by Luke Porter
The word “beer” is often used as a generic noun to describe a cold refreshing beverage. However, for those with more than a passing interest in the drink, a single word is far from sufficient to describe it.
In fact, world of beer gives you a multitude of options. It’s impossible to say which type is best, because they all have very different characteristics. From stout to cider, and porter to pilsner, there really is something for everyone.
Most beers, particularly those sold commercially, are processed using similar methods. However, there are enough slight variations on the basic brewing process for each type of beer to have individual characteristics. Different types of beer have unique qualities like appearance, taste, origin and aroma.
Below are some of the most popular types of beer available…
Lager: Some of the world’s most popular beer brands are lagers. These include American styles including basic lager, all-malt lager, light lager, double pilsner, malt liquor and low-alcohol or “light” beers. Germany and the Czech Republic are seen as the international leaders in the production of them.
Ale: American amber, brown ale, porter, strong, sour and wild ales are also common American beers. Also falling under the category of “Ales” are Chile Beer, Pumpkin Ale, Belgian and French ales, English, German, Irish, Finnish, Scottish and Russian ales.
Cider: Not a beer in the strictest sense of the word but most beer drinkers wouldn’t mind it being called so. Cider brewed from traditional English farms is a particular favorite of many.
Hybrids: Combining different beer styles or ingredients create this “experimental” beer. Sub-categories include smoked, spiced, fruit and vegetable beer.
Those are the essentials that every serious beer drinker should have already ticked off their beer list. If you’re a beer drinker, you’re likely loyal to a tried and true brand, but remember that variety is the spice of life. Next time you’re in a beer drinking mood, try something different!.
by Annie Phelan
Making homemade wine can a great hobby and a lot of fun to boot. There is nothing like the feeling of opening your own wine and knowing that what you created surpasses many of the high priced winery wines. However, while making wine may be fun, there is a bit of a learning curve.
Before beginning your wine making endeavor, there are some important things that you need to have a real understanding of. There are plenty of experts, websites and books where you can learn the basics and nuances of wine making. There are a lot of places where you can pick up all the equipment needed at reasonable prices both online and at a brick and mortar.
The easiest way to start making homemade wine is to purchase a wine kit. Beginners will find it much simpler to using a wine kit to start with and then move on and up from there.
While it might be a good idea to use quality equipment for wine making it is more important to use top notch ingredients. The higher the quality of ingredients the better your wine will taste, but fear not, if you are on a budget you can still make wine from juice concentrate!
It can take anywhere from seven to ten weeks to complete the entire wine making process and it varies between wine types. Do not drink your wine early because you will ruin the final product and wine is better the longer it gets to age.
Websites and books are great resources for finding yummy wine recipes from dandelion wine to merlot. You can turn your special homemade wine into a personalized gift for someone, tailoring the taste to that of the receiver. A wine lover will appreciate a gift of wine designed especially for them!
Packaging your homemade wine can be an important aspect of the wine making process. From the bottle to the cork to the wine label, it can all give your wine that special touch. Wine labels are probably the most important aspect for personalizing your wine.
The wine label will give one the overall impression of the wine. Wine labels are used for logos, the name of the wine and putting personal messages on the bottle that is used as a gift. Sounds like so much fun!
About the Author:
Annie Phelan writes post about making homemade wine and how to present your wine using
customized wine labels. Visit
Wine Labels World for more instruction regarding customizing your wine and creative packaging.
by Luke Porter
If you are one of the many people out there who are a tried and true beer lover, then you are definitely going to want to know how to make beer at home. It is actually not that difficult of a process, and it is not expensive either.
So, how do you make beer at home? We will cover the main steps below. It really is that simple that you can learn the basic process involved in just 5 minutes.
Making beer at home requires you to only really follow a few steps. The first is to get yourself a beer kit, which is a kit that includes all of the different tools and materials that you are going to need to make the beer.
Then you need the four main ingredients, which are: water, malt, hops, and yeast. You might be surprised to know water is actually the most abundant ingredient, and makes up most of the final product. Malt is short for malted barley and is a type of grain which has been soaked in water and then dried out. The distinctive aroma and slight bitterness of the finished brew is determined by the hops. As for the yeast, this is the catalyst which is needed to make the other ingredients come together.
The next thing that you need to do is add all of the ingredients together using the beer kit, and there are usually instructions that come with each different beer kit because each kit usually has some different aspects to it.
Should you wish to do so, you can deviate a little from the instructions provided with your beer kit to create a slightly more unique beer. Maybe you want to try adding some of your own flavorings to it, such as honey or banana.
Even if you do make a mistake, you can just throw that batch out and make a new one, as practice is going to be the only way that you will be able to learn. After a few batches, you are going to be quite good at making your own beer, and you will be surprised at the freshness and tastiness of it, especially compared to the beer that you are used to drinking.
by Dennis Gartland
Lolita 5-6:30 pm and 9:30 pm to close Tuesday through Thursday; 5-6 pm and 10:30 p. to close Saturday. 4-6:30 pm. Sunday Lolita is one of Michael Symon’s (of the food network) first restraints. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is only $2 and there are several dishes for only $5. I went with my sister and we ordered the mac and cheese and The Lolita Burger. I have to say it is the best mac and cheese I have ever had.
Lincoln Park Pub – Taco Tuesdays, 3 p.m.-midnight. The Tacos are made on homemade taco shells. If you like hot food try the morning after sauce. Tacos, $1.25; Mex beers, $2.25; margaritas, $3.25
Momocho has very good and unique food. From 5-6:30 pm daily they have 1/2 off taquitos and margaritas plus a great deal on Tecate. Happy Hour is only at the bar, but it has a very nice patio.
Blind Pig – Pizza and wings for $5; 23-ounce beers $2.50, 4-9p.m. daily. The pizzas are pretty big for $5, big enough for two people at least. The beer special includes imports. They have the nicest set of TVs downtown.
Light Bistro – 4:30-7 p.m. daily, Cocktails starting at $3. Food plates are $5. This is one of the Best Restaurants in Ohio. They specialize in local and seasonal food. This restaurant has earned an excellent reputation.
Liquid – 4-8 daily. 1/2 off drinks and bottled beers. Nice place to grab a beer and the food is very good and easy on the budget. The beer selection is impressive.
The Flying Fig – Happy Hour: Tuesday – Friday between 5PM and 7:30PM Season Food Specials for happy hour. The Fig provides wine-oriented cuisine utilizing the finest ingredients available, sourced locally whenever possible. Beers start at $2
When you have your bar and your cabinets built, you’ll want to get to drinking in it…Now. But, I’ve seen some make shit jobs that aren’t really all that great. Then, I’ve seen some expensive setups that are way out of the reach of most of us.
So, here’s the home bar the easy way:
The kegerator is the first thing you put in your bar. It keeps your keg cool and it adds style in an inexpensive way.
This kegerator can actually make the entire bar. If you choose to use a kegerator like this to hold your kegs, you can make it a part of the bar’s counter top. Then, you only need counter space on each side. That’s a setup made easy, as easy as it gets.
Grab a tap handle of your favorite beer and now you’ve got something to really get you bragging. There are tap handles of all kinds, from your favorite domestic to your favorite import. As a promotional tool, every beer you can think of has a beer tap handle for commercial uses as well as the home bar enthusiast.
But, just in case you have a beer of your own or some other “unrecognizable” libation, get the beer tap handle you can write anything on that you want.
Tell people, “Try Me!” Give your concoction a name. Have fun with it and write, “Make Your Own Beer…” or whatever else you might come up with to prank your friends.
You’ve got the bar. Dress it up in style. The kegerator and a beer tap handle can turn any room into a bar. Your bedroom, your dorm room (oops), your garage, your basement, your tree house…
Anywhere!
When you are trying to create a bar in your home, of course you begin with the taps and the handles, mirrors and signs. You built a bar! It has to look right. Right?
But when the bar is in place and you think you have it all, what kind of lame bar serves draft beer in plastic cups? And I’ll be willing to bet that’s what you have. Red plastic cups that you bought at the grocery store. Hmm…all that work and then you tap out at the end.
Well, you can add some specialty glasses so that your friends are drinking in style. This is where it gets tricky, but you can manage. You don’t just want to get mugs of any kind. You need to stock up your cabinets with mugs of all kinds.
Vintage mugs from old fashioned beers add such a touch of class. Especially when you have friends asking you where you got the mugs. That’s when you realize saving money on those red plastic cups wasn’t worth it after all.
But, don’t stop there. You should have Pilsners and Pints, Dimpled Mugs and Retro Pubs. Get mugs with different logos like Coors, Molson, Blue Moon and Killian. It’s a blast to make sure that you drink out of the right glass for the right kind of draft.
Logo Beer Glasses
It’s been a dream for many beer drinkers around the world. But, putting a keg in an old refrigerator for your apartment, den or garage isn’t that hard to do when you have the right material.
A Kegerator Conversion Kit is all you need and there is something that you may have never thought about, but it’s a surprise and I’ll tell you in a minute. These conversion kits change any old refrigerator into a kegerator in minutes. Install the shank and faucet directly in to the door of your refrigerator and hook up the Co2 inside. You’ll be drinking from your kegerator in no time at all.
But, here’s something that not many people think about. The Kegerator Conversion Kit can also be used for other home bar designs. Wall mount it to a closet. That’s right! Turn your closet into a kegerator.
All you need to do is install the shank and faucet on the wall the way you would the door of your refrigerator. Then, grab a large trash can full of ice just like you would for a normal keg party. Hook up the Co2 inside the closet and you are ready to drink some cold beer with the keg hidden in the closet, fully functional for your party. Of course, this is really only good for keg parties when you have them. But, you can try to keep ice in the trash can as you keep swapping out kegs.
As this idea starts to spark the imagination, I want to see Kegerators everywhere! Garages, Bedrooms, Kitchens, Living Rooms, Bathrooms, through the wall to the Patio outside…etc.
Beertaps has the Kegerator Conversion Kit you need!
You watch people on television having a great time. Some of the reality television shows allow their contestants to be viewed while drinking. Some actors like Norm have made a career out of it. But, can you get paid to drink beer?
It would be nice to know, wouldn’t it?
I loved watching Tara Reid get drunk on the Wild On… episodes that she hosted and on the Taradise show that had a short run. You sit back and watch the show thinking, “Man, why can’t I land a gig as sweet as that?”
You get paid to roam around the world, find the best places ever and drink their alcohol to show people at home how fun it is. That’s the gig of the century. But, then the thought occurs to you that only blessed people like Tara Reid get gigs like that.
Well, not anymore. Getting paid to drink is no longer a gig for the beautiful and talented. It’s a job all of us can have.
It seems that there are plenty of beer companies starting a trend. They love to pay people to drink their beer and give them feedback.
“Just two nights ago I attended a beer & wine discussion group and for about 1 hour of my time, sampling a few different beers and wines and answering some questions I received $70.” Tim Costello, author of Make Money Drinking Beer.
It does appear that the blessings have been passed on to the rest of us. So, if you think you can participate in a drinking group where people will be drinking and talking about drinking, the learn more about how to make money drinking beer…
A bartender is somebody who serves beverages behind a licensed bar to paying customers. A bartender can also be called a barkeep or a barmaid. Bartenders are found in bars, pubs, taverns, nightclubs and other similar places.
The majority of the drinks that a bartender will be serving contain alcohol in them. They also serve beer and wine, along with other types of alcohol. Not only do they serve alcohol they also have to serve juice, soda, water, and non alcoholic beverages to those who do not drink alcohol.
As well as make and serve drinks, the bartender is also responsible for taking payment for drinks, in some cases (either from customers, waiters or waitresses), keeping the liquor supplies and glassware stocked, keeping the bar area clean, maintaining enough ice and garnishes on hand and serving food to customers sitting at the bar, if the bar offers food for sale.
Almost anywhere you go the bartender will be expected to dress appropriate, this makes the whole atmosphere of the bar better. There are even some places where the bartender will be expected to be the main entertainment of the bar.
A professional bartender should have in their head hundreds of recipes for drinks and shots. The quicker that you can serve the customer the more likely you are to get a good tip. It is not very professional to go over and look at a recipe book while the customer is waiting on his or her drink, especially if you are working at a busy night club.
A good bartender must have excellent people skills, as communication and also a person that will listen to the customer. When people are drinking they are more to open up, and sometimes as a bartender you must be that shoulder to cry on. Knowing what your customers are going to order is also a good thing, you will learn this over time.
In most countries, tipping is expected of the customer, and this is how the bartender gets the majority of their income, as most bar tenders are paid minimum wage. In some places, minors are allowed in bars, and it is the bartenders responsibility to check for identification before serving them alcohol.
So there is much more to being a bartender than just serving alcohol as you can see. The most important thing you must do well is your people skills since the majority of bartenders work for tips. The better people skills you have the more money you will see coming in.
Before you attempt and get into the great industry of bartending you need to know the facts, for that reason the author has wrote an excellent report that covers bartending tips for beginners and how to become a bartender.
Posted by CarBoy Films
The Father of Our Country loved his beer. English–style porter was George Washington’s drink of choice and whenever he could he would seek out the product of Robert Hare, a brewer in Philadelphia who was one of the first to make porter in the U.S. Washington was no stranger to homebrew either and this recipe from a personal notebook he kept will make 30 gallons of ale, enough for a large household like Mount Vernon.
"Take a large Sifter full of Bran, Hops to your Taste—Boil these 3 hours. Then strain out 30 Gallons into a Cooler put in 3 Gallons Molasses while the Beer is scalding hot or rather drain the molasses into the Cooler. Strain the Beer on it while boiling hot let this stand til it is little more than Blood warm. Then put in a quart of Yeast if the weather is very cold cover it over with a Blanket. Let it work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask. leave the Bung open til it is almost done working—Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed."
"To Make Small Beer” is the title of this recipe. “Small beer” is normally brew made from the second runnings through the mash for strong ale and the beer that is created has very little alcohol (about 3%). However, a note on the NPR website says that the above recipe produces a beer with an alcohol content of about 11 %. If this was George’s “small beer” then consumption of his “large beer” must have somehow disrupted space-time for its imbiber. Compare that ABV to a popular modern American brew, say Sam Adams Boston Lager at 4.9%, and you realize that “Town Destroyer”, as the Iroquois nicknamed Washington, wasn’t effin around. In fact, I think he might have been trying to kill himself and anyone around him.
So if you try this recipe use caution (or just less molasses) and for God’s sake send us pictures of the aftermath.
Image by cliff1066
