Good Drinking

Delicious drink recipes, cocktail ideas, and liquor news

Unibroue Beers

Damned, Terrible- And Delicious!

“Unibroue” is a Quebecois brewery in the Belgian tradition, using the typical Belgian brewing method of beer “on lees.” What this means is that the beer is re-fermented in the bottle for a stronger brew and a more complex flavor.

Unibroue beers include “Terrible” (pronounced something like “tereeb”- remember, it's in French!) which is as black as stout but tastes completely different, “Maudite” (meaning “damned,” which makes this the ultimate Goth beer!), “Fin du Monde” (or “end of the world”) and “Don de Dieu.”

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Gouden Carolus

A Great Belgian Beer

When I picked up a bottle of Gouden Carolus at the St Anthony liquor store, the sales clerk commented that I had just purchased “one of the classic Belgian beers.” Now, I'm a big fan of Belgian beers, and have been ever since I went to Belgium about ten years ago. So I brought the Gouden Carolus straight home to be opened up and enjoyed.

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Czechvar

This "Bud" Is For Czech People

“Budweiser,” in America, is a brand of beer, but in Europe it's a name for a type of beer. When Czech immigrants brought this type of beer to the United States, they watered it down (sadly) for the American market, but brewers in their Czech homeland continued to make the original Budweiser in the traditional way.

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The Stoic

Great Beer For A Great Philosophy

The two most significant Stoic philosophers were Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius- the former a slave, and the latter a Roman emperor, making Stoicism literally a philosophy of slaves and emperors. This dichotomy is matched in Deschutes Breweries beer “The Stoic,” part of which is aged in Pinot Noir barrels while part is aged in whiskey barrels.

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Choklat Stout

Is it Really Necessary?

Dark chocolate and stout make a wonderful combination. Whenever I crack open a bottle of Imperial stout, I like to have a square or two of dark chocolate to eat while I drink it. Now that's what I call luxury!

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The Abyss

Go Ahead, Gaze Into It

“The Abyss” from Deschutes Brewery is a superior stout, specifically a Russian Imperial Stout. Imperial stouts have quickly become one of my favorite types of beer. Why is that? Because I have always loved stout's dark color and rich, bitter flavor, but traditional stout suffers from two disadvantages.

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Celebration Ale

Not My Cup Of Hops

Last week, my wife wanted me to pick up a six-pack of one of her favorite beers, “Celebration Ale” by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. I felt a certain trepidation as soon as she mentioned it, because I don't normally like most American microbrews. Some of them- like the Lagunitas stout I wrote about recently- are as good as any British or Belgian beer. Most of them, though, are just far too hoppy.

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Woodchuck Granny Smith Cider

Plus a Pedantic Digression

I've always loved the tart flavor of Granny Smith apples, so when I noticed that Woodchuck hard cider came in a Granny Smith variety, I grabbed it up. But more on that in a moment. First I'd like to talk about that misleading term “hard cider,” as distinguished (only in America) from “soft cider.”

About two weeks ago, I bought a bottle of “all natural” apple juice. It was dark in color and thick in texture, and it tasted much different from what I normally think of as apple juice. In fact, it tasted exactly like what I've always been told was “soft apple cider.”

Bar Trivia Nights

The best night of the week.

I really like trivia nights at local bars. There’s something about drinking beer and answering questions that gives you a perfect combination of drunk invincibility, brashness and an excuse for why you missed ten questions in a row that you probably should know. It also makes you feel smart, maybe, and usually you can win some stuff. Plus, your faith in humanity is restored because there’s a whole legion of people who would rather answer esoteric questions about defunct NBA teams, rather than putting on beer goggles and trying out lame pick-up lines. Read more about Bar Trivia Nights

Broke Ass Wine

If It Ain't Broke... But Then, It Is

I just had a few glasses of Broke Ass wine with my Thanksgiving dinner, and a few more the day after. The whole idea of Broke Ass is that it's supposed to be a good wine at a bargain price. I suppose it is actually worth the price- about $4.00- but it didn't impress me.

Now, I'm the furthest thing from a wine snob. I used to drink Wild Irish Rose on a regular basis, and I've even been known to drink Mad Dog 20/20- not that would I ever do either of those things again. So I don't think anyone could say that my standards are just too high here. I know how to enjoy a good cheeseburger just as much as a filet mignon, and I know how to enjoy a bargain wine in its context.

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