CS Booze Club.

[Jester]

Hey, what do we have here? Yes! Another beer!

This is not a new beer to me, but it is one I have not discussed in here, so what the hell.

Xingu Black Beer (Cervejaria Sul Brasileira, Brazil). I often describe the color of a beer, but this is kind of a paradox here, as black is the absence of all color. And this beer is absent of all color. I would say it is as dark as night, but I have seen some pretty well lit nights. Black as my heart wouldn't cover it, as my heart often knows love and joy. Hmmmm....how about "as black as my heart would be after someone committed the mortal sin of laying a hand in anger on any one of my nieces"? That about covers it. That, or "as black as Gravekeeper's heart after three dozen straight calls from the Northlands...." Seriously, no light escapes from this beer. It may actually be a Beer Singularity.

Subtle nose. Not as dark as you would think. Just a nice subtle darkish beer scent.

FIRST SIP: I cheated. Already had the first sip.
SECOND SIP: Surprisingly light for such a dark beer. Very subtle hints of coffee and caramel, as many dark beers display, but as I said, far more subtle. The tastes are fantastic, but very subtle, almost subdued. Some people mght say that this beer is a bit too light. Some people are also completely fucked in the head.

Getting away from the typical beer review jargon, the taste is simply that of heaven. Picture laying in a hammock on a beach in Rio having sun-drenched bikini-clad Brazilian goddesses attend to your every need. Yeah, Xingu brings up those kinds of images.

Would I drink it? DUH, winning!
Would I order it? Every day, all day.
Would I pay for it? What the hell do you think?

This is the kind of beer that would not only change your mind about beer, it might make you forget about Megan Fox. Naked. On your living room floor. (What? I did say "might.")

This beer is the anti-Bud, as it is all that is good about beer. It reaffirms the famous comment by Benjamin Franklin, that "beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." If I was on Death Row, and they allowed me one last beer, Xingu would be on my short list. It is as smoking as the beautiful Brazilian women I've seen. It is an iron fist in a velvet glove. It is the alpha and the omega. It is to beer what Jimi Hendrix was to guitar-playing.

Xingu (pronounced shin-goo, as I found out when I perused their website) is worth finding. Fuck that, it's worth hunting. Hey, that would make a great movie: Good Beer Hunting. No?

Xingu's biggest flaw? I only have one.

Is Xingu the best beer I've ever had? I can't honestly say. And the fact that I can't say that it isn't says a whole lot, don't ya think?

[Mytical]

I am not allowed alcohol, but after a review like that, even I am tempted.

Hmm Fairfield is the closest place to even get it? That is a long way *plots trip to fairfield*

[thansal]

That sounds like a damn good beer. I'm a big fan of subtle beers (doesn't mean I don't like a kick in the face type every so often though). However, so few beers get it right, you generally either get bland or robust, rarely subtle.

[Jester]

I do hope more of you lovers of drink will post here with comments on your cocktails, spirits, and beverages. Unfortunately, I will not be able to do so, as I have made a decision to give up beer. It is interfering with my workouts and attempts to get back in shape, and I am doing something about it, and will refrain from drinking it.

For a week. What did you think I meant? Forever? Get the fuck out of here! This is ME, people. Hellooo?

Seriously, I am holding off on beer for the next week to see what kind of results I can get in the gym and on the scale, and also to cut down on the carbs during that time. I know it won't go for more than a week, because next Monday night is the annual Taste of Key West, a small food festival (with beer and wine, of course), and I'll be damned if I'm gonna miss that. Hell, I even rescheduled a project with one of my managers at The Bar that we had originally planned on doing that night. This is a great event every year, and I fully plan on going.

But for now, I am On The Wagon, and look forward to cracking open and tasting (and yes, reviewing) one of the many craft beers sitting in my fridge, waiting for me. After all, it's not like they're gonna go bad!

And you didn't really think I was going to give those away, or (heavens forbid!) throw them away, did you?

See y'all next week!

[Mishi]

Dammit Jester, now I want to try some of those craft beers... and I don't even like beer!

The cocktails I mentioned: The chambord/vodka/fruit juice is from a friend of a friend who has recently named it 'Bella Rosa' and I was wondering if the cherry flavoured one had a shorter common name (it's from a novel and is known as: Mr Butler's Refreshing Cocktail). I don't drink often, so no experimental cocktails from me.

Going to the markets on Sunday with my best friend, hopefully we'll find something yummy to try. Can anyone tell me if Mozart Gold Chocolate Liquer is worth trying? I was thinking that it might make a very nice mocha.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Okay, boys and girls. Time to go over our ABC's.

A is for A Beer
B is for Beer
C is for What we'd cross for a beer
D is for Da Beer, German for beer
E is for 'e needs a beer
F is for Eff I only had a beer
G is for Gee, I wish I had a beer
H is for He needs a beer
I is for I need a beer
J...the guy that sells us beer.
K...his wife
L...Let's all have a beer!
M...'im needs a beer
N...'nother beer
O...Oh, I wish I had a beer
P...Self explanatory.
Q...A French word
R...A Pirate's favorite word.
S...what we fall on when we have too much beer.
T...No thanks, I'm drinking beer
U...You need a beer
V...Ve ALL need a beer.
W...You and you need beers
X...J's first wife.
Y...you'll have to ask J
Z...Ze beer, German for beer.

[Jester]

I have a different set of ABC's:

A is for Amstel (Netherlands). [Also Asahi (Japan).]
B is for Bass (England). [Also Budweiser (U.S.A.), Bell's (U.S.A.), and Blue Moon (U.S.A.).]
C is for Corona (Mexico).
D is for Dos Equis (Mexico).
E is for Erdinger (Germany).
F is for Franziskaner (Germany). [Also Framboise (Belgium) and Foster's (Australia). Not to mention Four Peaks Brewery back home in Arizona.]
G is for Guinness (Ireland).
H is for Hacker-Pschorr (Germany). [Also Harp (Ireland) and Hoegaarden (Belgium).]
I is for Icehouse (U.S.A.)
J is for just the perfect beer.
K is for Kalik (Bahamas). [Also Kirin (Japan).]
L is for Left Hand (U.S.A.). [Also Landshark (U.S.A.).]
M is for Miller (U.S.A.).
N is for Newcastle (England).
O is for Oskar Blues (U.S.A.)
P is for Paulaner (Germany).
Q is for quality craft beers.
R is for Rogue. (U.S.A.) [Also Red Stripe (Jamaica).]
S is for Steinlager (New Zealand). [Also Shock Top (U.S.A.), Smithwick's (Ireland), Samuel Adams (U.S.A.), Samuel Smith's (England), and Sapporo (Japan).]
T is for Tucher (Germany).
U is for unfiltered German wheat beer.
V is for Viru (Estonia).
W is for Warsteiner (Germany).
X is for Xingu (Brazil).
Y is for Yuengling (U.S.A.).
Z is for Zywiec (Poland).

[Mytical]

Ok..so for somebody who knows nothing about GOOD alcohol..if a beginner (who oddly isn't a lightweight) would ask what would you start them off with?

[Jester]

Mytical, that is just too broad a question to really answer. I would, however, say to experiment. Find out what kind of beverages you like, and then focus on the good version of those. After all, there's beer, wine, and liquor. And then there are so many sub-groups.

Beer: All the beer groups I mentioned, plus more, plus cider, plus malt liquor beverages (such as Smirnoff Ice and Mike's Hard Lemonade).
Wine: Red? White? Sparkling? Blush? California? France? Italy? Argentina? Spain? Chile?
Liquor: Rum? Vodka? Gin? Whiskey? Tequila? Scotch? Mixed drinks? Martinis? Sipping spirits?

There is no "one thing" I would start someone off with, honestly. It depends too much on your personal tastes.

But I would recommend that you get out there and try some stuff. If you aren't sure, let your friends order their drinks first, then taste those. If one or more of them have something you like, there's your starting point.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I really agree with Jester, everyone's tastes are different.I have a friend who really doesn't drink much, but one the rare occasion she does drink, drinks sweet wines, sangrias, and pop wines because she doesn't have much of a taste for booze but like a little nip every now and again.

I have another friend who is a supertaster who doesn't like strong flavors or the taste of alcohol so she kind of drinks the same sorts of things...wine coolers and light stuff like that. She does like sweet "desert" type things like liqueurs and whatnot.

You could try things like that until you get used to the tastes of various things.

Just do me a favor: don't feel like drinking is something you have to do. If you don't enjoy it, don't do it. And don't drink for the purpose of getting drunk. Find somethng you like, if you can, and enjoy it on it's own merit.

[JoitheArtist]

You ever have a beer that just stuck in your memory? When I was out in Florida, my friends took me to the Cocoa Beach Brewing Company, and I had one of their pale ales. I swear, I DREAM of that beer, and they don't ship to California.

(The Brewing Company itself was awesome: it was in a house, and you could sit and drink on the couches and easy chairs in the living room or at the kitchen table. The kitchen counter was the bar, and they had Girl Scout Cookies for sale, as well. Oh, and they also had the menu for the pub next door, so you could call them and order food, and that pub would send someone to walk over with your food! Perfect place for introverts. )

[Jester]

NON-BOOZE REVIEW:

While I have decided to abstain from beer (and booze in general) this week for fitness reasons, I have not stopped trying new things.

Now, I normally drink Juicy Juice, a brand marketed for kids but great for adults as well, as they are 100% juice, not juice cocktails, and have several great flavors. And they look like juice SHOULD. No bright neon colors or crazy unnatural hues. Just normal juice. My personal favorite, that I've been drinking for years, is their Berry flavor. It actually almost looks like tea...not like what Hi-C or Hawaiian Punch might look like, for example.

Anyway, last week while at the grocery store, I noticed they had a killer price on Juicy Juice. Awesome! But wait, what's this? They were OUT of my Berry flavor! Mothertrucker! But then I noticed some flavors I had never seen before, some new flavors. So I picked up three jugs, one of each of three flavors sounded appetizing to me.

First one: Strawberry Banana. Not bad, but just not my favorite. I would drink it again, absolutely. Doubt I would buy it again, unless they were out of Berry. Good stuff, not great....but your own personal tastes may vary.

Next up: White Grape. Last one will be Mango. Stay tuned!

You ever have a beer that just stuck in your memory?

Several.

Evolution Amber from Wassatch Breweries, Utah.
Kiltlifter from Four Peaks Brewery, Arizona.
Dragonslayer, Ohio. (Considering this is one that I tried 13 years ago and haven't ever seen since....yeah, it stuck in my memory. Would love to find more of it, if they still make it. Phenomenal beer!)
Xingu, Brazil.
Samuel Adams Black Lager, Massachusetts.
Maduro Oatmeal Brown, Cigar City Brewing, Florida.
Bessie's Milk Stout, I don't remember the brewer. Which is fucked up since I've had the stuff twice. But I DO know where I got it: Papago Brewing, which is a lovely beer pub in Scottsdale, Arizona. I have to research this one. It kicks ass.
Hacker-Pschorr Hefeweizen, Germany. One of the two best hefes I've ever had, the other one from the brewpub I used to work at in Arizona, which is now defunct.
Abita Amber, Abita Brewery, Louisiana.
Eight Ball Stout, from I dunno where. Had it at DRB in Miami. (Stands for Democratic Republic of Beer, a GREAT bar you should hit if you are ever in Miami.)
Winter Hook, from Red Hook Brewing. Where they are based fails me at the moment. That was the best beer Little Red and I had at Beerfest in Fort Lauderdale last year....and we tried a lot of beers there!

Probably several others, but you asked for the ones that stuck in my memory, and these are the ones that just come right out.

When I was out in Florida, my friends took me to the Cocoa Beach Brewing Company, and I had one of their pale ales. I swear, I DREAM of that beer, and they don't ship to California.

Now you know how I feel about Kiltlifter from my home town brewery, Four Peaks. They only ship within Arizona. I live in Key West, Florida. And while I would have loved to have taken a case of it on the plane with me as my "personal item," I don't think 24 12 ounce bottles would have really gone over well with the TSA screeners. Just a guess.

[Jester]

Was giving up beer for the week, but fell slightly off the wagon today for my roommate's birthday. Silly rabbit, I am.

In any case, after a lovely brunch, we went to one of the local beer bars for a quick one. Of course, that quick one ended up costing me about a hundred bucks, but that's another story. (And the amusing thing is, yes, I only had one beer while we were there. Go figure.)

In addition to trying a few lovely samples from the taps, I had one of my favorites, Maduro Oatmeal Brown from Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Florida. On draft. And I would review it here, but I don't have it here, I had it there. So I can't do my usual review of it. However, I will attempt something, because you expect no less of me.

Maduro is a classic brown, rich, malty, and lovely. Strong cocoa flavor, with hints of chocolate and brown sugar. Smooth going down, great finish. If you can get one, do so. If you have one, you'll have two. It's just too good a beer not to have a second of.

And due to my impulsive shopping spree at the bar I was at, I'll be reviewing some more of Cigar City's offerings a little bit down the road, it seems.

[thansal]

So, I accidentally ordered an IPA yesterday for lunch. I'm fairly forthcoming on my dislike of heavily hopped beers, and IPAs in particular.

That said, I ordered it for a good reason, and was actually not let down.

The name is Back in Black from 21st amendment brewery. It comes in a can, and I got it at a place I trust to have good beer, so I thought it would be amusing (and I like dark beers). Upon being given that can I looked it over, it's a nice can, but that was where I saw it was an IPA and I was suddenly disappointed. Hell, it's got an IBU (International Bittering Unit or something) of 65. That's a LOT. IIRC Dog Fish Head's 60/90 min IPAs have IBUs of 60/90, and I can't drink the 60 min (it tastes like soap).

That said, the beer proclaimed to be a "Black IPA", specifically an "American IPA brewed with rich dark malts" (Yes, I took a picture, that's how I'm quoting it :P). So, that soothed my nerves a bit. Cracked the can, took a look, and it is indeed jet black, something I tend to be happy about. The smell reminds me of a number of very heavily malted beers I know and enjoy (Burnt, coffee, kinda sweet), but also of an IPA (soap), though not nearly as strong on either front as previous beers I have had.

The taste really did blend both a traditional American high hop IPA with something more akin to a Stout or Porter. It reminded me that I do like hops as much as I like malt, and the combination of the 2 is a great thing. Normally I aim for beers with the malt is the dominate flavor, however this is a great example of a beer that balances both.

This is going down on my list of beers I need to get a 6 pack or 2 of just to have on hand for whenever.

[Jester]

I have tried at least one (maybe two) black IPA, and damn it, those things are pretty tasty, even to maltheads like you and I. (Hey, if they can call themselves hopheads, I can call myself a malthead, right?)

And today ends The Week Without Beer, and I have a whole fridge of craft beers to sample (though not all today, of course).

And while I have not been beering it, I HAVE been wining. Especially yesterday at the Taste of Key West.

Tried several lovely wines, but the Absolute Winner was Riondo Amarone. My favorite bartender in town, HBC, years ago turned me on to amarones, and while not cheap, they are delightful Italian red wines. Riondo, while not quite a traditional amarone (according to the guy pouring it, anyway), was delightful. Full, rich, luscious. Let me put it this way--I noted the name of it in my phone, and plan on buying a bottle for further "research." It's goooood.

NON-BOOZE UPDATE: The Juicy Juice White Grape is a nice white grape juice. Nothing I haven't had before. I prefer it to the Strawberry Banana, for sure, but it does not supplant the Berry as my favorite. Might even buy it again, which I cannot say for the Strawberry Banana. Also, the White Grape would actually make a nice mixer for a cocktail, as does white cranberry juice. If you've never had either, I highly recommend trying either or both. Both are somewhat sweeter, less tart versions of their traditional counterparts. I prefer white cranberry, but white grape is nice too.

And I am almost out of the White Grape, so it's almost time to break open the Mango, the last of my 3 Juicy Juice experiments.