NationStates Jolt Archive

Due to the highly unorthodox lies presented by United Belgium in a recent thread entitled 'Belgian Beers', in which he claims that Beligan beer is the best beer in the world, I was inspired to make a thread about beers in general. I will refrain from posting a poll however, since the amount of brands out there is vast.

I'm a pilsner man myself. And by pilsner I don't mean any 'pilsner type' of beer, I mean the one and only original Pilsner Urquell - the first and best pilsner in the world. And if it's any nation that knows how to make beer, it's the Czech Republic - Pilsner Urquell is followed closely by it's friends Gambrinus, Krušovice, Staropramen, Starobrno, Zlatopramen, Kozel, etc, etc.

Even though I currently live in the Czech Republic, my reason for stating this is not a patriotic one. I am a Swedish citizen, and was of this opinion even before I even considered moving to the Czech Republic to study. I must furthermore alas proclaim that Swedish beer could very well be among the worst beer out there (Not counting brands like "Mujaffas OB-flavoured Stout").

But I'm not entirely narrow minded, I also love other non-czech brands with Beck's, Stella Artois, Lowenbrau on the top of the list. Drinking those brands would be pointless for me however since A) You can't get them on tap here in the Czech Republic, and B) Even if that was possible, I would have no reason since non-czech beer is here way expensive in comparison.

Home-Brewing rocks!

I'm a big staropramen and pilsner urquell booster, and I'm lucky enough to have both on tap at a garden within a mile of my place. But when it comes down to it, I'm a patriot and a nationalist when it comes to beers (but only when it comes to beers). Anchor and Sierra Nevada stand up well against anything else out there.

I had Newcastle Brown Ale for the first time a couple o' weeks ago. Interesting...

Home-Brewing rocks!

What are you cooking? (And how prefab do you go? I'm contemplating making the jump from malt extracts to grain, but I'm scared.)

The only beer I can stand is Dos Equis.

Due to the highly unorthodox lies presented by United Belgium in a recent thread entitled 'Belgian Beers', in which he claims that Beligan beer is the best beer in the world.

Everyone knows that Belgium is the best beercountry in the world. That's a fact.
Germany has also good beers, that's for sure
BUT no other country has so much kinds of beers, no country other than Belgium has trappist beers, no other country has so many abbeybeers with a rich tradition.
Other lands have also beers, but only pils
Belgium has also lots of high quality degustation beers.

Home-Brewing rocks!

I didn't mention this since I figured no one would know of it's existence, but one of my all time favourites is the home-brewed *unpasteurized* beer of the Prague pub Pivovarský Dům. Ruleage.

Everyone knows that Belgium is the best beercountry in the world. That's a fact.

That, sir, Is a lie ;)

The Czech Republic is the best beercountry in the world. It also has the highest beer consumption per capita (160 l).

What are you cooking? (And how prefab do you go? I'm contemplating making the jump from malt extracts to grain, but I'm scared.)
Go with the grain. If you do it right (it's not all that hard) it's really good.

I'd also suggest that you use the liquid yeast stuff. It's very useful.

And my personal favorite is a nice Bavarian Weissbier. Has the most excellent bananna clove flavor...Just can't let it ferment in a cool place, doesn't get sufficiently carbonated.

If you want to get an easy brew that uses grains, I'd bet if you go to your area homebrewer shop you can get a nice starter kit, just to get used to it that is.

Go with the grain. If you do it right (it's not all that hard) it's really good.

I'd also suggest that you use the liquid yeast stuff. It's very useful.

I'm on to liquid yeast. I don't have a continuous culture or one of those magnetic agitators or anything fancy, but I find the whack packs are a lot more reliable than the dry stuff.

The main turnoff of grain is the giant tea cozy and the consistent temp thing. The major appeal is that I like to say "sparge water." Also, cooking from extract is too easy. It doesn't really feel like a hobby anymore. It's more like putting together a wet, drinkable jigsaw puzzle.

I only drink the porter and stouts..dark beer is the best, fills you up like a meal :D

Everyone knows that Belgium is the best beercountry in the world. That's a fact.
Germany has also good beers, that's for sure
BUT no other country has so much kinds of beers, no country other than Belgium has trappist beers, no other country has so many abbeybeers with a rich tradition.
Other lands have also beers, but only pils
Belgium has also lots of high quality degustation beers.
I read in another thread that there are thirty ways to order a beer in Belgium. Any country that takes beer that seriously has my vote, whatever they're selling.

Now if I can just find a way to get there, where should I stay?

I had Newcastle Brown Ale for the first time a couple o' weeks ago. Interesting...

Now thats more like it! As far as I am concerned all other "beers" in the world, with the exception of guinness, are lagers, and not worthy of the title beer. For true beer, drink true English ale! Bitter, heavy, ale, call it what you like, it can't be beaten!

I had Newcastle Brown Ale for the first time a couple o' weeks ago. Interesting...

It's always struck me as somehow oily. I don't know what gives it this flavor, but I'm always left with a buttery, greasy Newcastle aftertaste. Ugh.

Once i drunk Guinness, well i found it awefull :s
I also drunk german beers in germany, so i'm not narrowminded too ;).
When i'm in another country, than i alwyas try the local stuff.

Once i drunk Guinness, well i found it awefull :s
I also drunk german beers in germany, so i'm not narrowminded too ;).
When i'm in another country, than i alwyas try the local stuff.
Well, that's the only way to be is it? When I was in Europe there was no force in heaven or hell that could have made me drink an American beer.

American beer does suck, yer.

Word of advice though, If you're ever in Prague - do not dismiss Budvar! Budvar/Budweiser has the same logo that the American Budweiser has, though it's completely different - the american brand actually stole their logo and got away with it in court for some reason. However, the American Budweiser is not allowed to be sold in Prague.

Now thats more like it! As far as I am concerned all other "beers" in the world, with the exception of guinness, are lagers, and not worthy of the title beer. For true beer, drink true English ale! Bitter, heavy, ale, call it what you like, it can't be beaten!


Bitters suck

I like ale

Bitters suck

Have you actually tried them? Many English bitters are some of the oldest and purest beers in the world. Contrary to popular belief their very different too. Northern bitters tend to be thicker and creamier, like tetleys or boddingtond, whereas southern bitters use more hops and are thinner and fizzier, like Shepherd Neame or Courage.

...And if it's any nation that knows how to make beer, it's the Czech Republic...

Do you know the story of the pilsner? When Josef Groll tried to brew beer in Pilsen, there was so much lime in the water that it did not brew as he intended. This accident created the pilsner which, while I can not say is my favorite, did lead to the idea of showing it's beautiful color in a clear glass. I will also concede that I find Czech & southern Polish hops to be among the best in the world.

However, I really can't find fault in the claim that Belgium produces the best beers. Between their trappist ales & lambics, there is no place I would consider to have better mastered the art of brewing. My greatest alcohol-purposed destinations in the future are a tour of Belgium, St. James Gate Brewery in 2009, & Octoberfest in Munich, Germany.

Have you actually tried them? Many English bitters are some of the oldest and purest beers in the world. Contrary to popular belief their very different too. Northern bitters tend to be thicker and creamier, like tetleys or boddingtond, whereas southern bitters use more hops and are thinner and fizzier, like Shepherd Neame or Courage.

Blah I have had tetleys before, not to my liking

Anybody drink those smaller-breweries beers? The ones that supermarkets sell as pint bottles. Like Bishops Finger - one of the most disgusting names for a beer I ever heard :eek:

Anybody drink those smaller-breweries beers? The ones that supermarkets sell as pint bottles. Like Bishops Finger - one of the most disgusting names for a beer I ever heard :eek:

Bishops finger (locally known as nuns delight!) is from the Sheperd Neame brewery here in Kent. If you can get hold of it they make an excellent porter ale called 1698, after the year the brewery was founded. Mind out, though, its bloody strong.

There is only one beer in this world that doesn't taste like stale horse piss in my mouth - and that's Guinness.

I just had a bottle of Sleeman Honey Brown with my spicy Korean noodles - never again, I'll tell you that.

The Czech Republic is the best beercountry in the world. It also has the highest beer consumption per capita

I thought it was second to Germany?

CR is the best place to get lager in my experience - by far. Nicest to drink and cheapest on top!
However, English Bitter is superior to any otehr similar alcoholic drink i've had. Belgian is nice, but not as good.

Jayastan - you're basing your opinion on.... tetleys? :s That's just daft :P If it was Tetley's from a tap then you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, if it was cask (hand pulled) then ok, it's a reasonable bitter, but nowhere near the best. My personal favourites are Theakstons and Bomber, altho i have a spft spot for Black Sheep and many other bitters. Bishop's finger is nice but there's soemthign about it which i'm not too keen on (which i cant put my finger on atm - possibly it's too sweet? i'm not sure). 'Smaller brewery' beer is far, far superior to commercially distrobuted imitations such as John Smiths and Tetleys thru a tap.
Personally i find Guinness drinkable (it's the only think i can endure beer-wise at my uni bar) but it has a disturbing resemblance to liquidified soil.

Egils Gull

I had Newcastle Brown Ale for the first time a couple o' weeks ago. Interesting...

The best beer in the world, when drunk cold, direct from the bottle in a rather dark nightclub in the basement of a shopping mall/arcade that plays good solid blues rock in a West Yorkshire town called Leeds.

I miss the Lizard Club. (It's gone now, I know)

Bishops finger (locally known as nuns delight!) is from the Sheperd Neame brewery here in Kent. If you can get hold of it they make an excellent porter ale called 1698, after the year the brewery was founded. Mind out, though, its bloody strong.

Used to drink it (Bishops finger) at the Hautboy in Ockham. A little too sweet for my taste, but as you say, its strong. Never did get hold of 1698

The best beer in the world, when drunk cold, direct from the bottle in a rather dark nightclub in the basement of a shopping mall/arcade that plays good solid blues rock in a West Yorkshire town called Leeds.

I miss the Lizard Club. (It's gone now, I know)
It's weird. I had a sudden sensation to go around headbutting people whilst sing 'fog on the tyne'. But it was OK, I was on the metal floor of my local rock nightclub. So I fit right in :D

American Beer is like sex in a canoe.

And I bet nobody here can figure out why....

I drink bitter. Tetleys usually. And I get called an old man for doing so. (I'm not even legal to drink yet).

But, on the upside, a few of my friends have taken to calling me "A real man" when we go out, cos they're all on lager.

I hate anything from a bottle, and cans are hardly any better. It has to be from the tap.

American Beer is like sex in a canoe.

And I bet nobody here can figure out why....

F..king close to water.

I drink bitter. Tetleys usually. And I get called an old man for doing so. (I'm not even legal to drink yet).

But, on the upside, a few of my friends have taken to calling me "A real man" when we go out, cos they're all on lager.

I hate anything from a bottle, and cans are hardly any better. It has to be from the tap.

Tetleys make tea bags make tea.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Tetleys make tea bags make tea.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Yeah. You say it as a joke. Confused the hell out of me a coupla years back.

Yeah. You say it as a joke. Confused the hell out of me a coupla years back.

Do you have any idea how confused the americans are right now. Fun isn't it.

Man beer, my favourite beverages, y'are all bastards.

As it is past last orders and you have me hankering for a pint.

Well lets see, my favourite ale would probably be a pint of spitfire from good old shepherd neame down in kent. Light over brown is also nice.

Staropramnen is an extremely nice pint of lager, and I do think it is superior to kozel, kozel however does taste lush with a top.

I'd agree that most american beers are like pisswater, having said that though there was one I tried over there that was extremely tasty called Samuel Adams. I suggest you try it out if you hadn't, unfortunately, it was the only decent beer I had in my whole 5 week stay in the states, and that was on the first day (in a bar that had 48 different beers on draught - what can I say, philly airport rocks :p)

Do you have any idea how confused the americans are right now. Fun isn't it.

Yeah. I hear they don't get bitter over there at all.

Yeah. I hear they don't get bitter over there at all.

Sam Adams is sort of a bitter, the rest though is lager in bottles mostly. Just like here dammit. (we can get cans of guiness, but at stupid prices. So I now drink vodka instead Smirnoff Black label for £11 a bottle)