ale, Stella Artois, and a lovely white ale called Kronenbourg 1664. I steer clear of IPA. Perhaps with more experience I'll enjoy that, but it's very strong and bitter.

I think of it as being similar to how I did not enjoy dark chocolate as a child, but I prefer it now.

I will say this. My spouse and I attended an ex-mo gathering a couple of years ago. Afterwards she said something about how it was like being around a bunch of people who were pretending to drink. And I do think she chuckled inside at the dudes who were drinking Smirnoffs and Mike's hard lemonade.

There all kinds of tribal knowledge rules which I am still learning.

Sounds like the dark beer was a porter. For the same calories, I prefer a large slice of chocolate cake.

I think IPA is an acquired taste, although I do occasionally like some (can't think of the labels at the moment).

Dark beers are awesome; not so much a fan of light beers or hoppy beers. But porters and stouts - yum!

There is so much to getting into beers - try everything that comes your way. Ales are more flavorful and lagers are a smoother, more consistent flavor. Both come in dark and light and in between malts - ales can be quite bitter (especially on the west coast of the US) due to the hops used (variety and amount), but they can be malty. Seasonal beers might have added flavorings, spices, fruit, etc.

Those light beers you are drinking are lagers, craft breweries will have some knowledgable folks that love to talk beer, so ask your questions.

Drink for flavor and you will find a phenomenal world in beer!
Cheers

Peroni, very cold.

Taking notes. One thing I really like about this new world is that you don't just have "a beer". There's so many kinds of beers with all kinds of properties. My buddy made a good point with the calories too. He said when he goes out now he orders a beer with his food and he'll drink maybe one or too cause they're a few bucks a piece depending on what he gets, but when he used to get pop (or soda for all you 'mericans) he just kept drinking cause it was endless.

Lose weight by drinking beer....hmmm...I like the thinking...

If I apply my TBM logic skills, then the more I drink the more I should loose, right??!! Woohoo! Jackpot!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2012 08:05AM by ghost buster.

Be wary of beer induced anorexia...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2012 12:16PM by Stumbling.

Aside from your reference to caloric intake - watch the alcohol (ABV) as there are several beer styles (craft beers) that contain much higher levels of alcohol than your average macrobrew. Especially if you are not sure how you respond to alcohol, watch it.

Check out anything ever written by the (now deceased) British beer author, Michael Jackson. Google his name along with "beer hunter" and you'll find a plethora of sources. he even has a beer style guide on his old 'site.

When you know beer styles, you'll have an excellent guide to finding other beers similar to ones you already like.

Please tell me he didn't die young of alcoholism...

But no, I think it was heart disease. Plus, he also wrote a lot about scotch whisky, so moderation was not his default mode for drinking.

I'm no beer expert by any means, but I've found that beer tastes a lot better in a proper glass. I have a tall pilsner glass that I love. It's a bit frivolous that reminds me what a pleasure it is to be able to drink beer. Also, it allows bubbles to form into a head, and the top focuses the aroma. I also have a pint glass that I drink stout beers in. :)

Americans basically drink their beers too damned cold. Of course, with swill like Bud/Miller/Coors/Corona, that actually helps conceal the vile flavors. But with good beer, you want it to warm just a bit.

"Oh, you mean drink it warm like the Brits, right?"

Well, keep in mind that in Britain "room temperature" is still 55 degress fahrenheit. That's not exactly warm. But it's not icy, either.

I've only recently started to clue in to the temperature issue. Guinness would taste better at cellar temperatures, but how can you store it properly short of storing your beer in a cellar? I'm in Florida, btw. (I can't wait to move out of this godforsaken place.)

Usually, this will be on the slab of the garage floor. Make sure the area is shielded from light. Put down a large cardboard box, and BOOM, there's your "cellar".

Alternatively, you can simply refrigerate everything, and take it out to warm 15 to 20 minutes before you intend to drink it.

helamonster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Americans basically drink their beers too damned
> cold. Of course, with swill like
> Bud/Miller/Coors/Corona, that actually helps
> conceal the vile flavors. But with good beer, you
> want it to warm just a bit.
>
> "Oh, you mean drink it warm like the Brits,
> right?"
>
> Well, keep in mind that in Britain "room
> temperature" is still 55 degress fahrenheit.
> That's not exactly warm. But it's not icy,
> either.

Q: Why do the British drink warm beer?
A: Lucas makes their refrigerators.

Explanation: This is an automotive joke. British automobiles use Lucas electrical parts, which are not noted for reliability.

I don't stray too far from the common domestics you'll find in every bar, but there are a few that if I can find them offered I will order in a heartbeat:

Shiner Bock: It's a "Bock" or Bavarian amber beer produced in Shiner, TX. I absolutely fell in love with this when I was stationed in TX.
New Belgium Fat Tire: Another amber ale... soo good, but kind of hard to find. It is becoming more popular though..
Rolling Rock Extra Pale ALe: An American lager which is more of a "light" tasting beer.

I too would stick with the "lighter" beers as was mentioned already for a while. Moving straight in to something like Guiness may be quite a shock. But give Shiner or Fat Tire a try if you find them as they really aren't as strong as a lot of other similar brews; they're both quite smooth.

A pint of beer (like a hoppy Pilsner Urquell is best, imo) cooked into a beef stew is taste bud heaven.

Hurry up, winter...

I prefer ales to beers. It's a stronger flavor to me.

I'm more of a mixed drink person, myself. I love tequila for it's sweet taste. Vodka is an okay substitute. Be careful when you buy "flavored" alcohol. I tried "sex" vodka and it tasted like bandaids.

I think you meant to say you prefer ale to lager. Both are beers, they just ferment at different temperatures with different yeast strains.

Thanks for the correction. I'm no alcohol expert, so I get the terminology mixed up. I'll know for the future.

It also doesn't help that the terms have changed over the centuries, either. Or that states like Texas require the use of the term "ale" for any beer over 5% alcohol, whether the beer is actually an ale or lager.

In medieval England, beer was an ale that used hops, whereas ales were bittered and preserved with herb mixtures. Totally different word meanings today.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2012 02:11PM by helamonster.

And you can go to any brew-pubs, micro-brews, etc in your area and try a tasting sampler. I would also suggest that you go to your local beer distributer and get a variety pack from Sam Adams brewery.

I have eclectic taste when it comes to beer. I have nothing against pale lagers, sometimes called lawn-mowing beer or girl's beer. I drink that sometimes in the daytime when I'm still doing things. Another good light beer is Hefeweizen draft, of which Wasatch Brewery in Utah is quite good at. In the last few years, quite a few breweries have sprung up in Utah and they are getting good at their craft.

At other times I like the occasional IPA, but usually follow it with Guinness.

IPA= "India Pale Ale," it's dark and quite bitter because it has tons of hops.

Guinness= A mass-procuced but good dark stout of British origin.

I'm more of a wine and champagne kind of woman, but I enjoy beer on occasion. I really like Blue Moon with a slice of orange. There's also a raspberry and an apricot hefeweizens that are Utah brews.

Tecate and Dos Equis are great on a hot day in the desert. Fat Tire is good too. I'll drink Heineken too, with my bar buddies.

What makes me laugh is all of the "rules" drinkers have. People smirking at someone having a mikes lemonade. I can't have a cosmo because that is a "girls drink". Give me a break! I just left a religion with a bunch of rules. Who knew drinkers were so judgmental?

You guys rock! I'm sure you all know how I feel but it's so overwhelming! And of course as mentioned I don't really know my limits yet or how I react to
alcohol. Yesterday I had a bit of a buzz going with the 2 buds and the pint of craft beer. Either way, I am excited to explore this wonderful new world of deliciousness