Favourite beer

[Floating Onion]

I actually had that recently. There was another one that was 9% or so, but oddly I can't remember what it was!!

[Brendan]

I?m with you on it having to be cold there FO.

English beer that is traditionally served not-that-cold tastes way better properly chilled. Badger First Gold in the bottle or London Pride in the bottle nicely chilled and best enjoyed along with your choice of whisky.

Or am I just being a philistine?

[EDOldie]

The best alcohol free one I've ever tasted was Sam Adams light in the US, not seen it over here. Bottled Budvar takes some beating, if you want a proper drink

[Incitatus]

If it's out a tap then it has to be real ale, bottled real ales tend to let themselves down, apart from the odd superior bottle conditioned ales such as Worthington?s white shield.

For me the 'Don' of bottled beers is Orval Belgian Trappist Ale. At a modest by Belgian standards 6.2% it's hard to find but well worth the effort.

On that subject does anyone remember the now long gone Belgo Zuid on Ladbroke Grove, the bar that served many, many strong beers looked out above the restaurant the floor design of which was an optical illusion which looked as if the restaurant was on a steep slope with the tables about to slip down. All that was exacerbated by strong Belgian beer, I'm afraid I was very, very drunk.

[downsouth]

Not had the Dead Dog Fish - from memory but the US hoppy beers can be nice when they're not too OTT. Anchor Steam beer, Sierra Nevada and Three Floyds are the best ones I've tried.

Doing my usual going against the grain thing, I prefer most beers, in particular English bitters, to be just below room temperature. i.e. chill for 10 minutes.

After all this beer talk i'm going to get get a nice Belgian beer out of the fridge :)

[Marmora Man]

Gales Ales of Hampshire used to make a great Pale Ale, still fermenting in the bottle which had a cork closure. Not sure if it's still available.

[mattham]

Harvey's Sussex Best. Cut my teeth on that.

Samuel Kieth's is a nice Canadian IPA, if anyone's ever out that way.

[PeckhamRose]

Youngs Double Chocolate Stout (bottle)

Dogbolter (RIP Firkin Brewery)

Mackeson Stout

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm beeerrrrrrr

[Nero]

Down South, Sierra Nevada - that's the one I was trying to recall. I drank it in a bar in Georgetown where I also recently drank Dead Dogfish Head. It was empty, save for me and the bartender, a former marine with a metal plate in his head. I told him that Stella was called 'wife beater' over here and he laughed. Nero

[downsouth]

Marmora Man Wrote:

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> Gales Ales of Hampshire used to make a great Pale

> Ale, still fermenting in the bottle which had a

> cork closure. Not sure if it's still available.

Gales are now owned by Fullers - had a Seafarers Ale on cask recently - it was ok. don't think they do the pale ale anymore.

You can get a few of the rare beers mentioned here from Borough Market - but I think ED could do with one.

[spadetownboy]

hard to bate a pint of harp in the summer and a pint of plain in the winter

[mockney piers]

I was at the Market Porter last night as the Taste Spain thing was really a bit of a tourist board free-for-all type affair, greed bringing out the worst in people (mostly the americans I'm said to say Roadster) and we couldn't get within 20 metres of the giant Paella.

So popped into the porter, Muttley's Dark for me, jolly nice and my brother had Meantime's lager, which I tried (I love their IPA) and was very impressed by.

On a by the by we went to Feng Sushi afterwards and was disappointed by how much their standards have dropped.

*edited for tarring an onion with a septic brush*

[Jah Lush]

Aaahh..beer, lovely beer. Far too many favourites to mention. But a quick mention in despatches for Fullers ESB, Harveys Best, Timothy Taylors Landlord, London Pride canned Red Stripe and a lovely pint of extra cold draught Guinness.

[Floating Onion]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> (mostly the americans I'm said to

> say FO/BR)

I assume this is referring to me, but I'm not American so say what you want!!

Anways, back to beer. mattham, did you mean Alexander Keith's? A very nice beer. Also if you're in Ontario I'm quite partial to Creemore Springs, a nice lager. There's a lot of microbreweries in Canada that turn out good stuff depending on where you are.

Also if you ever near Cologne the K?lsch is great! Especially for those of us who like a colder brew. They serve it in 200 mL glasses so it doesn't get warm before you're done. The refills appear very rapidly, so no worries about running out.

[mockney piers]

Oops, sorry there. I think we discuss this every time we meet, but it's always a bit late in the evening for facts to settle into my beer addled brain. I won't make that mistake again ;)

[downsouth]

Market Porter is great for their guest ales. The best place round here for a decent guest ale is Hoopers. I had a bersalis Beligian Beer last night 9.5% - I slept like a baby...

[mockney piers]

Completely agree, it's great that I don't HAVE to go to Borough for a decent pint now :)

[Jah Lush]

downsouth Wrote:

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I slept like a baby...

Does that mean you woke up several times in the middle of the night screaming and crying and shat yourself? Sorry, couldn't resist.

Anyway, all hail to the ale.

[downsouth]

Yeah, but it was ok I was wearing my nappy. Is it me or does ED lack a place to get a wide selection of ale? I know you can get odds and sods from Oddbins/Threshers/Green & Blue, but how about something a bit more comprehensive?

[Brendan]

Sainsbury's actually has a fair selection of British ales.

[downsouth]

It's ok - that's where I pick up my usuals from but I am talking about some nice Belgian and German beers i.e not Leffe, Hoogaarden or Erdinger. Other areas have such places (Wimbledon, Richmond, Clapham, Borough) , I would have thought ED would have one by now.

[Brendan]

*Stares wistfully into the middle distance* "I see my future and in it I run a beer shop"

[SeanMacGabhann]

There aren't MANY reasons to go to Croydon but this place

Beer Circus

has always been an oasis. Hundreds of beers - But hurry, closes down soon..

[downsouth]

Yeah i know Graham the owner. That place is a legend. Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!

Brendan - I've been thinking the same thing myself. Hopefully will have an update in the next few months.

[Brendan]

At the risk of discussing something that is actually worthwhile today. I am fast becoming a convert to Golden Ales. Not being someone to stick to one type of beer exclusively I often find myself at a loss when deciding what to order. When I can?t decided because of too much or lack of choice I normally default to Guinness but recently I have found myself seeking out golden ales as a summer alternative.

I realise they were originally developed to lure lager drinkers back to ale but I think they have really developed their own character and can be seen a drink unto themselves now.

I?m also probably an advertising whore because both Wells and Fullers have been pushing their product leaders at the moment with Waggle Dance and Honey Dew respectively. (I blame the ginormous Fullers advert on Denmark Hill station)

They?re both very nice by the way.