Stomachs on legs are proud to present

Brew Dog Beer

The first cocktail arose in Mesopotamia 5,000 years ago

McGovern, professor at the Pennsylvania University, Philadelphia, studied the evolution of viticulture in the East and West, finding some earthenware along the Tigris river showing traces of tartaric acid (an element which is characteristic of the grape fermentation), honey, apple juice and brew barley (a sort of beer ante litteram).

Link

I'm no archeologist, but how do they know that the people in question didn't just use the same pot to drink wine, honey, apple juice and beer separately? Archeologists, please explain

Most chefs need a drink after work.

If you are wondering why. Ritchie explains.

While a good 800 people line up to get into our work place after our dinner service.

We the cooks can't wait to get the hell out.

Usually staff drinks are held in front of the local 7-11 but thanks to Chef Shaggy and Chef Dan we have found the delights of frozen beer.

I know when you come come to Thailand you think it is cool to drink the local beers but trust me they are shit.

As shit as Heineken. So freezen the contents only adds to the pleasure. Especially as we build up to the end of the hot/dry season.

It's really hot here.



Bring on Songkran.

"Students eating dinner in college were given a basic ration of a joint of meat and a glass of beer, but Darwin was apparently quite fastidious about forking out a further 51/2d per day for vegetables."

(source)

Malt, hops and cocoa nibs: now on sale from the Sapporo Brewery online store. It's like a Belgian nightmare.

I'm pretty much used to bitching about Japanese food in Europe. But today, for once, I am happy to have the shoe on the other foot, as I defend Munich's Nomiya from both a Süddeutsche newspaper reviewer (who titled her piece "A Lot of Fuss about a Little bit of Sushi") and grumpy bloggers, who whined about the lighting being too bright, which I do not agree with at all.

This outpost in the lefty, trendy area of Haidhausen and Au is a combo of old-fashioned Bavarian style, with scuffed wooden sideboards and solid plank tables, and a modern, cozy izakaya vibe. With the addition of some low-hanging lights around the sushi counter, and some cool artwork by a Japanese artist who's lived in Munich since the '80s, and actual Japanese chefs preparing the food, the overall experience is very pleasing indeed. Of course, don't come here if your idea of a Japanese restaurant needs to include giant sashimi platters. This is an izakaya, and it's very casual food served here. So sashimi-lovers will need to get over it.

By the way, it's not uncommon to be seated quite close to other customers in an izakaya, so this is also something that fussy reviewers will need to get over. On the night we went, we weren't squashed next to blustering beer-lovers: just quiet, intellectual-looking local residents.



Good things:
A selection of grilled kushi-skewers including crunchy pear cut into an almond shape and wrapped with bacon. The sushi was yummy: all the ingredients were very fresh. I rate this type of casually presented 'home-style sushi' far above the overpriced, sub-standard stuff served at many places in Germany.



The 'keller bier' (basement beer) on tap was Bürgerbräu Hell - it was the highlight, upon which I do agree with Süddeutsche - served in a beer stein mug.
The cha-shu salad, with a nicely arranged small portion of pork, curly lettuce, some spring onions, sesame dressing and a dollop of mayo, also rocked.



Finally, the horensoo-gomae, which can be a benchmark of quality in Japanese restaurants, kicked ass.



Warm sesame balls or German red groats for dessert. (sour-sweet confiture of red berries)




Nomiya
Wörthstrasse 7
81667 Munich,
Germany
+49 89 448 4095
+49 89 4895 2458
http://www.nomiya.de

Have you noticed since the global economic crisis how magazines and op-eds in lifestyle sections of web pages and other glossies have begun re-spinning the activities of poor people into the new "it" thing, so staying in is the new going out, hillbilly is the new hipster (note to plaid wearers) and locally brewed beer is the new champagne.

So picnics are the new brunch. Who said? Me.....why spend $50 bucks in NYC or more on a flashy brunch when you can sit in the park in Brooklyn, possibly get arrested for drinking a beer in public and eat hotdogs, broccoli rabe and mozzarella sandwiches, jamaican meat pies and drink organic cola and beer.









The best spot in the park, next to the public loos naturally (or "comfort station" as it was so prudishly named). You can even fall asleep in the sun on the grass, something you can't do at a fancy schmancy restaurant. Other people's children are far less annoying in a park.



Here's our hillbilly/hipster picnic



What comes next I wonder? Will Polish be the new French or Spanish? Polyester the new cotton? Fingers the new cutlery? Poor the new rich? Once again I find myself at the forefront of cutting edge trends. Lucky me.

#1: Hersey Kiss in a Humpty-Dumpty position... near the Niagara Falls.



#2: Upside-down ice cream on cone in Cologne.



#3: The infamous "beer foam" on top of Asahi Beer headquarter building in Tokyo.


... or more popularly known as "unko biru (building)."
(unko means... well, excrement in Japanese).

We all made fun of this monument when it came out... it just looks like golden unko.

Believe it or not, it is designed by Philippe Stark.

We all wondered what came across the designer's mind... the legend is that it was originally meant to be installed upright, and was supposed be "flamme d'or," golden flame, but due to some building restriction laws it had to be installed horizontally.

If you take one of those tempura-frying restaurant boats on the Sumida river, you will cruise by this unko building.

Although Austin beat me to the blog on Bang Saen, here is my version of events

The weekend before last me and Hock and Austin and Aong drove to bang saen to eat seafood on the beach

we planned to stop for a little while on the beach, eat a little bit and then go to another restaurant for dinner





so I ordered prawns grilled


and Aong ordered

Horse shoe crab egg salad


and then suddenly it escalated into a full blown meal

Tom yum


wing bean salad


oysters



then we ordered a fish, some cocounts and some lotus seeds from passing vendor. I made lotus pod hats for Hock

We drunk some beer, except for Aong who isn't drinking for 3 months on account of her Buddhism....(we plan on detailing her debauchery when it ends in October)


And a cute dog came and hung out for our scraps


and watched the sun set


then we drove to a local market and wandered around looking for dessert. A baby elephant molested Aong.

I bought a bag full of veges for 42 bht and a Thai style grill for making moo ping back in Australia one day

yay....

if you come to Thailand I can take you here.....but you may have to come quick

Brewer Aims to Put Beer Laos on the Map

By JAMES HOOKWAY
July 30, 2008; Page B8

VIENTIANE, Laos -- A Soviet-trained female brewmaster is trying to turn an obscure Laotian lager into the world's next great cult beer, largely by tapping into the buzz about the brew being carried home by visitors to this small communist country.

The 49-year-old Sivilay Lasachack, who seldom drinks beer, preferring sweet tea instead, thinks her Czech-inspired Beerlao has what it takes to follow in the footsteps of Mexico's Corona Extra.

To some, the idea that a Laotian beer might one day be the toast of a cosmopolitan cabal of beer drinkers might not seem very promising. Laos has no brewing tradition to speak of and little international business.

The nation of six million people is nestled between China, Vietnam and Thailand. It has become a trendy destination for backpackers and adventure tourists, in part because of its slow pace and relative lack of exposure to the West.

But Ms. Sivilay, chief brewmaster at Lao Brewery Co. is counting on savvy marketing to overcome the beer's relatively unimpressive pedigree, in a bid to emulate Corona's rise to global stardom...

But Lao Brewery doesn't want to come on too strong. Its marketing manager, 47-year-old Bounkanh Kounlabouth, fears that promoting Beerlao too aggressively will scare off its grass-roots following. Instead, he would rather follow Corona's example of becoming an "accidental" brand. "We don't want to undermine Beerlao's word-of-mouth appeal, so for us it is better to let it grow naturally."

Mr. Bounkanh spends much of his time trying to engineer such an "accident." Because he is relying on foreign tourists to spread the word about Beerlao, he is promoting the brand heavily in Laos. "We won't let the competition get a foothold," Mr. Bounkanh says.

The next step: Bringing Beerlao to the rest of the world. The beer is already sold in several major markets, including Britain, Australia, Japan and the U.S.

"We were a bit skeptical at first," says James Morgan, a director at British distributor Milestone Point Ltd. "But it's one of the few brands where the customer seeks it out rather than the other way round."

Beerlao's rise has followed an unusual path. Most Laotians aren't big beer drinkers. In fact, Lao Brewery was founded by French and Lao businessmen in 1971 mostly to slake the thirst of French colonists.

After the Vietnam War, Laos's new communist rulers sent the country's best and brightest for training in physics, medicine and other disciplines in communist states in Eastern Europe. Ms Sivilay was assigned to study brewing and spent six years in what was then Czechoslovakia learning from Prague's master brewers.

Ms. Sivilay's big break came shortly after she returned to Vientiane to work at Lao Brewery, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. With the financial lifeline to the brewery's Soviet sponsor cut, its managers turned to her to keep the brewery going.

Her first move was to introduce rice to replace some of the imported grains which the brewery could no longer afford. Mixing the mash by hand, she also began recycling yeast-a trick she learned in Prague-and brought Beerlao much closer to a classic European pilsner. Sales figures are hard to come by in Laos's state-run economy, but Lao Brewery currently produces 200 million liters of beer a year, and it is the country's biggest taxpayer.

Ms. Sivilay says these days she rarely needs to taste a beer to see if it is any good. "I smell it and see how the head settles in the glass to judge whether it's a good beer," she says. "The tourists seem to like it though."

As do some international beer judges. Ms. Sivilay's brew has won a string of prizes, including honors at international beer competitions in Moscow and Prague, and she hopes Beerlao will one day put her tiny country on the map.

"The judges often say 'We love your beer, but where is your country?' We hope to change that," she says.

Read Full Article


I'm no beer conisseur but beer Laos seems to be one of the few beers in South East Asia that doesn't taste like watery hops...it has flavour....I never knew it was brewed by a sweet tea drinking lady


Beer Laos Dark and Baguette consumed at Koh Chang cafe 2008

If you're like me and you find reading about the food industry as compelling as trying out a new recipe or stuffing nice things in your mouth then this website may be of interest. Oligopoly Watch has a food and beverage section which details happenings in different food sectors including articles on the beer and organics industry

Plus an interesting graph on the industry structure of organics in the USA....

On the Sukhumvit Soi, next to Emporium, Sukhumvit Soi 24 I think it is, there is a izakaya which is not particularly tasty but exceedingly cheap. It's on the right hand side of the Soi, near the beginning of the street and on the 3rd floor of an extremely eccentric building...If you climb the odd staircase and pass by the Hong Kong-style hotpot joint you'll know you're on the right track.....follow the potato heads



Inside you'll find a large booze selection and laminated menu with usual izakaya suspects....



great wall adornments and decor....


and games where you can gamble on the size of your portion...play the "beef game", roll the dice and let fate decide if you get above or below the standard portion...fun times


The food photos below attest more to the skill of Hock and his N95 than the actual quality of the food





For example this sushi roll is far nastier than it looks


Of course the main indulgence here is not the cripsy rice cakes, but the lashings of cheap sake and beer to be had alongside. Food is really rather incidental here.






(makeshift food lighting enhancements)

Which was confirmed when I woke up on Sunday morning after a night at the Potato and remember that I had gotten drunk enough and so enamoured with the sake enough to have purchased their signature potato sake set. I recall making statements along the lines of "this sake set speaks to something deep inside my soul"

My next bier-tasting foray involved the organic filtered Kristall Weisse offering from Neumarkter Lammsbrau brewery. It's the brewery responsible for my thus-far-favourite beer, their Dunkel. But this filtered white beer - the style drunk at Munich's Oktoberfest - I am afraid to say, inspired nothing but ambivalence in me. In fact after half a glass I lost interest and tipped the rest down the sink. If I can't dig the most chugged beer in Germany, what kind of real potential can I have as a beer drinker?



Feeling overwhelmed by ambivalence, I decided not to rush into any more experimentation.

But getting back from the Biomarkt, the Dunkel was not chilled, and there was still that bottle of Köstritzer Schwarzbier in the fridge. I brought it home the other night from the underwhelming selection at a shop nearby which dares to call itself a 'beer museum'.

Apparently this East German schwarzbier is a type of lager, and not supposed to be heavy like a stout. The Köstritzer brewery in east Germany has been owned by the Bitburger Brauerei since 1991 and is located in Bad Köstritz, which is close to Gera in Thuringia. The brewery was founded in 1543 and it is one of the oldest producers of Schwarzbier (black beer) in Germany. This particular old black brew was a favourite of Germany's proud author Goethe, at least on the days when he felt a bit ill.

A classic style, it is cold fermented and cold lagered, and thus, as I have read, "the finished product is relatively clean and free of fruity esters". I get the feeling I am not so much the fan of fruity esters.

Pitch black like coffee, with a head of foam that within a few moments deflated to a floating piece of brownish-creamy scum like sea foam after a storm. It then dwindled further to dregs with a certain mucous-like viscosity in appearance.
Clean and bitter, refreshing, quite a light malty mouth-feel and a rumour in the mouth of a pot of drip coffee that's been on the burner for a while, or tobacco. Like the 'Old Spice' of beers. Not much substance but full of promises. There is a taste to this one that makes me want to be a newspaper man with a black umbrella, in a city where a million hollow souls trade jaded glances between skscraper canyons.
In other words, I got a bit drunk and became a little bit too effusive. And couldn't spell skyscraper properly.

In this bottle of Köstritzer Schwarzbier, there is also a very faint freshness of a bitter grass or a tiny, tiny bit of sweetness: something hopeful.
Maybe the hope I'm tasting, is the hope that I can really be friends with beer.

There are now at least four or five types of beer that I can say I really enjoy. The cool thing about this one is that it is available from a lot of cornershop kiosks.

Part 2 of an adventure in which a beer lite-weight tries out brews from the local kiosk, biomarkt and 'beer museum' shop in Cologne, Germany.

It doesn't get much more lite-weight than Neumarkter Lammsbrau's BLOND.
"Blond ist in!" said one website.

In fact though, and unfortunately for Neumarkter Lammsbrau, boutique beers like this are not the order of the day. As you would expect, traditional German beers rule, though Belgian beers are well-stocked at beer-shops and the bigger commercial brands (Becks, Corona etc) have their time in the sun, quite literally when it comes to their summer time offerings..

I bought a Blond from the Biomarkt (organic supermarket) and took it to the park to accompany our first BBQ of the season.
Quite like the packaging... one review said that only the label gives this beer 'Discotauglichkeit' (Disco-friendliness).

It would have benefitted from being more chilled than it was after 5 minutes in the freezer when I popped back home to pick up the picnic mat. Passed the Blond to DJ Adlib and his reaction was also a bit non-plussed. "Tastes like beer."

Conclusion: a very easy-to-drink gold beer, certainly clean and organic seeming: inoffensive with very little mouth-tackiness and very mild astringency, some would say a little on the bland side. But I would drink it again for the clean mouth feel alone e.g. on a summer afternoon.
This Blond is easy.



Went back home and cracked open another offering from the Neumarkter Lammsbrau brewery and my favourite German beer so far: the organic Neumarkter Lammsbrau Dunkel.
After commenting that he finds my increased alcohol consumption quite amusing (maybe it's like seeing your mum open a beer at the breakfast table), Denis aka DJ Adlib had a sip and said: "Somewhere near Malzbier" which was also Carmen's reaction when we tried it for the first time the night before.
That's what I like about it. It's as malty as these fake-beer malt-drinks called Malzbier, which are so delicious with their cold syrupy foamy maltiness, but must be about 5000 calories each.

This Dunkel combines toasty malt with just the right bitterness for refreshingness. A bit sticky on roof of mouth, creamy, full-flavoured but not super heavy. I read one review that suggested 'barnyard' notes. I wasn't sure but I thought I might have tasted chicken's feet.

Champion. Any time I'm in a beer mood after work or about to watch Muay Thai downloads from the K-1 fan forum, this will be my go-to beer from now on. Even if the package isn't so disco.

Here's a well-written review which says "The smoothness of this beer is out of this world, the medium body and moderate carbonation level make you want to take a sip quicker and quicker." The review goes on to note "the palate is clean from start to finish with only a ghost faintness of cooked veggies."

Henceforth begins an adventure in which a beer lite-weight tries out brews from the local kiosk, biomarkt and 'beer museum' shop in Cologne, Germany. Starting with Paulaner Hefe Weizenbier. (above).

Hefe-Weizenbier is the unfiltered version of Weissbier (the latter served in the tents at Oktoberfest), popular amongst all Germans young and old, & originating in Bavaria.

The results of this tasting experiment indicate that my research into unfiltered white beers will be quite limited... a shame since there are loads of them on the shelves of beer shops here.

Erik likes this type of beer more than most, because of how filling yet refreshing and unique it is. I will allow that it might be nice under the hot sun in Munich ... tasting as it does somewhat like a brewer's yeast health drink.

- swirl of tangy/sharp & raw
- nice malteser opaque amber colour
- guts feel slightly uncomfortable, both upper and lower tracts
- sticky roof of mouth feeling
- feels like something that could be used as an eco-friendly toilet cleaner
- reminds me of the yeasty home-brewed taste of Frankfurt apfel wine
- head of foam deflated fast leaving 'lace' rather like a tall glass of urine
- this German beer drinking occupation is very direct and not for the faint of heart...




Next up, Pinkus Pils.

One review enthuses: "The bronze/gold Pils is a revelation in the age of bland and fizzy pale lagers."

Of course the review goes on about gentle resins and things.

At the Biomarkt it's one of the few non-Bavarian-style bier options. (it is brewed in Munster).
'juicy?'.....mayyybe... The first mouthful of this organic Pils was appealingly malty and the rest of the experience was astringent. Stickiness in the mouth was manageable.

Ingredients are hops, malt and water.

The beer started to taste more malty again in the last 30% of the glass. As roof of mouth became more anaethetised, sensation was more creamy despite being a thin beer.

I like it quite well. But think it would benefit from the context of spicy noodles. Then the 'fruitiness' would become way less anecdotal.

Put a money value on time, and the cost of a can of beer looks academic

Date: April 19 2008
by Marcus Padley

The average wage in Australia for a full-time working adult was $64,844 a year, at last count. That is $1247 a week, about $31 an hour or 52c a minute.

That is earnings. But when it comes to spending, you have the Australian Tax Office in the middle. It will take $14,803. Now you are earning $24 an hour or 40c a minute.

In finance we constantly talk about the time value of money. But in life we now have the basis for calculating the money value of time. A minute is worth 40c in cash and 52c in earning capacity. Brushing your teeth (three minutes) costs the average man $1.20 in cash and $1.56 in lost earning capacity.

More seriously, a can of VB appears to cost $1.66. But under the money value of time formula, a can of VB costs you 4.15 minutes of your life, and if you take more than 4.15 minutes to drink it the cost doubles. So drink fast. Take this a bit further and a slab of VB costs you 1 hour 40 minutes of life. On top of that if you go to a bachelors' and spinsters' ball and drink the whole slab it will cost you another 24 hours of lost earning capacity.

Put like that, a single can of VB can, if drunk in the company of 23 of its closest mates, will cost you 4.15 minutes plus one hour of incapacitation. That is 64.15 minutes of life lost per can. Or put another way, $1.66 plus $24 in money value of time; $25.66 a can. If you earn more than the average wage then VB becomes more expensive. For someone on $100,000 a year, a minute of life is worth 58c cash; on $150,000 it is 82c, and for someone earning $200,000 a minute of life is worth $1.04. Of course earning $200,000 is great, but it does mean you only have 1.6 minutes to drink a VB before the price doubles, and if you go to a B&S ball the price of VB escalates to a heady $64.06 a can.

Link

The great NZ beer review apparently cost you more than you thought

Being white means that I like difficult beer. Really hard to find beers rank highly on my list mainly so I can impress the likes of Phil and Austin when we sit around and talk beer.

Below are most of the beers that I drank while back in NZ, each comes with a fancy tasting note stolen from Rate beer of course.

Emerson's Organic Oatmeal Stout


Here is what NoiZe from Zeist, Netherlands has to say

"I’ve had this one in New Zealand on my honeymoon. I was looking forward to this one, but it turned out to be a decent, but avarage stout."

If Noize was in front of me I would punch him in his newly married mouth, for me this beer is rated in the "fucking great" category. Shouldn't you be looking forward to something else on your honeymoon, nod nod wink wink, aye.



Emerson's 1812 India Pale Ale



Grandmaster from, Auckland, NZ offers

"Bottle, a clear orange copper, carbonation and a bubbly head. A juicy hop aroma thats good, but good (sic) (I think Grandmaster has had few) be stronger. Deliciously fruity (fruit salad) at first, but then becomes more bitter and malty (piney) through the swallow. The finish is long, but too dry. A well balanced and subtle IPA - the type I like to drink."

What are you drunk Grandmaster? The late Michael Jackson has a picture of this IPA in his beer bible of what he considers to be one the best IPAs EVER crafted! (note capitals) I don't get this review Grandmaster sort of slags the beer but kinda likes it. Personally this is one of my favourite beers to swallow.



Emerson's Weiss Bier


Austinpowers from New York, New york writes

"If you stir the annoying fizz out of it, it’s a really good Weisse - on par with the German ones. Light and herbal with some spice. Enjoyed at Plato in Dunedin, NZ."

I say

"What would the Germans know."

Emerson's Pilsner


Madquacker of Canberra, ACT, Australia is full of praise with

"Truely glorious. A head of epic proportion. Balanced citrus and ale flavours. Not sure where the pils was though. Brilliant."

You're not so mad Madquacker 'cause I like this too.



Emerson's Taieri George




Kempicus from Wellington, NZ writes

"I was surprised by this, i’m not a big fan of spiced ales, if i want to drink christmas cake i’ll liquidise one but this was good, it’s definately a ’mood’ beer and i was in the right mood for it. It’s spicy but not over the top spicy and instead of a harshness that sometimes comes through with less accomplished examples this is deliciously smooth. my only minor critisism is that it could possibly do with more body but other than that a great beer."

Kempicus reminds me of Phil..."Liquidised Christmas cake" possibly on a stick?



Epic - Award Winning Pale Ale


TimE from Tokyo, Japan slurs

"Light amber color. Very fragerant nose of peaches and apples with a solid caramel malt profile. Beautifully balaned with malty front to the mouth and then hops tickling the back of the throat. Moderately bitter finish. Well done."

Well done indeed for writing that after obviously knocking back one to many Epics.


Munchner Dunkel


Sully, Stanmore , NSW, Austalia

"Interesting label with a jolly aviator there, having absolutely no connection with the beer as far as I can discern. This is a malty sweet style of dunkel with toffee and hazelnuttiness and a muted hop presence. It drinks pretty well and certainly caals for another"

Sully Sully Sully you drunk bastard.



Founder's Organic "Long Black"


NoiZe again

"I’ve had this one in New Zealand on my honeymoon.
Black of course ;) Smooth roasted flavor. Nice."

Wink wink alright.


Elemental Porter Ale



Cconners, Tauranga, NZ says

"This is my favourite beer style ,what a great 4 pack from this brewery. The bottle poured an inky black with a fluffy tan head, very tight bubbles. The scent of this beer was coffeeish and chocolaty with hints of ripe plums. The creamy rich head was followed by an intense flavour dominated by roasted notes and sweet caramel, finishing with a lovely chocolate sensation. The lingering flavour was still around well after the bottle was gone. This beer is truely a stand out in their range and accordingly this is the brewers favourite style."

This is New Zealand's highest rated beer on Ratebeer, it really was a special beer.






No rating on these Bluff oysters other than please leave them in the shell (I hate NZ baby boomers and their acceptance of poorly shipped seafood), they went really well with the beer none the less.



One particular sunny NZ day while Maytel was whacking out her phd, I went for a walk down to the Macs brewery flagship pub to get a little bit of a buzz on. It was great to drink their selection on tap, but for me the Macs gold (not pictured) still tasted like crap, Top Notch their seasonal offering rocked (even for a low alcohol beer).

Top notch





Great White