Myths and truths about alcohol and antibiotics In general, it is said that you should not mix antibiotics and alcoholic beverages and it seems prudent to do so, but the reasons behind it seems to be really fuzzy.

Some people say that the worse that can happen is that the antibiotics will not have effect. But other say that it will make you sicker. Some other say that both of these are true but it depends on the antibiotic. Some other say: "Just one won't hurt".

If someone could make this clear for us, it would be great.

QI provides the answer: with a few exceptions (where it will make you vomit) it is perfectly safe to drink alcohol whilst taking antibiotics.

  Apart from some special circumstances, it is on the whole OK to drink while on antibiotics. The reason why people think that you should not is that when antibiotics was first being used it was to cure syphilis. The patients would still be infectious for the first week, so were told not to drink because they were more likely to have sex while drunk. This has since passed down and has become a "tradition" in a way. The main reason that people are told not to drink when on antibiotics is because doctors prefer people not to drink because it is better for them. However, the are some antibiotics like Flagyl which will make you vomit if you take them with alcohol.

ref: Transcript for QI episode 8.10: "health and safety"


Do beer bottles explode in freezer? I have had cola cans explode in my freezer. But I cannot afford to test this on my long neck beer bottles.

Do beer bottles (or cans) explode in a freezer (of a typical fridge in a household) ?

Yes, they will.   Given beer is (generally speaking) more than 90% water, and water expands when frozen, beer will make a mess of your freezer if left in there too long.  The bottles themselves don't tend to break, in my experience, but the cap seals fail and the beer will leak out everywhere.


Difference between "Ale's" beer What is the difference between "The Ale", "The Brown Ale", and the "Mild Ale" beers? The colour seems more or less the same so, is it the taste that normally is different or is the level of alcohol present on the beer?

Beers (ales and lagers) are broken down into many, many different styles based on how they are brewed. Most beers have only 3 or 4 different types of ingredients. Malt, water, yeast, hops and sometimes fruit or herbs. While there doesn't seem like there can be a lot of variation, there are almost an infinite amount of ways to combine these ingredients. For the specific beers you mention, Brown Ale and Mild Ale are very similar styles. I'm not sure what you mean by "The Ale".

Mild Ale vs. Brown Ale

English-Style Brown Ale
Style Family: Brown Ales
The English-style brown ale ranges from dryer (Northern English) to sweeter (Southern English) maltiness. Roast malt tones (chocolate, nutty) may sometimes contribute to the flavor and aroma profile. Hop bitterness is very low to low, with very little hop flavor and aroma. Known for rich and advanced malt aroma and flavor without centering too much on hops, the English-style mild is extremely sessionable and food-friendly.

English-Style Mild Style Family: Brown Ales
Malt and caramel are part of the flavor and aroma profile of the English-style mild while licorice and roast malt tones may sometimes contribute as well. Hop bitterness is very low to low. U.S. brewers are known to make lighter-colored versions as well as the more common “dark mild.” These beers are very low in alcohol, yet often are still medium-bodied due to increased dextrin malts.

If you want to dig deeper into this read the Beer Style Study Guide


Roman recipe for mead I found online an ancient recipe for mead, given by the Spanish-Roman naturalist Columella in "De re rustica":

  Take rainwater kept for several years, and mix a sextarius (around 1/2 litre) of this water with a [Roman] pound (about a 1/4 kg or half pound) of honey. For a weaker mead, mix a sextarius of water with nine ounces of honey. The whole is exposed to the sun for 40 days, and then left on a shelf near the fire. If you have no rain water, then boil spring water.

I've read that mineral water of low fixed residue is suitable for this. My questions are:

What are some tips (like the container, how to close the container)? How does the whole process work? How about the sun exposure part in winter?

If you want to make a small amount of mead, you can follow those directions, but you will need modern equipment. A carboy and an airlock is basically all you need. Actually, you will probably need two. One to ferment and one to age the mead.

Mead is pretty simple to make. Water, honey and some yeast. Most people get filtered water. Then boil it with the honey to sterilize the honey (especially important if you use unfiltered). Then let it cool off and add yeast. I would also add yeast nutrients since honey lacks the nutrients to really work good. Also, use wine yeast since it's adapted to higher alcohol levels than beer yeast.

Once it's cooled off you pour it in a fermentation vessel. You will need some space between the level of the fermenting mead and the airlock for foaming. After fermentation has stopped, then you need to have it almost to the top of the bottle so there is no oxidation occurring.

I am not sure about the sun exposure, in fact I would keep it out of the sun unless you need to warm it up, which is what they may have been trying to do in ancient times.

It will look something like this during fermentation (this is someone's picture of some cider fermenting):

This is what it looks like aging and clearing:


What alcohol would go good with tea? I drink tea.  I had a thought about putting something into it.  What good alcohol can I think about putting into the tea?

Irish whiskey is one I like to do with tea. In fact I like to make an Irish coffee by substituting the coffee with a strong black tea.

Try it! I am rather fond of it.


Why are spirits typically 40% ABV? I live in France. I've found that at least cheaper (supermarket) spirits are almost always exactly 40% ABV. You can find stronger if you buy more niche or expensive alcohols like Chartreuse, but the vast majority seems to be precisely 40, unlike say wine or beer which varies more smoothly.

Is there a reason for this? Is 40% the legal minimum to be able to call something whiskey or vodka, for instance? Or am I just flat wrong, and there's no statistical trend towards 40%?

I realize the correct answer may vary from country to country. I'll be happy with an answer covering any "comparable" first world country (let's just say English speaking countries or West Europe, for simplicity).

There is indeed a EU Regulation No 110/2008 about "the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks" which prescribes the minimal ABV for different spirits and it happens to be about 40%.

So

the minimum alcoholic strength by volume of rum shall be 37,5 %.
the minimum alcoholic strength by volume of whisky or whiskey shall be 40 %.
the minimum alcoholic strength by volume of vodka shall be 37,5 %.
with the exception of ‘Korn’, the minimum alcoholic strength by volume of grain spirit shall be 35 %.
the minimum alcoholic strength by volume of wine spirit shall be 37,5 %.

and some more.

PS. The Vodka myth may be of interest for you too.


Is beer bad for dogs I've read that raw hops can be bad for dogs, somehow causing hyperthermia. But once it's brewed, is beer bad also? What about very hoppy beers? Answers might include reports on what it is in hops (alpha acids?) that make hops bad for dogs.

Please keep answers restricted to the effect of brewed hops. I already realize the fermented alcohol can be bad for smaller pets. I'm not looking for alcohol related answers, just answers on boiled and fermented hops.

As an aside, it seems okay for cats. Mine decided to take a sip, seemed to like it, and came back for more.

I haven't looked for a full toxicology report (not that I would be able to understand it), but this Wikipedia article mentions that hops causes hyperthermia and may cause death.

I personally do not think that a sip of beer, especially of the standard lagers, will cause any major problems, but I prefer to err on the side of safety when it comes to my pets.


What is a good collection of alcohol to keep around for someone who doesn't drink? I don't drink alcohol at all, but I'd like to keep some kind of selection around to offer to guests who do. I'm not looking to fully stock a bar, but at least a few different options that can accommodate a variety of tastes and also not require prompt consumption.

The kinds of alcohol you'd want can differ depending on the occasion or type of hosting you'll be doing. If a friend helps you move a couch, for example, it would not be unexpected to offer them a beer afterward as a thank you.

Wine can be offered but is probably more acceptable in the evenings or with a specific meal. One bottle of white and one of red should be sufficient. Chardonnay is probably a safe bet for white wine and a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon for red, but your guests' individual tastes can obviously differ.

Liquor like vodka or whiskey can be used to make a variety of cocktails (again, during or after dinner are commonplace) and for guests who want to party these can easily be used for shots as well. Many people have preferences towards specific brands, but if you buy a $20-30 bottle you won't have many guests turn it down just over the name.


Giving beer a decent head and why people like it? I love beer, but when I pour myself one, I try not to make it foam too much, I personally don't like the 'head' of a beer (Don't really know how to say it). My dad drinks beer religiously and demands a head when ever I pour one for him. A few (Most of my friends) aren't keen on having a head, but some love it.

Obviously this is personal preference, but is beer normally supposed to have a head?

Yes, beer is indeed generally supposed to have a head.  The foam can add to both the flavor and the texture of your beer.  It is preference for sure, and if you don't like it, then you don't like it, but I'd encourage you to try it from time to time with an open mind.  The head of a beer is quite complex, consisting of proteins that are acted on by the hops, the yeast, and the carbonation. Because of the complexity, creating the perfect recipe for foam in a beer is something the brewers spend quite a lot of time and energy on, and it's a fairly integral part of a good beer.

Note that there are exceptions. Truly non-carbonated beer, like Samuel Adams Utopias will not have a head. Hever, from what I've read, that specific example is probably more closely comparable to a fortified wine than a common beer in any case.


Fake Glencairn Glass? I just purchased this Glencairn glass from Amazon and I think it may be knock-off. The etching on the bottom is different than the majority of the ones I've seen elsewhere. The ones I've seen online I have a standard non-cursive font.
The QR code on the bottom of the box also links to a WeChat app download
Does anybody know if these are legitimate?
The Amazon post is here.

If you are asking if the glass was made by Glencairn Crystal, then the answer is: no, not likely.
For one, the URL on the top of the box in your photo is different than the one that you will see if you follow the link above. For two, Glencairn Crystal is in Scotland - since the UK is no longer part of the EU (as the bottom of your box displays where your glass was manufactured,) it probably does not come from there. Then, there is the business with the trademark...
Patents expire, and while this may not be manufactured by "ye ol' Glencairn glass works incorporated," the glass is legitimate even if it does not contain the trademark etching of the company.
As long as it has the actual shape as the glass on the box, then it is the real thing.
What makes a glass a Glencairn is the design, in this instance:

So, the design has become the thing.
For instance, if I made a plastic flying disc, one could argue that it isn't a frisbee because it doesn't have the right trademark and wasn't made by an authorized party. But, as soon as we ask an objective third party 'what is this flying plastic disc thing that I am holding?' They would say, 'duh, it's a frisbee.'
Just as if you ask someone (who knows what they are looking at,) 'what kind of whiskey glass is this?' They will say, 'it's a Glencairn.'
So, does the glass have the authentic trademark? Probably not. Is it a Glencairn glass? Yes, it definitely is.


Where I can check the age of this blended scotch whisky? How to check how old this scotch whisky is?

For blended whisky, the age is not generally considered a relevant factor. There will be a range of ages and whiskies in there, chosen to make the end result.

Unless a particular blend has ages specified (the Grant's Family Reserve doesn't), all you can guarantee is that the youngest whisky is 3 years old.

As an example, another Grant's whisky, the 12 year old, has whiskies that are 12 years old and older blended into it.


What properties help mead to age without skunking? I have done a little home-brewing (with friends) and have made or helped make several meads over the years -- enough to prompt this question but not enough to provide sufficient data to answer it.

Some of our meads have kept well for several years.  Others have started to go off after six months or a year (but were fine before that).  The meads are bottled in capped (usually) 12oz brown bottles stored in a dark basement, and it doesn't seem to be about individual bottles.  This seems to be a case of "some recipes keep longer than others".  I'd like to know what properties contribute to this.

So far, the batch that has kept well for the longest (over 10 years now! I've been saving the last few bottles...) was very high-gravity for a mead; it's strong, sweet, and very smooth.  But another moderately-high-gravity mead degraded after a year or so, and lower-gravity ones have sometimes lasted longer.  So it seems like there must be other factors at play; it doesn't seem to be as simple as "stronger (or sweeter) meads keep longer".

Our production techniques have been about as consistent as home-brewing can be -- same equipment, same general process, same cellars, same fastidiousness about sanitation.  Varieties of honey and yeast have varied, and of course recipes have too.

This is not a home-brewing question; I'm not asking specifically how to make long-lived mead.  Rather, I'm asking what characteristics allow a mead to age longer without going off, which also helps me decide what to drink.

I know that commercial meads exist, by the way, but I have never encountered one.

One of the biggest determinants in how well a mead or beer or wine will age is oxidation. The only time that oxygen is beneficial is when your must or wort (IDK the currect term for unfermented mead) has cooled and you are ready to pitch the yeast. Oxygen at this point will help the yeast to multiply. But when the liquid is hot prior to cooling, and after fermentation is complete, you should be careful to minimize the amount of oxygen you are adding to it. Always stir gently and avoid splashing when racking and bottling.

You use the word "skunking" in the title. True skunking (as opposed to staling or oxidation) is caused by a chemical reaction between hop extract and light. If you are adding hops to any meads, be sure to protect the bottles from light by storing them in a dark place, preferably in a box. Sunlight and florescent lights are particularly harmful.


Why is there a Double Gold medal? I was looking up a wine and found out that one of my favorites received a Gold medal. I felt validated because that meant I wasn't crazy (all of my friends disliked it while I fell in love), so I  thought that meant it was in the top tier of quality. But as I kept scrolling I found one that had received a Double Gold medal and it brought me much confusion. I didn't know there was a ranking above gold?!? And I've definitely never heard that term before.

I thought that if there was, it would be called something similar to platinum (like records in the music industry), but apparently not.

So what is a Double Gold medal? What makes it better than a normal Gold medal?

Here is where I came across it.

It's simply grade inflation. I have won a few Double Golds at the Seattle Wine Awards. Contests were giving out too many Golds and they came up with Double Golds. Here is how it normally works. Judges sit around a table and taste together. Then they discuss and award medals as a group. If the majority thinks it's worth a gold, they give it a gold. If the whole table says it's a gold, then they give it a double gold.

There are Platinum awards too. Another group of judges (not from the same contest) taste all the Double Golds from a region or something from other contests and give Platinums. It's all a subjective thing based on the contest. There is no coordination among contests on what a double gold means.

Seattle Wine Awards

Platinum Awards Northwest Wines


How to correctly drink whiskey? Last year I went to Dublin to visit guinness storehouse and some whisky distillery.

As long as Guinness is such a masterpiece, I found myself attracted more by the whiskey, which was a surprise...

During the tour in the factory I got an explanation on how it is supposed to drink whiskey to get all flavors and odors, but , shamefully, I'm not a native speaker, so I got just basic help, and I'm pretty sure I did not get something about respiration.

So, as long as enjoying whiskey is not a cheap option, and I would want to drink it and enjoy it as it is supposed to be done. Are there any rule or advice on how to drink properly whiskey?

Just like wine, whisky demands a reasonable glass that will help rather than hinder the aromas. Avoid shot glasses and wide-mouthed tumblers, and go for something like the Glencairn Whisky Glass, or a tulip glass or even a brandy snifter.
Pour an amount that will let you swirl the whisky without sloshing it. Swirl it to coat the sides, which will allow you to smell it better. Observe the "legs", but don't be fooled by superstitions attached to them, they're a consequence of the Marangoni Effect (fascinating video).
Stick your nose over the glass's opening and inhale very gingerly. Avoid knocking your smell receptors out. Save the deep breaths for after step 5.
(optional) Take a tiny sip (again save your enthusiasm for after you have tasted it diluted, or you risk numbing your taste and smell receptors), and just like wine, let it run over all of your tongue, and like wine "chew" it to allow the air you are intaking to bring the aromas and flavors to the back of your nose.
Drink some water and possibly eat something neutral. Add a few drops of (good quality) water to the whisky, try to take the ABV to around 35%ish.
Stick your nose deeper into the glass and smell. I'd still suggest being a little cautious until you learn the glasses and your nose. It would be a pity to numb yourself at this stage.
Take a sip, let it run all over your tongue. "Chew" it... Savor it.

Try to learn something about the whisky you are drinking and associate how it was made with what you are tasting. Was it peated? Is it kept by the sea? What type of oak is used? How old is it? All these things will drastically affect the flavor.

If you are drinking the whisky to taste it, please do not skip step 5 (Note 1, Note 2, Note 3, Note 4). You can always decide you prefer a whisky undiluted afterwards.

In a similar vein, you can decide you prefer ice after tasting it properly, despite Note 4's suggestions. By all means drink how you want to drink, but adding ice is prone to both over-cool the whisky (diminishing and changing its flavors) and also over-dilute it. Optimal temperature and strength will vary by whisky and by drinker's preferences (and season, etc.), but I'd aim to start your investigations at around 15-20C and around 30-35%.


Why are Enkel trappist beers not sold publicly? The four grades of Trappist beer are Enkel, Dubbel, Triple and Quadrupel. Dubbel and triple are most common and occasionally, we see quadrupel.

Is there a history account of how the grades were called as they are?

But why are Enkel not seen publicly? Is there a reason for the secrecy or is it that dubbel is too light be to call a trappist?

The Dubbel/Triple/Quad designations are totally separate from the Trappist label.

The Trappists are an official Catholic religious order that follow the rules of St. Benedict, one of which states "for then are they monks in truth, if they live by the work of their hands".  The monasteries all make goods, most commonly beer and cheese, that they sell in order to fund themselves.  Several of the monasteries form the International Trappist Association in order to prevent anyone who's not actually a part of the order from using the name Trappist on their products.

But Trappist ale isn't really a style, it's a commercial seal like "Organic".  Both Dubbel and Tripel originated as names of specific beers brewed by Trappists at the Westmalle abbey.  Dubbel coming to use in the 1850s and Tripel (1950s) being a renamed and slightly hoppier version of what the monks used to call Superbier (1930s).  Quadrupel is a brand of La Trappe made at the Koningshoeven abbey, which was probably introduced some time in the 1990's. Koningshoeven Also used to market a beer named Enkel, but stopped production in 2000.

In all cases the popularity of the beers led to imitation by other brewers which sort of turned their brand names into loose stylistic designations.  It'd be like if people started imitating Stone's Arrogant Bastard and started producing their own Arrogant ale.


Recommended Android app Do you recommend any specific Android app to keep track of the different beers (and of course different kind of beers) that you have tasted?

Someone recommended me Untappd but I may need something less social and more informative...

Beeradvocate.com

Beer Expert - from "Rate Beer" data

Both of these are the largest rating/tasting databases for beer, I haven't used them but they would be the place to look for the information that untapped is lacking.


Why do stouts foam so much when you pour them over ice cream? I was just making a stout float and noticed that my beer foamed up a ton.

It's not a very carbonated beer (there was barely a hiss when I opened the growler), yet the head was several inches with not very much beer poured into the chilled mug.

What causes this massive head and is there a good way to prevent it?

For the same reason that root beer floats behave in a similar fashion.  Even though there is less carbonation than in root beer (and I presume similarly less foam, though still a significant quantity) the irregular surface of the ice cream offers a massively larger number of nucleation sites than the smooth glass of your favorite beer vessel.   These nucleation sites cause the CO2 to come out of solution, and voila, much foam does appear.  I believe that the ice cream has properties that enhance the foaming effect as well.


Any Iranian rummers here? What yeast do you use? A lot of Iranians would gladly push away their teetotal laws, and it's evident from the latest alcohol craze which makes me realize there are probably more and more Iranian rummers present in our society, doing God's job, or lack thereof.

I want to know what sort of yeast do you use? I want to brew myself some mead. In a large barrel. What should be the ratio of water and honey, and also, what yeast should I use? Where can I get brewer's yeast?

Thanks a lot.

Bread yeast is very close to brewers yeast.

There is a mead recipe you can search-up: "Joes ancient orange mead", which does specify using bread yeast, rather than specific mead yeast.  Many home brewers make this with good levels of success.

Failing that, you can grow naturally-occurring yeast from the skins of fresh and dried fruits (e.g.: grapes). We used to do this as kids to carbonate ginger beer soft drink (aka: soda).


What is the strongest alcoholic drink that existed during the Middle Ages in Europe? What is the strongest alcoholic drink that was drank within the European nations during the Middle Ages (5th to the 15th century)?

In the History and Taxonomy of Distilled Spirits There is ample evidence that distilled spirits were available during the time period you mentioned in a variety of places. We know that that Greek Alchemists developed the distillation processes about 1 AD and that a true distillation process was developed in Italy in the 1200s at the School of Salerno and Fractional Distillation was developed in the 1300s in Italy again. (Distilled Beverages Wikipedia) In 1313 there is evidence that Brandy had been made, although not widespread.

Then it seems in the 1400s, the doors open wide across Europe for distilled spirits.

  Claims upon the origin of specific beverages are controversial, often
  invoking national pride, but they are plausible after the 12th century
  AD, when Irish whiskey and German brandy became available. These
  spirits would have had a much lower alcohol content (about 40% ABV)
  than the alchemists' pure distillations, and they were likely first
  thought of as medicinal elixirs. Consumption of distilled beverages
  rose dramatically in Europe in and after the mid-14th century, when
  distilled liquors were commonly used as remedies for the Black Death.
  Around 1400, methods to distill spirits from wheat, barley, and rye
  beers, a cheaper option than grapes, were discovered. Thus began the
  "national" drinks of Europe: jenever (Belgium and the Netherlands),
  gin (England), Schnaps (Germany), grappa (Italy), borovička
  (Slovakia), horilka (Ukraine), akvavit/snaps (Scandinavia), vodka
  (Poland and Russia), ouzo (Greece), rakia (the Balkans), and poitín
  (Ireland). The actual names emerged only in the 16th century, but the
  drinks were well known prior to then.

So, from about 500AD to 1300 AD, it was possible you could find distilled spirits, they were not widely available. Then in the 1300s distilled spirits spread across Europe and became widely available by the 1500s. Which one was actually the strongest? We'll never know but 90+% ABV was probably achievable with 1500s technology.


Is there anything I can do short of leaving a glass out on the counter to mitigate overcarbonation? I recently picked up a bunch of bottles of what seemed like interesting brews from Hitachino, because I was interested in exploring some Japanese beers. Unfortunately, the first two bottles I've opened now seem to have both been severely overcarbonated.

We're talking foam overflowing out of the bottle once I open it. These bottles have not been exposed to significant agitation recently. They've been sitting on a shelf, upright as is proper, for days. Worse still, they don't just explode and make a mess, but they also simply taste severely overcarbonated. It's like drinking shaken seltzer water mixed with my beer, and it's decidedly unpleasant. At this point, the only thing I've been able to do is pour a glass, leave it out for an hour or three, and then drink it.

Which is... impractical at best, and is only going to become less so as the weather warms up. Is there anything else I can do to mitigate this?

You can decant the beer between two large glasses or pitchers - the agitation will cause the CO2 to come out of solution quickly and also not raise the temperature too much.

Sample after 4-5 decants to see how much the carbonation has dropped, and repeat as necessary. You will end up with quite a bit of foam, hence the need for larger glasses or a pitcher.


Are gas injection based wine openers a good idea? I used to work in fairly fine dining restaurants, so I know some about wine. The problem I'm looking at is my step-father has an impressive cellar, but some of the wines are rather aged. I think last Christmas we had a couple bottles of 1982 Château Lafite Rothschild or similar. I have no idea why he would waste that bottle of wine on my plebeian tastes, but he does.
The problem is the corks are really starting to go (the bottom of the cork is breaking down, but not rotten). He will spend about 30 minutes finessing the wine key (corkscrew) into the cork and wrestling it out. Invariably, the bottom of the cork will break and fall into the bottle. It doesn't affect drinkability, but we have to hear him rant about it until he's fished every piece of cork out before pouring into the decanter.
I thought about getting him a gas injection wine opener. It looks like most of these are based on nitrous oxide or argon gas, which wouldn't affect the wine in any way.
My question is: Would the needle used to inject the gas into the bottle be able to penetrate the cork but at the same time not break out the bottom of the cork that's in the condition I've described. Or, are these contraptions just gimmicks for the plebs like me?
NOTE: I realize that him opening the wine might be part of his presentation.

I never used such a bottle opener myself, but there are wine bars (for example Le Millésime in Bordeaux) that use such opening systems to be able to serve wines such as old vintages from Château Cheval Blanc by the glas.
So I think this shouldn't  be a problem.


Whiskey: Year is it from distilled or bottled? I've noticed that on the label on some whiskey bottles it say "distilled 2010 | bottled 2016"

Is a Whiskey in that case then categorized as a six-year-old whiskey or one-year-old (or zero) whiskey?

I'm getting a daughter this year and I would love to buy a bottle of whiskey from the year she is born (which of cause if this year, 2016) but the only whiskey I can find is where it's bottled 2016.

The bottle you are talking about will be 6 years old: it ages from the day of distillation and it will stop aging once it has been bottled (properties can change but for all intents and purposes it has stopped aging once it has been bottled)

I would even go on to say that it will pretty much be impossible to find a whiskey that is from this year as they will need some time to distill and bottle. I would say the earliest you will be able to get a whiskey distilled in 2016 would be about 4 years from now as whiskey takes time to make, so be patient you will be able to get a bottle from 2016 just not yet.


Is the saying true that drinking absinthe drives a person insane? Absinthe has been said to cause insanity, permanent brain-damage and/or hallucinatory state.

Is this accurate?

The answer is no; drinking traditionally prepared absinthe causes no more brain-damge or insanity than any other alcoholic beverage...

  ...absinthe languished in exile for nearly a century, a casualty of bad publicity, special-interest lobbies and mythology. That allowed absinthe to become something of an urban legend, something to talk about in whispers, with wide eyes. Much is said about absinthe; very little of that is true.

  So let’s clear up a few misconceptions. Absinthe does not make you hallucinate. It is not wildly addictive. It will not cause you to lop off your ear, unless (possibly, on the off-chance) you are a deeply disturbed painter racked by poverty, heartbreak and mental illness. Rather, absinthe is a good drink.

  Degas’ famous 1876 painting, L’Absinthe, is a portrait of overindulgence and isolation: a woman slumped over her cafe table in front of an absinthe glass, face gone slack. In 1890, the book “Wormwood: A Drama of Paris” vilified absinthe, portraying the downward spiral that inevitably follows a drink. (Think “Reefer Madness” for fin-de-siècle Paris.) In 1905, a disturbed Swiss man, drunk on absinthe, murdered his entire family. Absinthe didn’t make him do it — any more than a bipolar who hacks up his neighbor after drinking Jamesons has been deranged by Irish whiskey.

  Environmental chemist T.A. Breaux, who has studied absinthe for 14 years, explains what led to the drink’s decline. “As absinthe became immensely popular, there was a drive to make it cheaper,” he says. “In urban areas, where they didn’t have a lot of space for distillation equipment, people made absinthes from cheap industrial alcohol, using chemicals that would induce the green color. There were people who had an interest in capitalizing on this, and they failed to make a distinction between these cheaper drinks and real absinthe. It’s a little bit like using Mad Dog as a reason to ban Bordeaux.” http://www.salon.com/2007/12/21/absinthe/

Also;

https://youtu.be/A_FQ_glhMxw


Are there any craft beer or microbrewery in Washington and Baltimore? Are there any microbreweries in Washington/Baltimore region?

What are the specialty brew from that part of the states?

Raven

Dog

DuClaw

Monocacy

And the list goes on...


Can a beer like Tuborg or Budweiser be made at home? Was just curious about how the manufacturing of beer is done.
Can it be made at home also?

It's possible to make almost any beer at home; this hobby is known as Home Brewing and even has a Stack Exchange Community around the topic.

Most beer falls into two major categories: ales and lagers. Ales are easier to make at home because the beer can ferment at temperatures that do not require special equipment.

Budweiser is a lager; lager beers require additional equipment to keep the beers fermenting at very specific low temperatures. So while it is certainly possible to make beers like Budweiser at home, few choose to do so because of the added expense and level of difficulty of doing so.


How do I know if home brews are safe to drink? I received a true beginner's homebrew kit from a relative as a Christmas gift, decided to attempt a brew and followed the directions as close to perfect as I could.

After the entire process was completed I wound up with something that did not really pour, smell or look like beer. Obviously I have done something wrong and need to try again, but my question is:

Assuming an enthusiast observes a respectable level of sanitation in the process of the brew, but perhaps severely deviates from the instructions at some point in the process, how can they tell if their brew is actually fit (or unfit) to drink? Are there tell-tale smells/colours/heads that indicate a "spoiled" beverage?

I have personally drunk beer that was unintentionally sour, and smelled like a sewer, without a problem.*

If it has alcohol, and a low-ish pH (was made from reasonable water, barley and hops) then it is, according to history, safe. Many contaminating bacteria will produce acetic or lactic acids under these conditions, but they are also safe to drink.

If you really screw things up, (forget to add yeast, drop  dead mouse in there) maybe its possible to grow some listeria or something, but you'd probably find the smell to be intolerable.

Typical beer infections will produce various levels bad flavors along with some scum on top of the bottled beer (since yeast produce bubbles and foam when working, this scum might not be visible until the yeast are completely finished, usually after the beer has been bottled). Some kinds of bacteria will also give a ropey (snotty) texture to the beer, but even this is safe to drink. This page lists common beer off-flavors, note that danger isn't discussed, because there really isn't any.

And if you contaminant is a wild yeast, the beer might turn out OK (or even great) after a long aging, despite initially smelling horrible.

*Not a beer that I made


Is there a universal resource to decipher beer production codes? When I go buy my beer, I will always look for the some sort of date indicating when it expires, or when it was bottled, or something of that sort.  Occasionally, I run into undecipherable codes instead of dates and I am at a lost to know when the beer was produced.  Is it a company by company basis, or is there some general way to decipher the codes so I know when the beer was produced, or when it will expire, or whatever other information they care to give me?

TLDR answer: Unfornately, no.
From my own experience, this varies a lot from company to company. It also depends on country's legislation or even the state, when it comes to USA. As far as I know, expiring dates for beers are even not obligatory by law in many american states.
Besides that, some breweries inform the bottling date, others the expiration date, which is less useful, because if you are a experienced drinker you know how old (or not) you want your beer to be, despite what the producer has estimated for it. So, in those cases, first you need to figure out the given shelf-life of it, and count backwards, to know when it was bottled. Pretty messy. I age beers and I'm quite used to it.
So, in general, when that information is not clear, your best (and maybe only) friend is the web - the brewery's website or forums.
For example, Anchor Brewery has a very particular (and weird) code standard for bottling date, but it is well explained on their website.

The date code currently being used by Anchor Brewing Company (post-October 1991) replaces the clock-face that used to show the bottling month as one of 12 small notches around the main label. A three character code is now included on the new back label of the bottle. The code works like this:
The first character is always numeric and represents the last digit of the year. The second character is always alpha and represents the month by using the first letter of the month unless that letter has already been used:
January: J, February: F, March: M, April: A, May: Y, June: U, July: L,  August: G, September: S, October: O, November: N, December: D
The third character in the code is either alpha or numeric and tells the day of the month. The first 26 days are represented by the alphabet with the remaining days listed as:
27th through 29th = 7 through 9, 30th = 3, 31st = 1
An example of a date code would be: January 20, 2012 = 2JT

Not all breweries are so transparent like that, though. I have had a lot of trouble trying to figure out bottling date of some European beers, specially from some small, old breweries. Some american ones just won't tell anything about it as well, even on bottles.


What are some of the iconic champagnes for each decade of the last 100 years? Which champagne / house is most commonly associated with each decade since the 1920s?

For example, a few initial thoughts might be:

1950s - Pol Roger (a Churchill influence?)
1960s - Bollinger (all the James Bond references?)
1990s - Laurent-Perrier Rosé (it was very cool in the City at that time)
2000s - Krug (a hip-hop influence?)

To be clear, I'm not asking what was the best wine made in each of those decades - either drinking then or since.

I suppose, I might clarify the question as follows:

If you were producing a period drama for that decade, which champagne would the characters drink (or be seen to drink)?
If you were hosting a fancy-dress party for that decade, which champagne would you serve?

What are some of the possible iconic champagnes from each decade of the last 100 years?

Before going on, I would like to define the word iconic which I would like to use as a loose model in the following list of iconic champagnes.

  Iconic

  Similar to "classic," iconic is generally restricted to more recent, highly original, influential, or unique, works of art, artists, or performers. As such they are now well-established and widely celebrated in popular culture.

  "Oedipus Rex" is a classic, but the original "Planet of the Apes" is truly iconic. - Urban Dictionary

  Relating to or characteristic of a famous person or thing that represents something of importance:

  Scenes of Parisians dancing in the streets remain iconic images from World War II. - Cambridge Dictionary

For the 1920s: Dom Pérignon logo champagnes

Dom Pérignon  Brut Champagne 1982

For this decade I would like to propose any French champagne that puts Dom Pérignon into the spotlight on the label.

  Champagne Region

  Sources estimate that approximately 300 million bottles of champagne were sold in the year of 2015. All this champagne is made from grapes grown in a distinctive part of France, the Champagne region. This region of small 34.000 hectares received the sole right to the champagne brand once the law of 1927 was passed. The law of 1927 defined the champagne production zone and defined restrictions when making champagne. The champagne production is located just 150 kilometers east of Paris and is divided into four geographical areas.

  Marne (66% of planted area)
  Aube (23%)
  Aisne (10%)
  Haute-Marne and Seine-et-Marne.

  Together these areas form the Champagne region. The reason why the champagne region has been declared the only place in the world to make champagne, is due to the geographical location concerning the latitude and the changing climate, being both influenced by the continental climate as well as the oceanic climate.

For the 1930s: Pol Roger

  Hitler Couldn't Defeat Churchill, But Champagne Nearly Did

  During the 1930s, as Adolf Hitler was rising to power in Germany, the man who would turn out to be his most implacable foe was drowning — in debt and champagne.

  In 1936, Winston Churchill owed his wine merchant the equivalent of $75,000 in today's money. He was also in hock to his shirt-maker, watchmaker and printer — but his sybaritic lifestyle, of a cigar-smoking, horse-owning country aristocrat, continued apace.

  To get an idea of Churchill's annual alcohol consumption, here's what he ordered in 1908, the year he married Clementine:

  Nine-dozen bottles and seven-dozen half-bottles of Pol Roger 1895 vintage champagne, plus four-dozen half-bottles of the 1900 Pol Roger vintage.

  Churchill drank several brands of champagne such as Giesler, Moet et Chandon, and Pommery, but Pol Roger was his clear favorite. Every year on Churchill's birthday, the charming and shrewd Odette Pol Roger sent him a case of champagne. (His other great friend, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, sent him caviar — until they fell out over Churchill's Iron Curtain speech.)

For the 1940s: Moët

  Occupation Begins, Summer 1940

  In the first weeks of the occupation, more than 2 million bottles of wine were stolen by Germans. It was comparable to full scale looting of the sort seen after natural disasters and coups, but in this case it involved some of the most storied vineyards in the world and Moët suffered more than most.

  “The Chandon château on the grounds of Dom Pérignon’s abbey had been burned down and many other buildings  belonging to Moët were taken over to house German troops. To add insult to injury, the company had also been ordered to supply the Third Reich with 50,000 bottles of champagne a week, or about one-tenth of all the champagne the Germans were requisitioning.”

For the 1950s:Piper-Heidsieck

  The champagne brand of choice for Marilyn Monroe, Marie Antoinette and all the stars at the Oscars, Piper-Heidsieck champagne is one of the most iconic luxury brands and a favourite among fashion and luxury lifestyle brands. So no wonder it's still doing rather well today - after all, how many brands can say that Marie Antoinette was their first brand ambassador?

And there is more:

  In a similarly extravagant vein, Marilyn Monroe was reputed to have taken a bath in 350 bottles of Champagne. - Champagne glass

There is even a Marilyn Monroe Champagne Cocktail Recipe.

  "Hey, did you ever try dunking a potato chip in Champagne. It's real crazy!"
  Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (1955) - Champagne sips and chips

For the 1960s: Mumm: For the Coupe!

Going to put the Mumm champagne for this decade. Some may say something else, but I like the Mumm champage in coupe glasses.

  The Sixties and Seventies saw sales increase in spectacular fashion: shipments rose from three million to six million bottles, making G.H.MUMM the number one Reims Champagne. - G.H.Mumm – The History

What about the Mumm champagne in coupe glasses?

  No matter who inspired the coupe glass, it's safe to say its infamy keeps it popular to this day. Especially in the 1930s prohibition-era and in the 1960s, the coupe glass reigned as the choice for sparkling wine even if its design wasn't ideal. With TV shows like "Mad Men" and "Boardwalk Empire," old-fashioned drinks and drinking glasses have been making a comeback. Just stop by any trendy bar in New York City (or any other metropolis) and you'll find cocktails served in the coupe glass. - The Glass Shaped Like Marie Antoinette's Anatomy

In 1914, Kate Moss also had a champagne glass modeled after her left breast while pregnant.

  To celebrate Kate Moss 25 years in the fashion industry, a champagne glass moulded from her left breast has been created.

  Forty-year-old Moss has teamed up with a sculptor and a London restaurant to create the unique champagne glass in her honour.

  Mayfair’s 34 Restaurant, where Moss celebrated her star-studded 40 birthday lunch back in January, commissioned British artist Jane McAdam Freud, daughter of late painter Lucien Freud who Moss posed for while pregnant, to create a mould of the model’s breast. - London Restaurant 34 creates champagne glass modeled on Kate Moss' left breast

Mumm’s French Champagne (1968)

For the 1970s: Bollinger

  Bollinger champagnes have appeared in 14 James Bond films, dating back to 1973's "Live and Let Die."

For the 1980s: Dom Perignon

  Dom Pérignon was served at the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981. A special insignia just for this event was put on the bottles of the 1961 vintage that was served.

For the 1990s: Crystal

  Since the late 1990s, high-end champagne brands have been featured in rap and hip hop music and videos; bottles featured in videos are often quite blingy and distinctive, often gold. The Louis Roederer brand Cristal, with a gold label, has seen increased popularity since the mid-to-late 1990s due to its association with rap and hip hop artists, notably the New York rappers Biggie Smalls (the Notorious B.I.G.), Puff Daddy, and Jay-Z. This high-end image has been cultivated and managed by Cristal's US importer, Maisons Marques. Since 2006, Cristal has seen a loss of popularity and some boycotts, notably by Jay-Z, due to statements perceived as racist, with other champagnes such as Armand de Brignac (gold bottle) making inroads. - Champagne in popular culture

For the 2000s: Dom Pérignon and Dom Pérignon Rosé

  No New Year's Eve would be complete without welcoming the new year (and bidding an enthusiastic farewell to the prior year) with a bottle of bubbly. It's the stuff of celebrations and special occasions, and it's such a big part of holiday traditions around the world that about 25 percent of all champagne is sold in the days between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Just what is it that makes champagne the perfect New Year's drink? You might be surprised.

  Champagne became the drink of choice at a huge number of landmark celebrations, from royal weddings to the scaling of some of the world's toughest mountains. It then also became linked with New Year's celebrations, which started first with Julius Caesar. It wasn't until the 1800s that staying up for a midnight party became a common tradition, and we know champagne was a major part of it from at least mid-century.

January 1st, 2000 ushered in the New Millennium and drinking champagne is such an iconic symbol for celebrating this event or any other celebration or party as Dom Pérignon  and Dom Pérignon Rosé should be a part of it.

  Dom Pérignon’s vintage-only champagne has earned unquestionable prestige and iconic status for its ability to evolve while “resting on the lees”—this lets the champagne develop better textures and flavours, so the next batch of the same vintage is even more intense. These privileged points in time have been dubbed “plenitudes”, and in the case of its P2 2000—the second plenitude of its vintage 2000—can take as long as 16 years to show.

  Geoffroy mentions that the wine he is working on now will only be released in around 10 years, and the second plenitude, 15 to 20 years after that. Hence, he reminds us that ripeness is key to a good vintage. In fact, the extreme ripeness of the vintage 2003 harvest, which he describes as “insane and out of balance”, was too much for many but not Dom Pérignon, which saw opportunity in the challenge and eventually declared it a vintage year. “It was the mother of all hot vintages,” he exclaims. - We Taste Dom Pérignon’s P2 2000 Champagne In Beijing With Alain Ducasse

  The 2004 vintage of Dom Perignon is worth the treat and is a Champagne apart from the rest with notes of marzipan and dry cocoa powder and racy minerality. The toasty finish on the palate is pleasantly unexpected. It is a really well-rounded Champagne with even darker notes on the finish with a kick of spice.

  There’s no better way to ring in the New Year, than with a glass of Dom Preignon. - Dom Perignon 2004

For the 2010s: Juglar, Veuve Clicquot and Heidsieck Champagnes (until this decade is over)

The decade is not over, so let us wait a few years to truly answer this one. In the meantime I place these three champagnes temporarily as an honorary iconic examples of a champagne that is well made and bottled as preservation in obscure and precarious situations shows!

  In the summer of 2010 five bottles of beer were discovered in a shipwreck in Föglö in Åland’s outer archipelago. The wreck contained 145 bottles of champagne and five bottles of beer from the 1840s.

  Owing to the constant temperature between four and six degrees, the dark surroundings, the pressure inside the bottles and the pressure at the bottom of the sea, the champagne was in extremely good condition. Each bottle was uncorked, tasted and classified by international expert Richard Juhlin.

  Out of the bottles that were salvaged, 95 were from the Juglar champagne house, which closed down in 1829. The same owners produce Jacquesson today. Veuve Clicquot was represented by 46 bottles and Heidsieck & Co by four. The Veuve Clicquot bottles were dated 1841–1850. - The oldest champagne found at the bottom of the sea


Why isn't Sam Adams Infinium being produced anymore? I had Sam Adams Infinium first back in the fall of 2011. It was promoted to beer club members by my local distributor as being a first-come first-serve limited batch with a restriction on the number of bottles sold per customer. It was, and still is to this date, the best beer I had ever had.
Since then I have not seen it anywhere, and their site gives no information as to when it will be back.

I'm curious if anyone knows anything about the availability changing, or when it will be out next.

I got a response from the Samuel Adams Twitter account:

  We brew around 60 different styles a year - sometimes we have to retire some brews to make room for new ones.

So it seems as if this beer is out of production. For good.


What does “bottom fermented” mean? During a conversation a friend of mine mentioned something about
Bottom fermentation and I did not fully understand what this was. I understand when something is fermented, but what is the difference when talking about bottom fermentation?

Does this process have a effect of the type of drink produced or taste it has ?

"Bottom fermentation" is one of the two main types of fermentation which take place during beer production; the other being "top fermentation". A third less common type would be spontaneous fermentation (a natural beer fermentation process taking place in the wild). Typically, only one fermentation process occurs during production (either bottom, top, or spontaneous fermentation). It basically describes what happens to the yeast during fermentation- some yeast float to the top of the liquid during fermentation, while some types of yeast sink to the bottom. Which type of fermentation takes place, depends on the type of yeast used in the process. So to answer your question, if it effects the type of drink (and taste), the answer is yes. It's not so much whether the yeast sink to the bottom or float to the top that affects the taste/style, but it is rather due to the type of yeast which determines what will happen to during fermentation (float to top/sink to bottom). For instance, lager strains of yeast typically float to the bottom.

From Beeradvocate.com:
"Some of the lager styles made from bottom-fermenting yeasts are Pilsners, Dortmunders, Märzen, Bocks, and American malt liquors."

"Top-fermenting yeasts are used for brewing ales, porters, stouts, Altbier, Kölsch, and wheat beers."

A more in-depth summary can be seen at the Beer Advocate's Yeast Guide.


What is the best way to cool your beer on a festival without electricity? I am going to some festivals this year but I still struggle to find the most convenient method to cool my beer there.

I already tried bringing a cool box but it was warm after a few hours the first day in. Digging a hole wasn't such a nice idea either.

What is your best method or should I just embrace warm beer?

A high-end cooler packed with ice can stay cold for five or six days. High-end coolers can get somewhat expensive, they aren't necessary for most people. First thing I would do is get a cheap cooler, not the styrofoam cooler that you might get from a gas-station but, an double-wall insulated plastic one. The way that you pack it will make a big difference in how long it stays cold.

If you can, bring the cooler down to temperature by sticking some ice in it a day before your trip. For the trip, use the biggest ice that you can, small ice melts faster. You can fill big plastic juice bottles with water and freeze them. You also want to fill as much of the cooler as you can, so fill in smaller spaces with smaller ice. Put a folded-towel inside of the cooler, on top of everything else, to prevent too much cold air from escaping when you open your cooler. The towel should take up the entire surface-area of the cooler and when you grab a beer, only lift as much of the towel as necessary. Avoid opening the cooler more than you have to, so grab everyone a fresh beer at the same time. Of course, try to keep your cooler in the shade.

Without ice, you could take a note from the botijo. A botijo is a ceramic jug, called different things but, used around the world as a water jug. The ceramic is porous so it 'sweats'. And just like a with a person, when the 'sweat' evaporates it cools the container down. I wouldn't put beer in it, it'd go flat and it'd be hard to clean. But you could get a growler, keep it wet, and aim a portable fan at it. I don't know how well it'd work but, it's worth a shot. If the beer doesn't stay cold, at least the fan will cool you off.


What are the factors that determine how long whisky is aged? Whisk[e]y varieties often have significant differences in how long they are aged.  While there are always exceptions, Bourbon is often aged for 5-10 years. Scotch, on the other hand, is more commonly aged for 10-20 years.  Why is this?

Aging or 'Finishing' is an extension of the maturation process, when the spirit is subsequently filled into empty casks that previously held other
wines or spirits for a further relatively short period at the end of maturation.

  The selection of casks can affect the character of the final whisky.
  Outside of the United States, the most common practice is to reuse
  casks that previously contained American whiskey, as US law requires
  several types of distilled spirits to be aged in new oak casks. To
  ensure continuity of supply of used oak casks some Scottish distilling
  groups own oak forests in the US and rent the new barrels to bourbon
  producers for first fill use. Bourbon casks impart a characteristic
  vanilla flavour to the whisky.

so really the longer you age the whiskey the more of the flavor you are going to capture form the cask


Can I tell the wine from the cork? Previously I asked a question regarding nomacorc.  This has lead me to look more carefully at the corks that make their way into the boat.  Now assuming that we are prolific wine consumers (only for research purposes I assure you!), is there a way of knowing before opening/purchasing a bottle of wine if it is drinkable/good quality, or just plonk, from the cork?

Yes and No. Expensive wines are generally bottled in more expensive packaging because there is a greater profit margin and winemakers want to exude an air of exclusivity and expense. The unfortunately part is usually you can't see the cork because of the foil and the dark color of the bottle.

But, if you could visually inspect the cork before you open the bottle, yes those that tend to use more expensive corks generally mean a higher quality wine. Screwcaps and plastic corks generally mean a lower quality wine, EXCEPT in Australia and New Zealand where there is a large push to use screwcaps for all levels of wine to reduce TCA taint.

So, if you could look at the cork, these are the things you might look for.

Cork Grading


What specific characteristics distinguish an imperial stout from other kinds of stouts? My local growler shop regularly has a variety of stouts on tap, of which I usually pick Imperial.

What, specifically, distinguishes an Imperial stout from other kinds of stouts (say a regular stout, an oatmeal stout etc)?

The first Imperial Stout was made by Thrale's Brewery to export to the Russian royalty, it had high alcoholic content so that it could survive the trip gracefully [1]. Since then Imperial has been used as a prefix to signify beers which are of higher alcohol volume than their normal variants, and luckily they're no longer just for Russian royalty.


Is the country of origin for a beer always the same as the brewers country of origin? I am creating a craft beer application which will contains a lot of information about beers.

Now when modeling the data I am contemplating whether a beer itself should have a country, city and other address information, or whether this data should come from the brewery which owns the beer.

Can anyone come up with a valid reason why for example the country of origin from a beer would differ from that of the owning brewery's country of origin?

I ask this because a lot of time when you look at open source beer databases and projects you will see a country of origin when looking at a single beer but they are probably fetching it from the brewery that owns the beer.

It is not that common, but brewers may open subsidiaries.

In 2016, Stone Brewing Co. from US opened a new plant in Germany (I suspect they wanted to expand in the European market). Where would your application locate those beers? (Plant was recently sold to Scottish Brewdog).

I suggest you locate beers where they are brewed.


What is the name of the cocktail with the greatest number of layers in a layered drink and which order are the various liqueurs poured? Could anyone tell me what is the name of the cocktail with largest number of layers in a layered drink and in which order the various liqueurs are poured into it?

  A layered (or "stacked") drink, sometimes called a pousse-café, is a kind of cocktail in which the slightly different densities of various liqueurs are used to create an array of colored layers, typically two to seven. - Wikipedia.

The most layers I have seen (and drunk) is the Pousse Cafe No. 1 - with 6 layers.

It has equal measures of 6 liqueurs and spirits:

Grenadine
Maraschino
Creme De Menthe
Creme De Violette
Yellow Chartreuse
Brandy

Pouring uses the usual layer process - pour down the back of a spoon...very gently, so you don't mix with the previous layer.

Pic from epicurious.com


Do growlers of different materials have a tangible impact on flavor? Most commonly I see glass growlers, but on various sites and at specialty shops I occasionally see variations: ones made of stainless steel or plastic for example.

One would hope that there aren't too many negatives associated with these, but are there proven differences? Is it the same as a bottle vs. can, or does the (usually) limited time in the container make the material...immaterial?

The biggest impact tends to be the color of the container. Green and clear bottles let in more of the harmful light that spoils the beer. The darker the container, the better.

Plastic also lends itself to being scratched if re-used (which most growlers are). Even powdered cleaners with soft cloths can scratch the plastic (if the cleaner isn't disolved well enough) and make grooves where bacteria can sit and ruin future beers.

While it isn't the only choice: Dark Colored, glass growlers that have an air-tight seal would be the best for longevity sake.


Is there a recipe for a Kosher for Passover beer or ale? I'm looking to do a home brew of a Kosher for Passover beer. Is there a recipe I can follow?

Here's a company that's trying it:

…
According to Chabad.org, beer is '"chametz." What's chametz? According to the site, it's "any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that has come into contact with water and been allowed to ferment and rise." Aka, considering it is made from wheat and barley, beer is not Passover approved. But! All hope isn't lost — there are now "beers" on the market that are permitted on the Passover table.
An Israeli brewing company called Meadan Craft Brewing has created a beer that's totally kosher for Passover. How? Well, as you know, standard beer is chametz, meaning, it's made with ingredients that need to rise which makes it against Passover law. But this special beer is made with dates. Not only that, but it's gluten-free, too.
…
— Is Beer Kosher For Passover? Here's What You Need To Know About This Popular Drink

But how you can call something made from fruit "beer", when it's obviously "wine", I don't know.
You might consider corn, since it isn't one of the proscribed grains.
But again, there's still the problem of the yeast.
And of course anyone involved in the process up until it's bottled must be a Sabbath-observing male.


Why don't bars keep their bottles in the fridge to avoid using ice? Maybe this is a non-question for connoisseurs, but as a non-drinking person I have no idea why it is so common to order certain alcoholic drinks at a bar "on the rocks" (with ice or even special "whiskey rocks" which are basically refrigerated non-dissolving shapes of plastic/metal/glass) instead of just keeping the whole bottle in the fridge. Then it wouldn't be watered down by melting ice, and be cool enough from the moment the bartender is done pouring it.

Cursory research says repeated temperature change may alter certain alcohols' flavor, but then for other spirits it doesn't seem to be a problem, so that's ambiguous. However, at a regular bar's rate of consumption, I suppose there wouldn't be enough time for a bottle to go bad − it would be empty before then. Or maybe the effect is so strong that even one cycle of temperature change is enough. I don't know.

My question is: Why most alcohols which become drinks into which ice is usually put, are not stored in a fridge instead, so that the ice isn't needed?

I can only speak for whiskies as I use to sell and give out samples of that stuff.

There are a couple of things to understand first about whiskies.

During the aging process of the whisky, the whisky is placed in a barrel to add flavour to it.
If the alcohol percent is below 40%, the whisky has a hard time retaining the flavour of the barrel. This is not impossible but it is easier if it is 40% or higher.

The reason why there is on the rocks vs neat is due to this 40% alcohol threshold.

If you add ice, it will dilute the whisky below 40% alcohol content which will allow the flavours to "pop out" more. This is really good for new whisky drinkers trying to understand "how to taste" whiskies.

So for whiskies, it is not so much about cooling the drink but rather allowing the flavours of the barrel to be more prominent to the drinker. For veteran whisky drinkers, they may not need the ice and prefer it at room temperature and thus, they would not want it cold.


What are the defining characteristics of a Saison? What should I expect when I drink one? I'll be the first to admit that I have, at best, the palate of a highly experienced amateur. I can tell an IPA from a Stout from a Doppelbock primarily on the common visual, olfactory, and above all else tastes that are found throughout any example of each style. However, while I've had many delightful 'Saisons' in my time as a drinker of beer, I've never been able to get a straight answer about what characteristics define the style. The best I've ever been able to get is vague handwavey historical notions about the beers role as a 'refreshing summer ale'.

Which is... somewhat unsatisfying to someone who would hope that the term might actually mean something. So, does it? If so, what? If I pick up a Saison from a brewery I've never heard of, what characteristics should I expect it to exhibit that earn it the name?

Well, Saison is quite a broad category simply because it comes from a broad definition.

The original term comes from regular strength light ales ca. 3.5% abv) brewed during the Autumn in Belgium, and stored for drinking in the summer by farm workers. (Hence the pseudonym "farmhouse ale".)

As wikipedia states:

  Historically, saisons did not share identifiable characteristics to
  pin them down as a style, but rather were a group of refreshing summer
  ales made by farmers.

In modern times, the category has been interpreted to mean:

a light to golden ale
use the Dupont yeast, which gives particular esters and pepper characteristics (hence they have a "Belgian" character)
around 7% abv
fruity, spicy (some examples add fruit, such as apple juice.)
highly carbonated

This might seem quite vague, but the combination of yeast, light malt, strength and carbonation lead to a fairly unique and identifiable beer.


Does use of Isinglass require special mention on the beer? Isinglass is a fining - when added to beer it helps the beer clarify - and it's a form of collagen derived from fish swim bladders.

Given that this is an animal-derived product, do breweries have to declare this on the packaging?

NO.

In 2003, the EC discussed requiring labeling for Isinglass as a potential food allergen.

The brewers in the EC successfully argued that it was part of the processing and not an additive and thus did not require labeling.

  Isinglass finings are a tried and tested method of clarifying beer and so it came as a great relief to traditional cask ale brewers when the EC, last year, introduced an amendment to the 2003 labelling directive. The brewing industry successfully argued that as a processing aid, not an ingredient that would be consumed, and with a long history of use with no recorded incidents of an allergic reaction, there was a good case for isinglass to be exempt from the directive.


Why is drinking beer after wine a bad idea? As the well known rhyme reminds us, drinking beer after wine is a bad idea. Having made the mistake during my student years more than once and regretting it, why is it that consuming these two beverages in the wrong order causes such effects?

Beer contains a lot of CO2, and CO2 causes the alcohol to 'hit to the head' much faster. This is why champagne has such exhilaration (Rausch) effect.

It's not a good idea to drink any high-CO2 drink after drinking wine or stronger alcohols, and even more discouraged is mixing carbonated water with vodka, for example. Many people have heavily regret such mixing.

As well, it is said you should never drink lighter alcohols after stronger. You can start with beer, than after an hour/2 drink some wine, rest and drink vodka. Never opposite. But the best is to keep one genre of alcohol on one evening. At least so are saying people in Poland.


What is a "White IPA" and is it actually an IPA? What is a "White IPA" and can it actually be considered an IPA?

I'm asking in general but specifically I'm having a Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA.

WHITE IPA

A basic definition would be:

strong hop character - similar to ipa
wheat / wit grainbill-
essentially a mashup (beer pun) of wit and ipa, lighter malts with strong hops

As far as the is it an IPA question: as long as its fairly high alcohol, most of the ingredients would point to being almost the same as an IPA. but like noted above, there are different malts and probably a different yeast.


Could whisky in lager be considered a lethal cocktail? I know you can have whisky chasers with lager or beer, I used to have them all the time, and still do when I am on a cruiseship.
However, having a chaser is not quite the same as pouring a large amount of whisky straight in to a pint of lager. I have actually never heard of anyone do this before, and I did simply because I was just back from a twelve hour drive, was listening to some dance music and wanted to get merry in record time.
I cannot say that I got any drunker than usual, but I certainly got iller than usually. I came out in a sweat and my heart began racing, and I was still sweating with a racing heart for three days until I suffered what my life saving professor called "a major to massive heart attack".
I was only 40 years old and there was no previous sign of ill health, nor warnings of a heart attack, and my professor was reluctant to put my heart attack down to my smoking, telling me that smoking related heart attacks would be more common in the 50's and 60's than in the 40's, and that at my age it would be more the lungs that he would be concerned about regarding smoking, so I told him about the lethal cocktail and he said nothing at-all regarding this.
So, apart from smoking and too many big macs, what do the experts on alcohol think? Could whisky in lager be considered a lethal cocktail?

If you are asking if there is some chemical reaction that makes the mixture of beer and whiskey more toxic than the two drunk separately, I'm pretty sure the answer is no. That said, if you drink a beer and then drink a shot of whiskey you know pretty much how much of each you have consumed. If, however you just pour your whiskey into the beer it might be that you are pouring in more than a shot glass worth and end up with more alcohol. The point is what matters is the total quantity of alcohol you consume and over what time span.


What is the strongest drink in the world? Assuming that it is available through 'normal' outlets - shops, supermarkets, off licenses etc... (in other words legal)  What (per unit) is the strongest alcoholic drink in the world?  Beers, wines and spirits included.

At the time of writing this the strongest beer in circulation is a scottish made larger/pilsner Snake Venom By Brewmeister, this beer is 67.5% ABV. and is strongly recommended that you only drink small amounts in a sitting, buying a bottle(275ml) of this would set you back a £54.99

Other than this beer there was Koelschip Mistery Of Beer - Brouwerij het Koelschip that was 70% ABV but as I'm aware is no longer in circulation and has had production stopped as the brewery shut down

As far as all alcohol goes the strongest spirit is spirytus rektyfikowany which is a 96% Vodka. The cheapest you will find this is a small bottle(10cl) and  this will cost £7.95 It is is strongly recommended to not drink this neat as it would be damaging


Selling/buying limited edition beers online I have some opened and unopened beer bottles that are limited edition and is not produced anymore.

I would like to ask if there is any online store like eBay where I could sell these beers,  opened empty bottles is OK to sell anywhere, but full bottles with an alcohol cannot be sold depending on privacy policies.

So does anyone knows some kind of place to make such deal?

It is not legal to ship alcohol(beer, wine, or spirits) through the mail across state or national lines unless you have a license. This has to do with each state wanting to get it's tax revenue for the imported alcohol.

That doesn't mean it's not done, it's just less likely for a site that wants to stay in business to allow transactions that would result in it.

I have friends that are part of "exchange programs" that are on various forums. There is a "beertrade" sub Reddit for example.


Is there a peatiness scale for whiskies I am a big fan of the peatier Scotch whiskies, such as Octomore, Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Talisker, but aside from describing them as "really peaty" or "wow, so much smoke" it can be incredibly difficult to describe a particular whisky to someone who hasn't drunk it.

Is there a scale, so I can just say, "That's a 7" and be understood?

There is a way peatiness or smokiness is measured scientifically: the phenol count in parts per million (PPM) however this isn't as useful as it sounds, as different phenols taste and smell different. Using the phenol measurement you can chart some examples as follows:

Ardbeg - 55
Laphroaig - 40
Lagavulin - 35
Caol Ila - 30
Talisker - 25
Highland Park - 20

Of more use is a chart such as this one from malts.com, which gives a simple way to visualise where a particular whisky sits, and the distance between that whisky and others the drinker may have tried previously.

Or this one in the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh:

(Look at how high Talisker sits on the charts, compared with its position on the phenol measurement...)


How is expired beer typically disposed of by large retailers? Where does expired beer typically go when sellers rotate their stock?

Some breweries will by back beer that is past its freshness date (Sam Adams is well-known for this), while some will split the cost with the distributor. - Beer - When good beer goes bad

I have had beers that were quite fine well after there expiration date. And I have had beers that were simply horrible after the expiation date. Cooler temperatures will prolong the lifespan of most beers.

But how is expired beer typically disposed of by large retailers is a different matter?

  To avoid getting spoiled beer, check for a “brewed on” or “best by” date stamp, and avoid those that are not so labeled, especially if they have a fine layer of dust on them or visible sediment in the bottle (bottle-conditioned beers, however, are supposed to have a yeast sediment). Most pale ales, lagers and hefewiezens are best within three to six months of brewing. Darker beers and those with higher alcohol content might last a year. A few special beers are meant to be aged, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Beers stored in the cooler are less likely to spoil than those stored at room temperature, although many liquor stores stack case boxes on the floor, and those beers are less likely to be light-struck.

  Some breweries will by back beer that is past its freshness date (Sam Adams is well-known for this), while some will split the cost with the distributor. In other cases, the retailer is left holding the bag for beer that did not move well. Still, liquor stores should not sell beer that has lost its quality. Let retailers know that a beer is expired or to return beers that you find to be stale (don’t do this just because you don’t like the beer — read some reviews of the beer and see what it is supposed to taste like). Check back in a few days and see how they have responded to your complaints.  If the expired beer is still on the shelf, let them know that you plan to shop elsewhere. - Beer - When good beer goes bad


Is it possible to have a non-alcoholic Gin? Is it possible to have a non-alcoholic gin?  Tastes like gin but without the alcohol.  Tonic on its own just isn't the same, but as the years go by I feel the need to minimise the 'volume' in my glass.

Is it possible to have a non-alcoholic Gin?

The short answer is yes.

  Pernod Ricard has signed a deal to launch and distribute South African/Swedish brand Ceder’s in the UK, which describes itself as a “non-alcoholic alt-gin made with classic gin and South African botanicals”.

  The non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ was launched in early 2017 by husband and wife team Craig Hutchison (South African) and Maria Sehlstrom (Swedish). - Pernod Ricard ventures into non-alcoholic ‘gin’

Seedlip also has a non-alcoholic gin on the market but the leading flavour is clove rather than juniper as with gin and is thus not a real gin. It is more a gin alternative.

  The biggest name in non-alcoholic gin is Seedlip. Seedlip Spice 94 (£22.99, Amazon) is the closest offering Seedlip has to the ‘real thing’ — although they’re quick to offer a caveat.

  “It’s made like a gin with botanicals, but is definitely not a gin.” The leading flavor is clove rather than juniper as with gin.

  You may be familiar with non-alcoholic beer, but non-alcoholic gin is a relative newbie.

Amongst others non-alcohol gins (gin alternatives) are Brunswick Aces, Herbie Virgin and to a lesser degree Teetotal G&T as it is a pre-mix.

  Teetotal G‘n’T has all the flavour of Gin and Tonic but without the alcohol. It is made from natural ingredients and botanicals found in a good gin and tonic. - The Temperance Spirit Company


Are there any Whiskey better for cocktails? I would like to know what whiskey is better with cocktails.

I've bough the Jack Daniels, but I feel that the taste of the cocktail is off since the flavors of the Jack Daniels is stronger than others. I might be wrong but I really do taste the Jack Daniels in any cocktails involving whiskey.

I wonder then what whiskey is mostly used for cocktails and what whiskey is mostly used for shots or straight consumption.

If any of my sayings are wrong or badly expressed just let me know.

Jack Daniels is not a whisky! It is a Tennessee Whiskey!

That is very different to the Scotch whisky usually recommended in whisky cocktails, which require more of a bitter/tart edge than the sweetness of Jack Daniels.

For any whisky cocktail I personally would use a decent single malt Scotch whisky to get the best taste for me, but everyone's palate is different. I only use Jack Daniels in sweet cocktails, or with cola.


Where to find Okocim beer in or around Pennsylvania I'm looking for distributors/shops close to central Pennsylvania that sell Okocim beers such as Okocim Porter, Okocim Beer, or Okocim Mocne.  I've seen O.K. Beer around here (another Okocim product), but the branded Okocim beers are what I'm really interested in.  I don't mind driving a bit either, but hopefully something in or around the state...

Okocim Beer is part of the Carlsberg group. According to Carlsbergs site it looks like they are distributed in the USA by St. Killian.

St. Killian has a beer finder page that lets you search for bars, resturants, or stores that sell particular products by zip code. When typing in the zip code for State College, Pennsylvania, I'm not sure where you are located but this is pretty central, it shows four locations within 100 miles.

You could put in your zip code and then select see what is near. I'd call before making the trip and see which Okocim beers they actually sell since the comments seem to suggest that some only carry O.K..


What is Tequila when its not from Mexico? I heard of a case of the Mexican government protecting the Tequila name.  From that It made me wonder what exactly is tequila. Just like Champagne is sparkling white wine when not from a specific region in France. What is Tequila?

According to this CNBC article:

  Tequila is only produced inside the Mexican state of Jalisco and in some municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Any agave-based distilled spirit outside those regions are called "mezcal." Other subtypes of mezcal you might see are Bacanora, Sotol and Raicilla. In other words, all tequilas are mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequila. (Just like all bourbons are whiskeys but not all whiskeys are bourbons. )


Why would some prefer to put salt in their beer? Are there any traditional or historic reason(s) why people would put salt in their beer when drinking it or would simply prefer to drink a salted beer such as Gose?

Gose beer, brewed in Bonn, Germany (2014).

The same reason people put salt on their food. It enhances the flavor of the beer.

  The extra salt has other effects as well though, outside of simply
  making things more salty. Particularly, adding salt to foods helps
  certain molecules in those foods more easily release into the air,
  thus helping the aroma of the food, which is important in our
  perception of taste.

Putting Salt on Food


Why do Double IPAs (aka Imperial IPAs, IIPAs) tend to be sweeter than regular IPAs? Why do Double IPAs tend to be sweeter than regular IPAs? (I personally have in mind Ninkasi's Tricerahops and Saint Archer's Double IPA.)

I would say some are sweeter, some aren't. Brewers do kick up the mount of malt in IIPA's to get the ABV up there. This could lead to a sweeter taste depending on the malt bill and fermentation.


Did Henry VIII really outlaw hops? I recently read Stephen Buhner's "Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers" wherein he claimed that hops were a fairly new way to bitter beer in the renaissance and that in England Henry VIII outlawed them. However, I have not been able to find substantiation of this in the historical record. It makes for a great story, but is it true?

First off, I don't know if this story is in fact true, but I can shed some light on the subject which would indicate that it is certainly plausible.

Hops were first used to flavor beer around 1000 A.D., starting in Germany.  Until this time beer was flavored with a mix of herbs and spices called "gruit" which was taxed (generally by either the government or the Roman Catholic Church) and in many cases required by law, so when hops did appear, they appears in regions where the church had less control.

Hops didn't make their way to England until around 1500 A.D., and weren't universally used until around the year 1600.   Since Henry VIII reigned from 1509 until 1547, it would have been early in the introduction of hops to the region, and it is certainly within the realm of possibility that he may have outlawed them as a threat to the tax revenue stream provided by the sale of gruit.   Eventually though, demand for hops won out, and Henry's own wars with the Catholic Church may have weakened the ability to gruit rights-holders to continue to monopolize the market, and as I mentioned, by fifty years after Henry's death, hops ultimately won the war.


What pairs well with fig wine? I am going to make some homemade fig wine this year and would like to know what pairs well with fig wine.

Here is the recipe I am planning to use: Fresh Fig Wine

  The common fig (Ficus carica) is most often eaten as dried fruit and rarely used fresh. It's not very sweet, so a true fig wine requires a great deal of additional sugar for the fig juice to ferment to completion. This recipe makes one gallon and can be easily adjusted for another quantity. The special supplies for this recipe are readily available at stores that sell wine-making supplies. - How to Make Fig Wine

I don't know the taste of fig wine, but I do love figs, both fresh and dried, so I'm thinking it's along the lines of fruit cake (not a fave), minus the rum or brandy, but with it's own alcoholic pleasure (very much a fave). Some suggestions:

Charcuterie: bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, confit

Cheeses: goat, blue, Gorgonzola, camembert, Stilton, brie, mascarpone

Grilled: veg (corn on the cob, tomatoes), chicken (spicy or citrus), fish (tuna, swordfish)

And, from my New York Times Recipe Box:

Savories: particularly those that are light and those with citrus or sharp flavors...
 - Grapefruit with olive oil and sea salt
 - Onion & feta pizza
 - Vegetable galette
 - Mustard tarte

Sweets: especially flourless cakes...
 - Almond Cake with Cardamom and Pistachio
 - Orange and Almond Cake
 - Hazelnut Citrus Torte
 - Chamomile and Almond Cake


How do I categorize Orval? Orval has a very distinct taste, but I'm not quite sure how I should categorize it?

Orval is in a category of its own, it's not an amber or a blonde beer, it has a fresh flavor, but it's not a sour or fruit beer either. Generally it falls under the Belgian Pale Ales.

Orval has a very traditional and unique brewing process which involves
 the use of dry hopping, in which large meshed bags of hops infuse the beer during the three-week maturation period. The other is the use of Brettanomyces yeast during this same maturation, which are a local wild yeast. Hallertau, Styrian Goldings and French Strisselspalt hops are used. The beer is then matured at 15°C for a minimum of four weeks on site before being distributed.

If drunk right after bottling it has a "young" fresh flavor. The beer can be preserved for several years as it re-ferments once bottled. Even 35 year old Orval is still drinkable, if preserved at the right temperature. After about 1 year of preservation the beer flavor changes to a softer, sweeter and more intense experience compared to the young one.

There are two versions of Orval, one is the normal one which can be bought in the stores and then there is also a special Petite Orval, which can only be drunk at the Orval abbey and is only produced for the Monks (no mass sale). Its alcohol percentage is a lot lower than the normal Orval.


What are reasons to not sell alcohol free beer to minors? In The Netherlands, the law also prevents selling alcohol free beer to minors.

What can be reasons for this? Is alcohol free beer also addictive, and does it therefore attract minors to much to alcoholic beer? Or does alcohol free beer contain a substance that is also harmful to the (young) brain?

Alcohol free beer is not non-alcoholic, it does still contain some alcohol. It often contains around about 0,5%. A beer can be called alcohol-free from 1%.

To specifically respond to your situation I could not find any source saying that the Netherlands have an age restriction on alcohol-free beer. On the contrary the following sources indicate the opposite.

Sources (Dutch of course):

Ik ben 17 jaar, mag ik alcoholvrij bier kopen?

Mogen jongeren onder de 16 alcoholvrij bier kopen?


Do you recognize these foreign bottles? Among the spirits my grandfather left behind, these four bottles caught my attention. Are they interesting or rare?

Liqueur Stregga

Tokay

Anisette

Starka

Starka does not age in bottles, and has no vintage, so I don't think it can be of any interest.

Tokay ages very well, and 70 years old one might be interesting. On the other hand, I have a serious reservations regarding Richon leZion wine-masters of 1947. I would expect something along the lines of Carmel wines, but less refined. It definitely has a great historic value, because it was produced prior to Israel statehood. Ask your Jewish friends.

I have no say on other exhibits.


Removing the Crown / Neck paper I recently moved to Germany and took Rothaus Pils here at the party. I opened the cap after tearing the crown/neck paper (Gold colored paper as shown below) partially.

Reference Image :

I was told that Germans really don't like to keep that crown/neck paper. I wanted to ask for reason, but felt it is too rude. Is there any specific reason behind removing the crown paper

I'm from Germany. Don't care too much about this. Just remove that part of it which would be disturbing when drinking, since some minor pieces might get into the glass or into your mouth directly if you are drinking out of the bottle, which is common in Germany, except in a restaurant or during a dinner.

Also you wouldn't normally remove the gold paper before opening the bottle. Most of the parts will getting removed automatically when opening it. You just need to remove the remaining, disturbing parts, if there are any left. Try it! ;)

That's all you need to know. Cheers!


100 degrees, now what to do with the wine A week ago it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit and I don't have AC. The outcome: my newly opened 1.5 litre bottle of Merlot went bad.

So I bought a new bottle of Pinot Noir and left it in the fridge while it was unoppened. Now I have opened it and fear my wine will go bad in the coming days (80 degrees +). What should I do? Can I keep it in the refrigerator?

Yes, it's perfectly fine to leave a bottle of red wine in the fridge if you can't finish it that day. In fact that is the best way to preserve an open bottle if you have no other way. You can extend the life of an opened bottle of red wine by a couple of days by sticking it in the fridge. Room temperature red wine starts to get funky around day 3 while in a fridge it might be 5 or 6 days. It really depends on the wine.

The only problem, unless you like cold red wine (if you've ever been to Paris, you know that's how they serve it), you will need to let it sit out in a glass until it warms up. Make sure you put a cork or some other stopper back in the top of the bottle to slow down the rate of oxidation. Personally, I like my red wine served at cellar temperature (around 50f). I think it makes the red wine easier to drink. Nobody likes hot red wine unless you are making Gluhwein.


The effect of freezing on beer taste Beer (with the exception of mulled beer) tastes best when cooled. But sometimes there can be too much cooling, for example when you take beer with you on hiking to enjoy the taste at the camping. The beer can freeze (the glass bottle would explode, but the plastic ones are more resistant).

How such freezing and melting impact the beer taste?

From my own experience the effect of frozen-thawed beer tends to be flatter and have a more watery consistency.

Possibly this similar question on HomeBrew could help you: Link to HomeBrew question


Why can't antibiotics be taken with beer? Myth or Fact: Antibiotics cannot be taken with beer because it damages the effect of the drug with the interaction in your body of the alcohol.

I take antihistamines with beer and they work, so not sure if anyone knew about this one?

As everything in life, it depends.... From the Mayo Clinic:

  Antibiotics and alcohol can cause similar side effects, such as
  stomach upset, dizziness and drowsiness. Combining antibiotics and
  alcohol can increase these side effects.

  A few antibiotics — such as metronidazole (Flagyl), tinidazole
  (Tindamax) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra) —
  should not be mixed with alcohol because this may result in a more
  severe reaction. Drinking any amount of alcohol with these medications
  can result in side effects such as flushing, headache, nausea and
  vomiting, and rapid heart rate.

So some antibiotics may not cause issues while others might. Best thing to do is follow the medications warning label


Microbrewery in Porto, Portugal? Port, Porter, Porto, Portugal? Are there any microbreweries in Porto?

Are there any Port-related beer breweries in Porto? (Such as Rodenbach beers in Belgium, that have a wine-like feel.)

What local beers (micro-brewery or not) should one look out for in Porto?

Is Port / Porto related to Porter?

Yes, there are craft beer pubs in Porto and microbreweries from Porto! Particularly, Cerveja Letra was born not far from Porto and later opened a beer garden in Porto; Cervejaria do Carmo has around 50 different types of craft beers, giving more visibility to craft beers from Porto than to internacional brands; Fábrica da Picaria has its own craft beer being brewed on the spot (source).

I don't know about any port flavoured or port related beers but some of the pubs mentioned in  the above article also offer selections of port wines as an alternative to a glass of beer.

Some craft beers from Portugal: Burguesa, Letra as above, Passarola, Sovina, Toira. Instead, two common local beers that may be found likely in any shop or bar are Super Bock from Matosinhos and Sagres from Vialonga. Sagres is also dark (preta).

Finally, as in the accepted answer: no. Porter beer is originally British and has nothing to deal with the city of Porto, while port wine inherited his name from the city in its early days in XVII-XVIII century.


Alcohol to improve blood flow? I read an article saying alcohol improves blood flow but it does not mention which kind.

What do you think about this?

Alcohol relaxes your blood vessels as it is a vasodilator.

That means it can improve blood flow - although the negatives far outweigh the positives and most people aren't required to take vasodilators and can be harmed by them.

This is also where the old wives tale about drinking whiskey if you're cold comes from (think St Bernards). It can save your fingers from frost bite, but your body is actually restricting the blood flow for good reason - you may loose fingers but you have a better chance of survival - so it's better to only have that whiskey once you're back in the warmth. Drinking will relax the capillaries in your fingers and toes, allowing the warm blood from your centre-of-mass to flow. This actually means the overall temp of your body will cool down.

As to which kind is "best" it's simply the drink with the highest alcohol content.  Hence traditionally something such as Whiskey or Brandy. For added effect though, you could consider drinks with a high concentration of other naturally occurring vasodilators such as these (from first link):

Coenzyme Q10
L-arginine
Magnesium
Cocoa
Garlic
Niacin (nicotinic acid or vitamin B3)
mint (which contains levomenthol)


How was beer brewed before the discovery of Yeast? Yeast was identified as the cause of fermentation in the 1800s, but beer has been around since long before then.  How was fermentation started before the intentional introduction of yeast?  Was it all lambic-style ambient yeast, or what?

You don't need to know what something is to use it effectively.  Though yeast was only identified as a microorganism recently, it has been known as the cause of fermentation for many centuries.  It's easy to underestimate how sophisticated people throughout history were.

Before yeast was monocultured in labs it was actively cultured by brewers.  They would transfer the yeast cake from a batch that's finishing into a recently-brewed batch.  This cake contained a whole ecosystem of yeasts and bacterias, but a few strains were usually dominant.

By applying artificial selection brewers developed different strains of yeast in different areas.  The yeast culture was the make-or-break characteristic of a brewery, and defined the styles of beer that could be produced more than any other factor (other than water in Burton).

Evidence of this process comes from the history of lager: bottom-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) emerged in the fifteenth century as a direct result of the cold storage regime of northern brewers such as Carlsberg.

They may not have known it was a microorganism, but middle ages brewers most certainly knew that yeast was the cause of fermentation.  That's why they called it "Godisgood".


What units are used to measure beer by volume? It may be dependent upon local custom, but what scales are used to measure beer? Is there one in particular that is used globally, or could be said to be specific to beer or alcoholic drinks?

Typically, I see either pints or whatever the local standard of measurement for liquid is (say, fluid ounces or milliliters) so this isn't really a global standard.

Serving sizes also aren't standard; in my country alone, if you go to a pub and ask for a pint or a schooner, the size will depend on what state you're in.

However, I have seen the measurement l (lower-case L) used. Is this litres, or something else?

Beer is measured by volume, but which measure depends both on country and on the context in which the measure is being used.

For instance, in the US, you will almost always find servings of beer measured in fluid ounces.

However, in production, you will regularly find the measure being listed in barrels (31 imperial gallons).

You'll regularly find beer sold in pints (16oz), though that could also mean a 20oz glass as you only get 16oz of beer with a proper head.

My limited experience with bits of Europe indicates beer there is sold by the mL. Also worth noting is that Liter can be represented as either L or l so when you see "l" you're seeing Liters.

So, no. There isn't a global unit of volume for beer. But it is almost always sold by volume.

Also, with the rising popularity of high gravity beers, standard beer servings vary in part because to serve similar amounts of alcohol across standard servings you've got to serve differing quantities.