The Real TNL Pub 2009

[stormy]

I read chocolate and coffee ice creams are a better match for Guinness. I will prob go pick some chocolate up. Guinness made the vanilla ice cream better, but the vanilla didn't make the Guinness better. I'll prob buy some chocolate stouts as well while I'm out.

[Tones]

No offense Tones, but Le Merle is one half-assed saison. Real saison tastes like pussy.

Brooklyn black ops/black choc stout + vanilla ice cream = sex

None taken; perhaps I have not had a true saison, then. What would you recommend as an alternative?

[Tones]

I picked up a 4 pack of Young's today. I am going to do this and let you know.

You got the nitro cans, right?

[Tracer]

Had some Vina Borgia (Grenache) last night, as well as some home brews (some kind of abbey style) and had a pretty good time. Since I've been in a broke-ass drinking rut lately, I think I'll just rattle off some of my favorite beers and wine by style/varietal.

Stout:
Murphy's is good if you're getting cheap, it's better than Guinness in my book and costs about 5.50 for a 4 pack of widget tallboys.
Sam Smith's Imperial and Oatmeal Stouts are nice. I'm a huge fan of Imperial Stout so many of these are my favs.
Left Hand Brewing's Chainsaw and Milk Stout are also delicious.

Porter:
Porters are light stouts, stouts were originally called "stout porters." I like Brekenridge Vanilla Porter and Fullers London Porter as well as BJ's Brewhouse's PM Porter.

Bock Beers:
From Bock, Eisbock, Double Bock and more these can be VERY tasty and usually pretty dangerous to drink (particularly Double Bock) since they drink so easily and quickly and they can be very high in the ABV. My favorites are Ayinger Celebrator, Spaten Optimator is good for less and Aventinus makes a Weisen Dopplebock (yeah, wheat) which is remarkable. Sam Adams makes their best beer in this category seasonally (January) simply called Double Bock. It's 8.8 and tastes like a reduced brown sugar nectar with just enough spice from the Noble Hops. Shiner here is best known for their Bock, though they do have a pussified version of a Double called Commemorator (Dopplebock's can be spoted by having "-ator" on the ends of thier names).

Pilsner:
Oh the mighty pilsner, the perfect companion to sitting out by the pool or at the beach. Pilsner Urquell isn't bad despite being weak in the ABV department, but Mama's Little Yella Pils fromOskar Blues is the champion.

Lager:
Oh the boring lager, perfect companion for a pitcher and 4 glasses at some rando pub. I'll pretty much drink anything in this situation, but if I really want a top-tier lager, I'd go for Full Sail's Session Beer. Stella Artois is another popular choice.

Wheat:
Not a style, but I'm not going to split hairs about it when the ingredient can so aptly describe the vast majority of White/Hefe/Weisbier's out there. You know the stuff people put oranges and lemons into. Erdinger is the best Hefe, without question, while South Hampton Double White is also good if you want more body. Allagash delivers another nice White and Unibroue's Don De Dieu is a triple-fermented (aka Tripel) white. It tastes like a 100 volt Mimosa with a touch of hops oil. For better or worse, these beers can be interesting.

Pale Ale:
Fun beers, though over-done in the American Microbrew market. Full Sail and Sierra Nevada are safe picks, Newcastle tastes like one (I know, I know, "brown ale") and while it's not named as such, the Belgians wanted to reproduce what the English brought with them in WW2, and Maredsous did with Duvel (A Devil of a Beer). Although "Golden Ales" have become their own category, I think the two are simular enough. Granted, it's not really fair to compare Duvel to Sierra Nevada given the vast difference in cost and quality between the two.

IPA:
Pale Ales with a hardon for hops. Dogfish Head is the name of the game with regards to IPA's. 60 Minute is mild and refreshing, 90 Minute is intense and rich and 120 Minute is a novelty at 21.5% or so ABV. It doesn't so much as taste like bleach as it has a hard alcohol hit to it with distinctive tones of grapefruit and .. vegetable.. almost like brussel sprouts. It'll make your piss smell just like it too. Another good IPA is Avery IPA.

I'll post more later.

[Uriel]

You bitches should have listened to me months ago when I told you to try Young's.


My "standard" beer of choice right now, which most of the decent bars around here have, is St. George's.

It has a dwagon on the tap, RAWR!

[Tracer]

Youngs Special London Ale was the shit. I can't find it anymore.

[Hubbitron]

Had some Vina Borgia (Grenache) last night, as well as some home brews (some kind of abbey style) and had a pretty good time. Since I've been in a broke-ass drinking rut lately, I think I'll just rattle off some of my favorite beers and wine by style/varietal.

Stout:
Murphy's is good if you're getting cheap, it's better than Guinness in my book and costs about 5.50 for a 4 pack of widget tallboys.
Sam Smith's Imperial and Oatmeal Stouts are nice. I'm a huge fan of Imperial Stout so many of these are my favs.
Left Hand Brewing's Chainsaw and Milk Stout are also delicious.

Porter:
Porters are light stouts, stouts were originally called "stout porters." I like Brekenridge Vanilla Porter and Fullers London Porter as well as BJ's Brewhouse's PM Porter.

Bock Beers:
From Bock, Eisbock, Double Bock and more these can be VERY tasty and usually pretty dangerous to drink (particularly Double Bock) since they drink so easily and quickly and they can be very high in the ABV. My favorites are Ayinger Celebrator, Spaten Optimator is good for less and Aventinus makes a Weisen Dopplebock (yeah, wheat) which is remarkable. Sam Adams makes their best beer in this category seasonally (January) simply called Double Bock. It's 8.8 and tastes like a reduced brown sugar nectar with just enough spice from the Noble Hops. Shiner here is best known for their Bock, though they do have a pussified version of a Double called Commemorator (Dopplebock's can be spoted by having "-ator" on the ends of thier names).

Pilsner:
Oh the mighty pilsner, the perfect companion to sitting out by the pool or at the beach. Pilsner Urquell isn't bad despite being weak in the ABV department, but Mama's Little Yella Pils fromOskar Blues is the champion.

Lager:
Oh the boring lager, perfect companion for a pitcher and 4 glasses at some rando pub. I'll pretty much drink anything in this situation, but if I really want a top-tier lager, I'd go for Full Sail's Session Beer. Stella Artois is another popular choice.

Wheat:
Not a style, but I'm not going to split hairs about it when the ingredient can so aptly describe the vast majority of White/Hefe/Weisbier's out there. You know the stuff people put oranges and lemons into. Erdinger is the best Hefe, without question, while South Hampton Double White is also good if you want more body. Allagash delivers another nice White and Unibroue's Don De Dieu is a triple-fermented (aka Tripel) white. It tastes like a 100 volt Mimosa with a touch of hops oil. For better or worse, these beers can be interesting.

Pale Ale:
Fun beers, though over-done in the American Microbrew market. Full Sail and Sierra Nevada are safe picks, Newcastle tastes like one (I know, I know, "brown ale") and while it's not named as such, the Belgians wanted to reproduce what the English brought with them in WW2, and Maredsous did with Duvel (A Devil of a Beer). Although "Golden Ales" have become their own category, I think the two are simular enough. Granted, it's not really fair to compare Duvel to Sierra Nevada given the vast difference in cost and quality between the two.

IPA:
Pale Ales with a hardon for hops. Dogfish Head is the name of the game with regards to IPA's. 60 Minute is mild and refreshing, 90 Minute is intense and rich and 120 Minute is a novelty at 21.5% or so ABV. It doesn't so much as taste like bleach as it has a hard alcohol hit to it with distinctive tones of grapefruit and .. vegetable.. almost like brussel sprouts. It'll make your piss smell just like it too. Another good IPA is Avery IPA.

I'll post more later.

All of this is TRUTH. Mama's little yella pils rocks so hard.

[Mr-K]

You got the nitro cans, right?

Is that a fancy pants way of saying does it have the clicky farty doo-dad in it? If so, yes.

[Tones]

As opposed to the bottle, which doesn't taste nearly as good in comparison.

Also: Hubb, I've been trying to find Ten Fidy, ever since I had it at your (ex?) bar, but I guess it's out of season.

[Mr-K]

I've always considered a scoop of ice cream in the chocolate stouts, but I've never actually gone through with it.

Did this just now. It was okay. I think my palate was kind of fucked from the red curry I had earlier. I would do it again.