Are there any beer styles that are served flat? I thought of this question when I've read the one about mulled beer. I thought heating the beer would make it lose carbonation, but then I've read somewhere that you have to carbonate the mulled beer as well.

So are there any beer styles that are served without carbonation or nitrogenation? I myself think that there are probably none, but I'm no beer expert (yet :D).

Historically beer was almost definitely still (flat) for thousands of years. Before the discovery/invention of force carbonation methods, all beer was carbonated naturally via bottle or cask conditioning. But people were brewing alcoholic beverages commonly referred to as beer in antiquity, and evidence from these cultures (ancient China, Neolithic culture, etc) suggests that they were doing this in big stone and earthenware pots and jugs, which may have had no lids or loose lids. Their vessels probably could not have withstood the pressure of carbonation even if they were using wax or cork to seal the vessels.

So if you were to brew a historical style and you wanted to be truly accurate, then you would not carbonate it. But the modern historical interpretations usually are carbonated (like Dogfish Head's ancient ales), because they are selling them and Westerners generally prefer them :)

There is one "modern style" (e.g. a style you'd find in the BJCP style guide), that can be served with no carbonation, namely straight (unblended) lambic. Several have little or low carbonation, (e.g. barleywine) mentioned in other answers. Sahti also has very little carbonation.

But people do still drink flat/still beer all over the world, for example there's some uncarbonated corn beers that are popular, like chicha in Latin America (Dogfish Head made a Chicha inspired beer) and umqombothi in South Africa. There are other names for similar beers in other regions. These are typically homebrewed.


Does craft beer have more nutritional values than regular beer? I was wondering if the craft beer has more nutritional values (vitamins and so on) than regular and cheap beer?

So... I guess it depends on what you're deeming nutritional value. Beer has 4 main ingredients:

Water
Grain
Yeast
Hops

The biggest mineral difference is going to come from the water source of the brewery. Following the exact same formula recipe/mashing instructions/yeast used/fermentation conditions (temperature, altitude, fermentation vessel)/time/etcetera... you can get very different flavor beers if the water source is different.

The next varying source of minerals would probably be in yeast. Unfortunately, I can only find evidence of all brewing yeast lumped together at the moment.

The interesting part in craft brewing, especially at the homebrew-mad-science level, becomes all of the additives that can be placed into beer. I once met a brewer that dry-hopped smoked salmon bones (right they aren't hops but the same technique) in their secondary fermentation (or clarifying stage) chamber!

These examples would be more "here is a random thing" that I found rather than being able to give you a definite answer as to "more nutrition" being provided than big-beer manufacturers.


Would Japanese happoshu or third-category beer be considered beer in other countries? In Japan, beer is classified in three types for taxation purposes: beer (66.6% of more of malt), happoshu ( under 66.6% malt and no added liqueur), third-type beer (contain some added liquerur)

Would happoshu be considered beer in other countries?

Well in Germany these wouldn't be called beer because in Germany beer can contain only malt, hop, water and yeast. Since many Asian beers contain rice these aren't called beer in Germany.
I don't know if other countries even have regulations whether a drink is allowed to call itself beer.


Things people put in bottles of liquor or liqueur and are sold commercially? People put the strangest things in bottles of liquor to be sold commercially. We have all probably heard of liquor stores, pubs or other drinking establishments occasionally selling tequila with a worm in the bottle. Be what the history of the mescal worm is: true or false is not my question.

The other day, I was in a local liquor store and noticed bottle of liquor called Eau de Vie de Poire in the Bottle with a real full sized pear inside the bottle containing 40% (ABV) of pear brandy. One can see how they get the pear in a bottle here and here.

Eau de Vie de Poire Pear In The Bottle

My question is quite simple: What other things are sold in bottles of liquor or liqueur commercially other than fruit or possibly worms (tequila)?

Habushu is a common Japanese liqueur, where they put snakes inside the bottles. There are two methods of inserting the snake into the alcohol. The maker may choose to simply submerge the snake in the alcohol and seal the bottle, thus drowning the snake. Alternatively, the snake may be put on ice until it passes out, at which point it is gutted, bled and sewn up. When the viper is thawed and awakens, it will quickly die in an aggressive striking manner, which is what most producers look for. The manufacturer will then put the habu in an ethanol bath for a month to preserve it.

Pit vipers immersed in a bottle of habushu.


Are there drinks/cocktails involving vinegar? Being a huge fan of vinegar, I recently wondered if there are any actual known cocktail recipes/drinks that involve vinegar as an ingredient, preferably as a significant ingredient contributing perceivably to the drink's taste.

While there are drinks with a more spicy/hearty flavour, like Bloody Mary, I never heard of a cocktail involving vinegar and wonder if it would even work together with alcohol from a flavour-perspective. I could imagine the best targets to be spirits with a rather low-profile taste of their own, like vodka.

There is a whole class of drinks called Shrubs

Shrubs usually involve a base syrup made from vinegar and fruits and spices and then mixed with a spirit.

Shrub syrups are available online in a variety of flavors and there are plenty of recipes out there too for creating your own Shrubs at home.

My experience with and what I would define as a example Shrub would involve a shrub syrup, fresh fruit muddled in it with a spirit and then mixed, topped off with crushed ice and soda water.


What's name of the cognac in the below Armenian photo? Can anyone please name this type of cognac?

I drank this once and then found this old photo. I believe it to be Armenian.

It is without doubt the Armenian "Proshyan" VSOP cognac. It is not the "Proshyan" XO or the "Proshyan" VS. All three are from Armenia.

"Proshyan" VSOP


Recommendations for Kegerator conversion kit? I have a mini fridge and looking to convert it into a kegerator with a tower tap on top. I've researched a few kegerator conversion kits and see economy, standard, deluxe, etc, kits available.

I'm not looking for a super fancy setup but a solid kegerator that will look good in my garage. Any recommendations for what conversion kit or how to best practices to convert a mini fridge to a kegerator?

Some things to consider:

If you don't tap a beer every so often, the beer that is left in regular beer faucets can dry out and lock the tap shut.  I suggest a perlick faucet as it seals without drying out.  I've used mine for years without any "sticky tap" problems.

If you are going to have a tower on top of the fridge, the beer line in the tower will warm up to the ambient room temperature.  This means that the first part of the first pour of the night will be very foamy as the pressure is different in the warm tower.  Some way of insulating the tower or circulating the air inside the tower will ensure the quality of the beer in the line.

When cutting the top of the fridge, be very careful to avoid damaging the cooling lines (if there are any in the top) as that will destroy the cooling ability on that wall of the refrigerator.

If you're keeping it in the garage, you may want to consider some way of sealing the tap when you're done for the night.  A plug will prevent flies or ants from enjoying your beer while you're out.  A lock will prevent any neighbors from doing the same.

Probably not as direct as a link to a conversion kit, but hopefully this will help you decide.


What does rolling/swirling a hefeweizen actually do? I remember the first hefeweizen I had. It was made by Widmer, and I didn't like it. The second time I tried it, I noticed there were pouring instructions on the box/bottle.

The instructions said to pour two thirds of the beer in to a glass, swirl, then pour the remainder. They even have an official YouTube video on it. I gave it a try, and maybe it was my imagination, but it tasted surprisingly different. I liked it.

What does rolling/swirling a hefeweizen actually do?

A proper hefeweizen is an unfiltered beer. The yeast and other sediment that would be filtered out for other brews is left in. These particles tend to accumulate on the bottom of the bottle during storage.

By swirling the the beer in the bottle you're suspending that yeast and sediment so it can be poured into your glass. This is what gives hefeweizens their fruity (banana?) flavor.


Are there styles of cider? How to distinguish them before opening the bottle? Mercifully, brewers label their beers with the style - lager, IPA, Hefeweisse, etc. But for whatever reason, the makers of hard ciders don't share the sentiment, and every single bottle will just call itself "cider" or if you're lucky "apple cider."

This is something of an issue because I really like sweet ciders, and can't stand sour ones. But as far as I can tell, the bottle never reveals what type the cider is, and I have to open it and take a drink before I know if I will like it or not.

So what are the styles of cider, and how can I recognize them (and avoid the ones I don't like)?

There are different cider styles. BJCP cider style guidelines lists several distinct styles.

However, many commercial ciders like Angry Orchard don't list a style beyond their brand names.


Who made or makes spirits from poisonous Heracleum? Heracleum or cow parsnips are high-latitude plants that can produce severe inflammation in humans. They seem like the last thing someone would want to ingest. However:

Flora on Kamchatka: flowers and grasses:

  Puchka (Heracleum dulce) is an insidious plant. Its juice has a sweet taste, but leaves blisters and sores on the skin that ache for months! ... Cossacks distilled wine that produced a strange effect: after two or three glasses a person saw wonderful dreams, but in the morning felt so miserable as if he had committed a crime.

Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops:

  A psychoactive drink is made from the plant in Kamchatka.

While the first quote is about something like an accident, the second one seems to describe an ongoing practice. Which culture(s) used this hogweed preparation, and to what ends? Does it still exist today? Is the poisonous part of the plant avoided, and is the preparation truly psychoactive?

(Asked previously on History.SE, -- somewhat resolved there)

This book "Reise Um Die Erde Durch Nord-Asien und Die Beiden Oceane ..., Part 1, Volume 3 By Adolph Erman", available on googleBooks, which describes a trip to Russia in 1828-30 quotes yet another text "Vergl. Opisanie semli Kamtschatiki Tsch II Str. 199" which in turn has a more detailed description of the Kamchatskan Cossacks making a preparation of H stems with some kind of honeysuckle berries (lonicera cerulea) and warm water, and eventually distilling a spirit from it with possible hallucinogenic properties.

The text is in German, my own German is a little rusty, and the text cannot be copied to put into google translate.

The other text quoted is probably this A Description of Kamchatka Semi-island. V.2, published 1755:

So I think your sources are quoting much older sources for this.

I found another source (1779), Captain Cook's account of his own travels in Kamchatka also speaks of this plant (page 337), and has another explanation of why it was used for making spirit.

I can't find anything recent to suggest that the practice is still current, but who knows ?


What the heck is a lambic? I had a most-delicious, cherry-red beer last night that tasted like raspberries. It was tart, a little low in alcoholic content (4%), and tasted like no other beer I've had. It was intriguing enough that I think I'll go back for a growler today.

The chalkboard said it was a 'lambic'. What exactly is a lambic? What are typical characteristics of one?

I quite enjoyed it, but it seemed a little sweet. Is there a variety of lambic I should keep an eye out for that is dry, but still tart?

For how lambics are made and what distinguishes them from other beers, see this Wikipedia article.  To summarize, lambics are exposed to wild yeast (rather than the usual cultivated yeasts) and tend to have a dry, tart taste.  These are not heavy-bodied beers, nor are they bitter.  (Hops are used for their preservative effect, but old, dry hops are used to minimize the flavor impact.)

Frequently, lambics (like the one you had) have fruit added later in fermentation.  Common fruits for this include raspberry, peach, and cherry, and I've also encountered apple.  The sweetness you're tasting probably comes from the fruit (and some of these varieties taste sweeter to me than others).  If you'd like to try a lambic that doesn't have the fruit, which is likely to be less sweet, look for "gueuze".


Is Guinness really different in Ireland, compared to what's sold in the US? I've never liked the taste of Guinness, on tap or from the can. But I have heard that it's much better tasting in Ireland, and the export one is completely different. Is there any truth to this, and if so, what are the differences?

Guinness can taste slightly different and have a different head based on where it's coming from. A big factor in this is how long the beer you're getting has been in the keg. People in Ireland drink Guinness a lot more than in the states, so kegs are replaced more frequently i.e. fresher beer. This is why if you go to a bar in Ireland and not a lot of people are drinking Guinness, you shouldn't get one.

Another possible reason you've heard this is that most people visit Dublin when they're in Ireland and have a pint at the Guinness store house. They ensure all the beer there is top of the line and it really is much better there than any other place I've had it.


What are the real differences between barley wine and old ale? Other than the ABV value what are the exact differences between these two strong ale styles. I have tasted a lot of them and the difference seems very hard to notice. If you make a blind tasting, what descriptors would you use to identify each of them.

When considering barley wine there are two varieties recognized by the BJCP in the 2015 style guidlines.

The American version which has an emphasis on hops, IMO not as similar to old ale.
The English version which while hoppy is also sweeter and has more fruity flavors than the American version and IMO does seem similar to old ale.

If I were to compare an English barley wine to an old ale the differences among the higher end of the style seem minimal. However, I think that even on the higher end the old ale has an emphasis on the aged quality. In the smaller versions, less ABV, examples of English barely wine I think it is less malty than an old ale.

I also found the BJCP style guidelines style comparison useful for the English barley wine and old ale because they are so similar. I've included them below for reference.

"Old Ale Style Comparison:
Roughly overlapping the British Strong Ale and the lower end of the English Barleywine styles, but always having an aged quality. The distinction between an Old Ale and a Barleywine is somewhat arbitrary above 7% ABV, and generally means having a more significant aged quality (particularly from wood). Barleywines tend to develop more of a ‘mature’ quality, while Old Ales can show more of the barrel qualities (lactic, Brett, vinous, etc.)." (From BJCP 2015 guidelines)

"English Barley Wine Style Comparison:
 Although often a hoppy beer, the English Barleywine places less emphasis on hop character than the American Barleywine and features English hops. English
versions can be darker, maltier, fruitier, and feature richer specialty malt flavors than American Barleywines. Has some overlap British Old Ale on the lower end, but generally does not have the vinous qualities of age; rather, it tends to display the mature, elegant signs of age." (From BJCP 2015 guidelines)


Beer n Brewery Statistics - Any Sources for Production, Consumption, Number of Breweries, etc. per Country? Looking for sources for beer n brewery statistics such as production in hl per year, consumption, consumption per capita, number of breweries (macro, regional, micro, brewpubs, and so on) etc. ideally for all countries in the world. Any insight and help appreciated.

Disclaimer: I'm the project lead of the beer.csv project that collects (open, free) beer statistics in the CSV (comma-separated values) format.

There is a bit of statistics on Norway here.

In the US the Brewers' Association publishes statistics. Generally that's where you'll find statistics world-wide. Here is corresponding statistics for Norway.

Trawling through the "Beer_in_Xxx" pages on Wikipedia may provide you with more pointers.

For historical data, European Beer Guide is a great source.


What's the difference between an "export" beer and a regular beer from the same brewer? In the UK at least, a great many beers are marketed with a regular version and a fancier (more expensive) 'export' version. For example: Carlsberg and Carlsberg 'Export'. Is there any reason why the imported beer might be reasonably different (such as the legality of certain brewing methods outside of the UK) or is this just marketing fluff?

It doesn't actually mean anything; or at least, it almost never means the same thing twice, and doesn't refer to any specific common style or process. It's about as meaningful as the fact that several dozen breweries have a beer they label as "Select".

For example, in the case of Molson Export, the story goes that it was deemed so high quality that it was "good enough to send overseas" - and, implicitly, better than competing imported brands.

One common usage is for a line with slightly higher ABV (it keeps better in shipment!) or tailored to suit the ABC laws of other jurisdictions to which it might be shipped. But there isn't any single meaning that's widely understood.


Why do some beers seem to make people feel more full? I know several people who refuse to drink stouts, or will only have 2 as opposed to 4 if we were drinking something else (generally a bock or lighter beer). I feel like I drank less of them too, and it is always to the same end; feeling too full to drink another.

I remember looking it up at some point and the Calories & ABV were negligibly different.

There must be a reason, I know several people who feel the same way. Since then I've just assumed that it is psychosomatic and that the fuller taste makes you feel more full.

I think a some of it is psychological - I too remember struggling to drink down a pint of Guinness. But now I can put away plenty!  The darker color and dense head give the perception of a bigger beer.

But in reality most pub Stouts such as Guinness are quite light beers, in terms of their physical density (specific gravity) so it's not that they are physically harder to drink.

Some reasons that Stouts can taste and feel heavier:

Stouts tends to be more bitter, so tougher to drink for those not used to it
Serving on N2 ("Nitro") creates the illusion of a thicker mouthfeel (it's not fully understood at present quite why that is)
The lower CO2 levels removes a certain "light" quality from the beer. Beers with more CO2 feel lighter, effervescent and easier to drink.

Of course, there are some stouts that really are fuller bodied, but I focused on Guinness simply because that's the one most available throughout the world and yet is counter-intuitively lighter than typical pub beers.


Has anyone tried infusing Torani sugar free syrup? I'd like to make a cocktail recipe I found which uses a Ginger Cardamom Simple syrup, but I can't take all that sugar. I typically use Torani's Sugar free syrup for drinks (which uses Splenda and some gums for viscosity), and I was wondering if anyone has tried infusing flavors into that syrup. If so did you heat it or just let it sit for X days?

I have never personally tried but my advice would be not to heat it.

In the same way that you wouldn't heat a shop bought sugar syrup - you will boil off the water and be left with a thicker syrup and possibly one which would crystallise.

You can either add the ingredients to your Torani's Syrup and leave for X days to see what happens, or follow a recipe to make your own!

Here is one I found for a sugar-free lavender syrup which you should be able to amend for a Ginger Cardamon version.


Can home-brewed mead be dangerous? I want to home-brew some mead because why not , plus it seems pretty easy to do.

My question is :

Can any mistake in the brewing process make the drink "poisonous" ?

If you are using honey, water and yeast. Then the answer is NO. But alcohol is a poisonous substance if not used properly. You cannot make it strong enough to "poison" you in the traditional sense. Could you poison yourself by drinking too much of it, sure it's possible. But, there are no by-products from the fermentation process that would "poison" you. Enjoy!


Is there an example of the Trappist style that's considered the best of the style? I read in a blog post a few months ago that Westvleteren 12 is considered one of the, if not the, best example of a Trappist. I had one shortly after and it was a very, very good beer, although I don't know if it was so different from other similar versions (i.e. Rochefort 10) that I'd feel comfortable calling it 'the best'.

That said, I wonder if there's any particular Trappist that's normally considered the best of the style?

"Trappist" isn't so much a style as it is a commercial label.  Something like "Organic" or "Kosher" that comes with a set of regulated conditions that product was produced under.

Per wikipedia, to be able to be labelled a Trappist beer:

The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision.
The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and it should witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way of life
The brewery is not intended to be a profit-making venture. The income covers the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds. Whatever remains is donated to charity for social work and to help persons in need.
Trappist breweries are constantly monitored to assure the irreproachable quality of their beers.

A lot of those monasteries also make lighter or hoppy beers.  Engelszell even uses honey in their beers, so there's a pretty significant variety when it comes to what you can call "Trappist".

But if we're talking the classic dark Belgian-y abbey ale.  According to the Beer Advocate ratings, the top Trappist-produced beers are:

Westvleteren 12
Rochefort 10
Chimay Cinq Cents
Achel Extra Blond
Rochefort 8

Through user rankings.  The Brothers that run the site give Rochefort 8 a higher rank than 10, which I agree with, and give both Rochefort's a higher rating than Westy 12.

So I guess the answer is that somewhere between Westvleteren 12, the Rochefort 8 and 10, and Chimay is the best Trappist beer.  But even in the top 5 here there's some variation since Chimay and Achel are blondes, and Rochefort 8 is a fair lower ABV than the other 3.

With the styles being so wide, the real answer is probably whichever one you like drinking the most.

Though really, Rochefort 8 forever.


Red Wine recommendation for the Feast of St John the Apostle! I am looking for a red wine recommendation. The Roman Rituale of the Catholic Church has a special blessing which is reserved for the Feast of St John the Apostle (December 27). The actual blessing for the wine can be found on this site (page 312).
Why is wine associated with St. John?

It is an old custom to drink of “St. John’s Love” by blessing wine on his feast day, December 27th. According to legend St. John drank a glass of poisoned wine without suffering harm because he had blessed it before he drank. The wine is also a symbol of the great love of Christ that filled St. John’s heart with loyalty, courage, and enthusiasm. - Gnostic Devotions.

Our Pastor is okay with the idea but has set down a few desirable traits he would like to see with the wine. The Wine should have the following characteristics:
1.The wine should be red, as a symbolic color of St John's martyrdom. Non-red wines will be considered too.
2.The price range should be no more than $20.00 a bottle.
3.The label should be modest and if possible make some sort of reference to St John if possible or some other religious theme, if a St John theme cannot be found.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Ken, as you requested in your response to my comment, I post this as an answer:

Despite not fulfilling the first criteria, I suggest considering St John's Commandaria, a sweet desert wine made in Cyprus from white grapes.

From: A legendary wine

  The Commandaria wine of today still bears the name of this area [Grande Commandaria, Limassol District], for the Knights of St John gave this name to the wine not only because it was produced in the villages that constituted the Order’s fief - the Commanderie - but also because knighthood was then held in high esteem among the Catholic countries of Western Europe and among pilgrims who, on their way to the Holy Land, stopped at Cypriot harbors for provisioning - which of course included the sweet Commandaria wine.

The bottles are generally available for less than 20$ and bear what I believe is called the cross of St John. I have been lucky enough to have been introduced to its long history and the wine itself by a local enthusiast in Cyprus. I've also been impressed by its quality, which I consider outstanding for the price. It also would be an excellent sip after a good lunch or dinner, and as desert wine is typically drunk in smaller quantities than 'normal' red or white wine, the limited supply from a blessed bottle can be shared among more people.


How to tell if my home-brewed mead is safe/ready to drink? Good day;

So, I made some very simple mead, about a month ago.

There's about 2 liters; in a simple bottle and a home-made airlock.

It's about 35% honey, the rest is bottled water, about half a lemon sliced, and about 1 big teaspoon of Bread yeast.

It did it's thing for about 1 month now; it looks fairly clear, and smells good.

However, it's my first ever attempt at making any kind of alcohol, and without any modern tools.

Are there any tests I could do, to know if the mead is safe and ready to drink? Is there a way to "guess" the alcohol content without modern tools?

Unless you used unsafe water or honey, it is safe to drink at any time. The alcohol in the mead effectively keeps it safe for consumption. The fact that it smells good is a good sign and even with some off-flavours everything should be on the safe side.

Pungent smells, mould and no alcohol at all, however, are signs that something is wrong.

Generally, fermented drinks are safer than untreated (and possibly contaminated) water because of their alcohol and acid content. That doesn't necessarily mean they are healthier though.

Depending on the yeast strains involved, the length of the fermentation and what is fermented, fermented drinks may contain substances that make you feel unpleasant (hangover).

Most fermented drinks are ready to drink once the yeast has settled (and the drink loses its yeasty taste). They continue fermenting albeit at a much slower pace. This means
their flavour changes over time, usually getting more acidic while losing some or all of their sweetness. In other words, it is ready to drink when it tastes right.

To prevent further fermentation, you can store your mead in a fridge or a very cool cellar which slows down the yeast significantly.


Countries not producing beer It seems like it's possible to find beer from almost every corner of the world today. What are the countries without any national brands / breweries?

While not exhaustive, countries that observe strict Islamic law, such as Iran, do not allow the production of alcoholic beverages.

In the case of Iran, there are some companies that produce non-alcoholic beer, but none that produce a traditional alcoholic beer.


Craft beers and Microbreweries in Singapore? Recently, CNN listed the Smith Street Tap from the Good Beer Company in Singapore as one of the world's greatest bar (http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2015-07-21/the-greatest-bars-in-the-world/23).

Also, locally known, Brewerkz http://www.brewerkz.com/ serves some good craft beer.

After some internet searches, I found Jungle Beer that is a mircobrew: http://www.junglebeer.com/

Other than the 3 sources listed above, where else can one get craft/microbrewery beer in Singapore?

Are there other microbreweries in Singapore?

Paulaner
Reddot Brewhouse
Archepelago (found in various locations)
1925 Brewery
AdstraGold

Paulaner should be the same everywhere, Reddot is pretty good, I'm not sure that Adstra actually exists (but WOW, what a janky website). Brewerkz still seems to be the best AFAIK.


Can I drink Dogfish Head Sixty One four years after the expiry date? Can I drink Dogfish Head Sixty One four years after the expiry date?

Would there be any danger to one’s health? Will it just give a bad taste or is it harmful?

There should be no danger to your health, it just probably won't taste very good depending on how well it's sealed.  61 is 6+% ABV which should be more than enough to prevent most if not all harmful pathogens from growing.  It's also absurdly hoppy which increased the antimicrobial properties even more.

If there's anything fuzzy or slimy floating around you may want to avoid it since the experience may be unpleasant but there shouldn't be anything in there that will actually make you sick.  There's a very specific reason alcoholic beverages in general are given a lot of credit for allowing human civilization to survive until we figured out germ theory and sanitary practices, and that's that alcoholic drinks became much safer than ground water after we invented the city.


What should I expect from a Belgian double (dubbel)? I know dubbels are considered as strong beers, but what should I expect in when I try one of them?

What are their defining characteristic? What should I expect in term of taste, foam, color and mouthfeel?

As with any style, there's a fair deal of variation from one brewery to another.  At a high level, though, you can expect them to be darker (although not stout-dark), rich, and malty.  Expect a complex taste, with many notes and flavors.

More specifically, the BJCP have this to say (abridged):

Aroma: malty sweetness, hints of caramel or chocolate, and moderate fruity esters.  Some will have a little spice to them.
Appearance:  Dark amber to copper in color, Large, dense head.
Taste: Same as aroma. Alcohol flavor, if any, should be mild and not solvent-y.  No or minimal hop flavor.
Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium-high carbonation.

See here for the full description.


What gives a porter or a stout its dark colour? I imagine it's probably just that the barley has been roasted darker, and that comes out.

If you follow the information trail through Wikipedia's page about Stout beer, you find that what was known as Stout became a strong, dark beer in the 1800s:

  In the 19th century, the beer gained its customary black colour through the use of black patent malt, and became stronger in flavour.

You can see from the article about mash ingredients that black patent malt is "barley malt that has been kilned to the point of carbonizing, around 200 °C." It is apparently called "patent" malt because the inventor was awarded a patent for it.

Sometimes, this malt is used to darken the colour of other beers.


How are double and triple casks whiskies matured? If a 12 year old single malt Scotch has the label of double cask or double matured (some say double wood), assuming oak and sherry, does it mean

a portion of the whisky is matured in oak cask for 12 years, and a portion of the whisky is matured in sherry cask for 12 years and the final product is a mixture of the two in some ratio (e.g. 50:50). OR
the whisky in matured in oak cast for some years (say 8) and then the whisky from the oak cask has been transferred to sherry cask for the rest of the years (4) for further maturation.

I hope my question makes sense. Please answer if you know the answer but don't make guesses.

The answer is of course: both

Lets take some popular examples...

Balvenie Double Wood
Matured in Ex-Bourbon casks and finished in Ex-Oloroso Sherry Casks, so (2)

Auchentoshan Three Wood
Matured in Ex-Bourbon casks for 10 years, then finished for two years in Ex-Oloroso Sherry casks and then finished for six month in Ex-PX Sherry casks, so (2)

Laphroaig Four Oak
A vatting of whisky matured in four different types of casks: Ex-Bourbon barrels, Quarter casks, Virgin oak barrels and European oak hogsheads, so (1)


What would be good IPA choices in the midwest area? I am trying to get into different IPA's and just wanting some suggestions. I have been drinking Surly's IPAs, but I want to branch out and try some others.

IPAs are actually a pretty broad range of beers themselves.  If you want to amp up the bitter side of things, look for west coast IPAs.  Some nationally available ones would be things from Stone, Sierra Nevada, or even Sam Adams Rebel IPA, among many many more.

East Coast/NE IPAs tend to not be as bitter, have more sweetness and highlight some more of what the hops and other ingredients bring.  Sam Adams has a NE IPA as well, though I mostly know more regional brewers for this stuff.

Of course, categories often fall apart when you try to map the real world into them, so there are a lot of IPAs that won't fit cleanly into either, and some of these are really well known.  Heady Topper helped really get the IPA scene roaring in NE, but wouldn't really fit a lot of people's expectations for a NE IPA now.  Nor would Lunch or Dinner, though all three are delicious.  They're just markedly different from, say, Congress Street from Trillium or Julius from Treehouse.

So, the real way to get into IPAs will be to look for local brewers who are making things and go try them.  There's a ton of variety within the style, so you'll just have to try things to find what you like.

The national brands can give you a sense of what to expect from the different variations, but that will just help you point in the right direction.

I don't know how widely distributed things in the midwest are, but Listerman's Brewering in Ohio makes some decent stuff, like Hank the Dumpster Kitty.  M-43 from Old Nation Brewing in Michigan is not too bad either.  I'm unfortunately not super familiar with that area though.


Does whisky change its taste in an open bottle? When you open a bottle of whisky and don't finish it, lets say, within a year. Does it change its taste in this time period? If so, which processes lead to this change?

I know there are a lot of rumors and opinions, I'm looking for (semi-)scientific research on this topic.

This is a heated topic of debate among whiskey drinkers, actually. The heart of the answer lies somewhere between the sensitivity of the palate and the length of time that a whiskey remains open... You may hear that leaving the whiskey in an open bottle drastically changes the flavor, subtly changes the flavor, or does not at all change the flavor depending on who you talk to and where you look.

But, it's obvious that SOMETHING happens to whiskey after the bottle has been opened, right? It's the process of aeration - the same process over which so many wine enthusiasts debate. As air passes through, water and alcohol slowly evaporate from the whiskey... thereby leaving behind a stronger concentration of the other substances in the liquor. For very fine whisky, I have been instructed at distilleries to transfer to smaller (airtight) bottles if the opened whisky is to be stored for very long - in order to prevent a change in flavor or potential loss of aroma.

Personally, I can taste a difference in certain bourbons within a couple weeks of being opened (I only intentionally aerate when it's in the glass in front of me in order to get some of the extra aroma out of it.) But, I don't really taste a difference in scotch after the same period (of which I admittedly drink less... unless you're offering ;)

I'd say after a year, it would be difficult to argue that something about the flavor hasn't changed (but that may, again, vary by palate.) However, my whiskey never seems to last that long, be it bourbon, scotch, or rye haha


Difference between Ale and Bitter Whats the difference between a bitter and an Ale? Is it the manufacturing process or the ingredients that make these different drinks?

Bitters are ales; the English term bitter is generally equivalent to pale ale.  Pale ales are made from pale malt and many types are heavily hopped.  The term bitter refers to the bitterness inherent in their hoppy character when compared to other beers like stouts and porters.

Note that like many beer terms, taxonomy is not hard and fast, e.g. a blonde could be considered a pale ale but few would refer to it as a bitter!


What does "all malt" mean? Pork Slap beer indicates that it's "all malt" in the way that implies an official distinction.  What does "all malt" indicate, assuming there's a standard requirement to use the term accurately.

All malt beer is made entirely from mashed barley malt and without the addition of adjuncts, sugars or additional fermentables.

From an expert of a widely known brand beer producer in my country (Turkey), beers here must be at least 60% malt (This may be different in other countries). The rest are adjuncts, like sugar or corn or rice etc. Using adjuncts is also for decreasing the cost or to lighten the color of beer.


How can I layer liquors on top of each other? I was at a bar some time ago and I ordered a random shot. A B52 I believe. And it looked perfectly layered, no gradients between any of the three liquors. So how do the bartenders do it?

How can I layer liquors on top of each other?
The key to creating perfectly layered drinks is to pay attention to how heavy each ingredient is compared to the other ingredients. The weight of each liquid is measured by its specific gravity.
An alcohol density chart can be viewed here.

There are a few simple rules to follow:

You want to use a narrow glass to maximize the thickness of each layer without using a ton of booze. There actually is a specific pousse-café glass, but only your crazy aunt has those, and do you really want to go over there and borrow one? No. Just use a champagne flute or a skinny shot glass.

The order in which you pour is the most important aspect. You want to start with the liquid that has the greatest specific gravity, and decrease as you ascend. That way they liquids won't try to pass through each other, which will mostly likely just end in blending. Terrible stupid blending! Start with the sweetest, least-alcoholic liquid, and go up from there until you have the least-sweet, most-alcoholic liquid at the top.

Pouring technique is critically important. This definitely takes a steady hand. If you pour too fast, the top layer will plunge down into the one under it, which will cause mixing. That ain't pretty, and prettiness is what this drink is all about (prettiness and science). The top of a bar spoon is pretty much the ideal tool, but you can pour over the back of a regular spoon, too. Just position the spoon right above the last layer, and pour as slowly as humanly possible. This is why bartenders hate you for ordering these.  How to make a multi-layered drink

Here are a few Tips for layering drinks:

To keep the layering effect, the drink should not be stirred.

A chilled glass often works best. Also, if your drink does not include ice, it's best to chill the ingredients before pouring.

A speed pourer can be helpful for slowing down the pour as well. This is particularly true if your liquor bottle is full and heavy.

Some bartenders will put the tip of the spoon just under the first layer, which helps the liquid stay on top. Depending on your technique, this may help you as well.

Layering can also be done with a syringe that is food-safe. It's not as professional (or cool) looking, but it is easier. Be sure to choose one with a larger hole. - How to Create Layered Cocktails and Shots

Use the back of a spoon to help you create your layered drink.
For those who desire to look more professional in this domain, one could employ a Rainbow Cocktail Layering Tool

An ingenious piece of equipment, the Rainbow Cocktail Layering Tool allows anyone to start making their own layered cocktails. Using a clever float that sits on your drink as you make it, you can easily pour one drink on top of another without the layers mixing!

Above all, please pour your liquors and liqueurs very carefully and slow.


Is there a difference between normal Duvel and Duvel "Love" I bought a 4-pack of Duvel recently and when I looked at the last bottle I saw that instead of this label:

It instead had this label:

All of the bottles had different art/text on the backs, but up to this point I hadn't noticed anything different on the front label, so I decided to look into it.

I couldn't find any official references to a Duvel "love" beer but also could not find any official images of these labels.  I was able to find images of bottles with the same label listed as a unique beer on Untappd but am somewhat hesitant to take this as any kind of proof of it being a different beer.

Did I stumble upon a rarity or packaging mistake or is this the same beer and I'm just overreacting because I don't know any better?

It doesn't even show on the belgian (dutch/french) pages of the site, My best guess is that it's just an alternate cover.

DUVEL - mastery in beer

It seems they used these different covers as a marketing trick designed to generate publicity and hype as it clearly did here


What are some ways to quickly cool a beer? It's happened to the best of us: you really want a nice hefeweizen or maybe a good bitter, but all you have are room-temperature bottles.  Short of waiting an hour or so or (god forbid) putting ice in it, how can a bottle or can of beer be effectively cooled quickly?

Take a bucket. Or a bowl. Or a cooler.  Or any other similar vessel. Put your beer bottles or cans (sealed! For the love of god, sealed!) at the bottom of the bucket.

Fill it most of the way with ice. Then fill in with water until the bottles are submerged. Then throw in any remaining ice.

Finally, add a volume of salt commensurate with the quantity of water, both solid and liquid, you've already got in there.

Wait anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes depending on desired coldness and quantity of beer.

Enjoy!

(Rinse the rim of the bottle if you're finicky. Also, this will probably ruin the label. Sorry. Why do you care about that anyway? You weirdo.)


Sour Beer (Gose, Wild Ales, Lambics) What exactly is involved in the brewing process that turns a beer 'sour'?  Is it the addition of certain lactic acids or yeasts? I've been told before that, technically, a sour beer is a the result of the brewing process gone wrong (obviously this is controlled when that outcome is intentional). How true is this?

The opinion part of my question: what are some excellent sour beers that you guys recommend? I have a few favorites, but am always looking for great suggestions.

Some of my current favorites are Westbrook Gose (salty and sour), 4 Hands Prussia Berliner (passionfruit sour), New Belgian Hop Tart, Omer Vander's Cuvees Des Jacobins Rouge, and Brouwerij's Petrus Aged Ale

Sourness may have been, in a higher or lower level, a common characteristic of beers centuries ago, specially after some time of storage, once the common vessel to keep it was wooden barrels, and wood often harbor a lot of microorganisms, including bacteria and wild yeast, the former being responsible for souring the beer. After the Industrial Revolution, with more hygiene and sterile tools, that characteristic became more and more uncommon, and at some point, undesirable. So, meanwhile, yeast was "discovered", isolated, and fermentation controlled so that we had a clean taste profile, free from acids at all, which is what you know as beer nowadays.

Don't be fooled: what really sours a beer are bacteria, not Brettanomyces. The later, also known as 'wild yeast', are usually found in sour beers as well, but are responsible for other aromas and flavors (barnyard and horse saddle being the most recognizable). (Brett actually produces a tiny amount of acid, no more than that).

Some Belgians have been intentionally making sour beers for centuries, through spontaneous fermentation process (in the case of lambics) and wood-aging (in large oak vats) after "clean" fermentation (in the case of flanders reds). Germans did it too, but their two traditional sour styles (gose and berliner weisse) are almost dead there, and differ from the belgians ones on the absence of brett character.

Nonetheless, nowadays people comprehend a lot better how those processes occur, and are doing sours again on purpose and manipulating those organisms in many ways. Basically, souring bacteria used are pediococcus and lactobacillus (not very different from lambics, actually). Most of the time, barrels are still used in the process, because of the micro-aeration those microorganisms need. And, off course, for keeping the microflora inside it, etc, etc, not to mention the flavor complexity that comes from wood compounds itself.

A contaminated beer may end up being a sour. Well, so what distinguish a spoiled beer from a sour? Nothing actually, except that when people intentionally want to produce a sour, they do that with some more control in order to get the outcome they want and not some weird aleatory taste at the end. But, at some level, producing a sour beer, specially when using barrels, is always unpredictable too.

As you can see, it's a rich and complex topic, probably the most exciting one about brewing.

As suggestions, I definitely encourage you to taste the classic ones, belgian lambics (any Gueuze you find) and flanders reds (have you ever heard about Rodenbach and Duchesse de Bourgogne? they're amazing). I love Petrus Aged Pale too.

And, if you are from US, then you are bloody blessed, because american craft brewers are doing sour/wild beers like there were no tomorrow. =P Look for Allagash, Russian River, Lost Abbey, The Bruery, Avery, Boulevard, Almanac, Deschutes. The list is infinite. The thing is getting so serious that in the last years, all-sour breweries are popping up, like Rare Barrel from Berkeley.


Does wine have a low 'diminishing return' threshold? Over the last year I've been getting more into wine, but not too extensively, only having bought bottles in the range of about $10 - $20 cdn. I've also sampled a good number of wines while dining out.

The thing I'm noticing is that while different wines most certainly have unique characters depending on sweetness, grape, and aging, the variation in overall quality doesn't seem to be too high.

As far as I can tell wine, broadly speaking, can be broken down into two categories: good or cheap. A wine is either pleasant, or noticeably low quality, without much room to really go above and beyond.

So if my assumption is correct then 'fine wine' is a bit of a scam, as the diminishing returns price point seems fairly low.

I wonder, though, am I correct in my assumption about wine's diminishing return threshold?

I can answer this... once you get above about $20 a bottle is not proportional to the value you get out of it. The flavors/tastes simply don't give you the value above that range. A $100 or $1000 bottle of wine starts to get into veblen goods territory. Production costs simply stop contributing to the price on the self above this point. I've tasted several 100 point rated wines and thought where is the emperors new clothes!?!? OK, have tasted one wine that was $10000 a bottle and 230 years old from Madeira that absolutely blew my socks off but those are rare.

Veblen Goods from Wikipedia:

  A price increase may increase that high status and perception of exclusivity, thereby making the good even more preferable. At the other end of the spectrum, with luxury items priced equal to non-luxury items of lower quality, all else being equal more people would buy the luxury items, even though a few Veblen-seekers would not. Thus, even a Veblen good is subject to the dictum that demand moves conversely to price, although the response of demand to price is not consistent at all points on the demand curve.


Jack Daniels - Bottle in the freezer I have this classic bottle of Jack Daniels, 1 liter. Before serving it, I planned to chill it down a bit in a freezer (-17°C) for couple of hours.
I know the alcohol freezing point is way below commercial -17°C (1°F), but I wonder is there any chance the bottle might burst inside the freezer?

I had some bursting of the spirits before, though those spirits were lower in the grade.

Putting a bottle Jack Daniels into the freezer for a couple of hours or so should be okay.

  The average home freezer is about -17 C (-1 F). This is cold enough to freeze your food and ice, but not cold enough to freeze the average bottle of 80-proof liquor.

  Water freezes at 0 C (32 F) and the freezing point of pure ethanol alcohol is -114 C (-173.2 F). Alcoholic beverages are a mixture of both alcohol and water (in some cases, sugars and other additives as well) so the freezing point of your alcoholic beverages is somewhere in between.

  The exact freezing point of vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey and liqueurs (as well as wine and beer) is dependent on its alcohol by volume (or its proof).

  The Freezing Temperatures of Alcohol

  40 Proof Liquor
  20%: -7 C (22 F) Includes many low-proof liqueurs like Irish cream. If left in a really cold freezer too long, these may get slushy, but this is rare.

  64 Proof Liquor
  32%: -23 C (-10 F) A liqueur like amaretto and a flavored whiskey like Fireball would fall in this range. These should be okay in the freezer.

  80 Proof Liquor
  40%: -27 C (-17 F) Includes most standard base liquors like gin, vodka, whiskey, etc. You're clear for the freezer! - Is Your Beer, Wine, and Liquor Safe in the Freezer?

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Local breweries and specialty brew in Montreal? Are there local breweries / microbreweries in Montreal, Canada?

What are the specialty brews in Montreal? Is there a must-drink beer in Montreal?

The province of Québec is very fertile in microbreweries. Montréal being the major city, has lots to offer. A lot of the beers are available throughout the province, however some are only available at the microbrewery itself, especially seasonal beers - a good reason to visit them! here's a list of the best microbreweries and some of their speciality beers:

Dieu du Ciel! (29 Laurier ouest St.)

Must try beer: La Fumisterie - edging on an English/German Ale, with a light caramelized taste. Brewed with biological hemp seeds.

Brasseurs de Montréal (1483 Ottawa St.)

Must try beer: La Chi orientale - a white beer with light ginger and citronella aroma.

L’amère à boire (2049 Saint-Denis St.)

Must try beer: La Odense - a Porter with a light smoked caramel perfume.

Benelux (245 Sherbrooke Ouest St.)

Must try beer: La Moka - A Porter with a bitter chocolate taste with a touch of espresso.

Brutopia (1219 Crescent St.)

Must try beer: La Raspberry Blonde - A blond beer with a touch of raspberry.

HELM Brasseur-gourmand (273 Bernard Ouest St.)

Le Réservoir (9 Duluth Est St.)

Le Cheval Blanc (809 Ontario est St.)

Must try beer: the classic Cheval Blanc white beer with a slice of orange.

Les 3 brasseurs (4 breweries on Sainte-Catherine St., Crescent St., Saint-Denis St. and Saint-Paul St.)

Must try beer: La Belle Province - with a touch of maple syrup.

Other breweries in Montréal:

Brasserie Bierbrier
Bistro-Brasserie Les Soeurs Grises
Brasserie McAuslan
Brasseurs sans gluten
Broue pub brouhaha
L'amère à boire
La Succursale
Le Réservoir
Le Saint-Bock brasserie artisanale
Les brasseurs RJ
PolyBroue

Cheers!


How the idea of 30 ml, 60 ml and 90 ml drinks get started? Where did the idea of pouring 30 ml, 60 ml or 90 ml in drinks begin. Is there a theory or scientific reason behind it? Have gone through this post: Peg (unit) from Wikipedia, but it does not help me.

  A peg is a unit of volume for measuring liquor in India and Nepal. The terms "large peg" and "small peg" are used, equal to 60 mL and 30 mL, respectively, with "peg" simply referring to a small peg. In India liquor's alcohol content is fixed at 42.8% ABV, it follows that a peg of liquor contains 25.68 mL of pure alcohol, or 20.26 g.

And then there is this also: Patiala peg (Wikipedia).

  The Patiala peg is a measure of liquor popular in Indian Punjab. It is a volume roughly equivalent to 120 ml, though the rough and ready measure is the amount of liquor needed to fill a glass equal to the height between the index and little fingers when they are held parallel to one another.[1] Even major liquor companies have started selling their products in the single drink packaging of 90 ml & 120 ml bottles in India. The name originates from the city of Patiala, which was once a state known for the extravagant ways of its royalty and extraordinary height of its Sikh soldiers.

Did it originate in India ?

The British used the Imperial system of measures from 1824 and India was part of the British Empire until 1947. 1 British Imperial fluid ounce is equal to 28.41 ml, which is close to 30 ml. Maybe this practice evolved from the specification that 1 peg equaled 1 imp. oz. and was rounded up to 30-ml after metrification.

Standard Indian-made liquor is packaged in 90-, 120-, 180-, 360-, and 750-ml bottles to make it easier to divide equally into pegs.


Beer is banned in my state. How can I make beer at my home? I am living in Germany, I am addicted to beer, but if I go back to my country, I couldn't find the beer or any alcohol products at my state, because beer and alcohol are banned. Is there any way, I can make beer at home.

I suggest you read this thread in Reddit on a guy in Kyrgyzstan trying to make beer from basic ingredients and malting his own barley at home. This is what it might take to make beer from scratch. https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/ag67o4/kyrgyzstan_primitive_brew_full_write_up_and/


Can I re-use a spirits measure cup for different spirits? I have a stainless steel jigger measuring cup for UK spirits measures, like this image:

The alcohol does not seem to 'stick' to the jig cup, so is it okay to use the cup to, say, measure a gin drink then re-use it for, say, a vodka drink, without rinsing the cup?
Or should I always wash or rinse the jig before re-use for either a different spirit or a different brand of the same spirit?
Should I have separate measuring cups for different spirits?

A purist would say always rinse.
A normal person would say don't worry about it.
A pragmatist would say measure the vodka before the gin and no one will be able to tell the difference.


New Regulator = Air in my Beer LInes? Had to replace a faulty regulator for my two tap system.  Hooked everything up, changed nothing else, not the temp in the fridge, not the kegs, etc.  Literally just the regulator.

Now I have air bubbles forming in the beer line after an hour or so of no use.  Is it possible that the problem is from the CO2 regulator?

Some additional background: current pressure is at 8 or so.  When I had my "faulty" regulator prior to this -- the gauge would read 0 no matter what the line pressure was. To that end, it is entirely possible I overcarbonated the keg itself by thinking the tank was empty and cranking it up.

It is also worth noting the beer tastes metallic -- did I overcarbonate and this will resolve over time?  I am going to drop it down to 4 or 6 for now and bleed the kegs aggressively.

I am running a commercial tap system (Sankey).  This is not relative to homebrew.

Thanks.

the bubbles are most probably just CO2 coming out of suspension. This can be due to temperature diffences between the beer and the beerline, or because of something causing the agitation (dirt in the beerline).

If the beer is overcarbonated this will happen quicker. Try to get the beer & beerline at the same temp, or get the beerline even colder.


Can all sugars be used for brewing? While we generally focus on glucose, sucrose, and fructose for brewing, there are a lot of sugars out there. Can all of these be used in the brewing process, particularly for beer? What are the effects of using more esoteric sugars such as dextrose, xylose, mycose, or mannose alongside normal brewing grains? What about amino sugars such as glucosamine?

Some sugars won't start a fermentation with brewer's yeast at all, such a lactose. In such case, sooner or later other organisms would take over (e.g. lactobacteria).

Any sugars that can be fermented, would ferment at different speeds. As there is usually more than one kind of sugar present, the easy ones ferment first until the alcohol kills off the yeast, leaving the more difficult ones behind. Fermentation usually continues at that point, just a lot more slowly.

The difference in the effect is minor as long as everything is fully fermented. An example of such a difference is fruit wines and beer. Fruit wines contain minor amounts of methanol while beer usually does not. Differences in flavour are more about what is not fermented.

Mannose can definitely be fermented by brewer's yeast. Dextrose is just another name for glucose.


Any advice on good breweries near São Paulo - Brazil? I am moving back home in the next few days and the idea of importing all my beer does not seem reasonable.

I'm willing to try any kind of beer, but my preference is for IPA's and Belgian Strong pale ales.

São Paulo has seen a big rise in the craft beer scene through the last years (as does the whole country), so you'll probably find what you're looking for. The city doesn't have an actual (physical) brewery of its own (besides brewpubs, which are only a few, the most relevant being Cervejaria Nacional), once most of them are in the countryside of São Paulo state.
Anyway, you won't be disappointed with beers available and bar options - Pinheiros region being the place where you'll find the best ones.
Keep an eye open for Jupiter, Urbana, STP, which are gypsy breweries born in the city, and have a lot of modern styles (Black IPAs, American Wheat, Brown IPAs, APAs, etc). Urbana has a very good Belgian Strong Golden Ale called Gordelícia, by the way.
Bamberg is a brewery dedicated to german styles, with some state-of-art german style reproductions with tons of international awards. Colorado is one of the oldest breweries in the country and, although it doesn't have a wide portfolio, its beers are easy to find at supermarkets, affordable and still very good. They have a very good english-american-hybrid IPA with 'rapadura' (a candy made of molasses). Invicta is one of my favorites from here, having from humble Weizenbiers to Imperial American IPAs, all very good.
Don't miss Empório Alto dos Pinheiros (EAP), the best craft-beer bar in the city, with 30+ taps and excellent food at a fair price. Ah, well, prices overall here aren't very good. Actually, even though the whole craft beer scene is growing faster and faster, taxes and other aspects of the market aren't doing it more affordable to people, but the opposite, unfortunately.
Besides all that, you are certainly going to find beers from all over the country here, and I guarantee you won't be disappointed with many of them. If you like belgian styles, your best bet is Wals (not from São Paulo, but widely available over here), nowadays probably the best brewery brewing belgian traditional styles in the country.
PS: Off course we are not USA. You won't find six-packs here, nor even a 12oz Imperial IPA bottle for 3 bucks. But, willing to spend some money and knowing what to go for and what not, it's possible to drink good beer.


Does aging in oak barrels add the same compounds to beer as it does to wine? If I remember correctly, aging wine in barrels is known to promote aeration and add phenols from the wood into the mix.

Does the wood react any differently to produce any flavors unique to beer?  Is the aeration beneficial for flavor?

You remember correctly.

(http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/age-wine-wooden-barrels/)

(Tannic acid, a tannin found in oak)

Tannins, the chemicals that are transferred from the oak barrels to the wine, are extremely good at forming hydrogen bonds (just look at the structure!), which makes them very soluble in water. Considering that both beer and wine have no shortage of water in them, these molecules are quite willing to join either substance.

As for the aeration, I believe that may actually be an undesirable consequence of using the barrels for beer. However I can't imagine the effects being very profound unless you were aging the beer like you would with wine (months or years versus weeks).


How to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew? How can one safely go about opening a bottle of wine when there is no corkscrew present? (Obviously, we are talking corked bottles and not twist-off...)

-**1.** Use a Screw (the longer the better), a screwdriver, and a hammer. Wrap a small towel around top of bottle and screw. Pry slowly and cautiously the screw out with claw hammer, just like pulling a nail.
-**2.** Push the cork in with the handle of a wooden spoon, or any blunt object similar in size.
-**3.** Pump it out. Start with a bike pump and place the pump needle between the cork and the rim of the wine bottle. Pump it three or four times, but be careful because if you pump too much the bottle could explode. After a couple of pumps it cork will jump out or you can pull it out.
-**4.** Twist it out with keys or a serrated knife.
-**5.**  Wrap the bottle with a towel and use the wall to smack it out.
-**6.** Slap it out with a shoe, with wine bottle facing horizontal or between your legs facing down to start.
-**7.** Take a hanger and form it in the shape of a hook with a pair of pliers. Place the new hook on the edge of the cork with the u shape facing up. Wiggle the hook back and forth until it’s about 2 inches down. Rotate the hook so it grabs the bottom of the cork and then begin pulling once it catches the hook.
-**8.** Make a small cut on either side of the cork and find a pair of clean, curved nail scissors or a pair of pliers. Put the nail scissors or pliers into the place the cork was cut and lift.
-**9.** Insert a key, preferably one you have extra copies of, at a 45 degree angle into the cork until most of it is inserted into the cork. Then begin twisting the cork up as pushing up with the key until you get the cork out. Be careful because a weak key has a possibility of breaking.
-**10.** Insert a screw hook into the cork and once sufficiently screwed in, pull. Next time you won’t have to spend so much time searching for a wine opener.
-**11.** Use a string. Tie a figure eight knot and slip it past the cork by wedging it down with a screwdriver or scissors. Once the knot is below the cork, tilt the bottle and then pull the string.


What ingredients leave beer with sugary taste? I know that exists those beers that uses fruits and then leaving beer with sugary taste, for example Belgian Hoergaaden with orange zest. But there are those without any fruit part and it's yet sweet.

I don't like too much these kind of beer but I don't know what look for in orther to avoid them.

What kind of ingredients should I look for? Or maybe, should I look for ingredients that leave beer less sweet?

P.S. My favorite kind of beer are American Lager like Heineken, IPA and Stout from Ale family.

This is a simple question to ask but has a longer answer with a ton of complexities you probably don't care about if you are not brewing your own.  Ultimately sweet beers are part of the style they are in so avoiding sugary sweet beers is as simple as knowing the styles.  You can skip to the bottom if that's all you want to know.

There are two types of sweetness that are often discussed and sometimes confused in beer, a Malty flavor and a Sweet flavor. The same ingredients are involved but in different ways.  Sugary sweet beers basically come from unfermented sugars which simply means sugars that the yeast hasn't processed to create alcohol and carbon dioxide.  This is also called attenuation.

This can be caused by a few different things such as unfermentable sugars that come from the way the beer is mashed (when the grains are mixed in with hot water and left to sit for a specific length of time) or from specialty grains, or the yeast itself.

The explanation of how the mash affects sweetness is very complex and full of biochemistry.  I will try to summarize.  Grains are full of starches that need to be converted to sugar for the yeast to ferment.  There are two main enzymes involved in this process, alpha and beta amylase enzymes.  Using a branched tree analogy works great.  After a strong storm you need to clean up your yard from the limbs that have fallen from the trees.  You have a lopper (alpha amylase) which is great for cutting the branches apart from the limbs but still leave you with long branches and twigs.  You also have a chipper (beta amylase) which is good at taking the branches and twigs and cutting them into little pieces that are easy to use.  The two enzymes need to do their work together to make the most fermentable sugars out of the starches stored in the grains.  Alpha amylase is good at breaking the limbs apart into long starch chains but these are not easy for yeast to ferment.  Beta amylase is great at making small glucose chains that the yeast can convert but the big limbs are too big to get into the chipper, if the alpha amylase doesn't do its job first the beta amylase cant do its job well.

The kicker is each enzyme works in a specific temperature range (beta amylase 131-150°F and alpha amylase 154-162°F).  A brewer can manipulate the mash temperature to ensure both enzymes are working with an overlapping temperature (for instance 152°F) or adjust the temperature up or down to accentuate one enzyme over the other.  For instance if we mashed at 158°F the beta amylase will denature and not affect the beer, while the alpha amylase will be very happy and busy.  This will result in more long starch molecules in the beer which are harder for yeast to ferment and result in a sweeter beer!

Unfermentable sugars can also come from specialty grains added to the beer for flavor and intentional sweetness.  The usual suspects are roasted grains where the sugars inside the grain will start to caramelize such as Dark caramel and roasted malts like Crystal 80, Crystal 120, Special B, Chocolate Malt, and Roast Barley.  Below is a great place for people to start learning the intricacies of brewing beer at home.

Increasing the Body

Ultimately these things are done by brewers to make their beer fit into the style they are trying to make along with other things like the amount and type of hops used and other adjuncts (stuff added to beer like fruit or rice or...)  So to avoid sugary beers you mainly need to know what styles are not sweet or its as simple as saying know what types of beers you like.  If you really want to learn the styles turn to the Beer Style Guide!

2008 BJCP Style Guidelines

Look around and see which are sweet and avoid, meanwhile look for highly attenuated beers.  Id expect some you would like are:

German Pilsners
American Lagers and Pilsners
Berliner-Style Weisse
Dunkel Weizen/Dunkel Weissbier
Munich Helles
Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale
Pale Ales shouldn't be too sweet
Kölsch
IPAs should be dry

If you want to be adventurous try a Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer.  They are supposed to be dry although I can't speak from experience.


Craft beers and Microbreweries in Melbourne? There are several lists online for craft brews in Melbourne, Australia:

https://foursquare.com/top-places/melbourne/best-places-craft-beer
https://www.theurbanlist.com/melbourne/a-list/melbournes-best-craft-breweries
https://concreteplayground.com/melbourne/food-drink/drink/the-ten-best-craft-beer-bars-and-pubs-in-melbourne/

Are there others that are not on any of these lists?

Are there any nearby the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre ?

Why don't you do the work yourself. Google lists about 15 craft breweries in downtown Melbourne. I would have to say that's probably the most up to date list


Can drinking 45ml of spirit (40%) per day affect your health? Based on this question How much actual alcohol is safe to drink per day? we can see

  The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism suggests no more than 4 drinks per day, and no more than 7 drinks per week, to stay at a low risk for an alcohol use.

  A single drink technically does vary but about 45ml / 1.5oz of spirit

This makes me think it's not that bad that amount of alcohol.

Says no more than 7, then can be 7, which means one could end up drinking 315ml per week.

From experience,

Won't this affect your brain at all?

I've heard alcohol can kill your neurons.

Could you develop addiction to alcohol by drinking that amount?

Thanks in advance

To answer your last question first, drinking 1 drink a day will not make you dependent. Drinking 3 or 4 times that amount probably won't make you dependent physically. Physiologically, you might become dependent on drinking for the effects but with that little amount, it would be very tough to be physically dependent. It's more of a bad habit at that point. I have a family member that was/is an alcoholic and he was drinking a pint of vodka a day. Obviously he was physically dependent.

As someone who was physically dependent on cigarettes a while back, I have never had anything approaching those nicotine cravings. Unless, you've been there you'll never know. But, I do have a habit of coming home from work, cracking a beer and eating dinner. It's relaxing and tastes good.

I know family members that have been drinking almost every day since they were 18 (now in their 80s) and sharp as a tack and others that never drank that can barely remember what day it is. The human body is widely different from one person to another. Some native Americans have a really hard time metabolizing alcohol, while northern Europeans have livers of steel.

So, the answer to your question is that it depends. It depends on so many variables, you'll never get a straight answer. The best thing you can do is drink as little as possible and enjoy yourself. Don't binge drink and don't get into a habit.


How do restaurants/businesses get their beer? Do they get them from stores, or do they set up a distributor? Also, is it cheaper than getting the beer from a store?

Some businesses (brew pubs and brewery taps for example) produce their own so don't have to buy it. Most businesses (pubs, bars, restuarants etc.) order from a wholesaler or cash-and-carry in the same way that they order pretty much everything else, or they may order direct from the brewery or an distributors. The prices are wholesale price so cheaper than they would be in a store so that they make a profit.
I help to run a beer festival in the UK and we tend to order our beers from distributors or direct from the brewery (we know most of the 50+ breweries in London well enough that a few donate some barrels as well as we are a not for profit organization). A distributor works partially as a broker between breweries and buyers and partially as a wholesaler, the difference is that they tend to keep the beer at the brewery and only pick it up and transport it to fulfill an order. One of the distributors that we use is FlyingFirkin http://www.flyingfirkin.co.uk/ , just to give you some idea of how it works.
Additionally, in the UK, duty is paid at point of sale so VAT is paid on the beer when it is bought from the supplier but duty is only applied when it is sold to the end user, or "drinker", and so the price paid from the supplier will be significantly lower.


Does drinking mainstream, mass-produced lagers give you a worse hangover than real ale? I have noticed that when I spend a night drinking the usual lagers found on bar taps in the UK (Heineken, Carlsberg, etc.), I have a much worse hangover than when I spend a night drinking locally brewed real ales (or mass-produced real ales such as Spitfire, Wainwright, etc.).

Is there any reason for this? Do lagers contain any ingredients that can cause worse hangovers than real ales?

That is possible to a level, but not proven, and probably does not make a huge difference, as there are many factors causing hangover, some stronger than others.

Moreover, that would be saying that all commercial beers have the same effects and all local brewed ales have the same other (better) effect, which sounds to me very simple and convenient to conclude.

That being said, adjuncts in mass-produced beers may still play a role, but I would tend to seek the explanation for the hangover difference in context first.

But anyway, hangover mechanisms are not well understood, so I could be wrong !


Can you order beers by strength of flavour? I imagine the might would look something like:

Pale Lager
Generic lager.
Pilsner
Pale Ale (Which style?)
Imperial Pale Ale
Stout

Of course, I'm not a full on beer aficionado, I don't know all the styles.

I think you'd have trouble with this because of different dimensions of flavor.  Beer has a very complex flavor and different recipes are different.  One can order beers (if specific enough to include a brand) along any dimension of flavor, but I am not sure that you can order them consistently along all dimensions.

Here are dimensions I would think of:

Malty/caramel
Hop-forward
Bitter (Hops)
Yeasty

It isn't clear to me how one rates strength of flavor between an IPA and a porter for example.  So I think the answer here is a simple "no, you can't."


Cotton Candy grapes (wine) Has any attempt been made to produce wine(s) using Cotton Candy Grapes? (Also curious what such a wine would taste like.)

I'm sure someone has tried already. They would taste much like they do when you eat them fresh, so probably a lot like cotton candy. BUT, these are eating grapes and not wine grapes. It would take some effort to make a drinkable wine out of them. Eating grapes have rather thick skins and pulpy flesh which doesn't make it easy to get the juice out. If you got past that hurdle and got a decent amount of juice, they would be too low in sugar and the acid content would also be too low. You could adjust with sugar and acid. Wine grapes are much sweeter than table grapes (which is hard to imagine but they are super sweet when you eat them) and have much higher acids and of course seeds which table grapes do not have seeds.

It's interesting to note that these guys have created several new grape varieties with different flavor.


What is the "nutritional calorie" count of beer? Beer has a fairly high calorie count - roughly between 150 and 300kcal per serving of 0.5l depending on kind. A significant percent of that is alcohol though, which is fully metabolized without any reserves whatsoever being retained - empty calories without actual nutritional contribution to organism.

I wonder what is the actual typical contribution of beer to human body energy reserves - energy from sugars, fats, proteins? How should I count beer in my diet?

It really comes down to the specific beer you are drinking.

In addition to trace elements, and vitamins, the main dietary contribution of beer is from carbohydrates, proteins and alcohol.

Protein and Carbohydrates provide 4 kcal/g energy, while alcohol provides 7 kcal/g.

With dietary planing, you need to look at the specific foods you plan to consume, and no different with beer and diet - here you'll need to look at specific beers to determine nutritional and energy value.


Are there any bottled South Korean craft beers? Are there any South Korean craft breweries who bottle their beers?

Bonus question: Where (in Seoul) can my friend obtain some?

Ratebeer has list of breweries in South Korea. I see there are some in Seoul and the images show bottles, so I assume that they bottle.

Go to RateBeer and in the Brewer Search area select the country. (I would have liked to give a result link, but ratebeer hides them).


Why is Lager/Pilsner the most common beer style for alcohol-free beer? If one wants to buy alcohol-free beer in a supermarket, the most common beer style is Lager/Pilsner. I have never seen other styles such as alcohol-free Witbier, IPA, Stout etc. in a store, but from doing a quick online research I learned that such beer does exist.

Is Lager/Pilsner the most common style for alcohol-free beers because it is the most popular style for normal beer as well, or are there some technical limitations during the brewing process?

There are several ways to make a non-alcoholic beer (which BTW is not alcohol free. These beers can have .5% ABV). Boiling off the alcohol at 175f degrees, vacuum distillation at 120f degrees and reverse osmosis filters. They all take a toll on flavor and mouthfeel.

Here is a great article:

  The most common way that alcohol is removed from beer is through heating. As we've discussed in several previous articles, alcohol has a much lower boiling point than water. At sea level, it's roughly 173 degrees F.

Then also:

  To minimize this, some operations practice vacuum distilling. Depending on the power of the vacuum, the alcohol's boiling point may be lowered as far as 120 degrees, which is much less disruptive to the flavors.

Then the last way:

  "...beer is passed through a filter with pores so small that only alcohol and water (and a few volatile acids) can pass through. The alcohol is distilled out of the alcohol-water mix using conventional distillation methods, and the water and remaining acids are added back into the syrupy mixture of sugars and flavor compounds left on the other side of the filter.

The reason why hoppy and dark beers can't really be made this way:

  According to Brew Your Own, "The hop aromas will usually be driven off within the first five minutes, while the hop flavors will be gone within the first 15 minutes." This is why neither we nor any of our sources have encountered a half-decent non-alcoholic IPA, which is a damn shame, really.

To sum it up, light lager type beers have little color or flavor to begin with so it's easier for them to come through the process pretty close to what they were before they went in. Hoppy or dark beers would be stripped of so much flavor and color that they would be awful so nobody tries...


Which temperature should be recommended in serving wine? Every wine has its own temperature of serving so how we will predict the best temperature for serving wine or at which best temperature it should be served?

Some people serve wine at the ambient temperature without knowing that some wines are better served at a specific temperature.

Which temperature should be recommended in serving wine?

  Light dry white wines, rosés, sparkling wines: Serve at 40°F (5°C) to 50°F (10°C) to preserve their freshness and fruitiness. Think crisp Pinot Grigio and Champagne. For sparklers, chilling keeps bubbles fine rather than frothy. This is also a good range for white dessert wines; sweetness is accentuated at warmer temperatures, so chilling them preserves their balance without quashing their vibrant aromas.

  Full-bodied white wines and light, fruity reds: Serve at 50°F (10°C) to 60°F (15°C) to pick up more of the complexity and aromatics of a rich Chardonnay or to make a fruity Beaujolais more refreshing.

  Full-bodied red wines and Ports: Serve at 60°F (16°C) to 65°F (18°C) — cooler than most room temperatures and warmer than ideal cellaring temperatures—to make the tannins in powerful Cabernet or Syrah feel more supple and de-emphasize bitter components. - How to Serve Wine 101: Tips on the Perfect Serving Temperature


Has alcoholism increased? Has alcoholism increased since prohibition days? I've seen the sales outlets for alcohol availability rise since the days of the state liquor stores.
I checked the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and a news article from NBC without any specific results. Moved to Health SE

According to the OECD (The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), alcohol consumption in its member countries (which includes the US) has been decreasing since [at least] 2000. Litres of pure alcohol consumed (a metric for standardizing alcohol consumption across drinks of varying alcohol content) has fallen from 9.5 litres per capita in 2000 to 9 litres in 2015 (roughly 5% decline).

The definition of alcoholism can vary since it typically includes the frequency of consumption within its own definition. The paper I cited includes stats on binge drinking (at least once a month) by gender, but does not compare data to prior years. There's been a ton of research on this topic, so a bit of googling should quickly turn up something useful. CAMH has useful publications and so does the WHO.


Beer cocktail recommendation I do not have much options in beer variety and therefore I need some good cocktail of beer with vodka/tequila or some other good choice to make it good for a party.

Is there any way to mix things up?

A few fairly popular (and very different) beer cocktails are:

The Boilermaker or Depth Charge
The original English version was a mix of draught and brown, but it's more recently been popularised in Australia and the USA as a pint of beer with a shot of spirit (usually whisk[e]y) in it. If the shot is poured in, it's a Boilermaker. If the entire shot glass is dropped into the pint glass, it's a Depth Charge. Take care as this can make you very drunk more quickly than you expect (some may consider this a feature, but I'm trying to post responsible advice here).
Useful when: you want to make your beer (or your spirits) more interesting.
The Black Velvet
Equal parts stout and champagne served inna champagne flute. The stout is floated on top for a striking visual effect.
Useful when: you want to add some class to your beering.
The Michelada
Lager spiced up with lime juice, salt and hot sauce. There are many variations, some including things like clam juice, tomato juice, worcestershire sauce or chilli flakes. It's kind of like a Bloody Mary in beer form.
Useful when: you want to treat a hangover.
The Shandy
Equal parts beer and a softer drink, usually lemonade.
Useful when: you don't really like beer or lemonade but there's not much else on offer.


Cause of seasonal difference in beer production I was recently crunching some numbers about beer production in the United States (data from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau), and I noticed pretty significant seasonality in the production of beer:

Average production peaks in June (on average 18.1 million barrels) and is lowest in November and December (on average 14.1 million barrels). Are these ~25% seasonal swings in production based on some technical aspect of the brewing process, or are they based on something else (e.g. demand)?

One thing you should take into consideration is that this chart certainly represents macro breweries production, once they still have the vast majority of the market-share, as opposite to craft breweries. So, we are talking here mainly about light lagers, known to be consumed as a refreshing beverage.

So, to me, it's pretty clear that the production increases as the weather warms up, peaking at the summer, and then falls down again towards chiller seasons. Considering distribution and other delaying factors, the peak at June would match the peak consumption at mid-July through mid-August.

PS: I don't live in USA, and this is merely a theory I came up with, but which seems feasible to me.


What temperature is ideal to store my beer? What temperature is ideal to store my beer? Is there a difference depending on the beer type?

The ideal temperature for storing beer is between 10 to 15 ˚C (50 to 59 ˚F). If you are planning to preserve your beer for several years, it is better to have an even lower temperature of about 4 to 10 ˚C (40 - 50 ˚F).

A cold cellar is ideal to preserve your beer as a humidity of about 60% - 65%. The reason being that it can affect the airtightness of the cork (or cap). Dry corks are bad for preserving beer as they will tend to break down and cause wild yiests or bacteria to enter the bottle (which would render the beer undrinkable).

And as commented by Grohlier:

Remember, light can drastically affect beer. Darker bottles can withstand more light than their green and clear counterparts. However, light is not good for beer in general, even if it is stored at the appropriate temperature.


The things that makes a good beer be a great beer Well, after living in Germany for a couple of months, i understood that the flavor is everything.
Usually people say that a great Beer should be cold, well, i think that's not the main issue. In your opinion what are the things that makes a good Beer?
Can you name your favorite? So we can have like a List of Great Beers to taste.

My favourate Beer of all time is: Sublime Chaos by Anarchy Brewery

I would say that This is my favorite beer for a few reason

Rich Coffee Flavoring
Not to heavy (for a stout)
Smells amazing

I think when it comes down to the perfect beer it all comes down to an individuals preference some like a nice golden beer some like a wheat beer I personally love a stout or a porter

For me tho a good beer is one that taste amazing, smells amazing and is a pleasure to drink not just drinking for drinking sake it has to be a beer you have a good time drinking


Highland Park Einar: estimated age I received a bottle of Highland Park Einar. It's one of the 6 bottles released of the Warrior series. Given there is no age statement, would anyone of you who tried it be able to tell what's the approximate age of this scotch? Does it even matter in this case?

Also: I have read it has been developed by the marketing department, not by the distiller. Does that mean in general anything in regards of the quality of the whisky?

From what I can gather on the whiskey it is bottled at 40% which is low  for a scotch

so taking this into consideration I would have a guess at this whiskey being around the 10-12 year old mark but nobody can really be certain as all 6 of the Warrior series did not have an age on the bottle


Do Easter Beers exist? We all know that Christmas Beers exist  as can be seen in this article: 25 Beers of Christmas. By a Christmas beer, most interpret this to be a seasonal beer.

As such I would like to know if there are any seasonal Easter Beers that exist for Eastertide, especially any national ones?

There are definitely Easter-themed beers. Though, no official beer-style when it comes to the holiday, it seems... (Barring all "hoppy" puns) Everything goes; from Pilsner to Porter.

The best beers to enjoy with your Easter egg - The Telegraph

Top 5 Easter Beers - KegWorks

The Easter Beer Festival also showcases ciders and perries; the Spring season seems to call for lighter and fruitier beers as opposed to the heavier,  darker beers of the Autumn season, imho.

And, the rabbit/bunny is a main-stay theme with micro-breweries:


Any recommendations on plum-based spirits? Would anyone have recommendations on plum-based spirits? I've had the seasonal R. Jelinek Slivovitz Plum Brandy but that stuff is unpleasant and potent in large amounts, and I rarely see any kind of plum wine in stores anymore. Brands and preparation styles are appreciated all the same, thanks in advance.

Addendum: I heard Veil has a Plum Vodka. I'm a fan of their plain and flavored vodkas, but I haven't seen Plum yet. Is it seasonal?

The problem with recommendations is that it is personal. What one person finds good or excellent is to another poor and unacceptable (too strong, bitter, etc.). The variety of plums used will also make a considerable impact on the taste of a plum based alcohol product as some are tart and others are sweet and juicy.

The only way to find a plum based spirit that one enjoys to try and sample a few (not expensive) types of plum based alcohols and see if one enjoys them.

In this sense, I would suggest that you try one of the following and then give us back your feedback.

A Slivovitz on the lower spectrum of alcohol content (35-40% alcohol) and not that of a higher volume content. This way the true natural flavors more be more apparent to one's taste buds.

  Slivovitz, often called slivovitsa, is a plum brandy found throughout Eastern Europe. The word "slivovitz" is based on the Serbian and Croatian name for a type of plum used to create the drink. Major producers in the Balkans and in Central European nations like the Czech Republic make commercial versions of slivovitz. In rural areas, many people make homemade slivovitz using makeshift stills made from old barrels. In the Czech Republic, this kind of home distilling is now illegal, though lightly regulated community-owned stills are a legal alternative. In Serbia, slivovitz is almost always a part of important events such as celebration of a birth or a wedding reception. The liquor is usually drunk neat because it is said that the flavor of the plums is at its most noticeable at room temperature. Like other types of brandy, slivovitz has a sweet edge. Because so many varieties exist, strengths vary wildly. However, most good slivovitz is between 80 and 100 proof, though homemade versions can be much stronger than that. - Beyond whiskey: 7 exotic spirits worth a try

Pearl vodka has a plum vodka on the market based on natural flavors. Just follow the links to see if it is available in your region.

  Bursting with the sweet, luscious flavor of summertime plums. The tartness of the skin quickly gives way to the jammy flesh within. Purple deliciousness ready to make a splash in your favorite warm-weather cocktail creations (35%). - Plum

Japanese plum wine is called a plum wine or Umeshu (梅酒) in Japan but in reality is a vodka based liqueur with green plums.

  Plum Wine or Umeshu (梅酒) is a Japanese liqueur made by steeping fresh Japanese plum (ume) in shochu/white liquor [vodka] and sugar.  The sweet and sour flavors with fruity aroma is very appealing and you can make many kinds of drinks with it! - Plum Wine (Umeshu) 梅酒 – ‘Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories’

Although quite rare, real plum wine does exist and this is where I would start if new to plum drinks. For example Takara Plum Wine or Fuki Plum Wine is available in the USA.


Refrigerate Non-Alcoholic beer? Should non-alcoholic beer be refrigerated to preserve it? How long does non-alcoholic beer last when not refrigerated?

Refrigeration has little to do with preservation.  As a food product beer and NA beer are pretty strictly regulated for safety so as long as the rubber in the cap maintains a seal it should stay sterile.  Refrigeration is mostly for taste and carbonation.


Causes for regional differences in brewery count in the United States I recently came across the following map of number of breweries per 1 million population in the United States:

Visually it's apparent that there are the most breweries per capita in the northwest and northeast, and there are the fewest breweries per capita in the south.

What is the main cause for these regional differences? The impact of climate? Laws and regulations in different parts of the U.S.? Regional demand differences? Something else?

I believe it is mostly due to the laws of each state. Brewers Assoc. stats.

After prohibition ended, it was up to the states and counties to determine their own stance toward alcohol.  One part of the repeal of the 18th Amendment was the legalization of homebrewing wine and mead.  The law did not allow the homebrewing of beer until 1978.  Event then, it was up to each state to determine their stance toward the homebrewing of beer.

The states with the most breweries per capita follow the federal statute, which allows for 100 gallons per person of drinking age up to a maximum of 200 gallons per year. The states on the map with the least breweries have only recently relaxed their laws on homebrewing and alcohol sales in general.

Many homebrewers dream of starting their own brewery or pub, but they need to be able to practice their craft.  I am unable to locate the minutes to the Alabama House of Rep. discussion online, but the Basic Brewing Radio Podcast did air a snipped of the floor arguments on the legalization of homebrewing.  Some of the arguments against were uniformed and antiquated.

Why open up a beer business in a city/county/state where regulations and attitudes are opposed to your product?


How long does an opened bottle of wine last in the fridge? How long does an opened bottle of wine last in the refrigerator?

(Simply plugging the cork back in that is, and not using any vacuum contraption.)

The Life of Wine (after opening)

The short answer is approximately 3-5 days, but it all depends on the type of wine. There are a number of factors at play when it comes to the life of wine, after it has been opened.

These include acetic acid bacteria that consumes the alcohol in wine and metabolizes it into acetic acid and acetaldehyde. This causes the wine to have a sharp, vinegar-like smell.  Additionally, the alcohol can oxidize, causing a nutty, bruised fruit taste, that robs the wine of fresh, fruity flavors. These are both chemical reactions, and so the lower the temperature you keep a wine at, the slower this will happen.

Please see link for full reference and detailed breakdown of How long wine lasts after opening: How Long Does an Open Bottle of Wine Last?


Can wine be made from all edible fruits? I am an amateur in the topic, so I was wondering, can all edible fruits be turned into a fruit wine? Why have grapes historically become the main fruit for wine making over other fruits?

Yes, wine can pretty much be made from all edible fruit, including tomatoes. But the reason we make wine out of grapes is three fold. Sugar, tannins and acids.

Sugar. Grapes produce the highest naturally occurring amount of sugar of any fruit. Almost no other fruit comes close. Grapes have the ability to make wines that are anywhere from 10-18% alcohol and even higher in the case of late harvest grapes that have too much sugar to finish alcohol production.
Acid. Grapes have a very high naturally occurring acid levels coming from Tartaric acid. Acids help preserve wine and keep the nasty bugs from eating the sugar. They also make it more drinkable. Wine without any acid is flat and awful. It's like beer without hops.
Tannin. Red and white grapes contain tannin in both the skins and seeds. These are a natural antioxidant that help preserve the wine for long term storage.

Since grapes have such natural high sugar levels, they also have large colonies of yeast on the skin (aka the bloom) and because of this, grapes are a complete package requiring nothing else to make a high alcohol beverage that can be stored for a very long time without spoiling. No other fruit has the right combination of attributes to do this on it's own.


What other beer brands began as fictional but eventually became real? Duff is the only one of which I am aware. I know there are Game of Thrones inspired brews, but are there any others that originated from works of fiction?

According to the Beer Advocate website, Romulan Ale from Star Trek is brewed by Cervecería Centro Americana in South Africa. A search in Google Images will produce several images of the bottles. I have included a link to one image.

Romulan Ale


How can I determine whether infused spirits contain sugar (before buying)? I'm sick of buying infused spirits (usually advertised in the U.S. as flavored vodkas) and discovering that they have added sugar (and often, apparently, glycerin).

I have scoured labels and asked in stores and never found any way of determining whether a liquor is a pure distillate or whether it has substantial additives (other than water and flavor).

In the U.S. is there any way to determine this before acquiring a particular bottle?

There is no way to determine if a particular flavored vodka has added sugar or glycerin!

Unless one can find a particular website of a certain vodka, which states that there is no added sugar or glycerin the chances are that you will have to taste the product yourself in order to know.

The following information is from Drink Skool:

  If you’re confused, don’t be angry. Clearly the U.S. government is struggling with the issue as much as you are. Today’s science is capable of measuring imperfections in a spirit. So rather than insisting that 190 proof is an adequate minimum to guarantee quality in vodka, other metrics might have been considered in the TTB’s rule-making. For instance, some successful brands add sugar or glycerin to their vodkas to “smooth” them out. Never mind that these spirits throw any standard cocktail recipe completely out of balance. The larger question is: why do they need to add these softeners? What are they covering up? If they focused upon good raw ingredients and clean distillation they could achieve the same result. But perhaps that’s asking too much; it always comes back to economics.

  Other countries are demanding that producers note upon the label any additions such as sugar or glycerin; the TTB hasn’t wised up yet. It will probably be a while before those additives are visible on the vodka labels, but until then, taste the stuff yourself. If it tastes sweet, it probably is, and you may want to alter any cocktail recipes that you’re working from.

Absolut Raspberri is just one example of a flavoured vodka that does not contain added sugar!

  Absolut Raspberri is made exclusively from natural ingredients, and unlike some other flavored vodkas, it doesn’t contain any added sugar. It’s rich and intense with the fresh and fruity character of ripened raspberries.


How to decant beer from bottle I have an old bottle of Sahti, Samuel Adams, probably 3 years old, it's been kept properly, I noticed that it has a lot of sediment, don't know if it's normal or not, but regardless I want to try it. Is there a safe way to decant the beer, so the sediment or floaties don't make their way to the glass?

Just like wine, pour into a glass while watching the sediment.
 Make sure the bottle has sat still for long enough that everything has settled. Stop when the sediment is about to pour out.
Enjoy.