Can one put on weight by drinking beer? I am very thin and it was suggested that I drink beer to put on weight. Would drinking beer help to put on weight? If yes, how many beers should I drink in a week to put on weight? If no, could one please explain briefly why this is so.

Beer can make you gain weight by three means, but you shall NOT pursue it !

First is alcohol, which is a byproduct of the fermentation of starch by yeast. Starch is a carbohydrate, and it has it's own nutriting quality, including energy. Its energy is transferred to alcohol.

If the energy it carries is not used by basal metabolism or physical activity, it'll be stored. It is why non pathological drinker get fat. But drinking regularly may drive you to pathological drinking, even when you never get drunk nor make any excess.

Second is cereal malt (beer component) and non fermented starch itself : first is an aliment (cattle) and second is a carbohydrate : they are particularly fit for storing when unused.

Third is oestrogen. Hop, the flavouring and conservative plant used in beer production carries a phyto-oestrogen, which has the same effect on the human body as the feminine hormone. One of the effect of oestrogen is modifying the fat storage (many a women complain on her weight change under contraceptive pills), both for developing sexual character (women's are the sole primate with permanent breasts) and storing fat in case of starvation during pregnancy.
You already guessed why messing with hormonal rates in your body is no option.

I strongly recommend you to seek help in gaining weight from a trained medical staff, or at least from a specialized Stack Exchange site. A change in your feeding habits may be way more efficient and less hazardous.

Basically, you must eat and brink more than your body burns, while making the right amount of physical exercise to gain muscles as well as body fat. Beer nutriment don't really matches the kind of food you shall seek with this objective.

Sources: Wikipedia, French medical awareness websites, and my personal experience as a beer cellarman.


Type of drink to order at a bar I'm not familiar with the bar scene - I have been drinking mostly at home so that I don't have to worry about driving afterwards. However, recently I found a nice bar in the area I moved to and would like to try going out once in a while. What type of drink should I order if I want to hangout at the bar for one hour after 11 pm? I see many folks getting cocktails like such as margaritas and martinis, but is it against the norm to order beer, wine, or shots?

I do not plan to have dinner. The bar is mellow and catered to young adults - the clientele is older than freshman college students.

Order what you like.  Drink what you like.  Life is too short to drink what someone else wants or expects you to.  If people care what you're drinking at this bar, then I question why you'd want to be there.


Local breweries and brewery supplies in Istanbul? Are there any local breweries and supply shops in Istanbul? How can I find supplies for home brewing in Turkey as I want to start home brewing but I dont know where to find supplies?

Try Bosphorus Brewing Company (Esentepe Mah) in Gayrettepe, or Taps Brewery (Cevdet Pasa Caddesi) in Bebek.


Pump filtration of fruit liqueurs to get rid of cloudy sediment? Straining through muslin cloth removes large sediment particles very quickly. The next step would be to put it through coffee filter paper but over such a large quantity, this would take an unfeasible amount of time.

I'm looking to invest in a pump based filtration system that's simple, and effective - I need something that has exactly the same effect as coffee filter paper in terms of filtration level (I've read that that's about 20micrometres), just a lot quicker! Is anyone able to help advise me on where I should start?!

There are several types of filtering systems out there. I suggest a hobby level plate and frame filter. You can filter at 5 microns or less, but 5 is probably good enough to remove the sediment. There are cartridge filter systems too. But I would poke around a homebrewing or winemaking store on the web to see what is going to suit you the best.


Where can you buy US craft beer in Europe that will ship to other EU countries? anyone know where you can buy US/American craft beers in Europe. Which shops/websites sell US craft beer and will ship it to other EU countries? Or any wholesalers/distributors to contact.

Since I don't know which EU country you're referring to, here are some of my picks that ship to Sweden.

shop.mikkeller.dk
boxbeers.dk
www.bieresgourmet.be
www.bier-deluxe.de
www.biere-revolution.com
www.beergium.com


Is it okay to store milk stout on the shelf? I bought a 6 pack of milk stout by left hand off the shelf and it was warm. Upon looking on the bottle, it says "Please Keep Refrigerated." Is this beer okay to be stored on the shelf?

It won't hurt you, lactose (the 'key' ingredient of milk stouts) doesn't need to be refrigerated the way actual milk does. However, it is advisable to keep milk stouts refrigerated for two reasons:

1) They generally don't age particularly well, so keeping them in the fridge will best preserve the taste.

2) If a milk stout isn't pasteurized the lactose can provide unfermented carbohydrates for infections to feast on if any bacteria is present. But keeping it in the fridge will drastically slow down any potential infection.


Who do the brewers of extra strong lager claim their target market is? I'm not sure about other countries, but in the UK we have various brands of 'extra strong' lager beers, the most famous of which is Carlsberg Special Brew (9%), but there are others.

The perception a lot of people have is that these beers are favoured by Alcoholics and avoided by everyone else and that the brewers continue to produce the product regardless.

Is this actually the case, or is there another, more legitimate market out there for extra strong lager?

You’re absolutely right about the perception.  It’s similar in the US for people who buy Steel Reserve and other malt liquors: they’re a cheap means to an end.

The reality, though, seems to be that a lot of people like the taste:

  'Of course, the most common question I get asked is: 'Isn't it just winos who drink it?' ' admits Katie Rawll, Carlsberg's senior brand manager responsible for Special Brew. 'But our researches show that the underneath-the-arches brigade accounts for only 2 per cent of its overall drinkers. They're certainly not consuming the volume.'

From what I can tell, it’s a special occasion beer for the crowd that isn’t into good beer.  They drink cheap lager year round, but if they want to reward themselves, celebrate an occasion, or make a party a bit more interesting, they’ll break out a strong lager.  Much like breaking out a bottle of wine, but cheaper (and tastier if you don’t care for wine).


Is beer dangerous to drink past its "sell by" date? I have a bud light in a friend's refrigerator that has a date of May 14 2007. I have heard of people drinking beer after the posted date, but does it turn harmful after all these years if I drink it?

The pH of beer is low enough that no known pathogens can survive in it. That's why you never hear about botulism problems with home-brewed beer like you do with home-canned foods, for example.

Beer slowly changes over time. High gravity beers, like barley wines or imperial stouts benefit from this, and acquire richer flavors as they slowly oxydize. Belgian styles, like lambics do as well and the wild yeasts and bacteria continue to grow. However, even those have a limit -- eventually they will begin to taste very stale.

Low gravity beers begin to taste stale much more quickly. If you are keeping them refrigerated, they may last for 6 months or more. Seven years is definitely way too long.

So it won't make you sick or harm you if you want to taste it. But it is extremely unlikely that you will enjoy it.


Tobacco-flavored beer Inspired by this question, I want to ask if there are any existing beer flavored using tobacco or have a hint of tobacco in the taste.

If used the the brewing process,  the nicotine in the tobacco leaves would be extracted into the beer. Too high a nicotine dose in the beer would be poisonous.  The whole process would probably be more effort than it is worth.

As for tobacco flavor, it depends on the flavors that you enjoy in tobacco.  Just like some smokey whiskeys work well with cigars, some rich beers work just as well.  Strong beers aged in spirit barrels often contain the same oakey, vanilla notes that are present in the aged spirits.  Cigar City Brewing uses a lot of different barrels to impart tobacco like flavors in its beers and their tasting notes usually suggest pairing a beer with a cigar.

If you are looking for a smokey beer without the possibility of nicotine poisoning, then I suggest Rauchbier.  Some of the malt used in this beer are smoked over different woods (usually alder).
Some breweries experiment with adding smoked malt to other beer styles (Porter,IPA, etc.)


Can I re-cork a beer bottle? If I open a bottle of Belgian beer-with a cork- drink a little then put the cork back in the bottle will the cork randomly pop or the bottle explode from any pressure?

Yes, you can do this just like a bottle of sparkling wine. It should keep the beer for a couple of days, but not forever. Sometimes the corks don't work great, so I would buy a Champagne bottle stopper like the one below
Don't get the one that hold onto the ridge under the bottle opening. They work great for Champagne bottles but not so good on Belgian beer bottles.


Why is there sand in my bourbon? I have a bottle of bourbon that I've been enjoying very much, but as I've neared the end, I've noticed very VERY fine grit (sand?) settling to the bottom of the glass, each time I have a drink.

I've never noticed this before. Where would this come from? Is this just a normal consequence of the bourbon-making process? Is this an indication of a poor bourbon, or one that is slopilly made?

It's probably "barrel char" which is the inside of the barrel that was carbonized or "charred". Charred wood is pretty flaky and comes off easily. Sometimes this gets filtered out and sometimes the maker doesn't do a perfect job. Either way, if it's been soaking in alcohol for many years, it's probably not going to hurt you at this point!


Beer containing electrolytes I love drinking beer after a run. It's also good to drink electrolytes after a run.

Is it possible to add electrolytes to beer? How would you do it?

Electrolytes are just dissolved salts, where the ions can help transmit an electrical charge through the liquid.  So adding some table salt to your beer would be a way to add electrolytes.

That said, drinking alcohol will dehydrate you, so added electrolytes might not actually help.  If you are feeling thirsty after your run, it would be best to drink water (with or without added elecrolytes) rather than replacing water with beer.  Save the beer until after you've rehydrated.


What is the proper way to open a bottle of Delirium Tremens? I received a bottle of Delirium Tremens for my birthday and this will be the first time I have tasted that beer.  I see that it has what appears to be a cork which is surrounded by 4 wire posts at the corner.  The following site (of some random person I don't know) has an image of a bottle looking very much like my own.

So that I don't mutilate what is sure to be a wonderful beer, how should I get about opening it?

The cage is simply twisted closed.   You'll see that bottom wire is twisted tight and bent upwards.   Simply bend it back down to horizontal, and untwist to loosen the cage.  At that point you'll be able to lift the cage free, and un-cork by hand.  It's been a year or two since I've had a bottle of Delirium Tremens, so I don't remember how tight the cork was, but certainly some beers that are corked and capped like this do have corks that are fairly resistant to removal.  If that is the case for your bottle, then I find that twisting the cork as I pull up will generally free it nicely.


What is a “Boston Particular?" What is  a “Boston Particular?"
When I read a book review (NY Times paywalled, unfortunately) on a history called 'America and Iran’, the review quoted the book saying:

Iranians were and still are great consumers of what was called “Boston Particular (rum laced with whiskey).”

I've never heard of Boston Particular, and I cannot find anything from web research so I'm hoping someone here may know. What is it? Is it a bottled product, or is it a recipe?

What is a “Boston Particular?”
First of all here is the exact quote in question:

It is almost certain that “the first Americans and Persians to interact in person” were not missionaries but “rum traders.” Even then, in spite of public pretenses of piety, Iranians were and still are great consumers of what was called “Boston Particular (rum laced with whiskey).” - What Has Gone Wrong Between Iran and the United States?

Journalists do good work, however their English is not always the best. I believe the phrase should have been phrased in the following manner: A particular Boston rum (laced with whiskey).
This is easily explained seeing the slight faux pas. In this it is quite common to age rum in Boston in used whiskey barrels. Being aged in whiskey barrels would give the rum a taste as being laced with whiskey.

Bully Boy Boston Rum

Bully Boy revives flavors of the Old World with their Boston Rum.
When Bully Boy Distillery opened in Boston, Massachusetts, they felt, given that the regions’ history, it was only fitting that one of their original spirits be a craft rum. You see, dating back to the 1600s, Massachusetts’ original distilleries were famous for their rum production. At their peak, there was about sixty distilleries operating in the state. As an homage, Bully Boy created an aged rum using blackstrap molasses, for the vanilla notes it imparts, and sweet molasses, for its cleaner, fruiter flavor. The combination give Bully Boy Boston Rum a unique, nuanced flavor.
Bully Boy instills its own “house” flavor in a sort of editing process. They include more of the front end of the “run” to get more banana and pineapple notes to compliment the molasses flavors. When their done, the rum goes into whiskey barrels, where it is aged. The time it spends in the barrels mellows the rum, while adding notes of chocolate, vanilla, oak and more layers of complexity.
It took a while to perfect this recipe, but the Willis brothers knew they were on the right track when the rum started evolving its way into their father’s liquor cabinet.


How do Hungarians most commonly consume Palinka? From Wikipedia:

  Pálinka is a traditional fruit brandy in the Carpathian Basin, known under several names, and invented in the Middle Ages. Protected as a geographical indication of the European Union, only fruit spirits mashed, distilled, matured and bottled in Hungary and similar apricot spirits from four provinces of Austria can be called "pálinka".

The question is, how is this spirit most commonly consumed in this region? Is it usually drunk neat/on rocks or do Hungarians usually mix it into cocktails?

How do Hungarians drink Palinka?

  Pálinka should be served at 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) because it is at this temperature that the fine smell and taste of the fruit can be best enjoyed. If served too cold, the smell and the taste will be difficult to appreciate.

  The form of the glass used to drink pálinka affects the drinking experience. The ideal glass is wide at the bottom and narrow at the rim, that is, tulip-shaped. The relatively narrow neck of the glass concentrates the "nose" released from the larger surface at the bottom of the glass, magnifying the smell of the drink. - Pálinka (Wikipedia).

Pálinka  in Tulip Glasses served Sausages

It is traditionally drank in a tulip glass, straight and not mixed in one shot or sipped a little at a time. To truly appreciate Pálinka, it should

  Tips for Drinking Pálinka:

  Know your pálinka!: Kisüsti (meaning ‘a small pot’) is a double-distilled pálinka made in a copper pot. Érlelt (meaning ‘aged’) is a pálinka aged for at least three months in a wooden cask. Ó (meaning ‘old’) is aged for at least 12 or 24 months depending on the size of the cask. Ágyas (meaning ‘bedside’) is aged for at least three months together with fruit. Törköly (pomace pálinka) is made from grape pomace. It’s actually one of the oldest types of pálinka and it supposedly helps digestion.

  •It’s best to serve (and consume) at room temperature in a tulip-shaped shot glass. This temperature maintains the flavours of the fruits.

  •There is no strict rule or tradition when to drink it however as Hungarian cuisine tends to be on the heavy side it’s good to have a shot (…or two) prior to a meal…and then close the meal off with another one (…or two).

  •It’s not compulsory to drink it in one go…. said no Hungarian ever! However we are lenient with foreigners so drink it slow!

  •It WILL burn your throat: don’t worry, that’s normal.

  •The most popular flavours are apricot, plum, pear, cherry, grape and apple however flavours such as elderflower, quince and all sorts of berries are starting to become more popular. - How to Drink: Pálinka

Pálinka is generally not mixed.

  Though some mixologists are experimenting with adding pálinka to their cocktails, you’ll usually find it served on its own. The wince you’ll make in anticipation as you catch a whiff of your shot is all part of the fun, as is the expected slamming of your glass onto the table once you’ve finished your drink. - Hungary’s Water of Life

And again:

  Pálinka should be served somewhere between 10 - 15 °C. While many drink it as a shot, the more traditional Hungarians will drink it as a low drink, sort of like whisky. Don’t be surprised if you hear people shouting ‘Isten, Isten’ (God, God) before drinking it, that is just part of the Pálinka tradition. - Pálinka - The Hungarian Whisky

Hungarians love to eat sausages with their Pálinka, as can be seen at their Budapest Pálinka and Sausage Festival.

  Sausage and pálinka go well together, so be sure to visit one of the sausage stands and sample their homemade products, such as Gyulai and Csabai kolbász. - Budapest Pálinka and Sausage Festival


Difference between Whiskey and Bourbon? I was wondering if anybody could give me the differences between a whiskey  and bourbon, as I was in a conversation the other day and we were talking about Jack Daniels.

It is a bourbon but a lot of people still call it a whiskey. We got into a lot of different discussions about it, such as where it's made (USA vs. UK) and what goes into it (different barley) but we couldn't all agree on one reason.

So can anybody tell me what the difference between these drinks is?

Bourbon is a type of whiskey, whereas not all whiskies are bourbons!

  Bourbon is a type of whiskey that gets its name from Bourbon County, Kentucky, where it originated. Bourbon tends to be amber-colored, and a little sweeter and heavier in texture than other whiskeys.

What make a bourbon a bourbon and not just an ordinary whiskey? The following is from Men's Journal: What, Exactly, Is the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey?

  The most popular form of American whiskey is bourbon, which has its own specific definition.

  "Bourbon needs to be produced in America and made from 51 percent corn, and whisky does not," says Maker's Mark Master Distiller Greg Davis. Bourbon also needs to be stored in new charred-oak barrels, whereas whiskey barrels do need to be oak but not new or charred. "Lastly, to be called bourbon, the liquid needs to be distilled to no more than 160 proof and entered into the barrel at 125." For other whiskies the liquid must be distilled to no more than 190 proof. David notes that this isn't just common practice — "it's actual bourbon law."

  What Makes a Bourbon: A Cheat Sheet

  •Must be made in the United States.

  •Must contain 51 percent corn.

  •Must be aged in new oak charred barrels.

  •Must be distilled to no more than 160 proof and entered into the barrel at 125 proof.

  •Must be bottled at no less than 80 proof.

  •Must not contain any added flavoring, coloring or other additives.

The following is taken from Bourbon vs. Whiskey:

  Somewhat like champagne isn't champagne unless it's made in Champagne, France, Bourbon is not actually "Bourbon" if it is made outside the USA, even though other whiskeys may adhere to the same recipe and distillation guidelines.

  Tennessee Whiskey

  The legal requirements for whiskey to be called Tennessee Whiskey are that the whiskey should be:

  -distilled in Tennessee

  -made from at least 51% corn

  -filtered through maple charcoal, and

  -aged in new, charred oak barrels.

  This is the process by which Jack Daniel's is manufactured. The company is the largest whiskey producer in Tennessee and wields an outsize influence on liquor laws in the state; they lobbied the state legislature to create such stringent requirements for labeling Tennessee Whiskey. Other whiskey producers in the state, including UK-based Diageo that owns Tennessee's No. 2 whiskey distiller George Dickel, oppose these criteria and are lobbying to have them loosened.

Some consider Tennessee Whiskey a Bourbon, while most do not. The fact remains that both Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel's are filtered through maple charcoal making them a different product.

Addendum

What is scotch?

  The main difference between scotch and whisky is geographic, but also ingredients and spellings. Scotch is whisky made in Scotland, while bourbon is whiskey made in the U.S.A, generally Kentucky. Scotch is made mostly from malted barley, while bourbon is distilled from corn. If you’re in England and ask for a whisky, you’ll get Scotch. But in Ireland, you’ll get Irish whiskey (yep, they spell it differently for a little colour).

How long should Scotch Whisky be aged?

  It is not possible to lay down any precise age as being the best for a particular whisky. Generally speaking, Malt Whiskies require longer to mature fully than Grain Whiskies. UK and EU law insist that Scotch Whisky should be at least three years old. However, it is the practice of the trade to mature for substantially longer than the legal minimum.

What is rye?

  Rye whisky, like its name suggests, is a whiskey that is distilled from at least 51% rye. What is rye? Rye is a type of grass that is a member of the wheat tribe and closely related to barley.

Canadian whisky is simply a rye whisky.


Are some beers meant to be served flat? My friend ordered a Wells Banana Bread Beer and to all three of us the beer tasted flat (carbonation-wise). She brought the beer to the bartender, who replied that that's just how that beer is. Is it true that some beers are meant to be served flat? Why? (What does it do for the taste?)

Traditional ale styles of beer were only carbonated by using natural yeast and remaining sugars post fermentation. The ale house would "pull" pints from huge wood tanks, generally located below their taps by using traditional cask systems. CO2 was not available to breweries for most of the worlds brewing history. This led to a ale that was cellar temperature and with little to no carbonation.

Today breweries try to replicate this process by "cask conditioning" carbonating naturally their beers. So, there is no forced carbonation with CO2 and generally they do not refrigerate cask ales either.


How can a beer be flavored? I've heard of beers such as our local brand in the Philippines and this one, and though I haven't sampled them yet, I am quite curious: how do you add flavor to beer? I've drank a few style of beers but I haven't dealt with any "flavored". As I'm not familiar with the brewing process yet, I want to know how as I don't think it's as simple as adding a syrup on the beer after brewing.

Ok, so the basic brewing process is this (not homebrewing detail here, just a distant overview):

Heat your wort with water, steep, then add hops and boil, add more hops as you begin to cool, once cool enough add yeast, ferment, bottle.

Flavored beers can be made a bunch of different ways. You can add herbs, spices, or flavorings before or after the boil, for example.  Seeds and roots would usually be added before the boil; herbs would usually be added after.  I would probably add fruit after but this is something that folks could argue about forever.  If you buy something like smoke-flavored beer, chili flavored beer, etc. these are probably made this way.

There's a second type of flavored beer I have seen for sale in certain bars and restaurants in Asia though.  That's where you take a fairly light beer on tap and add it to a glass along with a shot of flavoring syrup (like lychee or peach).  These usually have sweeter flavor with clearer fruit flavors than the fermented fruit beers.  If the beer is pasteurized, the flavoring could be added before bottling and carbonation.  I think that is what you are seeing.


Do lights and music enhance a cocktail? OK, so here I sit, in a fantastic marina (yes I live on a boat), but every Saturday and Sunday night the local cocktail bar has a rather serious disco, or should I say Saturday morning/Sunday morning (as they finish at 6am!).  I have friends who state that the cocktails they drink in the bar taste better when they are there during disco night than when they are there on a normal night - how does this happen?

Yes, it's been proven scientifically!

Here is an article that breaks it down

  On the other hand, some research suggests that, under the right conditions, loud noise might actually enhance certain flavors

Are these people on vacation? It's a well known fact that things taste better on vacation. Why wine tastes better on vacation

  Reason 1: The answer you’ve probably heard or read before: you’re in Europe! You’re relaxed. Everything is going to taste better.

Actually you could scratch "Europe" and put anywhere you are on vacation.


Alcohol sales dropping due to name similarity with other things Corona beer sales are dropping due to the coronavirus-19 because of a possible similarity in name?

Are there any other know sales of some wine, beer or other alcoholic drinks that have plummeted due to such naming similarities  in the present pandemic or some other historically known pandemic, even at a local level?

  As of February 2020, after the COVID-19 coronavirus spread throughout China, Corona suffered a $170 million loss in earnings in the country. The company attributed the sales drop to fewer people going out in public, with many bars and restaurants being forced to close down. Multiple brands of beer experienced relative sales slumps in the country, as the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus had generally dampened public activities. Sales were typically high over the period, due to Chinese New Year celebrations. - Corona (beer)

Although Corona beer sales have dropped, it is not unique at the moment, the sale other drinks and beer sales have dropped. I am only interested in historical name tagging of some sort of alcoholic drinks that are associated with some sort of historical flue or pandemic?

If one can find the opposite frenzy that occurred in the above situations that would be acceptable data for an answer too.

Here follows a satire on the Corona beer demise:

Mexican beer rebrands as Ebola to avoid association with coronavirus

  Mexico City (dpo) - The dangerous coronavirus is spreading quickly and is a source of fear for many. In order to avoid associations with the negative headlines, Mexican commercial brewery Grupo Modelo has announced that its most popular beer, Corona Extra, is to be rebranded as Ebola Extra. “We don’t want our customers to feel like they are drinking an infectious disease,” explained a spokesperson for Grupo Modelo, hence the decision to go for a worldwide rebrand.

  The new name, Ebola, is a neologism with a lovely ring to it according to the brewery. It stands for Extremo abocado liquido con ácido ascórbico or “very quaffable liquid containing ascorbic acid.” Ascorbic acid is an ingredient of Corona (now Ebola) along with water, hops, yeast, barley malt, maize, rice and papain.

  The rebrand will be part of a multimedia ad campaign featuring the catchy slogan, “I’m doing great. I’ve got Ebola.

I know of at least one rebranding due to an unfortunate naming convention - though it has nothing to do with a pandemic: Vergina Beer

Rebranding Vergina
From a greek brewing company... they have since simply rebranded by going back to the greek spelling:

That is not to say that there aren't others... furthermore, there are plenty of companies that should consider rebranding, if they have not already... For example:
Sh*t Wine (literal translation)

A couple others:

An image search for "worst alcohol brand names" turns up some fairly hilarious results  :)


Most effective way to freeze beer bottles Last night two of my friends were having this huge argument on which was the proper way to make your beer bottles cold. One said in the freezer cause they're kept at some point dry, and the other one claimed that it was better in ice since they're more in contact with the freezing agent.

I personally think it doesn't really matter(I'd still drink both anyways) but out of curiosity, is there really a best way to freeze your beers?

Well you're going to be the genius here, because as it turns out, they're both wrong.

First, we're going to eliminate "novel" options for cooling, like liquid nitrogen and fire extinguishers, and limit ourselves to ways we can cool bottles every day in the freezer.

What we need to maximize here is thermal conductivity.  Since the goal here is homeostasis, we need to move heat out of the bottle and into the surrounding medium as quickly as possible.  And air, as it turns out, is a pretty lousy conductor.  So that makes your first friend most wrong.  Keeping the bottle dry will cool it eventually, but quite slowly.   However, ice isn't that much better.  Because there's a lot of air still touching the bottle when it's in ice.  It'll cool it better, but it's certainly still not the best option.

The best option, it turns out, is an ice water mixture, with a healthy dose of salt to help keep the water liquid, even below 0 degrees Celsius.  Water happens to be an excellent conductor, and with ice to keep it cold and salt to keep it liquid, can draw heat out of bottles faster than any other non-exotic method, by a significant margin.

So, if you want to cool your bottles quickly. and ice-water bath is the ticket.


Are there any problems in serving non-cooled beer? Are there any problems in serving a non-cooled (without cooling) a beer, as the doctor has told me not to take any cooled products. So I used to take beer once in couple of day without cooling it. The taste is different, but are there any real problems with consuming noncooled beers?

This article has very good information on how CO2 interacts with beer.

That being said, temperature plays a big part in the flavor of beer. Here is a the consensus of guidelines of what temperature types of beer and wine should be served.

There should be nothing wrong with refrigerating your beer and then warming it up. I really enjoy the flavor profiles in a lot of the darker, heavier beers I pour when they warm.

Just make sure that you clarify what temperature your fluids need to be before ingesting with your physician.


What is this wine set element? I have been wondering what is this wine set element - i cant think a use to it and google search showed other wine sets which didn't contain it (sometimes there was bottle opener holder in it's place).

Here's whole set picture:

It's a stand to hold your puller on a flat surface so it sits upright.


What is the German Beer Purity Law? I see some US beers advertising that they brew according to the "German Beer Purity Law."  What is that, and is it still relevant today?

The German Beer Purity Law, also know as the Reinheitsgebot, dictates what ingredients may be used to create beer in Germany: barley, hops, and water.  It dates back to 1487, which is why you may notice the omission of yeast: it hadn't been recognized as an ingredient yet.  The law was removed from the books in 1993, and replaced by another similar law which allowed yeast, sugar, and some of the more common brewing ingredients.

In the case of a US brewery making such a claim, it's a sort of advertisement toward the "purity" of their product, i.e., they don't use adjuncts (rice, etc) or other flavorings (fruit, spices) in their beer.


Can white wine and red wine be kept in the same cellar I would like buy a cellar for aging wine at home, but I don't know if the white and red wine can be kept in the same cellar.

Maybe at the same temperature?

There are cellars refrigerated with two zones but this is not for preserving wine.

All wine that you want to age for a long time should be kept at the same temperature. The difference in temperatures come when you want to serve the wine. White should be served at a lower temperature than cellar temperature. Red wine, ideally, should be served at cellar temperature. What is the ideal cellar temperature? That is open to debate, but somewhere in the low 50s Fahrenheit (about 11-12 C). Humidity should be kept constant around 75% but there is no evidence you need to keep the humidity that high. You do not want to keep it at an excessively low humidity. You are trying to make sure the corks don't dry out which can cause wine leaking around the cork. You also want as little light and vibration as possible. Think of a cave as your ideal storage facility. You can read the Wikipedia article about Wine Storage


What's the point of drinking light booze? I hear alcohol itself has no delicious flavor, if any, also light drinks have such a small amount of alcohol that won't make you feel tipsy. So it's a question for me why is there alcohol in light drinks and why people take the risk of toxifying themselves by drinking it when it has no good effects? Thanks for any feedback.

The effects of alcohol are well known. It makes you relax, uninhibited and generally have a good time up to a point. I once had a couple of friends that would order their Coors Light beer on crushed ice. It was awful, but they did it anyway as a way to slow down the consumption. I think that's generally what people are doing when there is less alcohol in a drink. They like to get buzzed and don't want to be drunk. Personally, I like to drink a fair amount of beer so if I know I am going to have more than a couple of beers, I will choose a lower alcohol beer (not necessarily a lite beer) instead of an IPA. I also drink cider instead of wine for the same purpose.

So, I think people like to drink something but not get drunk.


What are some of the historical ways that people have employed to conceal alcohol on their person? What are some of the historical ways that people have employed to conceal alcohol on their person?

We have all heard of the prohibition of 1920 to 1933 in the United States and other countries. How is it that people were able to conceal alcohol on their persons? In this context, I would like to know the historical ways people did so prior to 1950. The question is not limited to the 20th century.

We know that hiding alcohol was done in bootlegs and books, are there other known methods that people historically used to hide booze on their bodies?

  Bootleg (n.)

  Look up bootleg at Dictionary.com "leg of a boot," 1630s, from boot (n.1) + leg (n.). As an adjective in reference to illegal liquor, 1889, American English slang, from the trick of concealing a flask of liquor down the leg of a high boot. Before that the bootleg was the place to secret knives and pistols. - The Online Etymology Dictionary

In a Book

In a Flask in Your Boot

Check out this great article: 10 Ingenious Ways Booze Was Hidden During Prohibition

The old "alcohol-in-the-cane" trick ;)

Here are four examples from the list:

The Hollow Cane Trick

  The Library of Congress labels this one "Woman seated at a soda fountain table is pouring alcohol into a cup from a cane, during Prohibition; with a large Coca-Cola advertisement on the wall, 2/13/22."

  So-called "flask canes" or "tippling sticks" are still a thing, even in the booze-soaked wonderland of 21st century America. One site even targets veterans by putting seals from the various branches of the US military on top of the cane. War is hell, after all, so who are we to judge?

The Booze Mule Trick

  From the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University, this circa-1920s photo depicts a man showing off his trick for transporting booze throughout Detroit. He reportedly only showed this to the press, for obvious reasons, and remained anonymous.

  A shocking 75% of all the alcohol smuggled into the US during Prohibition crossed the border at the so-called "Windsor-Detroit Funnel," the nickname for waterways between Michigan and Ontario. By 1929, the second largest industry in Detroit, believe it or not, was "rumrunning," which netted $215 million per year.

The Bootlegger's Life Preserver Trick

  Jennie MacGregor was arrested by federal agents in Minneapolis on April 10, 1924 for this audacious get-up that dispensed "wet goods." It was known, according to a note on the back of the original photograph, as a "bootlegger's life preserver." The New York Times purchased the photo 10 days later and published it in their weekly Mid-Week Pictorial under the caption "A Perfect 36."

  (David Dunlap of the Times' "The Lively Morgue" blog guesses this was a reference to "Tennessee, the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, granting women’s suffrage?").

The Thigh Flask Trick

  "Flask" might not be quite the right word for these behemoths. The original 1928 caption called them "tins" concealed by a "floppy overcoat." No word on how exactly these were held in place, but it they were full, they must have given this young flapper quite the workout.


Is it possible to identify this bottle and its contents? My brother-in-law received this bottle while in a soccer recruit tryout in Yugoslavia(?) around 6ths year 2000. We haven't been able to identify it by anything on the label. It was opened, I think it is brandy but it is beyond its best years. If you look closely it has a wooden cross in the bottle. I have other pictures. I think it could have been made by a monastery. Any ideas?

The label looks like Serbian, and says:

Гарантовано природна (garantovano prirodna) = Guaranteed Natural
стара 10 година      (stara 10 godina)      = Aged 10 Years

I don't see anything that identifies it further. But if this was offered as a "typical" Yugoslav gift, it might well be barrel-aged plum brandy (slivovitz).


What is a dry porter? A local brewpub describes one of its current beers as a "dry porter".  I got something else instead, so I didn't taste it.  I'm familiar with both porters and stouts (and the controversies over what the difference is), but what's a dry porter?  I found a non-local example and a recipe, but neither describes the results enough for me to be able to tell what's "dry" about either.

As @Eric mentioned in the comments, it is similar to wine, where you would expect a dry (or brut for sparkling) wine to have low to no residual sugars.   A dry beer (porter, in this case) is brewed specifically to ensure that the carbohydrates are all converted to fermentable sugars, which are then fermented as the term would indicate, leaving you with a higher alcohol beer with less residual sugar than an a traditional fermentation.


Does Fuller's Golden Pride age well? Has any of you guys ever aged Fuller's Golden Pride? Does it age well? How was your experience with it?

To be honest I don't remember the beer so that well, and whether it has a good level of melanoidins and residual sugar worth to age. This beer is quite different from other english barley wines, known to age well, so if someone has ever done it, I would appreciate some advice.

Thanks.

I have not aged one yet (they only arrived in my country a month ago!), but I am sure it should age well.

Due to the higher ABV it should develop some fruity aromas and flavours, maybe even go into the sherry-like arena.

If you do age them, age them properly (cold/cool and in the dark) and try one every year. Certain beers age amazingly well in the beginning, but then go sideways after year 5, others you can leave for ages!


Is it normal for Black Haus Blackberry Schnapps to taste like acetone? I have consumed very little alcohol in the last 20 or so years, so my taste-buds and tolerance are like a young person.

Someone gave me a bottle of Black Haus. It has a nice blackberry flavor, but there is a strong odor that strikes my nose and tongue like acetone (nail polish remover). Is this normal for this spirit? Is it safe to drink (sip)?

Certain spoilage bacteria can give an acetone like flavor. I’ve personally had a batch of homemade wine turn out with this flavor after being improperly sanitized beforehand. However, the wine itself was perfectly safe to drink, and I’ve gone though many bottles of it no problem. In my experience, most liquors simply get a bad taste when they spoil, and aren’t actually unsafe to drink due to the high alcohol content. Of course I can’t tell you 100% if it’s safe to drink, butch it was freshly opened, it’s likely just the way the liquor tastes. And if not, even then, it still likely won’t make you sick, just have an off flavor.


Which alcoholic drink can be best regarded as aphrodisiac? Does alcohol help in sex? If so, which alcoholic drink is best act as aphrodisiac?

Which alcoholic drink can be best regarded as an aphrodisiac?
Well that will have to depend on the person!
Alcohol seems to be able to work as an aphrodisiac. However, it is strongly recommended not to have more than a drink or two at most. More than that and any alcoholic drink may have a bad affect on one’s sex life.

Effects in females
It increases sexual desire — sort of
A drink or two may boost arousal, but it’s not a sure bet.
Drinking alcohol increases testosterone levels in females. This male sex hormone plays a role in sexual desire. It may be a factor in females reporting more sexual desire when drinking.
There’s also an element of expectation. People often associate drinking with lowered inhibitions and feeling sexier and more confident. It’s kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy: If you expect to get lucky when you’re drinking, you probably will.
It can increase and decrease sexual arousal
Some females may have more interest in sex when they’ve had a few drinks, but that doesn’t mean their bodies are going to be into it. - Here’s What Happens When You Mix Booze with Sex

Men should make sure not to over drink.

Effects in males
The effects of alcohol on males are a bit more straightforward.
Getting hard might be difficult
Yep, “whiskey dick” is a thing. And it’s not just whiskey that’s to blame. Any alcoholic beverage can do it. - Here’s What Happens When You Mix Booze with Sex

For the ladies, red wine causes the sex drive to be even more pronounced than with other drinks, at least according to a group of Italian researchers who discovered that the compounds in the wine actually enhance levels of sexual desire in the fairer sex. What the researchers uncovered was that the red wine specifically increased blood flow to women’s erogenous areas, which in turn led to increased levels of desire. The researchers were quick to point out, however, that after more than a drink or two the other effects of alcohol began to take hold, which led to a less pleasurable experience. Moderation, it seems, is key.
For those a little more adventurous, here are nine aphrodisiac cocktails to spice up your night:

Casino Royale
Chili Martini
Ginseng Ginger Spritz
The Chocolate Rye
Gin cocktail with honey and lemon cordial
Spiced Manhattan Cocktail
Gingered Peach Margarita
Brandy Alexander
Muscadet wine with oysters

All said and done, there is no one liquor, liqueur, wine or any other alcoholic drink is the best aphrodisiac on the market. However, red wine seems best for the ladies.
To enhance the the mood, I would recommend some high end chocolates for the ladies.
Just keep in mind, that a drink or two seems to be the best. More than that can make the affects of the alcohol in one’s system can backfire.


Best way to consume Mezcal? About Mezcal I know that Mezcal is a drink made from 100% agave and so a more pure drink than Tequila. Rather bad Mezcal will include a "worm" which is a larva of two different kind of insects, as I read.

But except of the curious "tradition" that the last shot comes with the "worm" I do not know much about how to enjoy a good Mezcal in best way. I would take it like a Whisky (pure at ambient temperature), but is it better on the rocks, with soda, cold, with salt and lemon or sugar and orange (like Tequila) or in a much better way as a cocktail? I assume there must be other (better) tradition and  receipts on Mezcal than just swallow the worm? Are there any recommendations about the glasses to be taken with respect to the different alternatives?

I have read that, comparable to Tequila, Mezcal frequently is consumed with a lemon and a spice made from salt with chilli. I would use that only to cover the taste of a bad product.

As you said, many of the traditions like salt & lime are primarily used to disguise low-quality tequila and mezcal. If you're buying a reposado, añejo, or aged mezcal, you'll want to get the full aroma and flavor.

The colder the drink, the less aroma you get. Room temperature is recommended by most distilleries. Using a snifter glass, as Jedicurt suggested, lets you warm the liquor a bit more with your body temperature, which releases even more of the aromatics.

While I certainly know a lot of tequila and mezcal drinkers that add ice to their drinks -- I've been known to do it myself -- we'll generally add a single ice cube after taking that first big whiff to experience the aroma.

While there are mezcals that have the "worm" (it's actually a caterpillar or larva) in the bottle, they're generally the ones you want to avoid if you're drinking for flavor.


What is the shelf life for (unopened) Pino Grigio? I recently came across a bottle of Pino Grigio that's a few years old (label says 2012, and that's probably when it was bought).  We usually only break out a bottle of wine for guests or a special occasion -- exactly the wrong time to find out that it's way past its use-by date.  We're usually more prompt in our consumption; this was an oversight.

I have the impression that whites are more fragile than reds in this regard, and that less-dry wines are more fragile than drier ones.  (Please correct any misunderstandings.)  How likely is it that I could serve this wine to people I like?  More generally, how long is too long?

The wine has been stored at room temperature in a room that isn't too hot (but isn't a cellar either), away from light.

It’s tough to generalize, but most crisp whites have a best-before date of roughly two years from the vintage date on the label.


Can canned beer be frozen for longer than bottled beer? In a bid to chill my beer quickly, I've placed my bottles in freezer only to find myself cleaning up a mess a few minute later.

In order to save myself from having this happen again, is it ok to leave beer in cans inside freezer for a longer time?

Cans should be okay in the freezer for a long time, however they will probably dent outward as the water freezes.  Bottles will pop the cap since that is the weakest part of the container.

All that being said, the quality of the beer may deteriorate from being frozen as the water will separate from the alcohol during freezing and they may not mix evenly when thawing.


How did South Australia come to have smaller measures of beer? The "Beer in Australia" article on Wikipedia, includes a table listing the names for various size glasses in the different states.  One peculiarity is that some South Australian glasses are one size down compared to the equivalents in other states.

For example, it lists their pint glass as three quarters of an imperial pint (which would be called a schooner in other states that use that size), and their schooner glass as half a pint (which would be called a middy in a number of other states).

So my question is how did this discrepancy occur?  The Wikipedia page includes a number of references that indicate that these names have been used in SA, but doesn't indicate why.

In short, it's because of taxation.

In the Commonwealth of Australia's Parliamentary Debates of 1904 (p.8534),  The Honourable Chris Watson (who went on to become the 3rd Prime Minister) made a statement about the brewers of Sydney strongly objecting to a proposal for an excise duty on beer. The sentiment amongst Sydney's brewers was that the additional cost would be difficult to pass on to the consumer, and in fact they had thus far failed to do so. In response The Honourable Alexander Poynton, said that the tax had successfully been passed from brewers to consumers in South Australia by making the glasses smaller.

For the record, The Honourable Chris Watson expressed sadness at the notion of smaller glasses.


Why does Beck's taste more bitter than Heineken? Why does Beck's taste more bitter than Heineken? Is it due to the sugar content?

The answer to this question is going to depend largely on which specific beers you are referring to.  Assuming you are referring to Becks Premium Lager (as opposed to one of their other offerings), Becks has an IBU (International Bitterness Units) of 20 where Heineken has 23 IBUs.  Based on IBUs, Heineken should be more bitter but not by much.  What you're tasting could be accounted for by batch to batch variation on behalf of the brewer or the conditions that the bottles were stored (length of storage, lighting, etc.)

Furthermore, the bitterness in most of Becks' beers come from the use of darker malts, while the majority of the bitterness in Heineken comes from the use of (pellet) hops.
This makes the bitterness in Becks tend towards roastier flavors, and the bitterness in Heineken to tend to be more herbaceous or floral. It is possible that you are more personally sensitive to one set of those flavor compounds.

Note that IBUs are an imperfect measurement of bitterness so only consider it as an approximation.  Many people say that differences in bitterness beyond 100 IBUs are indiscernible but that is often conflicted.

Answered by: the Gastrograph Team


What factors cause distinctions between Canadian and American craft beer? I've lived on the Canadian border, right next to the U.S. for most of my life. In the past 5 or so years I've noticed that many American craft breweries seem to produce higher quality craft beer than their Canadian counter-parts. Not only is the beer often better, but the styles and flavors seem to be more creative.

I've heard inklings here and there that the regulatory environment in the U.S. tends to be more lax, which might be the cause of this, but I'm not certain if this is true. That leads to the questions:

In what ways are Canadian and American craft beer different?
What are the major factors that have led to these differences?

I am not 100% versed in this but I am assuming that Canada needs to import most of their hops. This could make it too expensive to provide a quality product when the ingredients are so expensive to buy. If you take that into account and the fact that alcohol, in general, is way more expensive in Canada than in the US, it makes sense that the brewers would skimp out on ingredients to keep their beer prices affordable.  There is more variety available to us in States than in Canada too.

It seems that Canada is in need for more hop growers to help alleviate this problem.

  An article about Canadian hop growers that might be relevant. https://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/2017/07/04/hop-in-growing-craft-brewery-market-drives-demand-for-local-hops/


How much alcohol is in rum extract? I generally use rum extract to make a "non-alcoholic" version of my eggnog recipe (which calls for rum and bourbon). However, the rum extract in my cupboard still technically has some alcohol in it, and therefore might not always be an acceptable substitute, depending on who I'm cooking for.

What is the approximate difference in alcohol concentration when using an extract to mimic flavor, compared to the original spirit? I have always heard that the alcohol in (e.g.) rum extract is "trivial" or "insignificant," and certainly don't disagree -- but I am hoping for a more quantitative measure.

As an example, McCormick Rum Extract has 35 percent alcohol, and lists the other ingredients as water, run, and natural flavor, in that order. Depending on the volume of your other ingredients, the alcohol content may become insignificant. Even imitation extracts, rum and others, contain alcohol. Bakery emulsions are an alcohol-free alternative, a water-based flavor concentrate, such as those marketed by LorAnn Oils and Flavors.


Does hard liquor keep forever? I drink mixed drinks infrequently, so it takes me a while to go through a bottle of rum, whisky, or vodka.  Thus far I haven't noticed a problem with, say, a two-year-old (opened) bottle of any of these, but on the other hand, if they were degrading slowly I might not notice.  Does the flavor of hard liquors change over time after the bottle has been opened?  (Assume it is tightly recapped after use.)  And are there any safety considerations?

I have never head of safety concerns, especially if the bottle is properly recapped, but what often is an issue is oxidization, and exposure to sunlight.

It happens much more slowly to liquors than to things like foods or wines, but every time you open the bottle you let oxygen get in, especially so the first opening, which will affect it though its really only slightly. The sunlight has similar affects on the spirits, to a similar magnitude (i.e. not very much).

Vodka for example should be fine nearly indefinitely if properly kept, but whiskeys, gins, tequilas, rums, and the more complex liquors will degrade (again, only slightly and slowly). I've heard people say they can taste changes in 3-4 months, others years, but even if you have a bottle around for a year or two I really wouldn't have any concerns (I'm kinda skeptical of the 3-4 month people)

I've had whiskeys and rums left around for 4-5 years after opening. They weren't great spirits themselves, but there was nothing unpalatable about them.

If you are concerned, I would just keep your spirits in a cool, dry, dark space and then you probably don't have to give it a second thought.


How to drink layered cocktails? Are not layered cocktails beautiful? Just look at this post's marvels! And if you want to make one, there are tons of internet references.
Buuuuuut....
How do you drink them?
There usually isn't a spoon nearby. And you don't want to drink N different drinks instead of one cocktail, which is what will happen if you drink it slow, right? And you don't want to be seen stirring with a spoon like it's tea....right?
What is the socially acceptable tactic of consuming a layered cocktail?

How to drink layered cocktails?
What is the socially acceptable tactic of consuming a layered cocktail?
That will generally depend on the type of layered cocktail one is drinking. There is generally no socially acceptable manner of consuming a layered cocktail! One is free to drink them in the manner befitting the individual.

A layered (or "stacked") drink, sometimes called a pousse-café, is a kind of cocktail in which the slightly different densities of various liqueurs are used to create an array of colored layers, typically two to seven. The specific gravity of the liquid ingredients increases from top to bottom. Liqueurs with the most dissolved sugar and the least alcohol are densest and are put at the bottom. These include fruit juices and cream liqueurs. Those with the least water and the most alcohol, such as rum with 75% alcohol by volume, are floated on top.
These drinks are made primarily for visual enjoyment rather than taste. They are sipped, sometimes through a silver straw, one liqueur at a time. The drink must be made and handled carefully to avoid mixing; however, some layered drinks, such as shooters, are generally drunk quickly. - Layered drink

As for myself, layered cocktails like the B-52 or a Black and Tan are consumed as shooters.
More complex layered cocktails, I use a stainless steel straw and carefully sip one liqueur or liquor at a time. To be honest, I enjoy the individual tastes of the different liqueurs. Some liqueurs have such an overpowering flavour that they are best drunk separately.
Chartreuse, Bénédictine and Absinthe are all strongly flavoured liqueurs and would overpower any layered cocktail if mixed all together before drinking them. Ergo, I use a straw!


Spittoons - in a friendly wine tasting We sometimes do a friendly wine tasting. The idea is to discover good, well priced wines available locally - something that you might not have bought yourself.  Everyone brings a bottle, they are taken away by who ever is acting as sommelier for the evening, and then given a number. So, the whole thing is 'blind'.  Scores are given etc etc...  And eventual winners and losers announced (everyone also brings a small prize, so prizes are handed out as well).  The amount tasted is basically no more than a thimble or two,  there is no spittoon.  Would we get different results if we did, or is it OK to do this in our friendly tasting sessions.

The primary effect a spitoon would have, is less alcohol recpetion (some alcohol will get into the blood via the mouth-mucus). The alcohol could lead to different results for the later wines.

You might get a more intense taste of the wine if you could take more of it into your mouth and "wash" with it. Even more if you take a sip, wash, gulp/spit, take another sip and taste.

Maybe you want to try it, when you drink a glass of wine next time and then decide if the bigger sips / double sipping makes a difference to you.

If it does but you dislike the idea of a spitoon, try reducing the number of wines per evening, so the increasing intoxication is not a problem.

I really like your version of private tastings and might adopt some ideas from it. Have fun!


What is the most expensive alcohol / drink (per unit) in the world? What is the most expensive legally available alcohol / drink in the world (per unit)?  And why does it command the price?

Prices for rare or unique items are usually nearly meaningless numbers. What an item fetched at auction last week may have no bearing on what you might be able to buy it for today (possibly it would be literally priceless), and no bearing on what it might sell for tomorrow if it went to auction again. That said, a 1947 Cheval-Blanc last sold at auction in 2010 for £192,000. Who knows what Thomas Jefferson's Chateau Lafite 1787 would sell for if it came up for auction now (it sold in 1985 for $160,000).

If you restrict it to something you can actually buy now at retail, I think it would be tough to beat the 50 year old Balvenie (~£30,000) or 50 year old Macallan Lalique (~£50,000 if available?), but prices will be highly retailer dependent.

Novelty bar drinks will probably be more expensive by volume, if anybody actually pays for them... but if you disqualify Diamond Is Forever from the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo ($22,600) since you're paying for a $16,000 diamond inside the drink itself, and also disqualify drinks with any precious materials other than the liquids themselves (e.g. The Gigi from Gigi's at Mayfair for £8,888 gets you a bit of gold leaf) and further disqualify "profits go to charity"-type drinks (you can taste the Macallan Cire Perdue¹ for $64,000 at the £10 bar (lol) of Montage Beverly Hills hotel), you're probably left with whatever made-for-publicity drink currently holds the record. That might be  Salvatore's Legacy at £5,500 from Playboy Club in Mayfair... but at this point, does it really matter? The prices would seem to just be part of the gimmick and a way of keeping score.

To try to answer the "why" part of the question explicitly, a price is only reflective of value to the extent that both a buyer and a seller can agree to transact at it. A ticket price only indicates willingness on a seller's part, and shouldn't be taken as evidence that it can in fact "command" that price. That said, while production costs (including storage, wastage, and opportunity costs) are a big reason why older wines and spirits tend to cost more, at the top end, rarity and perceived prestige will also play a big part. At auctions, though, most of it will come down to a few people with money who all want something of which only one exists. It's similar to how a print of what to my admittedly philistine eyes looks like a boring photograph of a not-particularly-pretty section of river can sell for millions.

1: the Cire Perdue bottle itself was disqualified at the outset for being cheaper per liter than the wines and also not available at retail.


Will drinking too much of beer increase the size of belly? Someone told me that drinking beer will increase the size of our belly. Is it true? Since I don’t drink beer, I don’t have any idea about that.

Most beer has a lot of calories. Just like any other calorie intake, if you consume more than you burn, you will gain weight.

So, yes, drinking "too much" beer will "increase the size of belly". What "too much" means, however, is dependent on your other habits.

The typical "(beer | pot) (belly | gut)" is usually "Abdominal Obesity" which, by definition, means obesity in the abdominal area specifically, i.e. the belly.


Why are half gallon growlers illegal in Florida? Florida has a strange bottling law that allows growlers in 32 oz and 128 oz sizes but not 64 oz. People have tried to get the law changed but so far it's failed. How did the 64 oz size come to be illegal and what is the rationale for not legalizing it?

In 2001, Florida State Senator Tom Lee championed a bill which was passed that allowed for more sizes of beer containers to be sold in Florida.

Prior to the bill passing, only 12 ounce, 16 ounce or 32 ounce packaging was allowed. This prevented most craft beers from entering the state and to allow those entry, the law enacted stated that anything under 32 ounces or over 1 gallon would now be allowed.

The unintended side affect of this law was that anything in between that range was still banned, including the 64 ounce container. 3 years ago, there was a bill written which would allow the sale of a 64 ounce container in Florida, but it was not sent to the floor for a vote because it involved other caveats with regards to craft breweries in the state. The main reason a vote was not taken was that the legislature felt that there should be more consideration taken to assist the craft brewers. Although that bill was stopped, the movement is still ongoing to have these container sizes legalized.

Read more: Tampa Bay Times: Size matters: Craft brewers challenge Florida's beer container laws


Is it safe to drink a four decades old champagne? A friend of my family gave us an unopened bottle of Bollinger champagne from 1979. It is a vintage champagne. Is it safe to drink? As far as I understand, the worst that could happen to alcohol is that it turns into vinegar. However, we opened it and it does not take like vinegar. It lost all the fizz, and tastes a bit like cheap wine + sweet (desert) wine. But we are not sure it is safe to drink. Any advice?

Simple answer is yes! The more complex answer is that it might not taste all that great but I've had some aged sparkling wines that were 10+ years old and were quite nice. But having lost it's carbonation does not make it bad, it will taste just like you described, cheap old wine.


Are all lambrusco cheap? The only brand I know is Riunite. Several years back I bought another brand regularly, but I have forgotten the name. It was the same price range as Riunite.

By cheap I mean both price and quality. I like Lambrusco, but my impression is the stuff is made to be like table wine. Drinkable without much complexity.

Are all lambrusco cheap?

The short answer is no.

The most highly rated of its wines are the frizzante (slightly sparkling) red wines, designed to be drunk young. Aged wines are generally not an issue here and generally speaking are on the more inexpensive price range. But this is not absolute. It does have some historical value to its name also.

  Lambrusco is the name of both an Italian red wine grape and a wine made principally from said grape. The grapes and the wine originate from four zones in Emilia-Romagna and one in Lombardy―principally around the central provinces of Modena, Parma, Reggio-Emilia, and Mantua. The grape has a long winemaking history, with archaeological evidence indicating that the Etruscans cultivated the vine. In Roman times Lambrusco was highly valued for its productivity and high yields, with Cato the Elder stating that produce of two thirds of an acre could make enough wine to fill 300 amphoras.

  The most highly rated of its wines are the frizzante (slightly sparkling) red wines, designed to be drunk young, from one of the eight Lambrusco denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regions: Colli di Parma Lambrusco, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Reggiano Lambrusco, Colli di Scandiano e Canossa Lambrusco, Modena Lambrusco, and Lambrusco Mantovano. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s sweet Lambrusco was the biggest selling import wine in the United States. During that time the wine was also produced in a white and rosé style made by limiting the skin contact with the must.

Today, there are various levels of dryness / sweetness, including secco (bone dry / dry), amabile (off-dry / sweet) and dolce (very sweet). Sweet Lambrusco became hugely popular in the United States in the late 1970s-1980s, reaching a high of over 13 million cases exported to the country in 1985. The wine is noted for high acidity and berry flavors. Many of the wines now exported to the United States include a blend of Lambruscos from the different DOCs and are sold under the Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) designation Emilia.

  The wine is rarely made in a "champagne" (metodo classico) style; instead, it is typically made using the Charmat process where a second fermentation is conducted in a pressurized tank.

  In Australia a number of cheaper bottled and box wines are produced by Australian vineyards and sold as "Lambrusco". They are typically medium-sweet, around 10% ABV and styled as an "easy drinking" product.

Some Lambrusco wine  will taste cheap, but I imagine not all.

  Lambrusco Wines Worth Drinking

  Upon the boisterous expression of the beauty of Lambrusco, you may be remonstrated with something like,

  “You mean that cheap, sweet red wine that tastes like soda?”

  Well not exactly, but yes, that one. Apparently, Lambrusco still has a long way to go since it tarnished its reputation nearly 40 years ago (blame the wine boom of the 1970s). Fortunately, this means you can find great wines for obscenely good prices. Lambrusco is awesome and its story is more fascinating than probably imagined.

  Lambrusco Wines Worth Drinking

  Lambrusco is actually a family of very old grape varieties native to Italy. Most wines are a blend of several distinct varieties, each with a unique taste profile. It is unclear exactly when these varieties manifested, but Cato may have mentioned them in De Agri Cultura in 160 BC – humanity’s oldest printed farming manual. So when you drink Lambrusco, you are drinking some O.G. juice (several millennia older than Cabernet).

  Today, the best Lambruscos are dry (secco) and barely sweet (semisecco) and are almost always made in a semi-sparkling, frizzante, style. There are about 10 different varieties (8 closely related varieties, to be exact). That said, there are the 4 high quality varieties you should know: Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco Grasparossa, and Lambrusco Salamino. These four offer the complete range of styles and they’ll match with an incredible array of foods from Korean barbecue to Argentinian empanadas.

  Classy Lambrusco Wines to Try

  Lambrusco di Sorbara

  This grape produces the lightest and most delicate and floral of the Lambrusco wines, often in a light, pink-rose hue. The best versions are in a dry and refreshing style but have delightfully sweet aromas of orange blossom, mandarin orange, cherries, violets, and watermelon. You’ll find these wines labeled primarily as Lambrusco di Sorbara and they pair extremely well with spicy Thai and Indian cuisine.

  Lambrusco Grasparossa

  This is the grape that makes the boldest Lambrusco wines with flavors of black currant and blueberries, supported by moderately high, mouth-drying tannin and a balancing creaminess from the Charmat sparkling production process. You’ll find this wine labeled as Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro (which includes 85% of this grape) and is great to pair with fennel-infused sausages, lasagna, or even barbecue ribs.

  Lambrusco Maestri

  Wines of Lambrusco Maestri are more grapey with soft and creamy bubbles and subtle notes of milk chocolate. L. Maestri is actually the most well-travelled of all the Lambrusco varieties and there are some excellent examples coming out of Australia (Adelaide Hills) and Argentina (Mendoza). It’s a little harder to find a single-varietal Lambrusco Maestri in Italy, although to quote Italian wine expert, Ian d’Agata,

    “Try: Cantine Ceci, Nero di Lambrusco Otello, guaranteed to change your mind about Lambrusco forever and turn you into a believer.” Ian d’Agata, Native Wine Grapes of Italy

  Lambrusco Salamino

  This Lambrusco has cylindrical salami-shaped bunches (which is what the grape is named after). These wines have the delightful aromatic qualities of Lambrusco di Sorbara (imagine cherries and violets) with the structure (tannin), creaminess, and deep color of Lambrusco Grasparossa. Expect Lambrusco Salamino to be made in sweetest styles, including semisecco and and dolce to counterbalance its tannin – oddly enough, the sweetness makes it a great match for burgers. This variety can be found labeled as Reggiano Lambrusco Salamino and Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce.

More information may be gleaned from the following article(s):

LAMBRUSCO IS THE FIZZY RED WINE YOU SHOULD BE SIPPING THIS FALL


If buying a distillery, what would you focus on? As I receive many offers of Latin American spirits and do not have any experience in marketing those (high quality) products I think to buy into an existing distillery with skilled personnel, to use their distribution channels and add further spirits to the existing range of products.

But besides sales and distribution channels, what should I pay attention to most?

Having owned and run a winery for 15 years (as well as making the wine, it was a small operation), you should concentrate on Sales, Marketing and Distribution about 90% of your effort. You could bottle paint thinner and with the right sales team and marketing you could make tons of money. I've seen it in the wine industry many times. People will say "if you make a quality product, people will buy it" is not true. Branding, marketing and sales make or break almost any product. Look at the Pet Rock for gods sake!


What is the average brewing time for craft beer? Given craft beers, which are typically brewed without many preservatives, what is the average duration a beer must sit inside a barrel before it is ready for serving?

If different types of beer require different brewing times, can you provide a list?

It all depends on the beer really. Lagers are typically brewed longer than ales. Of the few brews I've made so far, I usually let them ferment for 2 weeks in the fermenter, then I bottle them and wait another 2 weeks.


What soft drinks mix well with alcohol to make a great drink? What soft drinks mix well with alcohol to make a great, yet unique tasting drink?

We have all heard of rum and coke which is known as a Cuba Libre. I would like to try some other soft drinks with alcohol mixes that could be in someway less commonly known to the average person, like rum and coke. I would appreciate any recommendation possible and the reasons why the recommendation makes a great yet unique tasting drink.

Bottoms Up!

If you want something sweet you can try

amaretto and coke (some more detailed information)
for an even sweeter experience you can even go for a mix with Dr pepper

It has a slimier taste to a bakewell tart so it is recommended if you like sweet things


What type of beer require the most time to produce? Of all types of beer, what type of beer require the most time to produce?

The most time?  I'd think Gueze.  It is a blend of 1 and 2 (and sometimes 3) year old lambic.  So the minimum time to produce would be 2 years.


What alcohol to pair with roast goose? What type of drink would be best paired with roast goose?

Prior to the discovery of the Americas, roast goose was served as the main course on major days of celebration in Europe. Turkeys were introduced to England in 1550.

In the Middle Ages, goose was served on feast days such as Christmas, St Michael's Day, Martinmas and the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul for example.

Canada will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of its foundation as a country on July 1, 1867 and we are planning to make the meal more European in nature in order to remind ourselves of our roots.

We will have be basing our meal on some Michaelmas traditions from England by having roast goose, chestnut stuffing, rice, gravy,  Brussels sprouts and blackberry pie for dessert (in remembrance of the Blackberry legend involving Lucifer and St Michael).

My question is quite simple: What alcoholic drinks pair well with roast goose? I am thinking wine, but am open to other recommendations.

Thought I would add my own answer to this fine list of excellent answers.

  Goose is, of course, stronger-flavoured than turkey - more like game but - crucially - quite a bit fattier which makes it essential in my book to look for a wine that has a fair level of acidity. It also tends to be accompanied by powerfully flavoured accompaniments such as chestnuts and red cabbage. Other traditional (and very good) accompaniments are potato or potato and apple stuffing, apples and prunes which can also affect your pairing:

  Top quality German or Alsace Grand Cru Riesling

  Probably the best match of all if you’re planning an apple or apple and prune stuffing. A dry spätlese Riesling would be ideal, cutting through the fat and providing a subtle touch of sweetness. The drawback is that your guests may well expect a red - but there’s no reason why you can’t serve both.

  Gewürztraminer

  A bolder choice still for Christmas. Obviously it’s not to everyone’s taste but if you serve a slightly spicy stuffing, especially one that contains dried fruits and/or ginger it would make a great match. Again look for a top quality wine with some intensity from Alsace or New Zealand which is making some great examples.

  Pinot Noir

  Probably the most likely wine to please your guests and certainly the one to choose if you’re going for red cabbage, sweet potatoes or other richly flavoured veg. I’d choose an example with some sweet, silky fruit rather than big tannins otherwise you may suffer from palate overload .

  And some beers to go with goose

  Strong Belgian Trappist beers such as Chimay or beers made in that style

  These are just as good a match for goose as wine is if truth be told but there are, admittedly, likely to be fewer takers. No harm in having one or two available though. - What to drink with goose

Here is what another site has to say about pairing drinks with goose:

  The richness of goose demands a good wine, such as a top red Burgundy. However, it is often served with sweet side dishes, in which case a sweetish German Riesling might be a good option. In the mid-range, you could try a California Pinot Noir, a good red Rhône or an Australian Shiraz. - Pairing Wine with Meat, Game and Poultry

If it is beer your into than here you go:

  Dubbel is also great with duck or goose. The rich and earthy flavor of these birds requires a beer with some heft to it and the dense, dried fruit flavor of dubbel recalls the dark berry sauces that are so commonly served with these birds.

  Doppelbock offers another riff on this idea, offering strength and dark berry flavors amidst those of caramel, plums, and figs.

  Beers to try: For Dubbel, look to the Chimay above, or grab a Rochefort 6 or Ommegang Abbey Ale. For Doppelbock, Ayinger's Celebrator and Weihenstephan's Korbinian are awesome, widely-available choices. - The Serious Eats Guide to Holiday Beer Pairing

As for Vodka, how about trying some Grey Goose Vodka.


Will alcohol boost body fat? I am drinking Rum, Brandy and Whisky regularly. Sometimes beer.

In those which boosts body fat? Which is good for obesity prone body?

Will alcohol boost body fat?

That will depend on several things, such as the type of booze you drink, the amount you drink, the amount you eat and the amount of exercise you do daily.

  Drink responsibly

  Alcohol can either give you a beer belly or help you uncover your abs. After all, while one Archives of Internal Medicine study shows that people who put back one or two drinks a day are less likely to gain weight, research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that men consume an extra 433 calories on days they have just a couple of drinks.

  While lowered inhibitions and drink-fueled munchies have something to do with it, 61 percent of the caloric increase comes from the alcohol itself. So, if you're trying to lose weight while still enjoying the occasional drink, you'd better be wise about which drinks you choose. Here are the best and worst booze you can order.

  Best Wine

  Red or white, you can expect to consume roughly 100 to 120 calories per glass. (That's assuming, however, that you're drinking a standardized 5-ounce glass. Research from Iowa State and Cornell shows that people tend to over-pour by 12 percent.)

  However, there are some considerations to make when picking grapes: White wine typically contains fewer carbohydrates than does red wine, which makes a small difference in terms of calories, says Caroline Cederquist, M.D., author of The MD Factor and creator of bistroMD. Meanwhile, red wine is richer in antioxidants, and a 2014 study in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, red wine's ellargic acids delay the growth of fat cells while slowing the development of new ones.

  Vermouth

  "A fortified wine with higher alcohol content and infused spices and herbs, vermouth is a calorie saver if you have it by itself—as it's commonly served in Europe," says Georgie Fear, R.D., author ofLean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss. A 1.5-ounce serving contains a mere 64 calories, and typically contains about 15 to 18 percent alcohol, she says. Plus, research out of Budapest shows that it's jam-packed with polyphenol compounds, which may promote healthy weight loss.

  Still, remember that if you mix it into a Manhattan or martini, you're probably going to be consuming far more calories and sugar, Fear says.

  Straight Liquors

  When it comes to getting the most alcohol for the fewest calories, shots and straight booze are the way to go. "There is not much of a difference 80-proof hard liquors," Cederquist says. "They all have around the same number of calories and carbohydrates." And as calories increase along with the alcohol content, the difference is not huge. For instance, a shot of 86-proof whiskey contains 105 calories and a shot of 80-proof vodka contains 97 calories.

  However, you also need to keep in mind that the sweeter the liquor, the more calories it typically contains, she says. "If you're looking for a lower calorie alternative, avoid the flavored vodkas and spiced rums and go for the original or 'plain' option offered," she says. "If you are looking for a flavor boost, try low-calorie mixers like a flavored seltzer or fresh squeezed lemon or lime. This will provide the taste without the calories."

  Light Beers

  With fewer calories and carbs, these are the best brewskis for weight loss, Cederquist says. Many light beers contain 90 to 100 calories per 12 ounces, while extra-light beers pack about 55 to 65.

  However, just don't use that as an excuse to have more beers than you typically would, or you'll undo all benefits. Hey, they generally pack less alcohol, right? Well, yeah, but they actually tend to have a higher percentage of their calories coming from alcohol compared to standard brews. Budweiser Select 55 for example derives 88.2 percent of its calories from alcohol, compared to Bud Light at 74.1 percent, and regular Budweiser at 66.9 percent calories, Fear says.

  The Worst

  Sugar-Packed Cocktails

  "Margaritas and Long Island Iced Teas can set you back more calories than a large order of McDonald's French Fries," Fear says. Even worse, calories from sugar-laden drinks come as a sneak attack. When you drink a marg, your body is so overwhelmed with the alcohol content that your body doesn't properly metabolize the sugar. Instead, it stores the sweet stuff as fat.

  There is never a good excuse to drink these and other sugar-filled cocktails especially if you are trying to lose weight or not develop diabetes, she says. Now, if you've got a skilled mixologist behind your bar, you're probably calorically safe ordering a cocktail. After all, he'd never serve up one of these artless offenses.

  High-Alcohol Craft Beers

  "The last five years have seen an explosion of craft breweries creating high-alcohol varieties, which pack more calories per bottle than you may realize," Fear says. Remember, more alcohol means more calories. Every gram of the good stuff contains seven calories.

  For instance, Flying Dog Horn Dog, which contains 10.2 percent alcohol by volume, also contains 314 calories per bottle, and Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA boasts 18 percent alcohol by volume, but also packs 450 calories into each bottle. That's a meal in a glass. Unfortunately, though, all that alcohol can wind up making you hungrier. - The Best and Worst Booze to Drink if You Want to Lose Weight


It's it better to use mineral water or distilled water for my mash when making vodka? I'm asking which type of water is best for making a mash to distill down to a vodka? Distilled water or bottled mineral water?

It can be used, and distilled water and mineral. The output will be different taste. Distilled water gives a softer taste.


How to open a beer without a bottle opener? How does one go about opening a bottle of beer when (gasp) there are no bottle openers present?

Twist off is not an option. And, anything involving using one's teeth should be omitted (safety first!)

Almost anything can be used to open a bottle of beer. What we used as university students: spoon (fork, knife), key, table, park bank, fence, another bottle of beer.

My preferred way (when there's no bottle opener) is to use a spoon (I hold the spoon differently but this way is also worth consideration):

Using another (closed) bottle:

If you are outside you can use any hard surface. Place the bottle as in picture and push on it or hit slightly. Keep in mind that wood can be damaged by a bottle cap.


Does it make sense to store hard liquor in the freezer? I usually see bars keeping spirits at the room temperature.
However, I have heard that some people tend to keep them in the freezer.
Alcohol doesn't freeze, and having ice cold spirits readily available might be convenient.

I use hard liquor for both cocktails and to be drank without mixers, on the rocks.

So the question is: does it make sense to store hard liquor in the freezer?

More info:

I understand that cocktail recipes are adapted for spirits kept at room temperature, as introducing ice dilutes the drink. So the result might be different with very cold spirits.
I live in the tropics and the kitchen (where I keep liquor) is not air-conditioned, so the room temperature is frequently at around 30C and might not be appropriate, which is another reason why I ask this question.

This mostly comes down to personal preference. Think about it this way: beer can be served at room temperature or cold, but when most people (in the US) ask for a beer, they want a nice cold brew. Go to a place like Germany and their beer may be served at room temperature.

One overall benefit of storing any liquor in the freezer would be making it smoother on the way down -- it eases any burn on the throat. This can apply to just about any liquor, though some types of liquor have noticeable differences in taste when served warm vs cold. A couple that come to mind are:

Cognac (specifically Salagnac)
Deep Eddy Lemonade
Fireball

During the Hennessy shortage of 2017, many customers at our store had to look for alternatives. Those who didn't go for Remy Martin went for Salagnac. When cold, Salagnac has a very similar taste to Hennessy. When warm however, this isn't as much the case.

Both Deep Eddy Lemonade and Fireball have stronger, sweeter flavors at room temperature. When cold, the sweetness isn't as much of a smack in the face, and with fireball the flames seem to more along the lines of a smolder.

You do not put bourbon or scotch in the freezer. Both are intended to be straight or on the rocks. It doesn't make the liquor go bad in any way, but is seen as heresy and you may be shunned by friends or family. There is a noticeable difference in the taste notes of smoke and oak, so it's best to leave these ones out.

When it comes to the bar, it just makes more sense to have the alcohol out on display. It shows the customers what they can have, multiple bartenders don't have to fight for control of the freezer, and a large portion of their sales are from mixed drinks which are served with ice anyway.


Does anyone here still use bitters as medicine? Which ones do you use and for what ailments? Bitters are known to have medicinal qualities.

I've never used them beyond making killer cocktails... But, I've noticed that orange bitters, in particular, will imbue me with an added vigor or gusto, at times. I've heard certain bitters can be consumed for stomach and headaches but, I've never been able to replicate the affect.

What added physiological or psychological sensations have any of you noticed when consuming bitters? Which bitters have you consumed for what particular ailment(s)?

I usually use either Jägdbitters (a Jägermeister-like bitters sold at Aldi) or my family's version of Bärenjäger (which I prepare at home - nope, it's not bitters, but it was also used historicaly for the same purpose), mostly when I feel a cold coming up due to catching rain.

Jägermeister gives a soothing feel to the throat if taken when you're already with the cought, but if taken as a preventive, it makes me feel like a warm blanket was dropped over my shoulders and I don't get the actual cold afterwards. It always works we me too, better than pharmacy bought stuff.


How to tap beer without CO2, like the germans do? I know how to tap beer from a keg with CO2. The CO2 provides the pressure and you will get the beer.

But how can germans tap their beer without using CO2?

I've never seen any evidence that Germans use anything but CO2, so if you have a source that'd be cool.  That said, for getting beer out of the cask/keg/barrel you generally have 3 options:

Pressurized gas.  As mentioned by the other answer this is most commonly CO2 since CO2 is produced by yeast, so if you sealed the container while yeast were still processing sugars and producing CO2, they would pressurize the container.  Some brewers, especially home brewers, will pressurize their kegs through natural carbonation but most just push CO2 from a canister.  BUT there's also "beer gas" which is a mix of Nitrogen and CO2, think Guinness or Boddingtons.  This came into use to emulate the soft carbonation of cask/real ale/kellerbier, which leads to:
Siphoning.  A hand pump, or beer engine, uses a siphon to "pull" the beer out of the cask and up to the tap.  The physics needs atmospheric pressure to be maintained inside the cask, so it's usually open to the air at the top.  This required a fast turnaround on casks to prevent the beer from spoiling, which is one of the reasons cask/"real" ale fell out favor.  Kegs simply kept longer and were more economical.  I think CAMRA still isn't a fan of them, but some bars use "breathers" which basically add very low pressures of CO2 to replace the volume lost by the beer, but not enough to pressurize the cask.  This just lets the beer last longer in the cask.
Gravity pouring.  This tends to happen most often at festivals or if a bar has a "guest cask".  A spout is installed in the side and beer pours out.  All the caveats about air spoilage from cask ale still exist here.

So if the bartender pulls a handle and leaves it there until the glass is full of beer, that's a pressurized gas system.  If the bartender has to keep pulling the handle to fill the glass and the beer has that cool "cascading" look, it was pulled by siphoning.  If the cask is on the bar and the bartender just opens a spigot...that's a gravity pour.

I don't know that there are any other options...maybe an open barrel and ladling the beer out like soup?


Local microbreweries and craft beer in Tokyo Are there local micro-breweries in Tokyo?

Are they serving local Japanese craft beer?

What are Japanese craft beer that one can find in Tokyo?

There are many craft beer pubs in Tokyo.
But there is no craft beer brand made in Tokyo.
I recommend Coedo Beer from Kawagoe-city, Saitama-Pref.

Kawagoe is a traditional town near Tokyo.
It takes 40 minutes by train from Shinjuku/Ikebykuro.
Coedo has 4 flavors, "Kyara" (Golden Brown), "Ruri" (Blue), "Shiro" (White), "Shikkoku" (Black) and "Beniaka" (Red).
Especially, "Beniaka" is made from sweet potatoes in Kawagoe.
Kawagoe is famous for sweet potatoes.

And "Coedo" means "Little Edo".
"Edo" is the old name of Tokyo.
Kawagoe has still old Tokyo street.

Please come and drink up!


Right price for limited edition beer How do I calculate the market value for a limited edition beer (1700 bottles only)? It cannot be bought anywhere anymore except from private collectors. The beer in question is the Opeth XXV anniversary imperial stout.

The only way to know the price for sure is to sell it and find out the price at that time, preferably at auction.

The only way to price a rare item like this without selling it is to mark it to market. You need to find a number of comparable bottles of special edition beers with similar collectors' markets and use the prices of those bottles to calculate the current price of that bottle. The more similar the comparable bottles are in terms of time since sale, qualities of the beer (style, ABV etc.), number of bottles produced and size of "following" or number of collectors, the closer your price will be to a realistic price. If it were really valuable an auction house such as Sotheby's or Christie's could be employed to do the calculations for you as they are quite involved. Note that marking to market only gives a guideline price at a moment in time as prices can fluctuate wildly in collectables markets.

The basis of this pricing model is the pricing of any liquid commodity or financial instrument.


Liquor bottle puzzle in Eavesdropper comic strip Strip 10 of the Eavesdropper comic strip shows a small bar with a sequence of seven liquor bottles on a shelf.  Can you identify them?

The comic strip apparently has a series of puzzles, with one puzzle encoding a word found on each page of the comic strip (except for the first few pages).  We don't yet know where the puzzles are going, but then the comic only has 18 pages so far out of approximately 100 planned.

We have already identified a few of those bottles, see my answer.

We already have three bottles identified.  From left to right

First bottle may be Gekkeikan Junmai Skye Blue Sake, suggested by crypdex
Second bottle may be Bols Advocaat, suggested by OldPadawan
Third bottle is Midori, identified by kazzie.
Fourth bottle is Benedictine, identified by Yendor
Fifth bottle is Choya Umeshu plum wine, identified by ellison in his answer
Sixth bottle is Cointreau, identified by kazzie
Seventh bottle is Antitoxin Absinthe in skull bottle, identified by me.

The solution might be another liquor, Sambuca, from reading together the first letters of "Skye, Advocaat, Midori, Benedictine, Umeshu, Cointreau, Antitoxin".


Which is the most expensive beer as of now? As of the time this question being asked, which is the most expensive beer in the world?

Is it available now?

Is/was it available for purchase for general public?

What is/was its price?

as mentioned above but with more details: the most expensive beer is a 12 liter bottle of Vieille Bon Secours which was stocked in a London restaurant for over 10 years. So it's the age and uniqueness of this one bottle that make it worth around 700£ / 832€.


Can alcohol (ethanol) exist in nature without the intervention of man? The other day, I came across this article: Chimpanzees found routinely drinking alcohol in the wild.

In this article, David Mercer claims that "Primates in Guinea drank fermented palm sap using a leafy tool as a sponge."

  Scientists have discovered a group of booze-loving apes who may hold the key to why humans enjoy drinking alcohol.

  Experts say they have found the first empirical evidence of “long term and recurrent ingestion of ethanol” among apes in nature.

  hey observed wild chimpanzees in the town of Bossou in Guinea, west Africa, over 17 years and watched as the primates drank fermented palm sap using a leafy tool as a sponge.

  The chimpanzees consumed the alcoholic beverage, often in large quantities, despite an alcohol presence of up to 6.9 per cent ABV - the equivalent of a strong ale, according to a study published by the Royal Society.

  The amount of alcohol ingested ranged from about 2.5 to 84ml and there was no difference between males and females.

  Experts said that, unlike other examples of primates ingesting alcohol, such as introduced green monkeys targeting tourist cocktails in the Caribbean, the chimpanzees' attraction to fermented palm sap at Bossou was not a result of provisioning by local people.

My question is this: Do other naturally occurring alcohol (ethanol) drinks exist in a natural setting as in forests, plains, savannas, etc., without man's intervention on a regular basis?

All fruit when crushed or rotten will have naturally occurring alcohol. As long as there is sugar, yeast and water alcohol will happen. Most commercially purchased fruit juice has a small amount of alcohol in it when you purchase it.

  Low-alcoholic beverage[edit]
  Sparkling cider, sodas, and juices naturally contain trace amounts or no alcohol. Some fresh orange juices are above the UK 'alcohol free' limit of 0.05% ABV, as are some yogurts and rye bread.

  Ethanol distillation is used to separate alcoholic beverages into what are advertised as non-alcoholic beverages and spirits; distilled wine produces low alcohol wine and brandy (from brandywine, derived from Dutch brandewijn, "burning wine"),1 distilled beer may be used to produce low-alcohol beer and whisky.

  However alcoholic beverages cannot be further purified to 0.00% alcohol by volume by distillation. In fact, most beverages labeled non-alcoholic contain 0.5% ABV as it is more profitable than distilling it to 0.05% ABV often found in products sold by companies specializing in non-alcoholic beverages.

There are many stories about deer, bear and other wild animals getting drunk on apples that have fallen and rotted on the ground. Do animals get drunk

  “I’ve watched white-tailed deer eating fermented apples in orchards," Moore says. They get pretty “sleepy,” even “stumble-y.” It’s a common observation in apple-growing regions, he adds.

But I think you want to know if there are naturally occurring drinks other than eating a bunch of rotten fruit and there are only a couple of that I have heard of and the one you mention in your question was one and the other was naturally occurring mead which happens when water gets into a beehive with honey in the comb. Honey fermenting in the comb

  To produce honey, bees collect nectar from flowers and add enzymes from their honey stomachs. Once the mixture is stored in cells, the bees fan it with their wings until it dehydrates to a moisture content of about 16 to 18.5 percent. If the moisture content is higher than that, the bees simply won’t cap it. If cold weather arrives before the honey is capped, it will sit open in the hive and may eventually ferment.


What is a comparable beer to Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier? I am trying to think of what US brewed beer tastes most similar to a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier...

You can find a discussion about it here.

A couple of US brewed beers that arise from it are Sierra Nevada Kellerweis and Sly Fox Royal Weiss; but if you'd prefer a more easy-going (and usually cheaper solution), I'd go with Gösser Dark - although it's not make in the US (but in Austria) it's widespread across the country.