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July 1st, 2013 | #221 |
Banned
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A bit of a humorous story.
I was stationed in Katterbach, Germany for 3 years. The last summer we were there, one of my friends was promoted to SGT and he was moved off base to an apartment in a small village a few kilometers away (as there was no room for single NCO quarters on base). It was a small, 2nd floor apartment nestled in the middle of the village. Being summer time, on the weekends, we would routinely get together for barbeques. I remember the first time he hosted. He had a small, covered patio for his apartment. There had to be 10-15 of us there that Saturday afternoon. We had about 4 or 5 charcoal grills on his patio cooking steaks, chicken, burgers, dogs, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes. Needless to say, there was a lot of smoke. Remember, this is on the 2nd floor. I guess there was enough smoke pouring from his patio, that it actually alarmed the proprietors of the gausthaus across the street. I remember frantic pounding on his apartment door, and when we answered, there were a few frazzled and concerned looking Germans. Our mastery of the German language, shall we say, wasn't the best, and their English wasn't much better (they were older). We could tell they were alarmed and invited them in to find out what was the cause for their concern. Long story short, it became apparent they were concerned because of all the smoke pouring from the balcony, and must have thought the apartment was on fire. We realized they were completely unfamiliar with an American style barbeque, and invited them to join us - which they were happy to oblige. We had a good time. Next weekend, same scenario - BBQ at my friend's place - the same locals knock on the door, this time unalarmed, and with a rack of bier as a party gift. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves the first time around, and basically became BBQ regulars. International diplomacy at its best. After a few weeks of this, they actually invited us to their gausthaus, and gave us the stammtisch (a reserved spot for the "regulars" of an establishment - an honor for us). One of their children was our age - and spoke very good English - and acted as interpreter. They operated the local brewery in town, and wanted us to try their newest batch of bier. It became a regular thing to do on a Saturday evening. Wow! We became unofficial "taste testers" for them. How cool was that? The brewery had been in the family for over 250 years,and was actually a larger brewery - they bottled and shipped several labels. The name of the town? Lichtenau. The name of the brewery? Hauff Brau. http://www.hauff-braeu.de/ http://www.franconiabeerguide.com/Ci...City=Lichtenau |
July 1st, 2013 | #222 |
Enkidu
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Under the Panopticon.
Posts: 4,297
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I was in Munich in May 1970...just goofing off. I had a small room in a bed-and-breakfast (whatever the German for this is) near the train station. On about the second day I decided to walk to the site where they were building the Olympic village for the 1972 Olympics. I did, big deal...some dorms and buildings going up...nothing to see. I walked back a little less directly and on a small side street went into a small bar for a beer. There was one bartender/proprietor and about five men sitting around a table. It was obvious that they spent lots of time there. I'd had two years of German in University and asked for a beer. The bartender eyed me, eyed the others who were all watching me...reached under the bar, brought out a bottle, opened it, and poured it for me. The attention from the other men seemed strange, but I was thirsty, so I drank. On about the third drink, I was amazed. I turned to the bartender and flat out told him in probably bad German, "This is the best beer I've ever drunk in my life." Maybe it was only a good beer, plus the long walk, but it was a damn fine beer. Well, it was their beer. There was a brewery and bottling set up below and the beer they'd decided to test on me was their best. I stumbled out of the bar stuffed with wurst and kraut and beer, a few hours later, having spent nothing. Munich is great in May. There is a Maibach festival...a little calmer that Oktoberfest. The weather is great. Never been back. Mike
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Hunter S. Thompson, "Big dark, coming soon" Last edited by Mike in Denver; July 1st, 2013 at 04:16 PM. |
July 1st, 2013 | #223 |
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"Ich moctish ein grosse glasse krystalweisen mit citrona fom fauss bitte shoen." The very first thing I learned to say (not spell, lol) in German. Almost every gausthaus brews their own bier, and can only be purchased at that location. I tried my damnest to sample every bier in Germany while I was there, and failed miserably - but gave it on helluva try. Thinking about all of this reminded me of that little place in Konigstein - they had the best dunkel bier I've ever tasted (I posted about it in this thread a ways back). I found their website for their hotel - and just emailed them to see if it is possible to order a few racks and have it shipped here to the US. If I can get my hands on it, I would gladly share with anyone who is willing. DiO - you MUST try this if I can arrange a shipment. It will change your life! |
July 3rd, 2013 | #224 |
Switching to glide
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Thanks for sharing the tales from the hop vines, guys. Good stuff.
I've been trying to focus more on pilsners and lager styles in general for the past couple of years or so now, even with my brewing. I've always been an ale guy, buy frankly I was getting a little burned out on the IBUs. Brewing beer is an art. It's much harder to hide mistakes or off-flavors in lagers. That's the reason a lot of craft brewers start with ales.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder |
July 6th, 2013 | #225 | |
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Posts: 4,481
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Quote:
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: AW: Dunkel Bier Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2013 17:26:12 +0200 Hallo Mr. Anderson This is no problem… How many bottles „Schwarzbier“ you need J (1 Kasten 20 Stück ?) Best Regards from Königstein Katrin Pirner *********************************************** Anyone have a clue how I get this through customs? |
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July 6th, 2013 | #226 | |
Banned
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 4,481
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Quote:
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July 6th, 2013 | #227 |
Banned
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 4,481
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DHL - maybe.....has to go to a licensed alcohol retailer (such as a bar) - but they have to create a DHL account and be accepted. (I'm friends with a bar owner). No shipments directly to a consumer.
FedEx - no UPS - no Delta cargo - no The search goes on. |
July 14th, 2013 | #228 |
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Ciuc, premium pils from Romania. I paid $10 for a 6-pack but I am not disappointed. I like it better than Pilsner Urquell for example, which is also a good pils beer. I guess the problem with the Ro beer is availability. I got it at a Euro market store in Chimpcago.
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July 14th, 2013 | #229 | |
Switching to glide
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Quote:
I'm making a trip to Jungle Jacks next week. They have the best selection of beers I've ever seen. I'll look for Ciuc. Thanks for the heads-up.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder |
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July 15th, 2013 | #230 | |
Switching to glide
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Quote:
UPS won't ask what you're shipping. If they do, it's yeast cultures in liquid containers. Which is correct. Most serious traders just weigh the package/print their own UPS labels at home and just drop them off to ship. Easy as a Lohan on 'ludes. /shrug
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder |
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July 21st, 2013 | #231 |
Switching to glide
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Recently I've started to see an increasing number of craft breweries canning their beers. Boston Beer Co, Leinenkugel, Sierra Nevada. Also seeing more & more imported beers being shipped in cans.
Many European brands you buy in a bottle are light-struck or "skunked" to a degree, as exposure to sunlight damages the beer. Canning eliminates this, and the cans used today don't impart any off-flavors as in decades past. So good news.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder |
July 21st, 2013 | #232 | |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,571
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Quote:
Why you want to only buy beer in dark bottles. Either that or squirt in lime juice to kill the skunk, as all Mexico does with its fine skunk pissners |
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August 9th, 2013 | #233 |
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 4,481
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We went to a new local place today, 35 biers on tap that rotate on a regular/unscheduled basis. I was hoping to find Sam Adams Octoberfest on tap, but they haven't switched over from Summer Ale yet. So, I tried 2 samplers (4 different biers each), and brought home 3 growlers of different brews. Well, 2 proper growlers (1 from Germany and 1 from the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery) and one twist top 'jug' from a local brewery.
Pictured from left to right/top to bottom. The Sothern Tier Creme Brulee is definitely the most unique tasting bier I've ever had. It is absolutely a dessert bier. Sweet, flavorful, aromatic - it smells, tastes, and looks like a dessert coffee. I could literally drink this for breakfast! Absolutely amazing. Absolutely black, creamy, with a thick head that sticks to the side of a glass. The Anderson Valley is a nice copper bier. Not quite as bitter as an Altbier because of the fruity tones - rasberry is what I notice the most. A very smooth bier and quite enjoyable to drink. The Ithaca Apricot Wheat is a light colored (and tasting) bier. The aroma, taste and color scream of apricots. While I am not a fruity bier type of guy, I did find this very refreshing, crisp, and not overbearing in the least. The carbonation level was just right - not anywhere close to the over carbination associated with a 'shandy'. Bev would love this one! |
August 28th, 2013 | #234 |
Switching to glide
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Great reviews AA. Thanks.
I'm very familiar with Anderson Valley. Their Hop 'Ottin IPA is #12 on my own personal list of favorite India Pale Ales. Flower Power from Ithaca brewing is a real winner as well. Various Octoberfest-Marzen beers have been available here locally for a while already. Fall is coming. I see more and more new breweries seemingly weekly. There are a lot of lessons that WN could take away from the ongoing (very successful) craft beer culture that is seemingly being embraced by an ever-increasing market share of Americans.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder |
August 29th, 2013 | #235 | |
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Quote:
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August 29th, 2013 | #236 |
Switching to glide
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Tough crowd. I'll try and work in some German Pilsners.
You happy now?
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder Last edited by Donnie in Ohio; August 29th, 2013 at 05:53 AM. |
September 6th, 2013 | #237 | |
Switching to glide
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Had occasion to try Longboard Island Lager from Kona Brewing Company out of HI recently.
www.konabrewingco.com From the website: Quote:
Cool retro brown bottle that has Liquid Aloha embossed on it. Tasted like Strohs, but in a good way. Same hops, maybe. Recommended.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder |
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September 28th, 2013 | #238 |
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Posts: 4,481
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By request.....
OK, so I'm not a beer snob, but man, do I love a good bier. I've tried some of what Great Lakes has to offer a couple times in the past, but this is the first time I've tried their Oktoberfest. All in all, I find it a bit milder than what I'm used to in an Oktoberfest bier, but that's not a bad thing. It seems to be a little less bitter and less creamy than the Sam Adams or the Penn Brewery style. An easy start and finish, but I really can't comment on the aroma and exact flavors (that would be way too snobby for me, beyond my abilities on my best day, and well - I have a sinus cold at the moment.) Of course, this is bottled - and I only drink the Sam Adams and Penn from the tap - so it is a bit of an unfair comparison. Next time I'm in Cleveland, I may have to stop by the brewery for the true experience. Of course, I prefer my biers to be 'chilled', not cold like American's prefer. I find that letting cold beer from the cooler warm at room temperature for an hour or two definitely allows me to better judge the character. Chilled as opposed to cold is the difference between beer and Bier. I found Great Lakes Oktoberfest even better once it wasn't so cold. On a side note, DiO - this is the Great Lakes selection at my local mom and pop grocery. [IMG][/IMG] Last edited by Mr A.Anderson; September 28th, 2013 at 07:02 PM. |
September 29th, 2013 | #239 | |
Switching to glide
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Quote:
Good selection of GL. Glad to see they keep the hop-intensive beers chilled. Thanks for the review, man. I think you nailed it. It's a very approachable offering of the style. You're used to the actual fresh German Oktoberfest brews, you dream-billeted lucky bastard.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder |
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September 29th, 2013 | #240 |
Switching to glide
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Touched on by AA above, and he's right about the temperature of different beers. Some styles (Porter, Stout, Märzen /Oktoberfest) which place more emphasis on the malt profile get better as they warm up a little.
If it's a Pilsner, colder the better. Pro party tip: As Captain Smith found out, salt water can get colder than fresh water without freezing. Add some salt to the ice in your beer cooler. Coldest beer you'll ever have.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder |
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beer, small breweries |
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