It's pretty cool that companies are advertising winning in the world beer cup. I think Miller Light started it and a lot of other companies are jumping on board. For those of you who like American Light Beers this years winners were... Gold - Old Milwakee Light Silver - Lone Star Light Bronze - Natural Light That's right Bud Light, Miller Light, and Coors Light were all beat by Natty Light. LINK
I love me some Coors Light. I can't believe Old Milwaukee and Natty Light beat it out. I got nicely drunk at the Chicago wedding rehearsal dinner on Miller Light, though--yes, in an Irish pub, no less--but the dark beer they were serving scared me, and the Miller Light was incredibly cold, I think I shot the first one.
In preparation for my trip to London I have started a quest to drink as an Englishman for the next month. Tonight I am trying: 1845 In 1995, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Fuller Smith & Turner partnership, Fuller's commissioned a special, celebration bottle conditioned ale. The results was 1845. A more auspicious beginning the brew could not have had: the inaugural beer's hops were added to the copper by none other than HRH The Prince of Wales, during a royal visit to Fuller's! Since its introduction, 1845 has become a firm favourite with its wonderfully rich flavours helping the beer to win numerous awards around the globe including the CAMRA Champion Bottle Conditioned Beer of Britain. Tasting notes 1845 is a 6.3% ABV bottle conditioned beer, which means that it is the absolute pinnacle of bottled beers and is the closest to cask. Bottle conditioning is a demanding art; knowledge and skill are needed at every stage in the process. A tiny residue of yeast is allowed to ferment in the bottle, developing character and depth of flavour over time just as fine vintage wines do. To ensure this magnificent ale reaches perfection, 1845 is matured for at least 100 days before being released for sale. During this time the rich fruity characteristics of the beer are enhanced, while the well-rounded malt flavours create a wonderfully balanced ale. Given this, it's no surprise that the philosophy of our brewers is that perfection cannot be hurried. Next will be: ESB ESB was launched into the Fuller's family in 1971, as a winter brew to replace a beer named Old Burton Extra. The potential of the beer was soon realised and ESB was installed as a permanent fixture, creating an immediate impact. Not only was it one of the strongest regularly brewed draught beers in the country (at 5.5% ABV), it was also one of the tastiest, and as the awareness of the beer grew, so did its popularity. ESB's reputation was soon enhanced after being named CAMRA's (Campaign for Real Ale) Beer of the Year in 1978, and the beer has not stopped winning since! With three CAMRA Beer of the Year awards, two World Champion Beer awards, and numerous other gold medals to speak of, ESB is, quite simply, the Champion Ale. Then I switch to [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] [/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Old Brewery Pale Ale[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] Beers were dark before the Industrial Revolution. With the introduction of inexpensive clear drinking vessels, translucent beers became fashionable. When this sparkling amber beer was produced, it was declared pale to differentiate it from porter.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] Captures the soul of beer. It has a fresh maltiness that reminds you that good beer is a product of the soil. Beautiful balance of malt and fresh hops.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] Rare roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, roast chicken, cheese, smoked salmon, Dungeness crab salad, bouillabaisse, sushi, New York steak; spicy foods such as Mandarin cuisine; aged Yorkshire-style roast beef en croûte; tandoori chicken salad and pork stroganoff. Traditionally served in nonik glasses.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] Gold Medal—World Beer Championships[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]And I will finish the evening with: [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]The Famous Taddy Porter[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] Porter was the first commercially brewed beer. It was named for the train porters who were its original servers and consumers. Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery, Yorkshire’s oldest, reintroduced authentic porter to the British beer scene in 1979 after an absence of more than 50 years. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] Very dark, fairly full in body and packed with flavor. Intense, dry tangy character of roasted barley.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] Oysters on the half shell, Rockefeller or Cajun style, clams, mussels, crab cocktail, lobster bisque and other shellfish, smoked mackerel pâté, veal with green peppercorns, porterhouse steak and of course chocolate. Serve at 55 degrees in nonik or tumbler.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] Platinum Medial, World Champion Porter—World Beer Championships “One of the world’s five best beers.”—Michael Jackson[/FONT]
Your in for an interesting adventure Deceks. Beer sales and pubs are different in the UK. A lot of the bars (pubs) are owned by breweries in the UK so they can each be unique because they tend to push and serve their owners brands. You can have one pub right across the street from another and get two completely different choices of beer. Im not a beer connoisseur but consumed many different ales and bitters in the UK over the years. Here are a few things to take note of. - Contrary to popular belief, beer is not stronger in the UK. Certainly some brews are but overall its a myth. Ask the locals. - You will see Budweiser all over the place, especially in London and other big cities. - Beer is very different in the northern part of the country. Heavy and dark and it can be VERY strong. - Beer isnt served "warm". Another myth. If its not cold (drought lager style and Buds in London) it's served at room temp (drought ale & bitter) which over there is very cool. Maybe 50 degrees of so. - Tetley, Old Speckled Hen and Newcastle are popular and good. - They serve their drought with a good head of froth. You get used to it and eventually like it that way. - If you really want to drink like an Englishman, drink early and often on a daily basis. And remember the old saying... -- British drink warm, pissy tasting beer. -- Americans drink cold, beery tasting piss. -- The French will drink anything with alcohol in it.
Oh...one other thing. Be careful drinking the heavy ales and bitters. Let your digestive system adjust for a few days. Believe me, skid marks wont begin to describe your state. It will look more like a tiger trying to crawl out of your toilet bowl if you dont respect that stuff.
