Scot Ranney's LearnJazzPiano.com archive: The Brewery

LearnJazzPiano.com archives: The Brewery
7 -- 07/31/2005, 22:13:51 -- #17120

Throughout my adult life I've had a love for beer. During my time in Europe, one of my goals was to experience the finest brews that the world had to offer. Im my quest to fulfil this goal, I collected hundreds of bottles from their countries of origin to display proudly as a record of both my travels and my expertise on the subject of fine beers. This unique collection (including many rare and antique bottles) was eventually donated to a local pub to enhance their decor. The most amazing beers in my opinion are from Belgium. Few would dispute Belgium's superiority in terms of both different kinds of beer and their exceptionally exciting flavors. Other countries of with beers of great note are (not necessarily in my order of preference): Czechoslovakia England Scotland Ireland Denmark Germany Switzerland Austria Mexico Many of these beers are available around the world now. As travelers have brought the best of their experiences back home with them. Many beers do not travel and truly taste best only when served close to their place of manufacture. But many more still tantalize the palate and excite the imagination with memories or dreams of faraway places with strange sounding names. A toast to you and yours! Raise your glasses and have a virtual drink with us here! Cheers!
7 -- 07/31/2005, 22:19:46 -- #17121

True Japanese rice beers are truly great beers, but unfortunately they are impossible to finde stateside as they are now being "brewed under license" by megaconglomerates like Anheuser-Busch and Molson. Trying to find a true Kirin, Asahi or Sapporo in the United States is now all but impossible. The term "brewed under license" simply means "repackage the same old crap with a different label". Luckily Tsing-Tao (a Chinese rice beer) and other Chinese brands are still imported from China. The Chinese beers are the closest to what the Japanese beers tasted like before being hijacked by those mega-beer bastards.
Scot -- 08/01/2005, 20:43:16 -- #17147

Where do you live, 7? Two different sushi places here in Bellingham import true Japanese beer. I know the difference you are talking about though as I lived in Japan for a while and had the pleasure of drinking it on a rather regular basis... :)
7 -- 08/01/2005, 20:52:12 -- #17151

Scot, You know where I live: SoCal. Did you check the labels on the Japanese beer? If it doesn't say "Brewed in Japan", it's rubbish. I had this lady at a Japanese restaurant try to convince me that the bottle she brought to my table was real Japanese beer because the label said "imported". Imported from CANADA that is! If you can get real Japanese beer in your neck of the woods, you're a lucky man!
Scot -- 08/02/2005, 13:05:02 -- #17173

Maybe it's because of the fairly large Japanese population around here? Do you have a lot of Japanese people in SoCal?
In The Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation
7 -- 08/02/2005, 13:23:51 -- #17177

Of course there are millions of Japanese here. But as one restaurant owner informed me "they have contracts with their suppliers". They even have all Japanese supermarkets here. Everything imported from Japan for the Japanese consumers (except the beer).
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Whacky -- 08/02/2005, 14:21:52 -- #17181

I've never had a Japanese beer. Can you recommend one?
7 -- 08/02/2005, 14:36:21 -- #17185

Kirin, Asahi and Sapporo seem to be the most "available" stateside.
Scot -- 08/02/2005, 15:20:56 -- #17192

I wonder if it's a California thing?
Bonzo -- 08/05/2005, 07:05:09 -- #17310

never heard of japanese beer before, but maybe that's because there are no japanese around here. I am curious how it tastes though; Japanese have the tendency to copy things and make it better, wonder if this is the same with beer ;-). Are there a lot of (micro)breweries in the US? Like every town has is own beer?
Whacky -- 08/05/2005, 09:06:52 -- #17316

We have a couple in the St. Louis area (aside from Anheuser-Busch), but they don't even compare to what I had while touring Germany. I've often thought about brewing my own, but I hear that can be a very expesive hobby, yielding unpredictable results:)
In The Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation
sdm -- 08/05/2005, 11:10:39 -- #17319

We've got quite a few in Oregon but it's neither the beer I had in Austria or like that in terms of the local beer. In Innsbruck our hotel was just around the block from the local brewery and that was the beer on tap. Here you can get a lot of different beers either on tap or in the bottle. Some are national (and crap) and some may be from micros around the region or even a "micro" from across the country. The best are local of course. The Portland and area has a number of pubs where the beer is brewed on site but you can get the others as well.
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7 -- 08/05/2005, 12:59:45 -- #17327

I've never tasted a microbrew that was worthy having a second glass, and believe me I've tried many that were highly reccommended. For that matter I can't think of a single beer brewed in the USA that even comes close to being world-class. The same goes for Canada. Strangely enough, Mexico produces some truly great beers!
sdm -- 08/05/2005, 14:02:07 -- #17333

Great lite beers -- yes. Although I've always suspected they taste better just because I'm there. Do you think our Mexican imports are any good? Have you traveled close to any micros? I just don't think beer travels very well. You need to come up here and try a few. On the other hand, it's been 20 years since I had real beer and desperation may have weakened my discrimination!
Whacky -- 08/05/2005, 15:08:46 -- #17337

Something about a Sol with a lime that puts a smile on my face:) But you gotta have the lime. I once orderd a Sol in Cozumel and the bar was out of limes - the bar tender felt so bad he gave me the beer free!
7 -- 08/06/2005, 02:37:57 -- #17345

Mexican Beers Dos Equis amber is terrific. Negro Modelo is also a very tasty dark beer. Corona is delicious - especially on a hot summer day AND Corona Light is the ONLY light beer that I've ever encountered that tastes just as good as the original! On subject of light beer, the only light beer that I've ever found that tastes BETTER than the original is Coors Light (but that ain't saying much). Tecate is a very popular lager as well. On it's own it isn't much to wax poetic about, but typically it's served with salt around the edge of the glass and lime. That sure makes for a flavor burst!
7 -- 08/06/2005, 02:53:42 -- #17346
INVESTING FOR YOUR RETIREMENT
If you had purchased $1,000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00. With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1,000.00. With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left. But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling refund, you would have had $214.00. Based on the above, current investment advice is to Drink Heavily and Recycle! It's called the 401-Keg Plan
In The Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation
Scot -- 08/06/2005, 11:46:07 -- #17350

For that matter I can't think of a single beer brewed in the USA that even comes close to being world-class. That's because you live in California where they can't make beer! I've been to a dozen brewerys in sothern cal, including the one that makes Stone IPA in San Diego, and though Stone is almost tasty, it doesn't come close to the Northwest micros. I'm not talking Red Hook and the ones that are owned by Budwieser and such, I'm talking the breweries that don't even bottle their stuff up. The pacific northwest has some brews that will knock your socks off. For example, where I host a jam on tuesday nights, Boundary Bay Brewery, has beers that consistently win medals in international beer festivals, their pilsner winning a gold medal three years in a row at some prestigious german beer festival, and their other beers consistenly place high in the judging. Micros in Canada taste like bad water. Colorado and the rest of the rocky mountains also seem to have a problem making beer. As I said, SoCal can't make beer either. I don't know about the east coast. But Washington and Oregon, well, next time you're in the area check out a few of the good breweries. Boundary Bay in Bellingham, Water Street Brewery in Port Townsend, Elysian Brewery in Seattle, Pike Street Brewery in Seattle, there are quite a few great ones. Of course there are quite a few terrible ones so you have to ask people who like beer :)
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Whacky -- 08/06/2005, 11:54:56 -- #17352

Now that's grounds for a trip to the northwest!
Scot -- 08/07/2005, 23:39:41 -- #17390

Are we allowed to send beer through the mail? Maybe they won't know. Give me your address in private and I'll send you a bottle of Cabin Fever, a good seasonal brew with a kick of flavor and happy juice.
7 -- 08/08/2005, 01:59:04 -- #17394

For those of you familiar with Czechoslovakian beers, here's an interesting factoid: The beer that's called "Budvar" in the states, is called "Budweiser" in Europe. Since it is named after the town in Czechoslovakia where it is brewed, the brewery there has owned the trademark "Budweiser" for centuries. Therefore Anheuser-Busch is forbidden to market its best selling product under the name of "Budweiser" in Europe and consequently it is sold under the name "Bud". Which is only fair and just, seeing as how Anheuser-Busch stole the name and has absolutley no right whatsoever to even compare its mediocre beverage with ANY of the excellent Czechoslovakian beers!
sdm -- 08/08/2005, 11:26:47 -- #17406

7, you don't mention my favorate Mexican beer (again, while in Mexico -- here I drink local) - Bohemia, a nice dark beer. For the most part, I don't find "lite" beers worth pouring.
Scot -- 08/08/2005, 20:20:09 -- #17419

I will TRY my best to remember to get a couple bottles of Cabin Fever at the jam session tomorrow night. I have a note on my music bag so that's a start!
In The Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation
Bonzo -- 08/09/2005, 19:07:59 -- #17449

What mexican beer is for Americans on a hot summer day is weissbeer for Europeans. The beer is ready in the fridge, the only thing we need right now is SUMMER!! Try Hoegaarden, a nice weissbeer from the Belgium village of Hoegaarden, which had once more than 30 breweries. One of them Pierre Celis, sort of reinvented Hoegaarden beer and sold it to Interbrew. With the money he opened a brewery in Austin, Texas and started brewing Celis White.
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7 -- 08/09/2005, 19:15:24 -- #17450

I second the Hoegaarden Witbier recommendation! Yum!
sdm -- 08/09/2005, 19:58:52 -- #17453

OK, but wait. Everyone has said (and I've experienced) that beers don't travel all that well and, sadly, I won't be going to Belgium anytime soon. 7, have you seen this beer in the states and did it measure up, and, Bonzo, do you think the Celis White will be as good as the variety that can be had there? I have a great beer store here that might even have it (or would probably order it).
7 -- 08/10/2005, 01:58:01 -- #17456

You can get Hoegaarden White in the states and it tastes great! It's got like anise or something like that in it. It got this sweet bouquet to it, and its got (I think the call it) a "high gravity" which means it's kind of "thick" (as opposed to watery). ("High Gravity" would be a cool name for a band, eh?) Due to the high level of suspended nutrients you won't get a hangover either. It really has almost nothing in common with the German Wei�biers, a very singular and delicious drink. You know in Belgium the have beers for every time of the day and every occasion. Get ahold of some of the fruit based beers like the cherry, apple or pear varieties. (Those are for dessert).
Bonzo -- 08/10/2005, 06:23:37 -- #17460

You know the term Witbier (Whitebeer) is actually a wrong translation from the german Weissbier, which means wheat beer. Due to the "white" look everyone still calls it witbier. The dense look is because it is unfiltered. I never have drunk a Celis White before, last time I wanted to it was sold out;-) Hoegaarden is flavoured with orange peel and coriander, so it tastes sweeter and "easier" to drink than the german ones (schneider hefe weissen for example, very good beer too!). I'm drinking pilsner most of the time but wheat beer/witbier/weissbier is a nice alternative (same alcoholperc./refreshing/you're not fast saturated by it, easy to drink (don't know how to say it exactly,sorry)
7 -- 08/10/2005, 11:27:01 -- #17471

Weissbier (Wei�bier) means "White Beer". Wheat Beer is "Weizenbier". It's easy to get them mixed up because they look so similar (especially to a non-German speaker).
In The Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation
sdm -- 08/10/2005, 11:50:34 -- #17475

I will visit my local world-beer vendor and look for both. Great info -- thanks.
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7 -- 08/15/2005, 17:12:25 -- #17647
Belgian monks run out of the world's best beer
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050811/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_life_belgium_beer;_ylt=At9EVE6GCVrP13_IkDKeA5Gdk3QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
Whacky -- 08/15/2005, 19:14:00 -- #17650

My kind o monks! (guess they drank all of it)
Bonzo -- 08/24/2005, 17:54:27 -- #17977

next round?
ubergrafik -- 12/15/2005, 17:46:11 -- #22244
Australian beer
Well, Australia is the home of some very nice beers. Of course coopers is the best beer in the universe!
Bonzo -- 03/12/2006, 06:47:57 -- #25134
Grolsch conquers America!!
A local beer named Grolsch can soon be bought in the US. It is the nicest beer of the Netherlands (I know, that doesn't say much) and the stabdardbeer in my fridge. So check it out, they have larger bottles with a "beugel" (don't know how to say it in English, but it's a very nice closing/opening system and yet so simple.) When you open the bottle for the first time you hear a champagne-like "plop", only a bit deeper sound: the sound of delightful beer!
7 -- 03/12/2006, 13:14:43 -- #25138

Grolsch has been available for years and years in the USA. I don't know how to say "beugel" in English either, but I liked the beugel better when it was ceramic - now they're all plastic. And yeah, it probably is the nicest beer made in Holland.
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Bonzo -- 03/12/2006, 15:44:42 -- #25139

Plastic???? i am happy they have ceramic over here still. I hope it will stay that way. Plastic is cheap and you will taste it. Same with drinking beer out a cann: The beer is the same, but somehow it tastes a lot worse. At least that is my opinion. I read they still brew Grolsch in the Netherlands, because they can sell it like an "import beer" and probably sell more for a higher price......not good!
Bonzo -- 10/09/2006, 06:18:16 -- #30377
bock beer!!
in stores now....cheers!!!
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