Beer

Liquid Bread

Bier (German/Dutch), Beoir (Irish), Bière (French), Birra (Italiano/Maltese), Μπύρα (Greek), Bjór (Icelandic), Bere (Romanian), Bira (Turkish), Bia (Vietnamese), Пиво (Russkij/Ukrainian/Serbian), Pivo (Czech/Slovak/Croatian), Piwo (Polish), เบียร์ (Thai), بيرة (Arabic), آبجو (Persian), Գարեջուր (Armenian), Cwrw (Welsh), ビール (Japanese), Cervisia (Latin), Cerveza (Spanish), Cerveja (Portuguese), Serbesa (Filipino), Øl (Danish/Norwegian), Öl (Swedish), Olut (Finnish), and Sör (Hungarian).

 
"Beer[1] for breakfast?" Let he who is among you that hasn't had a six-pack or two before lunchtime cast the first stone (or get stoned first)!

Actually this 'blog-entry is not about breakfast, but just about the liquid gold, fermented beverage. My 'blog, my 'rules, after all. However, it is interesting to note that there are many similar ingredients to bread: water, grains, and yeast.

Beer is the third most popular drink in the World, after water and tea. (Unless your name is Mitt Romney, then it would be just water, 7up®, and ginger ale.) Beer is one of the oldest prepared beverages, possibly dating back as far as the early Neolithic or 9500 BC. There is archeological evidence of it dating to circa 3500-3100 BC. (So, while Beer is not quite as old as the invention of the wheel, I am sure the first DUI was handed out circa 3499-3099 BC.)

Beer is an alcoholic beverage made by brewing and fermenting cereals (especially malted barley, although wheat, corn, and rice can also be used), usually with the addition of hops as a flavouring agent and stabilizer. Beers generally fall into two broad categories: Ales[2] (made with top-fermenting yeast that ferment more quickly at warmer temperatures) and Lagers[3] (made with bottom-fermenting yeast that ferment more slowly at cooler temperatures). In the category of Ales, there are several sub-categories: Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Scotch, Belgian, Porter, and Stout. Lagers have the sub-categories: Pale (to include: Pilsners[4], Helles, Light Beers, and Märzens[5]) and Dark (to include: Dunkels, Schwarzbiers, Bocks, and Doppelbocks).

One of my favourite Beers is Guinness® Original/Extra Stout. This is especially best when served on tap from a keg at a good Irish pub that knows how to properly pour a "Pionta Guinness, le do thoil!" I have even had the pleasure to make a pilgrimage to the original Guinness Brewery in Dublin, Ireland. If you ever visit Dublin, it is well worth the tour.

http://www.guinness.com/

Probably my second favourite (and lesser-known) Beer is Black Sheep Brewery Riggwelter[6] Strong Yorkshire Ale. You can locate this Beer in 'merica, but usually only at the larger import liquor stores. Whenever I visit North Yorkshire, I try to get to the Black Sheep Baa..r & Bistro at least once during my stay to get some really fresh Beers, along with a pretty decent lunch.

http://www.blacksheepbrewery.com/

My favourite 'merican brewery would have to be Samuel Adams®, and my favourite progeny of theirs would have to be their Seasonal Brew Octoberfest. (Note: This style of Beer is actually called an Oktoberfest in German. It is a minor point, but spelling matters, 'kay?) "This authentic Märzen style, harkens back to the brews of Munich over 200 years ago. With 5 varieties of malt, it has a deep rich character & silky smoothness." "Hearty and smooth with a deep malt complexity and roasty sweetness." This brew truly matches or surpasses many of the Oktoberfest Beers that I had when living in Germany even. 

http://www.samueladams.com/beers/octoberfest/

Home brewing of Beer (as opposed to home brewing of coffee) has become very popular in the past twenty years. I have even had the opportunity to assist in the brewing of a few batches of Beers (drinking the output is much more fun, though). Another fellow 'blogger, Cabin Jim (by the way, he is the one to blame for me getting started with my own 'blog ~ you can direct any hate e-mails to him), has been trying his hand at this hobby lately. You can check out his bucolic 'blog here and look for the label "Home Brewing":

http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Brewing

And just in case you really would like some Beer for breakfast, there is always Well's & Young Banana Bread Beer:

http://www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk/home/our-beers/ales/wells-banana-bread-beer

Cheers! Ein prosit! Céad míle fáilte! *urp*


Glen Bacon Scale Rating:  Guinness® Extra Stout ~ 8.5 (consider this the Marilyn Monroe of Beers); Black Sheep Brewery Riggwelter ~ 8.2 (consider this the Nicole Kidman of Beers); Samuel Adams® Octoberfest ~ 8.1 (and this would be the Uma Thurman of Beers)


[1] Stupid, useless cunning linguist/pseudo-fermentary pointer of the day, number one:

The word origin of "Beer" comes from Middle English "bere", from Old English "bēor"; related to Old Norse "bjorr", Old Frisian "biār", and Old High German "bior".

[2] Stupid, useless cunning linguist/pseudo-fermentary pointer of the day, number two:

The word "Ale" comes from Old English "alu" and "ealu"; related to Old Norse "öl" and Old Saxon "alofat".

[3] Stupid, useless cunning linguist/pseudo-fermentary pointer of the day, Nummer drei:

"Lager" comes from German "Lagerbier", meaning "beer for storing", from "Lager", meaning "storehouse".

[4] Stupid, useless cunning linguist/pseudo-fermentary pointer of the day, Nummer vier:
 
"Pilsner" comes from German "Pilsener", meaning "of Pilsen", a town in Bohemia (the Czech name of the town is Plzen) where it was first brewed.

[5] Stupid, useless cunning linguist/pseudo-fermentary pointer of the day, Nummer fünf:
 
"Märzen" comes from German "Märzenbier", meaning "March Beer"; according to a Bavarian brewing ordinance, a true "Märzen" can only be brewed between September 29th and April 23rd.

[6] Stupid, useless cunning linguist/pseudo-fermentary pointer of the day, number six:
 
"Riggwelter" is Yorkie-dales-speak for a sheep that is on its back and cannot get up without help. This comes from Old Norse "rygg", meaning "back", and "velte", meaning "to overturn".