What are the specific laws regarding growler fills in Massachusetts? I'm headed up to Boston next weekend for an event, and was planning to take up a few empty (or maybe full!) growlers to fill with interesting and delicious things from some of the local breweries up in the area. However, I've heard that MA has some fairly restrictive laws regarding fills (i.e., that breweries are not able to fill growlers other than those with their own logo/which they themselves distribute). This is baffling and monstrous to me coming from NY, where just about anyplace that's willing to can fill just about any appropriately sized bottle I bring up to the tap with me.

What exactly are the rules regarding growler refills in Massachusetts? Do they differ if I am looking to get a fill at a bar or retail store, rather than direct from a brewery? Are there size restrictions?

It appears that there may be several laws in play here, but perhaps the interpretation of those laws by the Massachusetts  Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, the brewers, and the Mass Brewers Guild that determine how growler fills work in practice.

The first law in question is the regulation on labeling.  Nothing in there appears to prevent brewers from filling any growler, but the standard interpretation from both the ABCC and the brewers is that they believe it makes it illegal for them to fill any growlers other than their own, and that is the policy by which they seem to all operate.

As for retail establishments, there do seem to be some non-brewery bars that offer growlers, (see Ducali Pizzeria and Bar on this list) but those may be for on-premise use.  There was a proposal for a bill to allow on-premise / off-premise licensees to do growler fills but as far as I can tell, it died in committee, primarily due to strong opposition from craft brewers who were worried it would cut into their bottle profits.

  Beyond issues of distribution, the joint legislative committee also heard from industry members interested in allowing both on- and off-premise retailers to fill beer containers up to 64 ounces for take-away and off-site consumption. The bill, sponsored by Representative William Pignatelli, has caused some division in the industry between retailers and small brewers. “We think it would be a disaster for our business by cannibalizing our bottle sales, our only real income source,” says one small Massachusetts brewer. “We for one couldn't thrive in a situation where the profit on bottled beer transfers from brewery to store or bar.”

Source: http://www.beveragebusiness.com/archives/article.php?cid=1&eid=88&aid=2031


What temperature should I serve my beer? In general, what's the best way to work out the temperature at which to serve a particular beer? Room temperature? Cold? Supercold? Warm?

It depends on the beer really.  A good rule of thumb is darker beer should be served at a warmer temperature than lighter beer.

For instance if you refrigerate all of your beers and then pull them out of the fridge and drink them instantly you will miss A LOT of the flavor complexity of pretty much every stout and porter you put to your lips.

But, if you let the dark stuff warm up for just 15 minutes before you drink it (let it sit at room temp) a bunch of new flavors will appear that you never would have noticed otherwise.

This doesn't work so well, in my experience, for lighter beers like pilsner, lager, or hefe-weisen.  They really are meant to be drank cold and letting them get warm changes their flavor profile for the worse.

Obviously there will always be personal preferences but, at a minimum I encourage you to try letting your darker beers warm up just a bit and see what a positive difference it makes.

Here is a temperature guide from this article: Serving Temperature Guide. It categorizes different beers based on temps to serve at.  These are basic rules of thumb and again you'll want to experiment and discover what temps you like your beers at the best.


Is Oyster Stout really made using oysters? One of my favorite stouts is Oesterstout by the Schelde Brewery.

The website states:

  During the brewing process, the wort of the beer is pumped across the oyster shells.

Is this what gives it it's distinct taste? In Denmark, another more easily available Oyster stout is Marston's Oyster Stout. Do all Oyster Stouts follow this particular process, or is it more of a sales pitch?

Oyster stout traditionally uses oysters as part of the brewing process, and that is the flavour that differentiates them from other stouts.  While it is traditional to use oysters, some modern breweries use artifical flavours in their oyster stouts, or simply say that they are intended to be eaten with seafood.

You mention Marston's Oyster Stout, which is one example of an oyster stout that doesn't use actual oysters in the brew.  From their website:

  Marston’s Oyster Stout is a dark, creamy, smooth, clean tasting English stout. It doesn’t contain oysters, just called Oyster Stout as this style of ale is a great complement to shell fish dishes.


What's the difference between a Triple IPA and a Double IPA? One of the recent trends I've noticed is that breweries are starting to come out with Triple IPAs. (In fact, there's a triple IPA week in the Seattle area.) But what exactly distinguishes the Triple IPA from a Double IPA?

[Note that this was not included in IPA and variants question, nor is it discussed in the IPA vs. DIPA sweetness question.]

Edit: This is decidedly NOT the same as the question regarding dubbels vs. tripels (which are Abbey-style Belgian ales, and remarkably different in style from a double or triple IPA).

A bit obvious, but it's just about more malt and hops (which results in higher ABV and IBU levels, off course).

Particularly, I don't see it becoming a new style, as our palate has a limit when it comes to tasting bitterness and even smelling hop oils. I think we have already reached this limit sometime ago when Imperial IPAs were conceived. So, anything beyond that seems like a silly obsession to me, and probably the best that one can get from a "triple IPA" is to come up with a good Imperial/Double IPA with (maybe) more alcohol, nothing more.

PS: Dogfish's 120 Minute IPA would be a quadruple IPA, then?


Kinds of wine, how to identify same grape differences A brief explanation with beers: I love IPAs, but some of them are a disgrace to the kind, when I'll buy some, I look for the alcohol and IBU level, so I know I'll like the beer before I even buy it.

A few months ago I discovered that I also like some wines, more precisely cabernet and malbec, but unfortunately I don't find every malbec tasty. Doesn't matter if it's red or white, I like some and dislike others.

I've been looking for a way to know if I'll like the malbec wine or not, but most of the tips I find tell me to memorize the "wine factory" I like the most, but I don't think it's a good method.

Is there a way, a measure, like the IBU, or some other characteristics, that can help me to see if I'll like the malbec wine or not?

PS: I'm good with the cabernet, as for now, I've liked every one I tasted.

Your liking one wine over another is a purely subjective practice. This is what makes picking out wines so difficult and expensive because you have to try it before you'll really know if you like it. Some people enjoy the journey and others want to be told what to buy. My suggestion is to try as many Malbecs as you can afford. Narrow down wineries and regions that you like. Let's say you figure out you like Chilean Malbecs or Washington State ones, then I think you know that a region will have similar flavors. Unfortunately, that's probably all we can do for you. So, just get out there and taste as many as you can!


What is the location where they make rum called? Beer is made in Breweries, wine in Wineries, where is rum made? I have a friend who says rummery but that is marked as a misspelling. I asked google and they said Barbados. Does anyone know?

Spirits, such as vodka, whisky and also rum, are produced in a distillery.


Tequila worms - to eat or not to eat - that is the question? So, with a bottle of Tequila in hand, a glass, and oooppss - it's the last shot and the worm falls out!  Now - do you consume it?  Or - just throw it?  But what type of worm is it and are they specially grown/produced for the drink?  There are a lot of stories about if the worm is real or not - but if I am offered a drink of Tequila and a worm is in it - well what then?

Tequila Worm

Not all types of tequila contain a tequila worm. The tequila worm or as it should be known as the Mezcal worm is normally only found in Mezcal (tequila).

  The worm is reserved for a drink known as Mezcal, which, according to some, is tequila’s big brother. But the two spirits are entirely different. Tequila is distilled from any number of natural Mexican plants and can bear the name as long as the finished product consists of at least 51% agave. Mezcal must be 100% agave. - Should You Eat the Tequila Worm?

Most people would not eat the mezcal worm, but in some cultures it is quite acceptable.

  There are no proven side effects that come with consuming a Tequila worm. While the worm is popularly called the tequila worm, it is only found on the bottom of a bottle of mezcal, a variety of tequila obtained from distilling blue agave and similar plants. The meriposa worm is grown on agave from which mezcal is made, and when a worm is added to the mezcal, it is known as mezcal con gusano.

  Consuming the worm after drinking mezcal is a popular tradition among many communities, but it is not clear where the tradition originated. Some believe that the adding the worm in a bottle of mezcal signifies the purity of the alcohol, as it hinders the disintegration of the worm. Others believe that it is merely a marketing strategy among Mexican liquor producers.

  While it's documented in media that the eating the worm causes hallucinations, this has yet to be medically proven. The worm is pickled in alcohol for more than a year and is made sure to be free to pesticides, before being added to mezcal. It is also a popular delicacy in Mexican restaurants, and is said to have positive psychological effects. - What happens when someone eats a Tequila worm?

As for myself, I think I will pass on this offer!


Does bottle size affect aging or storage? Typically I want to age 22oz bottles, but I'm curious if I could get away with aging a smaller bottle. Is there any difference based on bottle size?

Not really.

In theory, larger bottles mean that the little bit of air trapped at the top of the bottle is smaller compared to the volume of beer than it would be in a standard 12 oz bottle.  However, I've been unable to find any research backing this up, and anecdotally it makes no difference.

Larger bottles are favored for aging beers mostly for practical reasons:

Stores are more willing to sell a single large bottle (whereas many often require the purchase of an entire six-pack for smaller beers)
It's easier to share a large bottle, which you often want to do with a good beer you're aging
They're often (but not always) cheaper than the equivalent beer split up between several smaller bottles.

But taste and aging-wise, there's no benefit to larger bottles.


Do different beers have a different 'buzz'? Often with spirits people say that different spirits have different effects, eg bourbon makes people angry or trouble making, gin makes people emotional, tequilla makes people crazy, etc.

Though this might be just psychological.

Is there anything similar with beer?

Do some beers suit socialising more while others suit a quiet drink?

The answer is "probably" although it is hard to know with liquors how much of the difference is social or psychological.  There are some important things to keep in mind with alcohol effects and beer though:

Hops are mildly sedative.  It isn't unreasonable to think that very hoppy beers may have a different effect than less hoppy beers.
Gruit beers (unusual but there are some on the market!) often have other psychoactive ingredients in them too.  With historical brewing becoming a bit of an industry, it may only be a matter of time before we see commercially available henbane beer too....
Alcohol absorption will be retarded by carbohydrate content in the beer.  You will absorb alcohol more slowly from a heavy beer than a light beer.
Carbonation works the other way.  Lightly (or rarely available uncarbonated) beers will affect one more slowly than highly carbonated beers.  For most commercial beers this is not a significant factor but for home-brewed beers or specialty beers it may be.

With this being said, it isn't clear that there is a single objective answer as to what beers will effect who in what way.  The purpose of this answer is to go over some factors which may impact how a given individual is affected.

This being said, I don't condone a general pursuit of drunkenness....


How many types of gin are there? I don't mean brands, we could be here all day figuring out that list... I literally mean how many types of gin are there? I know there's dry (London) gin, and sloe gin, but are there any more? Why's dry gin different to just plain gin? Can a gin be two types at the same time? What makes a gin liqueur? Could someone also explain why they are different - is it due to the distilling process, or is it to do with the ingredients added etc.

Before going to the various types of gin, I feel it necessary to define a few terms and for simplification I am going to use Wikipedia.

What is gin?

  Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries (Juniperus communis). From its earliest origins in the Middle Ages, gin has evolved from use in herbal medicine to an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Gin was developed on the basis of the older jenever, and became popular in Great Britain (particularly in London) when William of Orange, leader of the Dutch Republic, occupied the English, Scottish, and Irish thrones with his wife Mary. Gin is one of the broadest categories of spirits, represented by products of various origins, styles, and flavour profiles that all revolve around juniper as a common ingredient.

What is a liqueur?

  A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage made from a distilled spirit that has been flavored with fruit, cream, herbs, spices, flowers or nuts and bottled with added sugar or other sweetener (such as high-fructose corn syrup). Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long after the ingredients are mixed, but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.

What is a liquor?

  A distilled beverage, spirit, liquor, hard liquor or hard alcohol is an alcoholic beverage produced by distillation of grains, fruit, or vegetables that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. The distillation process purifies the liquid and removes diluting components like water, for the purpose of increasing its proportion of alcohol content (commonly expressed as alcohol by volume, ABV).1 As distilled beverages contain more alcohol, they are considered "harder" – in North America, the term hard liquor is used to distinguish distilled beverages from undistilled ones.

On the web one can see that there generally five types of gin. However Canada and the USA recognize only 3 types of gin (Genever, Gin, London or Dry gin), while the  European Union recognizes 4 types (Juniper-flavoured spirit drinks, Gin, Distilled gin and London gin).

Here are the different types of gins that can be found around the world and what makes them a certain style of gin.

  London Dry Gin is what most people think of as “gin.” They are typically very dry, heavily juniper flavored, light in body, and aromatic. To get the flowery, botanical flavor, this style of gin is typically infused with various aromatic ingredients during the 2nd or 3rd distillation process, giving each brand its own unique taste. London dry gin doesn’t have to be made in London and most aren’t. If you’re at the store, common brands include Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, and Beefeater. This style is great for classic martinis, gin and tonics, and Aviation cocktails.
  Plymouth Gin is a less dry cousin to London Dry Gin that must be made in Plymouth, England. Infused with more roots, this style of gin has an earthier flavor with softer juniper notes than other styles. Currently, there is only one brand of Plymouth gin produced in the world and, wouldn’t you know it, it’s called Plymouth. It can be used anywhere a London Dry Gin is used.
  Genever or Dutch gin is very different in color and taste to the other types of gins. Unlike most gins which are made with a combination of cereal grains, genever is made from a base of malt grains which gives it a darker color and flavor that is more similar to a light-bodied, botanical whiskey. Recently, genever has been revived by craft mixologists who are using it creatively in cocktails, but it is just as good for sipping straight or chilled. The most commonly available brand is Bols Genever.
  Old Tom Gin is a sweeter cousin to London Dry Gin and is appropriately names as it was the preferred gin in a Tom Collins. It’s often thought of as somewhere in between a London Dry Gin and Genever. It can be difficult to find but look for the Hayman’s brand. Old Tom Gin is most famously used in the Tom Collins and Martinez cocktails but is also delicious in a Ramos Gin Fizz.
  New American or International Style Gin is an umbrella term used to refer to all of the new styles of gin that use the same base distilling process but are predominantly infused with flavors other than juniper berries. The most common one you might be familiar with is Hendrick’s, flavored with cucumber and rose. - The 4 (and Maybe 5) Types of Gin

A sixth type of gin is the Sloe Gin and is considered by some to be a liqueur and not a liquor because of the amount of sugar added to it.

  Sloe Gin: A historic style, with neither legal nor geographic protection, sloe gin is a flavored gin, using sloe, or blackthorn, berries, along with sugar. Sloe gin is more of a fruit cordial or a liqueur than it is a true gin, and in fact, some bottom-shelf sloe gins are made not with gin at all but with vodka. - The Serious Eats Guide to Gin

More information can be found at the following:

  A Basic Introduction to Gin
  5 Types of Gin


Does reduced-alcohol beer taste differently? Some states (in America) have ridiculous laws about what types of beer can be sold in various places.  Often times certain types of stores can only sell "3 2 beer," or beer with no more than 3.2% ABV.

So various brewers make special, reduced-alcohol batches meeting this requirement.

How do brewers achieve this reduction in alcohol, and does it affect the taste of the resulting beer?

You're speaking of Utah, I assume, the only state I've been to that has laws like that. I know you can achieve lower alcohol content by using less yeast, or sugar, or both, since alcohol in beer is produced by the fermentation process of yeast turning sugar into alcohol. I would guess this is primarily how it's done, but there could be other (post-fermentation) processes of removing alcohol. (EDIT: according to Wikipedia, I'm totally wrong. Most low- or non-alcoholic beer is made by boiling off the alcohol.)

In terms of taste, lighter beers (in terms of alcohol content), generally taste, well, lighter. I like many higher-alcohol beers because the alcohol seems to bring out many of the more complex flavours in the beer, making it (in my opinion) more interesting. That's not to say that all strong beers are good or all light beers are bad, as there are many other things to consider. But I don't think it's possible to get the same complexity and flavour into a light 3.2% beer as it is in a stronger beer, in my experience anyway.


Aside from the number of barrels they produce, what is the main difference between a craft brewery and a microbrewery? Microbreweries make less than 15,000 barrels per year, and craft breweries make less than 6,000,000 barrels per year.

Aside from this distinction, are there any differences in the styles of production by the two entities?  If there's no difference in production technique, why make this distinction at all?

That is the difference. The distinction is purely one of size, and exists mainly for purposes of trade and legal organization. The gulf between the two wasn't always so large, but as the Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) has grown, the standard for 'Craft Brewing' has been increased to allow for their continued categorization as a Craft Brewer. Even with the increases, the gulf in capacity between 'craft' and the various major macrobrewers is so large as to render the adjustments to the definition of 'craft' largely benign. The additional standards that a so called 'craft' brewery must restrict the use of cheap adjuncts in their grain bill keeps out the few smaller regional breweries that might otherwise fall under the umbrella. There's no 'craft' in making cheap alcohol water out of rice and corn.


Woodchuck Cider w/Fox on bottle? A friend had a woodchuck cider with a picture of a fox on the bottle a while back and she keeps going on and on about how 'it was the best cider ever'. Anyone know which cider that is? I looked at their website, but the pictures do not show the labels themselves. Thanks!

EDIT: Can anyone confirm that Woodchuck does not have foxes on their labels?

It was likely a pear cider from the folks at Fox Barrel (http://www.foxbarrel.com/).


Impact of bottling in plastic on beer taste Beer is commonly bottled in plastic bottles in Germany. Does drinking beer from plastic have some negative impact on beer taste?

Or are the materials from which the bottles are made chosen so that they don't interact chemically with beer, or in any way change the taste?

Provided all the bottling equipment was properly sanitised (which you'd hope was the case for commercial beer), you shouldn't notice any impact on the taste of the beer.

That said, plastic bottles do not provide as good a seal as a crown sealed glass bottle.  If you store the beer for long enough (say six months to a year), a plastic bottle will have lost some of its carbonation.  If you stick to the "drink by" date on commercial beer though, this shouldn't be a problem.


'X' marks to indicate quality? The iconic mass-produced lager in Queensland, Australia, is XXXX (pronounced FourEx). On their label, they tell a story about how historically beers were marked with a number of Xs to indicate their quality, with three Xs being the best.

According to XXXX, the original brewer found that his beer was so good that he added a fourth X.

So what's the real story with the 'X' mark? I know there are other beers, such as Dos Equis, which incorporate an X in their name and branding. I have also heard of a number of Xs being used with whisky as a crude ABV indicator.

X's and K's actually derive from turn of the last century British brewing practices where the letters and how often they were repeated denoted the basic style and relative strength of the beer.  See more here.

The more in depth answer is that back then malting and kilning practices weren't as good so you generally just ended up with "Malt", which was kindof brownish but varied wildly.  So you just sort of made "Beer" out of it.  X Ales were table beer, made to be consumed relatively fresh, and K Ales were keeping beer made to be kept.  Hopping rates likely differed as well as starting strength.

I think at some point later X came to denote "mild" ale, which referred to a lower hopping rate and K/AK/etc came to refer to "bitter", but the blogger I linked to above knows more about that progression than I ever will so I may be totally wrong.


Traditional drinks for celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany? Most places celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.

Are there any local, traditional drinks that exist that people have as a way celebrating this feast in a local and traditional manner?

Update: I am limiting this question to wines.

According to the wiki that you linked:

  The earliest reference to Epiphany as a Christian feast was in A.D. 361, by Ammianus Marcellinus.

So, it would be pertinent to drink wines made from Italian grapes since the feast was held within the time of the Roman Empire.

More particularly, you might pick a grape variety from a list of ancient grapes from which the Romans, themselves, would have made wine.

Not that it's entirely pertinent to the Feast of Epiphany, but it is apt to say here that, you might purchase your wine here: https://www.epiphanywineco.com/ :)

As far as my quick and limited research has gone, there really isn't an 'official' wine of the feast - not really a Christian concept to have "official alcoholic beverages," imho.

As far as local traditions, the wiki you linked covers the traditions of the feast internationally but again, alcohol consumption doesn't really ever seem to be the focus...

Also, let's not forget that the Roman's would have had beer at this feast...


What effect does brandy have on blood pressure? I've heard that Brandy can have an impact on blood pressure, but mixed responses of lower or higher feelings in the human body. What exactly does it do? Does the direction of the effects change over time? What about with different amounts of brandy, with different types, or with repeated use over time? What is the science behind it all?

Brandy affects blood pressure in the same way that any alcohol affects blood pressure. In the short term, alcohol can temporarily increase blood pressure. In the long term, with too much repeated consumption, there can be long-term more permanent blood pressure increases.


Can modern distilling techniques produce quality Scotch in significantly less time? My brother-in-law is opening a distillery in Canada, which has got us discussing whisky on the regular. And by the sounds of it it looks like there are certain techniques that can be used these days that 'age' whiskies faster than has classically been done.

So what this has got me wondering is whether the 12 or 18 year old labels of some Scotches are more of a placebo, and a product of popular opinion on how Scotch should be distilled? In other words, the history of Scotch has created a situation where the consumer demands a specific age, when in reality it's not really necessary. And so Scottish distillers use this aging method more for image than necessity.

As alluded to by Eric Shain, this is more a matter of the mathematics of aging than anything about the distilling process.

The key trick going on here is that years of aging have been standardized with respect to interactions with the barrel they are aging in.  While time is certainly important when it comes to aging whiskey, much more important is contact with the barrel.  As shown here, conversions are done based on the internal surface area to volume ratio of the containers used to age the whiskey.  A greater surface-area-to-volume ratio means more rapid interaction between the whiskey and the barrel and therefore faster acquisition of the flavors desired from aging (though the different parameters will almost certainly yield at least subtly different results).

It is important to note, however, that this is a trade-off.  Yes, you can age whiskey faster using smaller/higher-ratio barrels but you'd need many more to make the same amount of whiskey.  So for a smaller producer who wants to match their demand as best they can, using small barrels can be a good way to sell longer aged whiskey more quickly and in more manageable quantities.  On the other hand, for a larger producer who expects to have a large demand down the road, full-size barrels are likely a better option.

So ultimately, this is more a matter of the fact that "years" of aging has an implicit "in standard size barrels" as a part of it, we just don't generally think of it that way.


Why does Trento (Italy) have such a range of German beers? Trento in Italy has a lot of German influence and especially when it comes to food and beer. They even serve their versions of German Weizenbier. See Wikipedia and TripAdvisor.

Why is that so? Does anyone know whether there is a difference between Trento's German style beers and German German style beers?

To add to Leo's answer... Northern Italy is very much associated with Austro-Bavarian heritage. The province of South Tyrol is predominantly German speaking, and Trento is just south of that province. In addition, Weissbier is to Bavaria/Munich as Pretzels are to Philadelphia or Pizza is to New York.... Hmmm maybe that pretzels analogy was a bad idea  since they are a German thing. Oh well, I think you get the point. You've got German people in Northern Italy making German beer. I would trust any Hefeweizen from Trentino over Blue Moon, that's for sure. Cheers!


What determines how much foam a beer produces when it is poured? Different beers and different types of storage result in different amounts of foam being produced when the beer is poured, from almost none at all to a glass full of foam.

What factors, both in terms of ingredients/type of beer and storage, affect how much foam will be produced? And, as a bonus question, how do I avoid excessive amounts of foam when pouring?

With regards to the beer, 4 things primarily determine the amount and consistency of head:

Types of malt used: light malt typically produces larger, more dish-soapy bubbles. Roasted or dark malts will typically produce smaller bubbles. The proteins in the malt are what determine the consistency of the bubbles. There are additives that can alter and enhance the head forming capabilities of the beer. These are usually forms of protein. One of the best silky mouth feel beers I've ever had is Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout. Yes - they actually add oysters to the brew. The protein makes for an amazing feel.
Amount of carbonation: pretty self explanatory. Mo' gas, mo' bubbles. Higher ABV beers and very malty beers can sometimes hold almost no CO2. Give these a rough pour to produce a decent head.
Type of carbonation: CO2 produces larger bubbles while nitrogen produces very fine small bubbles which gives Guinness its famous silky creamy head.
Conditioning & storage: bottle conditioned beer will hold more CO2 and have a different head and mouth feel and coarser bubbles. kegs carbonated by pressurizing with CO2 will hold less and be a bit foamier.

With regards to the pour, if less head is desired, tilt the glass at least 45 degrees and pour slowly, on the glass, rising as you pour to always be pouring just above the level of the beer. For more head, well... dump 'er in.

The glass will make a difference too. For some high-browed beer-snobbery about cleaning your beer glasses: http://byo.com/porter/item/425-can-you-explain-the-dos-and-donts-of-cleaning-beer-glasses


Is there a widely agreed upon beer ranking or competition? Is there one beer competition (or ranking) that is widely recognized as the "Superbowl" of beer competitions?  In that being the winner or rankings to come out of that competition are the standard to measure beers against.

There are some that claim this, such as the World Beer Cup - but like this one, these are mostly US only, so the range of beers is very limited - as well as generally charging to enter.

The International Brewing Awards, now in it's 128th year is probably the best known global competition, with a truly international line-up (although this year the cask ales category was dominated by the UK)


Are there any vodka cocktail recipes for someone who likes whisky/scotch? I typically drink brown spirits, however, I have some vodka left over from a wedding party so I was wondering if there are any good vodka cocktail recipes which aren't too sweet (or have too many ingredients) and would be enjoyed by someone who has a pallet for whisky/scotch.

Here are few cocktails that I can recommend and don't require much ingredients:

1) Black Russian - Vodka and coffee liqueur

2) Screwdriver - Vodka and orange juice

3) Greyhound - Vodka and grape juice

4) Vodka Martini - My favorite


Good non-alcoholic, sedative drinks to replace alcoholic drinks As active as I am on this Stack and enjoy the occasional drink I'm realizing more and more that, regardless of how little I drink from day to day, for the most part booze just tends to bring me down a bit, and if I avoid it I usually feel better than if I had had something to drink.

So I'd like to put this question out there to get some ideas for drinks that act as sedatives, but which are non-alcoholic.

So far I've primarily been using lavender and chamomile teas, and straight water. Water specifically isn't sedating but does tend to balance out overloads of caffeine or sugar.

Is there anything else that's commonly used for this purpose?

Allow me to suggest a Kava tea as an alternative to an alcoholic drink due to it's sedative properties.

  Kava drinks - often referred to as "kava tea" - are made from the roots of a plant grown in the South Pacific, and they're known for their purported anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects.

  When ground up and mixed with water, the root turns into a juice that some claim can be a natural alternative to alcohol. It has been used for thousands of years as a ceremonial and social drink in the South Pacific.

  Basically, the drink mimics alcohol's relaxing and sedative effects without the downsides - no extreme emotions, no memory loss, and no hangover.  Tech Insider previously reported on kava's key compound, kavain, which mimics a sedative and triggers relaxation in the body. It works as a muscle relaxer, so while you're mentally alert, you feel physically loose.

Here is what Bulletproof has to say about Kava:

  Kava is like chamomile on steroids. This muddy-tasting little root comes from the Pacific Islands, where people have used it for centuries as everything from a pain reliever to a ceremonial drink. A potent anxiety reliever, kava offers a non-alcoholic way to wind down at the end of the day, especially if you’re working late or you have trouble falling asleep.

  The secret lies in kavalactones, the psychoactive parts of the kava plant. The kavalactones in a cup of kava tea, or a few drops of kava extract, can put you into a rare state of relaxed focus.

If you can not find it locally, it may be obtained on Amazon.

YOGI TEAS Kava Stress Relief Tea


Why is it called "porter"? Stouts are stout, Pale Ales use pale malt, but where did the name porter come from?

There are a few theories out there, and their veracity, like that of most historical "facts", is hotly debated.

One theory begins in 1722 when Ralph Harwood, a London brewer, created a beer called Entire.  For some time, working folk had been drinking a blend of beer, ale, and strong beer, which pubs would mix to balance out their stocks and maintain acceptable flavor.

Entire was a pre-mixed version, brewed by Hardwood then sold and delivered to pubs.  Prior to this point, each pub had mixed their own.  In addition to economies of scale, Harwood's method allowed for aging of the finished product.  Historians theorize that the name porter came about because of the porters who worked at the markets and delivered the final product to the pubs.  A variation of this theory suggests that porter simply refers to the working class occupations of those who drank the concoction.

Another theory suggests that porter comes from the Netherlands, where a beer called poorter was being made as early as the 1300s.  The Dutch were prolific traders, and cultural transfer could easily have occurred.  The term poorter originally concerned inhabitants of walled cities and may also have been related to social station.


Does Caymus use “Mega Purple”? I can’t find a solid answer on this. I’ve tried both special selection 2014 and the regular cab from 2017. Really enjoyed both bottles but I’ve read some things that suggest that they use Mega Purple in their wines. Is this true? Is there a confirmed source on this? How much does it really matter?

It's highly unlikely that you'll get a confirmed source on this.  Wineries, particularly higher end wineries are not forthcoming about their use of Mega Purple, when they do use it.

How much does it matter?  To a large extent that depends on what you're looking for.  If you're looking for a wine that's a pure expression of the Napa terroir and the barrels it's aged in, obviously the addition of Mega Purple (or non-Napa grapes, or oak chips, or any other additives that result in the end product the vintner is looking for) will detract from that.  In the case of Mega Purple specifically, it adds a darker coloration but at the expense (to some degree, how much depends on how it's incorporated) of aroma and potentially added sweetness.

If, on the other hand, you're looking for a bottle of wine that you particularly enjoy, then it doesn't matter at all.  If the color and the aroma and the flavor please your tongue, than to me, that's good wine.  I personally am a lot more worried about how my wine tastes to me than I am about what went into making it.

So, if you really enjoy them, I'd suggest going ahead and continuing to enjoy them and don't worry about.  If it still bothers you, find something else you enjoy more, and buy that instead.  That's one of the best things about wine...There are always new amazing options just waiting to be discovered.


Deposit on bottom beer bottle What is the residue some in bottled (special) beers. Is it true that it can cause flatulence?

This deposit is called trub (sometimes lees), and is a created in all ethanol fermentation processes.
The trub is mostly yeast cells both living and dead. This is why this deposit is only seen in beers that ferment in the bottle as it is otherwise removed before bottling. It is even possible to cultivate the yeast from the trub, but this requires special care. It is often advised not to drink it but some people like the taste. It is also possible a little glass is provided to separately drink the trub.

As some of the yeast still lives, it will continue to produce gas while inside you which can cause flatulence.


Are stout and mild the same thing? Are "stout" and "mild" the same thing - "mild" being popular in the UK in the post-war decades.

The short answer is no.  While they're both styles of dark beer nowadays Mild is very low ABV with a lot of malty/nutty flavors and fruity sweetness.  Stouts are stronger than milds with no fruitiness and a lot of roasted and burnt flavors instead of malts.  Most will probably be more bitter and have less residual sweetness than milds.

The long answer is:

Historically stout and mild were completely unrelated terms that referred to completely different things than they wound up being known for.  Both started being used in the 18th century.  Stout originally just meant strong and Mild was used as the opposite of Keeping (or Stale), which basically just meant the beer was fresh rather than being aged in a barrel for any length of time.

Mild turned into a strength descriptor in the early 19th century when brewers started using the X, XX, XXX system to classify their ales, which referred to both the ABV and pounds of hops per barrel.  But Mild was still a pale beer.  As the 20th century progressed Milds started becoming more amber colored and playing more as malty and sweet.

All beers until this point were actually much stronger than we're used to today.  Barclay Perkins X Ale in 1839 was actually close to 8% ABV.

Grain shortages and government restrictions towards the end of WWI dropped Mild to close to 2%, and brewers also added dark sugars and mixed in amber and brown malt to keep some measure of flavor.  After the war ended ABVs bounced back up but new taxes in the 30s pushed them back down, close to the modern range for Mild.  Dark mild being the standard and Pale mild being a variant didn't really happen until the 1950s.

The history of stout is quite a bit muddier, though the general consensus seems to be that it evolved out of Stout Brown Porter and has been largely interchangeable with Porter for most of its history.

The differentiation probably started with in the invention of Black Patent Malt in 1817.  In the late 1700s new technology had been invented that allowed brewers to track their efficiency and they realized the roasty brown malt they used for porters was really expensive compared to how much fermentable sugar it produced. So they started making porters out of mostly pale malt with brown malt and burnt sugars among other ingredients for color and flavor.

Britain had banned the use of anything besides malted barley in brewing in 1816 which really kindof screwed porter brewers over.  With Black Patent they had something which was absurdly dark enough that they could finally make up the color difference using pale malt.  Though most brewers in England continued to use some portion of brown malt, brewers in Ireland switched completely to pale and black malts only.  Irish beer was also less hoppy than English beer in general since hops didn't grow as well in Ireland.

Guinness renamed its XX Porter to Extra Stout Porter in ~1820 and the popularity and marketing gradually dropped "Porter" from the name, which is probably where Stout began to evolve as a style separate from Porter.  But it's in a bit of grey area, people in 2015 are still debating Porter vs Stout.

Short version of the long story

Mild originally just meant Fresh and as a style evolved from the weakest pale beer a brewery made, and only really became what we think of it as today in the last 60 years.  Stout originally just meant Strong and was a synonym for Porter for a very long time until marketing tried to differentiate it maybe 150 years ago.

Sorry about the wall, but I fell down a rabbit hole of interesting beer history.


How do I get beer to chill to the maximum possible? I like cold beer. Given the answers in Do beer bottles explode in freezer? -beer bottles may break in a freezer.

How can I get my beer to chill as much as possible. Get it so cold that it's only slightly away from being frozen ?

If the bottle type of a beer matters, I am happy to propose we talk about Corona Extra or Budweiser as both of these are easily available in USA and Australia (I am looking to chill my beer in Australia) and am hoping their bottles are of a similar quality.

To get beer as cold as possible, as quickly as possible, it should be submerged in a salted ice water bath.

Because of the alcohol in beer, the freezing temperature of beer is slightly lower than that of water.  (How much lower depends on the actual alcohol content of the beer you're cooling.)

The salt in the ice water will in turn lower the freezing temperature of the water slightly, ensuring it is as cold as possible, and the conduction cooling of the water against the cans or bottles will cool them much more rapidly than exposing them primarily to cold air, as they would be either in a freezer or in ice alone.

Additionally, since the temperature of ice-water will naturally be moderated by the water, you don't have to worry about your beer freezing, no matter how long you leave it it, and it will get as cold as it is going to get within 15 mintues or so.


Are there alcohol free spirits and how would they taste like? There are alcohol free beer and wine, so are there any alcohol free spirits? I know that dealcoholization would make the beer or wine lose its flavor and for spirits the loss would be even larger since the flavor of spirits is largely based on alcohol.

While it is still interesting to taste: What do they taste like.

Here are some alcohol free spirits:

Alcohol Free Whiskey
Non- Alcoholic Gin

Black Zero Scotch Whiskey


How do I get good layer seperation for a Shock Top Choc-top? I bought a 6 pack of Shock Top last night and is suggests on the package to make a drink they are calling a "Choc-Top." The pack comes with 3 Belgian Wheat normal Shock Tops and 3 Chocolate Wheat beers.

I've looked around online and seen a bunch of pictures of nicely layered beverages. How do I acheive this layering when pouring my beer into a glass?

As mentioned by @Fishtoaster (and as depicted in the cat gif) pouring over the back of a spoon is definitely a must - you really want to make sure none of the top layer breaks into the bottom layer.
There are a few other ways to make your layering more effective as well.
As seen in the animated gif, a curved beer glass is used. Ideally, you want it to have this shape

(source: kegerator.com)
If you use a regular pint glass it will have a greater potential of mixing the layers.
A common mistake when making these layers is to get as close to 50% as possible. The downside is that as you drink it, it will mix with these portions. Ideally, you should be looking at a 70% base, 30% top in order to have and maintain two defined layers.


Difference between glass, bottle and can? I was wondering if there really is a difference in taste when you drink the same beer out of a glass, a bottle and a can.

Can anybody please tell me if there is a difference or if this is just a prejudice in your mind that makes you think it's better in one way?

Glass vs bottle or can will be a pretty noticeable difference with most styles of beer simply due to the size of the opening.  When you pour from the storage vessel to the glass you disturb the beer a lot which drives CO2 gas out, and that takes a lot of aromatics with it so the aroma you get from the beer in a glass is WAY stronger and more complex than what you'd sniff from the bottle or can.

Also smell is a pretty huge part of tasting something and when you drink from a glass you're putting your nose right into the thick of all that, so the flavor will be more intense as well.  Bottles and cans sort of keep that toned down since you don't smell the beer as much.

There used to be a prejudice against cans because the liquid and the aluminum would react and oxidize, but they started coating the insides with a food safe epoxy resin decades ago and it's completely sealed now.  As far as taste goes there's no difference between the two, but cans actually store a bit better because they let in no light and no air while bottles will eventually let through enough to affect the beer.  Brewers like cans as well since they're more portable, don't shatter, chill faster, and are often cheaper to fill.


Why would one choose to use Nitro vs CO2 as a beer gas? Some beers have taste different on Nitro vs CO2. I'm sure there is science behind this. Why choose one over the other?

In general, nitrogenation imparts a creamier, smoother texture to a beer. The bubbles are smaller in size than CO2 bubbles, and the reduced solubility results in a thicker beverage, which is both delicious, and results in that visually appealing 'cascade' effect.

Also, you can do this with a Nitro beer. And that's awesome.


Is there a history of Beer? I was wondering if there is any definitive history of beer. I know that the ancient Egyptians brewed beer and it has been consumed throughout the centuries but I'd like to know the times and cultures that made it. Also how it was made.

This is a very good starting point: History of beer. I know it's just Wikipedia, but I think it's really well done with many links and external references.


Did everyone drink beer in the middle ages? I've heard that in the middle ages the water was so bad that everyone drank beer or wine. Is that true? Did pregnant women and small children also drink beer?

Beer was commonly drunk in the middle ages (and renaissance), but what they drank is different from the beer we're used to today.

Beer and ale, being grain-based, were important dietary staples -- it's said that beer is liquid bread, and that's not far off.  For the common man (not nobility), in particular, grain made up a substantial part of the diet, with meat being fairly rare.  (Will try to update later with a friend's research on amount of grain/household consumed in medieval England, but it's substantial.)

Common beer was not aged for months or years like some beers today; rather, a batch might be produced in as little as half a week.  These are "small beers" (or "small ales", for the unhopped variety), which are mildly alcoholic but drinkable in volume without unfortunate effects.  These small beers/ales were produced in the home/manor; it was just one more task for the cooks.  (See, for example, Markham's The English Housewife, 1615 -- so that's rnnaissance not medieval, but is consistent with earlier cooking sources I've seen.)

I'm not aware of exceptions being made for pregnant women and small children.  Arguing from absence of evidence is risky, but I've worked with a variety of medieval and renaissance cookbooks and the occasional medicinal source, and I haven't seen anything along the lines of "drinks for the pregnant and young".

You may find the following helpful:

discussion of Elizabethan homebrewing
Wikipedia article on ale and Wikipedia article on small beers
research/recreation notes on 13th/14th C beer, which also cites Judith Bennett's book Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England


Is there any diet beer? I want to drink beer because I feel stress of my life. However, I don't want to gain weight because I have been overweighted. Is there any diet beer in US?

This is what would be referred to as the "Light Beer" category. For the most part, this is mass-produced beer, done by the big commercial breweries in the USA (I don't know much about beer production outside North America).

If you want some good light beers, I'd suggest taking a look at lists like BeerAdvocate's Best Light Lagers


What are the exact risks of drinking alcohol in a too high concentration? It is frequently mentioned that drinks of very high ABV should not be drunk neat because of their harmful effects. Examples of such claims can be found e.g. here: What is the strongest drink in the world?

I'm curious though, what the exact hazards are? Obviously I'm asking about hazards that stem from the concentration alone and not from the quantity, which is the easier to overdose the higher the concentration is. In other words, how is it worse for health to drink a shot of 95.6% rectified spirits than to drink the same amount of alcohol, but diluted fairly with water?

Here are some hard alcohol risks.

  Hard Alcohol Risks:

  Hard alcohol consumption is contraindicated in certain segments of the population because of the latter’s higher susceptibility to the effects of the beverage. For instance, individuals who have difficulty sleeping, or suffer from depression or other mental disorders, are advised against intake as the psychoactive mechanism of the drink can further worsen said conditions. Consumption is also strongly advised against in pregnant women as it can lead to severe gross motor development, fetal alcohol syndrome, and sudden infant death syndrome, to name a few, in children who got exposed to hard alcohol in the womb. Persons who have to deal with chronic gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome have to steer clear as intake can severely aggravate the conditions as well.

  This beverage has a substantial concentration of ethanol per volume as well. Excess ethanol consumption inflicts sever damage to the liver and can bring about scarring or cirrhosis, inflammation or alcoholic hepatitis, and even cancer of said organ. This type of alcohol is associated with other cancers such as those afflicting the mouth and pharynx, the bowels, the breasts, the prostate, and the stomach.

  Hard alcohol has a powerful diuretic effect as well. Because this is the case, individuals who have diarrhea, renal problems, or other medical conditions that are prone to severe dehydration must avoid consumption of this drink as well. Such fluid-draining effect of hard alcohol can instigate premature wrinkling of the skin due to dehydration, and may increase the frequency and severity of dermatological allergies like psoriasis and eczema. - Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Hard Alcohol

These are just the tip of the iceberg, for drinking those extremely high levels of alcohol could lead to alcohol poisoning very fast and thus cause unconsciousness or even worse, death.

  Alcohol overdosing is nothing unusual. It’s hard to come across anything beyond 40 percent at bars (unless on demand) because the higher the ABV (alcohol by volume), the higher are your chances of you getting knocked out. But still, there exists a dark land of spirits where ABV can go up to a suicidal 96 percent.

  Spirytus Rektyfikowany (96% Alcohol)

  The purity of rectified spirit has a practical limit of 95.6% ABV; this hard to pronounce Polish Vodka is a murderous 96% ABV. In short, abusing this drink can literally make you meet God! Spirytus is actually more potent than the widely-known Everclear and sits atop as the world’s strongest alcoholic beverage. -  10 Alcoholic Drinks So Strong They Can Knock Out The Manliest Of You


Why use clear or green bottles? In my experience, as well as accounts of others' experiences, it seems that clear and green bottles are inferior to brown bottles for storing beer. I know this is due to the amount of light allowed through the bottle.

But why do breweries continue to use green and (especially) clear bottles? Why bother with a bottle that is more likely to allow beer to spoil?

Fully attributing the Berghoff Beer Blog for this interesting story (emphasis mine),

  Around World War II, brown glass rose in demand and many companies had to forfeit their brown glass for their country. Unfortunately that meant companies with higher quality beers had to use clear glass, which made their beers look like cheaper, clear glass beers. Higher quality brewers’ solution was to sell their beer in green bottles so a consumer could tell the difference between a regular beer and a higher quality. The green beer bottle became a status symbol for many European breweries.

  These days, there’s not much of a reason to sell a beer in a green bottle other than for marketing and aesthetic. Many companies use it to distinguish their beer from others. Of course, some beers have used green bottles for so long, it would seem silly to switch to a brown glass now.

  Lucky for us, glass suppliers are able to apply clear, UV protected coats to glass that help keep beer fresh no matter what kind of bottle it is in. [...]

http://www.berghoffbeer.com/blog/what-does-the-color-of-your-beer-bottle-mean/

So, perhaps it's no longer the case that clear and green bottles are (noticeably) inferior to brown bottles!

Edit: I failed to find historical sources for the above claims, even some indication of higher demand for brown glass during World War II. However, the story seems widely believed today, true or not.


Popularity of tank beer In Czech Republic pubs with tank beer are pretty common and popular. There in many pubs and restaurants the beer is not stored in mobile casks or kegs but in much larger stationary tanks.

Here is interesting article about tank beer in Prague.

It seems that in other countries tank beer is not popular so much. For example I have found some references from United Kingdom but there the tank beer seems to be used mainly on sport stadiums and other large facilities.

How is tank beer popular in other countries? Is not tank beer in pubs and restaurants only a Czech phenomenon?

According to the article you linked to, the specific draw of tank beer is that it's unpasteurized.  This does also exist (albeit not served from tanks) in the form of Real Ale, or Cask Ale in Britain.  Historically, this was not only popular, but the primary distribution mechanism for beer in Britain a hundred years ago.  However, its popularity has diminished over time because it's harder to transport and doesn't last as long as pasteurized beer, making it more expensive which necessarily reduces the size of the market that can and will pay for it.

Tanked beer is something that you see in brewpubs in the United States, where transportation isn't an issue (since it's being brewed on-site) but real ale is definitely on the decline in the U.K. and possibly only survives due to CAMRA, the British Beer Preservation Society's Campaign for Real Ale.


Why does beer dehydrate you? It's often recommended that you drink water before and during a heavy drinking session.  Why is it that, despite being mostly water, beer dehydrates you?

Well, this question might get closed as a duplicate, but I'm going to answer it anyway, and try to answer it better. IMO, the suggested duplicate answers a different question, only answering the hydration question too, by side-effect. Personally, I like this question paired with that answer, better than that question.

tl;dr — Alcohol is a diuretic (defined: a substance that promotes the production of urine), causing you to expel more water than the body would normally expel.

That much has been shown conclusively.

  If sufficient alcohol is ingested, the diuresis occurs at the expense of all cellular components, and dehydration ensues.

Roberts, K. E. Mechanism of Dehydration Following Alcohol Ingestion. 1963. [Abstract (HTML)]

As far back as the 1930s, researchers were trying to understand whether alcohol—the substance itself—is a diuretic, or indirectly induces chemicals which are diuretic (or which inhibit antidiuretics) or triggers cortical functions that cause diuresis.

  [Most] writers either state categorically or imply that alcohol per se has no diuretic action. In 1932, however, from a comparison of the diuretic effects of a given volume of water, with and without alcohol, [...] Murray concluded that alcohol itself was exerting a diuretic action. [...] The diuretic action of alcohol has now been demonstrated on five other subjects, and its mode of action investigated [...]

Eggleton, M. G. The Diuretic Action of Alcohol in Man. 1941. [Full Paper (PDF)]

The first paper (1963) actually confirmed that alcohol—yes, ethanol itself—inhibits antidiuretic hormones, causing diuresis, causing dehydration. (Caffeine does this too, by the way.)

So, yeah. That's how that happens.

Unrelated, but I found this interesting in the second paper...

  It [the diuresis] is initiated by the increase in blood-alcohol concentration and fails to be maintained if this concentration is kept steady, even at high levels [...] The diuretic response to alcohol differs markedly in one respect from that of the cerebral cortex. The latter is most affected by the rate of increase in blood-alcohol concentration: the greater this rate of increase, the greater the disturbance of function at any absolute concentration. The diuretic response, on the other hand, is dependent mainly on the duration of increasing blood-alcohol concentration and not on the rate of increase (Tables 6, 7). The naturally slow absorber, therefore, tends to give a larger diuretic response than the rapid absorber.

The slower you get drunk, the more dehydrated you'll be!


Is the german "Warsteiner" a Pilsner? I've heard lately, that the german beer Warsteiner does not fullfill the german Reinheitsgebot and therefore is is not allowed to be called Pilsner, that is why they call it a Premium Verum.

Is that true and if yes, why?

I think your friend got the wrong end of a stick :p

Wikipedia lists it as a pilsner, so does BeerAdvocate and the Warsteiner site.

I think Premium Verum is just a name.


Why Fox Grape wines (like Izabella/Isabella) are forbidden on EU market? Why Fox Grape wines (like Izabella) are forbidden on EU market?

Or it seems like they are forbidden.  Isabella and its blends mostly gone in those two decades in Balcans after they have joined EU. Even if it is sold with this name it is a different kind of wine inside. I expect that this is result of bureaucracy regulations ..

It's a fairly long story, but here goes...

First "Fox Grapes" are American grapes. There are several species of vitis that are used for wine production. I think in this case it's vitis labrusca.

So, here's what happened. Somewhere in the 1860s a French researcher brought grapevines from the USA to France in pots with soil. He planted them in a vineyard to study them. What he didn't know is that he brought two problems back with him, powdery mildew and phylloxera.

Phylloxera is a root louse you can barely see it with the naked eye. American grapes, having been exposed to this bug for millions of years, adapted to this bug and is now resistant (resistant to powdery mildew too). European grapes, all which are one species vitis vinifera, had no resistance to this bug. So, in a few short years it decimated almost all European grapes.

Researchers were desperate to figure out a way to combat this bug. There was a three pronged approach. First they poisoned the soil and that works but is bad for the soil. It literally kills everything in the soil. Bugs, animals, fungus. Most of which is beneficial. This was eventually outlawed in the Europe.

Another way was to graft american rootstock to European grapes. This is the way almost all grapes in Europe are grown now. The third way was to breed American vines and European vines. This was quite popular too since it eliminated the hassle of grafting rootstock.

These newly bred vines were called "hybrids". (BTW, Isabella was not one of these newly bred grapes. They think it was a chance encounter between European grapes and American grapes in the USA as people tried to plant European grapes in the USA). Anyway, back to the hybrids. Many, many new varieties of grapes were produced and with careful breeding they could make decent wine but never quite as good as 100% vinifera.

The French, leading the charge, banned all non-French grapes from being grown in France as an act of purity. They force untold acres of grapes to be dug up and replaced with pure French grapes. This spread to other parts of the EU several decades ago and now very rare to find these old hybrids being grown.

There are new efforts at using advanced breeding techniques to breed grapes that are almost indistinguishable from 100% but have hybrid features to combat phylloxera and powdery mildew and reduce the amount of chemical sprayed in the vineyard. Hybrids are still quite popular in the USA for these reasons and also they are quite cold tolerant and can withstand much colder temperatures than what is typically found in Europe.


What is a draft beer? What constitutes a draft beer, and how different is it? I see this term plastered on beer cans, but I have no idea what it means, or how it affects the beer's taste.

Draft beer is another name for Draught beer, it means that the beer is served from a cask or a keg.

When you see this term plastered on beer cans, then it means that it's a Canned Draught.   The can contains a widget. This widget was invented by Guinness in order to let consumers drink a Draught beer at home. This differs from a typical can in that the beer is usually carbonated by forcing CO2 directly into the bottle/can or intermediary vessel, or by "bottle conditioning" (leaving live yeast in the beer and adding something for it to eat, creating CO2 and more alcohol).

Everyone on this site should be thankful for Guinness for having invented the widget!


When some one uses "sweet" to describe Blanc de Noir Brut Champagne, what does it really mean? A friend of mine really enjoyed a glass of Champagne at a restaurant back two years ago, and described it as "sweet" and "smells good". Based on other clues and after many incorrect guesses, we finally have a good guess of the kind of Champagne (Blanc de Meunier Brut Zero) and the winery (a small one). We picked a $40 bottle of Blanc de Noir Brut Champagne at a wine store recently. My friend confirmed that it feels the same and used the same words "sweet" and "smells good" to describe it.
Now that we know it's Brut, "sweet" is clearly a lie.

What does "sweet" really mean when people use it to describe a bottle of Brut Champagne?
What's so special about Blanc de Noir Champagne, in comparison to other Champagne, that one would use the word "sweet" to describe it?
I'm hoping that understanding it better would help finding better and/or cheaper alternatives.

When some one uses “sweet” to describe Blanc de Noir Brut Champagne, what does it really mean?
Sweetness is a way to express the amount of residual sugars to alcohol levels in a wine or champagne.

Rough rules of thumb say if a wine's alcohol content is 10% or less it will have sweet characteristics.  Wines that are even lower (especially down around 8 or 9 percent) will definitely be sweet. Wines in the 11% to 12.5% ABV range are considered 'off-dry' meaning that there is some notable residual sugar.  If it’s 12.5 percent or higher, the wine will will be 'dry' and have little to no perceptible sweetness.
Most wines under 10% ABV will be sweet. Typically, wines such as German Riesling and Italian Moscato fall in this category. Wines in the range of 10.5% to 12.5% include Riesling's from Austria, Australia and the U.S., Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio (a.k.a. Pinot Gris).  Then, in the 12.5% to 15.5% range you find Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Sangiovese, Syrah, Grenache and Zinfandel.
But, as previously pointed out, a grape that starts with low sugar levels, and ferments to the point where all the sugar is consumed by the yeast, will result in a wine with lower alcohol levels and little to no residual sugar. So, this is why alcohol levels are not a dependable way of determining a wine's sweetness.
So, while there’s definitely a loose relationship between a wine’s residual sugar and its alcohol level, it’s not a simple relationship.  But you can use the percent alcohol printed on the label as a first indication. - Is There a Relationship Between a Wine's Sweetness and Its Alcohol Level?


What can be substituted for whiskey with Haggis? On Burns Night it is traditional to have a 'wee dram' to drink with your Haggis.  I am serving Haggis to some Scottish friends, and as it is not Burns Night I feel that I can forgo the traditions of whiskey with Haggis and serve another spirit/wine.  What would be a good alcohol pairing for Haggis?

Personally, I have never had haggis, but pairing it with wine is not all that uncommon. Some even pair it with beer as can be seen here, but I would go with a sweet fruity red wine. Pairing wine with haggis is very common on the web.

Here is a sample of how people wine with haggis:

  A dram of whisky works better after the meal, as its sheer strength means it doesn’t go with the food, so which wine to open first? Red, of course, and something with enough richness to take on haggis, which is sheep’s (occasionally pig’s) “pluck” – the heart, liver and lights (lungs) – mixed with oatmeal, spices and seasoning.

  If you’re still with me (Susy Atkins) and up for it, a bold European red with a little savouriness and black pepper is by far the best.

  Spanish tempranillo, aged in oak casks, and tasting of ripe red berries, wood spice and vanilla, is my favourite match. - Why I'll be drinking red wine - not whisky - with my haggis

Here is another:

  Haggis is quite a funky-tasting meat - a bit like a savoury, spicy sausage - so I think red wine is a better match than white. I’ve found big jammy reds such as Australian shiraz work well (there is appropriately enough one called Bobbie Burns shiraz (available for about £15-£16 from independents including Alexander Hadleigh and Old Butcher's Wine Cellar.

  Northern Rhône syrah and grenache/syrah/mourvèdre (GSM) blends from the southern Rhône, the Languedoc and Australia are also good matches, especially if they have a year or two’s bottle age. - The best wines to pair with haggis

And finally:

  Wine pairing with haggis – grape growing and winemaking techniques

  Grapes grown in hotter climates often have riper fruit which add to flavour intensity and texture of the wine; but also the sugar levels in the grapes are generally much higher adding further mouthfeel, so a sign is to look for wines that have perhaps 13.5% or above alcohol by volume.

  Oak fermentation and/or oak ageing adds flavour and texture too, so clues are sometimes on the label; be aware ‘oaked’ is not generally a style that adds texture, look for the word ‘aged’ to ensure it has seen the inside of an oak cask. This week on our WSET Level 2 Wine Course we had an outstanding Puligny-Montrachet and also a equally impressive Chateauneuf-du-Pape, both would have successfully met the haggis-pairing challenge. Burns Night – wine pairing with haggis

All said and done: Enjoy!


What do you obtain by concentrating/distilling beer? Most of lighter alcohols can be distilled or concentrated to obtain strong liquors. Wine can be distilled into cognac or brandy, apple cider is concentrated into applejack, Sake distilled into Imo—sake etc.

Is there any liquor produced by concentrating or distilled from beer?

There are a number of distilled spirits that are made from the same grains that are used to make beer, so could be considered to be "distilled beer".

The most obvious one is whisky, which can be made using various grains including including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, buckwheat and corn.[1]  Whiskys don't generally include hops though, so you wouldn't use a random beer as a starting point.

Vodka can also be made from grain, but the production process removes most of what you'd consider to be "beer".


was working great, now all foam I'm a beer keg newbie. I'm on my third keg and i am still having problems. I tapped the keg on Christmas Day after leaving it for 24 hours. Temp is 39, pressure is 12 running a 5ft line. It poured great for the first day, with the occasional foamy pull. The next day we noticed the keg was leaking from the coupler. I cleaned it up reconnected the coupler and had little pressure. I added an o ring and let it sit. The pressure came back and it doesn't leak, but every pull is 90% foam. I let it sit for another day, dropping the pressure to 10 and releasing the pressure value on the coupler. Still foam...what gives...it was working well.
Can anyone give me some suggestions.

I was in a similar situation as you. I fixed it by venting the keg completely, then sealing everything up and attaching the gas line. I left the pressure off at first though. I slowly rolled it up to about two pounds and poured. I continued to increase the pressure very slowly and now keep it around 8 pounds. It sounds like you are over pressurized when serving.


What's the best way to store beer while camping in hot climates? Every August I go camping1 for a week or two in western PA, and I like to take along some beer to drink in the evenings.  What I've been doing, to save cooler space (and reduce the amount of ice I have to replace each day), is to keep most of it out and just keep a buffer of a couple bottles in the cooler.  But this question makes me wonder whether that harms the taste, because while I can control for light I can't do much about storage temperature.  Should I just suck it up and put everything on ice when I get there?  I haven't noticed a problem so far, but I tend to take a variety of beers (I don't drink the same thing every day) so I might never notice on my own.

1 This is not primitive camping with tiny, heat-absorbing nylon tents.  Most of our tents/pavillions are canvas, and we have a small cabin available.  No electricity is available, however.

I use 3 methods to store the beer, and others, while camping:

Cooler: The way you mentioned in your question.
Sunk in water: If possible, put the beer either in a plastic bag or in a hole in a nearby water body, creek or river.
In the ground: Dig a hole in the ground in a shady area and store it in there.

Second and third possibilities will keep it cool, but not really cold, depending on the area. The you can cool it even more by placing it in ice shortly before consuming it.


When and why did wineries start diluting wine? Commercial wineries sometimes (often?) dilute the grape juice with water before fermentation.  This is done (according to that page) because the grapes have too much sugar and can kill off the yeast and malolactic bacteria.  I've been told that wineries that do high-end wines don't dilute, but others do.

People have been pressing grapes into wine for thousands of years.  Of course, precise control over the yeast and the process is more modern.  I'm not an expert, but I've seen some medieval and renaissance research, including recipe redactions, that didn't call for dilution.  I used to be part of a brewing club that made some of those recipes, and they didn't taste unusual to me.  (Of course, yeast selection might have played a role there.)

What drove the need for dilution?  Is it that the yeasts that are now preferred (or even available) are more fragile?  Are we cultivating grapes with more sugar now?  Are we now able to engineer more parts of the process that previously fell to chance, and that's somehow involved?  Have tastes changed and historically wine was much different in taste or strength?

There are several factors at play here. If we think about how grapes were maintained hundreds or thousands of years ago, it was kind of a slapdash affair. In the beginning they probably just grabbed whatever grapes they could off a vine growing up a tree. Later they just haphazardly planted grapes in a field hoping for the best and they mixed everything, Red and white grapes and IF they got a harvest they were grateful. This style of grape growing does not lend itself to high sugar grapes.

This illustration below shows some middle ages grape growing in Burgundy. It's basically a hillside planted every few inches. No trellis or anything.

Several things changed that equation, especially after WW2.

New World grape growing. Growing grapes in the new world exploded after WW2 and continues to expand rapidly to this day. Why is this a problem? It is and it isn't. You have to remember grapes like Pinot Noir, Riesling, Cabernet, Grenache were probably grapes that had been domesticated over hundreds or thousands of years to adapt to the climate the original vines were from. Cabernet is a good example. The dreary coast in Bordeaux where the weather is not especially warm. In a good year, the grapes might make a 13% ABV wine. You take Cabernet and stick it in Napa Valley where it is MUCH warmer and sunnier and voila, you have 17% ABV monster cabs. IMHO, it's mostly too hot in Napa Valley to make a balanced wine. Same with much of Australia and South America.
Modern Viticultural practices. Also after WW2 irrigation was introduced this enabled growers to grow wine in areas that were too dry to grow grapes without it. Washington State is a good example. The Yakima valley gets around 9 inches of rain a year, but the temperatures are within a range of growing grapes, if a little too hot and sunny. Now you have a region that looks nothing like where the grapes originally came from. This also pertains to just about everything about growing grapes today. Trellis systems, fungicides, rootstocks, soil management, canopy management. Everything is done with a high precision to eke out the most of the vines, resulting in wines that are super ripe.
Modern Tastes - As our palates seek out more and more sweet things, many of these modern wines are made with higher alcohols on purpose because many times high octane wines come with a fair amount of residual sugar.
Because we can! In the new world we don't have the baggage that they do in Europe. We are allowed to pretty much do anything to our wines as long as it's legal and food grade. So, if you grapes accidentally got a few extra days in 100+ degree weather and started to turn to raisins and they are at 29 brix. You paid good money for those grapes and you can't waste them so you dump some acidulated water into your fermenter to water them down to acceptable levels and replace some acid that was lost because your grapes are over ripe. All perfectly legal in the New World, but absolutely verbotten in Europe.
Brand name grapes - Everyone wants Cabernet and Chardonnay. Sure you can grow them in the Central Valley in California where it is super hot in the summer, but what type of wine do you get? Hardly recognizable from the original areas they came from, but the consumers just want to have these brand name grapes so we plant them in places of abundant heat having to water them down in the fermenter to make acceptable wines.

I remember my viticulture teacher telling me that you should plant grapes that would ripen almost at the last possible day of the season. This would result in grapes that are in harmony with the local climate. What you see in many places like California where grapes are harvested in July and August and there is still MONTHS of hot weather ahead.

All of this leads to a situation where many of the grapes we plant in the new world are simply not in the best climate for the best wine. 99% of the time it's grapes planted in a climate that's simply too hot. That's why we water our wines down.


Does the yeast weaken in flat beer? Does the yeast in beer weaken when the beer is flat? I use the beer in making bread, and, since I don't drink, it sits in the fridge until I bake bread again.  I'm curious whether the yeast weakens in flat beer.

By the time you open your beer the yeast has mostly exhausted itself by converting the sugars into alcohol.
You may be able to use it to kick start a sourdough starter, or grow it back to an active bacteria, but it will not be able to leaven a batch of bread by itself from the bottle.


What's the difference between imperial pale ale and indian pale ale? I've seen both refered to as IPA, which is the real IPA and how are they different?

Most often, if you see IPA, it's an "India pale ale".

"Imperial pale ale" is an informal, descriptive style (i.e., a strong pale ale), whereas "india pale ale" is a BJCP recognized style.  India pale ales are primarily understood as a hopped-up version of a pale ale, made to withstand long travels.  Beers with an "imperial" nomenclature (typically synonymous with "double") are brewed to be a stronger, higher ABV -- think double IPAs, imperial stouts, etc.


Specialty Beers at Local Markets so I am trying to find some pretty nice beers, beer like a Delirium Tremens, to try. Does anyone have any recommendations on some nice beer that isn't insanely hard to find. Money is not really the issue, it's just I do not want to go looking at several specialty alcohol stores for one type of beer.

I live in North Carolina, near the triad area.

I would suggest going with the beers that are brewed closest to you. Although transportation and supply chain storage has greatly improved, beer is always best when you are closest to the source.

The North Carolina Brewers Guild will be a great resource for you to find beers in your area.

http://www.ncbeer.org

Belgian style beers, like the Delirium Tremens are growing in popularity very quickly. You should have no trouble finding some in your local area.

This might be a good place to start.

http://www.newbelgium.com/community/ashevillebrewery.aspx


Why is alcohol so expensive in Australia? How is it that alcohol is so expensive in Australia? Is it just because of taxation?

Why is alcohol so expensive in Australia?

It is mostly due to taxation. But not all of it is.

  The World Health Organisation’s latest Global Alcohol Report put Australia in the second-highest band of alcohol consumption: total per capita consumption is between 10 and 12.4 litres of pure alcohol a year.

  According to the Australian Hotels Association, around 20 per cent of the cost of beer at the pub is made up of tax.

  INCOHERENT SYSTEM

  Regardless of whether you think we pay too much or too little, Australia’s current alcohol taxation system is, put simply, a complete mess.

  It’s a hodge podge cobbled together over 30 years of deals, dodges and industry favours.

  Case in point: commercially produced beer today is taxed at no fewer than eight different rates, depending on a range of factors including alcohol volume and the type of packaging.

  Meanwhile, wine is taxed not on alcohol content but sales value, meaning the cheaper the wine, the less it is taxed.

  At the moment, there are broadly three different federal taxes that apply to alcohol:

  • Excise, indexed twice annually in line with the Consumer Price Index

  • The Wine Equalisation Tax (WET), which is based on sales value

  • Customs duties — a combination of alcohol content and sales value

  There is also the flat 10 per cent GST on all retail alcohol sales.

  The automatic indexation was introduced by the Hawke Government 30 years ago as a way of avoiding negative headlines every budget.

  At current taxation levels, drinkers pay 45c for every 1 standard drink in a full-strength beer. For spirits, which are taxed the highest, it’s an extra $1 per standard drink — a mark it hit for the first time this August. - Why do we pay so much for alcohol?

To this one can add the production price, distribution prices, markup prices at alcohol outlet stores and import costs when applicable (transportation and import duties).


What cocktail could be paired with French cheese? For a kind of cocktail competition I'm running against friends, I need a cocktail around France theme, my idea is to pair a cocktail with a French cheese.

I know that cherries do pair well with bask sheep cheese for example (we're used to eat it with black cherry jam)

Would you have a cherry flavored cocktail to advise ?
Or any other cheese / cocktail association ?

Many thanks!

My favorite French cheese is Roquefort and is often served with nuts and honey in France.

I would like to recommend an Appletini with Roquefort along with the most authentic French bread you are able to procure in your area. The French love their fruit and fruit flavored food and drinks.

Appletini cocktail: Vodka with dashes apple juice and apple liqueur. Serve in a classic martini glass with  Roquefort, French bread and garnish with apple slices as garnish.

This is one that I have had in France and enjoyed it very much, perhaps you would too.


What is the difference between inverted simple syrup and simple syrup (if any) I have heard the term inverse or inverted simple syrup used in cocktail recipes, but I haven't been able to figure out how this is different from "regular" simple syrup.  For example, the wikipedia page makes no mention of uninverted simple syrup.

Are these just longer names for regular simple syrup (sugar melted in water)?

I was surprised at how tough it was to track down anything that clearly mentioned both.

Firstly, from several recipes, including this one, it seems that simple syrup is made, as you might expect, by dissolving sugar into an equal amount of water and then cooling.

When it comes to invert sugar, recipes seem to call for more sugar and possibly an acid, be it cream of tartar or citric acid (sometimes via lemon juice) to help catalyze the inversion of the sugar.  On top of that, they often call for boiling until a temperature of 236 °F (114 °C).  This process effectively breaks downs the bond between the glucose and fructose molecules that make up the sucrose.

This page explains that water activity (correlated with spoilage) is better minimized by monosaccharides, while simple syrup generally only contains sucrose, a disaccharide.  It then goes on to describe a method for making "partially inverted sugar syrup" and calls either for acid or more sugar, as well as boiling for 20 minutes.  Since this process is less exact and does less to force the system to break down the sucrose it's easy to see why it's "partially" inverting the sugar.

So to directly answer your question, there is difference. Simple syrup is effectively just sugar (sucrose) dissolved in water, while invert sugar/syrup is dissolved sugar that has been processed to break it down into its component sugars (glucose and fructose).  Invert sugar should be slightly sweeter, thicker, and have a longer shelf-life.


Ordering Beer from Belgium I'm looking to order some beer online from some Trappist Belgian breweries. Shipping internationally, obviously, to Washington State in the USA. What are the best (e.g., cheapest, most reliable) sites from which to order?

Edit: This is for Trappist Breweries that don't distribute to the US (e.g.,     Westvleteren, Cantillon)

Why do you want to have Belgium Trappist beers or ales shipped from all that distance?

I live in BC and visit Bevmo several times a year in Bellingham, Washington. There are 10 Bevmo outlets in the State of Washington. They carry Belgium Trappist beer and ales. If a particular store does not have the variety on location, they will order it for you from another branch. This can be done online! I would only order internationally if the particular variety could not be purchased in the USA.

Here is the link to Bevmo.


How to select a wine based on production quality? Recently, I started a question on the diminishing returns of wine, which resulted in an answer that brought to light that any given wine is a 'work' dependent on a number of variables, such as, but not limited to:

Producer Choices
Weather
Soil
Breeding
Harvesting
Legal Obligations

The gist of the answer being that the production that has gone into the wine has a significant impact on the final product, with some production methods resulting in a high quality wine, and others resulting in a lower quality wine.

So my essential problem here is that if I go into a wine shop and am choosing from vintage wines where, grape variety, and sugar content are similar, how can I choose between two bottles in a non-arbitrary, and objective way?

Should I be researching specific aspects of their production methods?
Should I focus on who produced the wine?
Should I focus on region?
Should I rely on ratings of the wine?

Or is the process of selecting a wine a bit of a dark art?

Forgive me if my ignorance is showing here, I'd like to better understand the wine world and am starting from the bottom. I generally know which grapes I like and the differences between them, as well as sugar content I prefer, but in a nutshell I'm curious how one would choose between a set of different Cab Sauvs, or similar.

how can I choose between two bottles in a non-arbitrary, and objective way?

You can't. It's purely a subjective exercise. It is a dark art that takes a lot of tasting and learning what regions you like and winemakers you like. Even high points from a well known critic aren't a sure bet. If I were you, I would start reading Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate and whatever online wine resources you can find to get an education about what you like.

Things are easier in Europe where they more tightly control the wine making/grape growing process and some regions like Bordeaux, Champagne and Burgundy you can assume a certain high quality from a certain appellation. In the "New" world (USA, Australia, South Africa, etc) it's more of a crap shoot. Napa Valley wine is not a sure bet. It involves a lot of research and personal preference.

People spend many years and tons of money trying to figure this out and it's a never ending process. The journey is long and paved with many bad bottles. Good luck!


Fashionable gins - are they what they claim to be? I have always enjoyed a G&T.  I have my favorite brands, not only of gin, but also of tonic.  But I have noticed that there is a whole slew of them now.

So, how do I know which ones are made properly, and which ones are just alcohol and flavor, without buying and tasting each one in turn?

Gin is very simply defined as

  a clear alcoholic spirit distilled from grain or malt and flavoured with juniper berries.

So your differentiation between "made properly" and "just alcohol and flavor" is meaningless.

Many of the finest gins are made by steeping juniper berries and other botanicals in the distilled spirit. Others are created by passing the newly formed vapour through a "botanicals basket" prior to condensation. Whichever way they are created, they are still gin.

So all the ones in your picture are "proper" gins. Many of them are really nice (that Caorunn is good.)

Myself - I'm a big fan of the Gilt Single Malt Gin, as well as my own gin - the Metaltech (which is only for sale at our gigs.)


How to obtain Japanese whisky in Canada? A few months ago I learned of a popular Japanese whisky, Yamazaki 12. Since then I've been searching, and searching for methods to get my hands on a bottle, but have come up empty-handed.

Being in Ontario it would seem that the only legal method of obtaining any type of whisky is via the LCBO, and so I'm at the whims of what they have in stock. I've looked into online suppliers but it would appear that none of them can legally ship into Canada.

So outside of leaving Canada, and bringing a bottle back in, is there a way to get my hands on any given Japanese whisky?

Yes, you can obtain different varieties of Japanese Whiskeys in Canada. The real question (or two) is whether or not you can obtain a particular one and whether it is obtainable in Ontario?

Each province regulates what is permitted to be sold in their liquor stores.
The official provincial list of products will vary from province to province. Here in BC, we can obtain the SUNTORY WHISKY - HIBIKI JAPANESE HARMONY at our Government Liquor Stores. For some reason, private liquor stores can obtain more products from the approved list than can the Government Liquor Stores. Why this is so, makes no sense to me at all. It is what it is.

If I were in Ontario, I would ask the Customer's Services at your neighboring liquor and see if they can obtain a Japanese Whiskey or two. If they can order it in, please be aware that you may have to buy a complete box, especially if the product in question is not a popular item. This is the rule in BC, however private stores often will waive that. Simply go and ask them in person, I do it all the time.

Another thing you might try is to go to a Wine Market or Festival in your area. You may get lucky.

Although not a Wine Market in the strictest sense please check this out from Alberta: Kensington Wine Market.

  We’re Stocking up with a Dozen Whiskies from Nikka Whisky Co. of Japan.

  We love Japanese whisky here at KWM, and feel it is every bit as complex as the best Scotch whiskies. The following whiskies from Nikka Whisky Co. will be in stock at the Kensington Wine Market...

For what was offered at the time see here.

Once again, I encourage you to ask at your local Government Liquor Store in your area.


What are the differences between mead and beer? Where can I try one in the US? From my understanding, mead is primarily made from honey and may or may not have hops added.
Is mead considered a style of beer, or more of a wine, or a completely separate kind of beverage?

Are they brewed similarly? More specifically, would it be reasonable to think a brewery I like may make, or consider making mead as well?

Mead is not considered a style of beer, since the sugars in mead come from honey, not from the starch of a grain. Hops are sometimes added to mead for flavor and as a preservative.

The process for making mead is more similar to wine making than brewing beer. There's no brewing (boiling) stage necessary in making mead. All of the fermentable sugar comes from the honey in mead, so you just mix honey with water (and whatever spices you want) and go directly to the fermenting stage. Mead also has a higher alcohol content than most beers (8 - 20%, which is more similar to wine, or even brandy).

  ...would it be reasonable to think a brewery I like may make, or consider making mead as well?

Not really. At least not in the U.S. Beer is much more popular than mead, and the process for making mead is different, so relatively few brewers are going to make it. I tried mead once at a specialty beer & wine store, which is your best bet for finding it in the U.S. You may have to ask around to see if a store can order some for you.


Looking for smooth handled bar spoon w/ muddler Looking for a very specific bar spoon (image included).

It is smooth-handled (important), with a muddler, 11 inches long. Has a nice weight to it. Anyone seen this before?

I saw a similar one here ( https://cocktailreligion.wordpress.com/2016/01/21/bar-kit/ ), but the blog is inactive.

Thanks for any leads on where to get one!

I found this source on the internet - which will then take you to all sorts of sites that have what you are looking for - good luck!

EDIT:  I believe this is what you want.  It also has a thermometer!


Beer-A-Day (Free Online) Calendars I'm looking for free online beer-a-day calendars highlighting a different beer every day. Anything available for the United States, Germany, Bavaria, for example?  Ideally the calendars also include a web feed for subscription. Any insight welcome.  Cheers. Prost.

Disclaimer: As examples I've put together a free online beer-a-day calendar for Austria - (Feed) and for Belgium - (Feed).  All example code and data public domain (that is, free, open source).

I don't know of anything, but if you already have code to do one and just need data you may be able to leverage BreweryDB's API and scrape beers that way.  It's a pretty extensive database.


Why is Sam Adam's high ABV beer illegal to sell in several US states? Not even compared to absinth, even SKYY vodka has a higher ABV and we well that everywhere.

  The end result is a 28 percent alcohol-by-volume beer that's void of any carbonation. According to Forbes, Utopias is illegal to sell in 11 states because it's so alcoholic.

This $200 beer is reportedly illegal in 11 states, but not Texas.

States often have different laws for beer and spirits, including different licensing requirements, different requirements for sales, and so forth.  Because of that, some states have limits on the percentage of alcohol that is allowed in beer.  In North Carolina, where I live, all spirits sales are state-controlled, and retail sales are only allowed in state-owned Alcohol Beverage Commission stores.  Beer, however, can be sold by traditional private retailers such as grocery stores and convenience stores.  Because of this, North Carolina also limits how much alcohol beer can contain; the maximum here is 15% ABV. (alcohol by volume.)  So, Samuel Adams Utopias is indeed illegal here, as are a number of Dogfish Head beers, and a few others.


How Are Wines Blended? My favourite wine is a blend of Gewürztraminer and Riesling which (from what I can find) seems to be exclusively made in Australia by Rosemount and Hardys. This wine is becoming harder and harder to find in the UK and is therefore much more expensive when I do find it.

On the other hand, both Gewürztraminer and Riesling wines are fairly readily available.

I'm wondering if I could buy the two "component" wines and just mix them myself to achieve 2 bottles of the blend. Is this equivalent to how the manufacturer achieves the blend, or do they blend the juice before fermentation? Either way, will I make a reasonable version of the blend, or will I ruin two completely good bottles of wine?

I have pretty extensive experience blending wine in my winery over 15 years. There are two types of blends. Pre-fermentation and post-fermentation. The pre-fermentation is usually called a "field blend". This was the old style way of blending wines before we started doing it in the lab. Growers would plant a variety of vines, for example Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in Bordeaux, to hedge their bets on what kind of year it was going to be since they all ripen at different times. They do bring different flavor components to the blend. In Ye Olde days, they would just throw everything in the fermenter together relying on mother nature to give them a good blend.

Today, most blending is done post-fermentation. Very few people do field blends because they want the control over the blend. This is usually done in a laboratory setting. You would ideally want a few beakers with accurate measurements on it. Taste the two individual wines. Then I would start with a 50/50 blend and go from there. If you like more Riesling, then start blending a 60/40 blend of Riesling and Gewurz. Keep doing this until you end up with a blend you like. I usually will create a series of blends and keep them in separate glasses so I can go back and forth smelling and tasting them and keeping notes as I go.

You might dump some wine down the drain to get the blend you want, but once you figure it out, you can go straight to make that blend in the future. I would get an empty wine bottle and put your blend in there. You will have 2-3 days to drink it before it starts to go bad unless you make special effort to preserve it. In theory, you could by X number bottles of Riesling and Y bottles of Gewurz and make a blend of several bottles and rebottle it.

Here is a good article on how you can do it at home


Unique and valuable gift for drinker? I want to give a close friend a unique and memorable liquor-related (his stipulation) gift. He's particularly fond of whiskey and beer but drinks most anything. What are some ideas, not necessarily limited to actual liquor? In the past I've given him special whiskey glasses, a $100 bottle of whiskey, a home brew kit, and a bottle of chartreuse. He's got a pewter stein he bought himself. Think big, between $100 and $200.

While:

this might not be the type of drink they like
this was a numbered birthday present
this website is in the UK

Nonetheless, it might spark off some ideas: https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/18434/grahams-40-year-old-tawny-port

It was his 40th birthday, so a 40 year old port with a custom engraved bottle. He's a Tolkein fan, so the inscription read: "Such an excellent and admirable hobbit"


Wine and variety of flavours I have a simple question. If you taste or read about wine, you encounter all kinds of flavours: butter, cherry, thyme etc. etc. But the grapes have never been in touch with butter, for example. Where does the variety of tastes come from? How can the grapes develop so many different flavours that remind real world stuff?

Thanks!

As for butter

Many white wines undergo a process that causes them to take on buttery flavors (which sometimes come across as buttered popcorn or even butterscotch).  That process is called malo-lactic fermentation, and here's the quick take on how it works.  Just after the grapes are made into wine, a special type of beneficial bacteria is added to the wine.  That bacteria converts one of the acids in wine (malic) to another type of acid (lactic).  The two acids feel different on the tongue.  Malic acid is very sharp (it's the acid in a Granny Smith apple); lactic acid is fairly soft (it's the acid in milk).  Most Chardonnay's go through malo-lactic fermentation and are therefore soft and buttery. (Taken from Why Do Wines Taste Buttery?).