How much coffee and alcohol do you consume daily?

[smallcoffee]

Sour beer? What is sour beer, is this slang? A brand name, please.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_beer

I can't make any brand name suggestions, unfortunately.

A lambic is ok, but just about everything else is beyond gross.

http://time.com/4913121/sour-beer-drink/

“Thirty years ago we would have thrown these brews away, saying they were bad,” Harris says. “Now, we are purposely putting tanks in our breweries to sour beer. It’s the evolution of craft brewing now.”

No, you should still throw them away.

 

[Huntn]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_beer

I can't make any brand name suggestions, unfortunately.

A lambic is ok, but just about everything else is beyond gross.

http://time.com/4913121/sour-beer-drink/



No, you should still throw them away.

Lol. I wonder if these are sold on purpose in the US? It’s sounding like an acquired taste. I guess I’d have to try one, but the description does not sound appealing. Anyone know of a brand name available in the US? I might be afraid to buy an entire 6 pack.

 

[smallcoffee]

Lol. I wonder if these are sold on purpose in the US? It’s sounding like an acquired taste. I guess I’d have to try one, but the description does not sound appealing.

They're very popular in Europe, where they originated.

 

[D.T.]

I’ve not heard the term, sour beer.

Sours are _super_ popular in the [US] beer culture now. While I like them less than some other styles, there are some superlative options, if you want to give it a shot (and don't want to track down some obscure product), I'd suggest a few options from Southern Tier:

Imperial Cherry Gose
Imperial Grape Gose
Blueberry Tart Ale

Side note: the micro brewery in Chelsea during our NYC trip had an +amazing+ cranberry sour on tap.

 

[Huntn]

Sours are _super_ popular in the [US] beer culture now. While I like them less than some other styles, there are some superlative options, if you want to give it a shot (and don't want to track down some obscure product), I'd suggest a few options from Southern Tier:

Imperial Cherry Gose
Imperial Grape Gose
Blueberry Tart Ale

Side note: the micro brewery in Chelsea during our NYC trip had an +amazing+ cranberry sour on tap.

I suppose they are clearly marked as sour?

 

[D.T.]

Yeah, generally it'll have sour somewhere on the labeling.

Wait a sec ...

 

[smallcoffee]

It says Imperial Sour Ale on the label

 

[Huntn]

Yeah, generally it'll have sour somewhere on the labeling.

Wait a sec ...

View attachment 744563

It says Imperial Sour Ale on the label

I’ve noticed one of the local grocery stores has an connoisseur wine and beer section which sells individual bottles of beer for some brands. This might be the place to look to avoid committing to a six pack.

 

[D.T.]

I’ve noticed one of the local grocery stores has an connoisseur wine and beer section which sells individual bottles of beer for some brands. This might be the place to look to avoid committing to a six pack.

If you have a good source for beer, just wander in a look around. Our local chain liquor stores are pretty good, but we have a privately owned one that has a huge selection of [craft] beer. Several wall coolers and a whole designated "beer cave" with 22-24oz singles, choose your own 6-pack, lots of really unique stuff and a staff that's really into it (I use the Tapped App where they update their weekly new options).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I suppose they are clearly marked as sour?

They have a tart case which is very refreshing - and which I like a lot - in spring, summer and autumn; not sure I'd recommend them for winter drinking, rich, robust stouts may be better.

The original version of this style - from Belgium - uses raspberries or cherries quite a bit, and the best of them - using natural ingredients - are expensive, (as they are both time and labour intensive), are sour/tart, crisp and - to my palate - delicious.

The industrial versions are a lot cheaper, much sweeter, and, frankly cloying, at times.

The US company "Crooked Stave" produces some - to my mind - quite lovely sour beers.

 

[D.T.]

Cross posting this find from yesterday, maybe going a little OT, but it's the holidays

(Not a sour, so VERY much in the opposite direction on the beer spectrum)

 

[Huntn]

Cross posting this find from yesterday, maybe going a little OT, but it's the holidays

(Not a sour, so VERY much in the opposite direction on the beer spectrum)

View attachment 744574

I have to wonder how much they paid for that package design or if it was owner’s kid? Not that it might taste good.

 

[D.T.]

I have to wonder how much they paid for that design or if it was owner’s kid?

Dogfish Head can do _no_ wrong. And as someone who has worked peripherally to the design industry for decades, I find the design kind of charming

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Dogfish Head can do _no_ wrong. And as someone who has worked peripherally to the design industry for decades, I find the design kind of charming

Actually, I think it's lovely.

 

[Huntn]

They have a tart case which is very refreshing - and which I like a lot - in spring, summer and autumn; not sure I'd recommend them for winter drinking, rich, robust stouts may be better.

The original version of this style - from Belgium - uses raspberries or cherries quite a bit, and the best of them - using natural ingredients - are expensive, (as they are both time and labour intensive), are sour/tart, crisp and - to my palate - delicious.

The industrial versions are a lot cheaper, much sweeter, and, frankly cloying, at times.

The US company "Crooked Stave" produces some - to my mind - quite lovely sour beers.

I’m getting a feeling there is heavy reliance on fruit flavors for these sours to taste decent?

 

[smallcoffee]

Cross posting this find from yesterday, maybe going a little OT, but it's the holidays

(Not a sour, so VERY much in the opposite direction on the beer spectrum)

View attachment 744574

This looks delicious.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I’m getting a feeling there is heavy reliance on fruit flavors for these sours to taste decent?

Try to find some of the beers from Crooked Stave; they don't use fruit (most of the time) but do offer an excellent example of the "sour style" - yes, they are 'tart' - and their quality is excellent.

For a milder (but again, excellent - as it is natural) version of a fruit beer (that is not sour, but is not sweet) might I recommend the superb "Blushing Monk" from Founder's, an American brewer I rate highly. This is a natural raspberry beer - and, if memory serves, it has quite a hefty ABV.

The fruit does not always serve to disguise taste; sometimes, it disguises ABV; Mikkeller made some superb (outrageously expensive but superlative) sour fruit beers, with a stratospheric ABV; I remember sipping one - with increasing horror - the night the results of the Brexit referendum came in; I was unable to face a second - not least because I had to catch a train at an ungodly hour to attend a postmortem meeting.

 

[Huntn]

Dogfish Head can do _no_ wrong. And as someone who has worked peripherally to the design industry for decades, I find the design kind of charming

It strikes me as a kind of a let’s try something different jumbled mess. This is not a critique of the product itself, which I have not tried.

Background, I have always disliked overly large lettering, especially on the sides of airliners, especially if they were to be jumbled.

​

I prefer clean and crisp product labeling, studied to be a commercial artist in college, but not implying I corner the market on good taste.

​

[doublepost=1514738680][/doublepost]

Try to find some of the beers from Crooked Stave; they don't use fruit (most of the time) but do offer an excellent example of the "sour style" - yes, they are 'tart' - and their quality is excellent.

For a milder (but again, excellent - as it is natural) version of a fruit beer (that is not sour, but is not sweet) might I recommend the superb "Blushing Monk" from Founder's, an American brewer I rate highly. This is a natural raspberry beer - and, if memory serves, it has quite a hefty ABV.

The fruit does not always serve to disguise taste; sometimes, it disguises ABV; Mikkeller made some superb (outrageously expensive but superlative) sour fruit beers, with a stratospheric ABV; I remember sipping one - with increasing horror - the night the results of the Brexit referendum came in; I was unable to face a second - not least because I had to catch a train at an ungodly hour to attend a postmortem meeting.

There are several liquor stores around, will keep an eye out for these. Thanks!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It strikes me as a kind of a let’s try something different jumbled mess. This is not a critique of the product itself, which I have not tried.

Background, I have always disliked overly large lettering, especially on the sides of airliners.

View attachment 744584​

I prefer clean and crisp product labeling, studied to be a commercial artist in college, but not implying I corner the market on good taste.

View attachment 744581 View attachment 744582 View attachment 744583​

[doublepost=1514738680][/doublepost]
There are several liquor stores around, will keep an eye out for these.

Crooked Stave and Founder's are both excellent American brands; if they are available in good stores in Europe, - as they are - it should not present an insurmountable difficulty to lay hands on them in the US.

Mikkeller are a bit different; they are danish, as far as I know, and, their products are superb (and wickedly expensive, but I do buy them whenever I lay eyes on them); however, people I know in the trade say that they can be a bit of a pain to deal with, and thus, no longer stock their products.

 

[D.T.]

This looks delicious.

It was terrific: it's very dark, complex, being aged in barrels it's got nice hints of oak with slight bourbon taste up front, creamy soft in the mouth, lots of chocolate/coffee, with some plum/fig, vanilla on the finish. It also has an ABV of 16%+ ! So a huge ABV but it's so rich, you're _probably_ not going to pound two back-to-back The wife and I actually split one, just have a slow after dinner sipper.

 

[smallcoffee]

Crooked Stave and Founder's are both excellent American brands; if they are available in good stores in Europe, - as they are - it should not present an insurmountable difficulty to lay hands on them in the US.

It depends. There are some states/cities/regions in the U.S. that simply don't get good beer or have poor laws about something such as the percentage of alcohol allowed to be served in an item classified as a beer.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It was terrific: it's very dark, complex, being aged in barrels it's got nice hints of oak with slight bourbon taste up front, creamy soft in the mouth, lots of chocolate/coffee, with some plum/fig, vanilla on the finish. It also has an ABV of 16%+ ! So a huge ABV but it's so rich, you're _probably_ not going to pound two back-to-back The wife and I actually split one, just have a slow after dinner sipper.

How large - as in how much capacity - are the bottles?

 

[smallcoffee]

How large - as in how much capacity - are the bottles?

12 ounces

 

[Scepticalscribe]

12 ounces

Sorry: I know pints, and half pints, and litres and half litres - we use both systems in Europe; how much is twelve ounces?
[doublepost=1514740089][/doublepost]

It was terrific: it's very dark, complex, being aged in barrels it's got nice hints of oak with slight bourbon taste up front, creamy soft in the mouth, lots of chocolate/coffee, with some plum/fig, vanilla on the finish. It also has an ABV of 16%+ ! So a huge ABV but it's so rich, you're _probably_ not going to pound two back-to-back The wife and I actually split one, just have a slow after dinner sipper.

Sounds amazing.

It depends. There are some states/cities/regions in the U.S. that simply don't get good beer or have poor laws about something such as the percentage of alcohol allowed to be served in an item classified as a beer.

Gosh.

Well, there are parts of Europe as well with peculiarly restrictive laws concerning the sale (and consumption) of alcohol.

 

[smallcoffee]

Sorry: I know pints, and half pints, and litres and half litres - we use both systems in Europe; how much is twelve ounces?

I would imagine a half pint but I'm not sure.

Gosh.

Well, there are parts of Europe as well with peculiarly restrictive laws concerning the sale (and consumption) of alcohol.

Well, it's not so much restrictive (except I think in Utah where the Mormons are) but it's sometimes a little crazy. Where I live we have amazing beer, but until last year or the year before we couldn't get beer over 16% (I think) ABV. In some other cases, a brewery such as Founders might just not send their beer to a state for distribution. There are other brewers that are very, very good but regional instead of national. The U.S. is gigantic.

In Canada you can't sell beer after 11pm in stores (at least in Montreal) or before 11am in Ontario. In the U.S. there are some states which are the sole purchaser of liquor and then they resale the liquor (government-sanctioned monopoly) to stores with official licenses and such. Big government isn't always great.