Beer or Ale?

[AleisterCrowley]

I used to drink Zywiec when I lived in Slough- not bad at all for the price (it was in a 'spoons mainly) Lots of Poles in Slough so could get all the other stuff like Okocim- can't remember Tyskie being that bad. Lots of Zubr cans stuffed in hedges etc - obviously ideal for al fresco drinking.

There was some fairly ...interesting... Russian stuff that came in varying strengths - Baltika I think

[didds]

Oh, and they also think Budweiser is a beer.

A while ago I was at the beer museum in Prague and there I recall the Budweisers were brothers (I think). I think they fell out or something and one of them made it to the US where he was key to the Budweiser over there and the other stayed in Europe and also made Budweiser beer, which IIRC was different. I am not sure whether the European Budweiser is still brewed, but if it is, it will probably be different from the American stuff of the same name. (You can probably tell I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been. Wonder why?)

C.

Czech = Budvar. Very decent lager.

US = Budweiser. Oh dear.

didds

[bluedonkey]

When I was in the USA, I used to think that Budweiser was the least bad of what they called domestic beers. Sam Adams was better but you couldn't always get it. On the regular flight back overnight, I used to reckon five Buds was the right amount to get some sleep.

[redsturgeon]

When I was in the USA, I used to think that Budweiser was the least bad of what they called domestic beers. Sam Adams was better but you couldn't always get it. On the regular flight back overnight, I used to reckon five Buds was the right amount to get some sleep.

When I was in the US, I used to drink Mexican or German beer, or Anchor Steam, if near San Francisco. The beer scene these days in the US is very different though with many small breweries (and some not so small) producing decent beers of all types.

As for American Bud, I like rice...but not in my beer.

John

[servodude]

When I was in the USA, I used to think that Budweiser was the least bad of what they called domestic beers. Sam Adams was better but you couldn't always get it. On the regular flight back overnight, I used to reckon five Buds was the right amount to get some sleep.

When I was in the US, I used to drink Mexican or German beer, or Anchor Steam, if near San Francisco. The beer scene these days in the US is very different though with many small breweries (and some not so small) producing decent beers of all types.

As for American Bud, I like rice...but not in my beer.

John

Quite something how Sierra Nevada have managed to keep their reputation as "craft" brewers with an output of over a million barrels a year - and keep the beer up to scratch

-sd

[Hallucigenia]

A while ago I was at the beer museum in Prague and there I recall the Budweisers were brothers (I think). I think they fell out or something and one of them made it to the US where he was key to the Budweiser over there and the other stayed in Europe and also made Budweiser beer, which IIRC was different.

"Budweiser" is not a family name, it's a geographical thing, meaning "from Budweis", the German name for České Budějovice in Bohemia (now Czechia). There's no direct connection between the Czech town and Anheuser-Busch (as was), the USian company that now makes the US Budweiser, other than AB having the trademark for "Budweiser" in the US in the same way that you used to get Californian "champagne" etc. The original Czech company is still going strong, now called Budvar - it's state-owned and you certainly see it around in the UK.

As an addendum my understanding is the "Real Ale" is still fermenting and pumped by hand, ideally from a cask but often from a keg.

"Real" ale is a term with no history to it that was made up by the Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale shortly before they renamed themselves to the Campaign for Real Ale. It's just a rebranding of cask-conditioned, but they've now extended it to mean any kind of beer where the CO2 comes from yeast munching sugar rather than from a cylinder. So bottle-conditioned has become "real ale in a bottle", and there's even a handful of beers that are can-conditioned. You don't get it in kegs except for a handful of beers that are conditioned in keykegs, but that's more to wind up CAMRA than anything else, it's not common.

[GoSeigen]

As an addendum my understanding is the "Real Ale" is still fermenting and pumped by hand, ideally from a cask but often from a keg.

Aha, thanks.

Until now I thought that word '"real" was in there to distinguish it from that somewhat less popular product, imaginary ale.

Complex subject, eh?

GS

[tjh290633]

When I was in the USA, I used to think that Budweiser was the least bad of what they called domestic beers. Sam Adams was better but you couldn't always get it. On the regular flight back overnight, I used to reckon five Buds was the right amount to get some sleep.

My frequent trips to the USA often saw me heading home from Detroit. I soon learned that it was better to avoid the inflight meal. Instead I would go to the Cheers bar in the domestic terminal. A "Norm" size glass of Sam Adams and a meal from them set me up for a good snooze on the way to Gatwick. A banana and coffee for breakfast was sufficient. Northwest flights left from Domestic gates, whereas BA left from international. You could find some decent local beers in the '90s, particularly in the Bay area.

TJH

[UncleEbenezer]

As an addendum my understanding is the "Real Ale" is still fermenting and pumped by hand, ideally from a cask but often from a keg.

Aha, thanks.

Until now I thought that word '"real" was in there to distinguish it from that somewhat less popular product, imaginary ale.

Complex subject, eh?

GS

Well, at least it hasn't got surreal yet

[brightncheerful]

He had his beer from year to year
and then his bier had him.

[SteelCamel]

Aha, thanks.
Until now I thought that word '"real" was in there to distinguish it from that somewhat less popular product, imaginary ale.

Complex subject, eh?
GS

Well, at least it hasn't got surreal yet

https://magicrockbrewing.com/products/d ... real-stout
https://untappd.com/b/abbeydale-brewery ... le-1/45965
https://surrealbrewing.com/
https://t-shirt.uk.com/product/campaign ... eal-ale-2/

[Mike4]

Complex subject, eh?
GS

Well, at least it hasn't got surreal yet

https://magicrockbrewing.com/products/d ... real-stout
https://untappd.com/b/abbeydale-brewery ... le-1/45965
https://surrealbrewing.com/
https://t-shirt.uk.com/product/campaign ... eal-ale-2/

Oh my goodness I'd buy the beer in that first link, firstly because I lurve the name and secondly I lurve the paint designs on the tin.

But to top it all, the review says its great!

[csearle]

Complex subject, eh?

Aye.

[servodude]

Complex subject, eh?

Aye.

Could be confused with the current tipple

[minimag]

I brew my own - from grain and hops (not from those horrible kits, though they have improved from my first attempts back in the late 70's/ early 80's)

I think nowadays it isnt beer or ale, but rather lager and everything else. I think my wife described the difference between the two most accurately, drinking lager is like drinking water, drinking ales (or real beer) is like having a meal. Both have their place, but I happen to prefer hopping my own ales - and btw, those american citrus hops have revitalised the market.
I have a real liking at the moment for West Coast IPA's. Not all that is american is bad!

[csearle]

I brew my own...

So it's all 'round to your place for the next Lemon Fool social then! (Hope you live unfar from Kent.) C.