Month: September 2009

Best Beer in a Can Top 10 List

Top 10 Beer List / By

best beer in a CAN GuinnessDrinking beer in a can may not be the most desired way to consume an ice cold beer but when the options call for this, what are you best alternatives. Before we get into the best options, the patented Guinness widget, the devise that releases CO2, patent no. 4,832,968, the U.S. patent for the Guinness in a can stout, is better than everything else except a draft in Ireland of a draft anywhere else (if poured correctly). The Irish have perfected the art of beer in a can and simulate the draft beer result better than anything else on the market. Well, there are others besides the Irish or they are just licensing the technology from Guinness (e.g. Boddington’s in a can).

With this out of the way, enjoying a beer in a can means that there are types of beer that are best in a can versus the bottle. Top 10 list of great beers in a can:

  1. Guinness and any Irish or English beer with the Guinness widget…like Boddingtons. With this being said, all other beers are a far cry from this but I need to make my list.
  2. Tecate, when done the traditional way with lime juice squeezed on top of the can and salt poured on top of the can is darn good. I am not a fruit in beer fan but this is a must try. If you need instructions…here you go.
  3. Schlitz in a can is not bad. There was a bar in North Scottsdale that served Schlitz in a can for $2. They are out of business and I am sure it was not because they sold too many of these puppies.  Side note: if you are in Chicago looking for a great Chicago thin-crust pizza joint with great beer on tap, including Schlitz on draft with vintage steins, Check out Bricks.
  4. The Heineken mini keg can is always good and now we are talking larger size too. The bottle choice is still darn good too but I like the design of the Heineken keg.
  5. Pabst Blue Ribbon is becoming a cult favorite and the can option is considered better than the bottle. Also in high demand is Pabst memorabilia. I will find a link and provide it in a future post.
  6. See prior post for Oranjeboom beer. This is a quality beer in the 16 ounce version.
  7. Budweiser I like better in a can better than the bottle. Maybe because it has less carbonation drinking from the can than the bottle.
  8. LaBatts Blue and Light which is good in a bottle but I think the can maybe better.
  9. Molson Canadian – always a good choice, especially if you are in Canada and can get the candian stregth version.
  10. Heineken Light in the Red Bull style can.

Miller did not make the top 10 but gets a mention for those that despise Bud and I am not in that camp so Miller, feel privileged you are mentioned in this blog post.

So what are the worst options for drinking beer in a can other any warm beer in a can?

Top 5 Beer Tips for Finding the Right 6 Pack

Top 5 Beer List / By

Weekend Beer Tips for Finding the Right 6 PackWeekends, football and beer go together like beer and, well just about anything (within reason and within the law of course). So, to start your weekend out right, think about this, what is the most memorable and tasty 6 pack you ever had? I know you are not saying you have not consumed all 6 beers from a sixer at once and if not, use your imagination to get the visual. Here lies the answer to what you should pick up for the weekend. My recommendations for finding the right 6 pack of beer are:

  1. Try something new but within the beer family you like (e.g. ale, wheat, pilsner, stout, kolsh, etc.)
  2. Try local – local beers are always a good conversation starter if the 6 pack is going to be shared and if it is not so good, you are supporting the local economy (this time). In Arizona, you cannot go wrong with 4 Peaks Brewing Company.
  3. Don’t go cheap unless you are in a Trader Joe’s – If the beer store is known for stocking good quality beers (like TJs) then you typically can’t go wrong. For example Oranjeboom beer is available in a six pack tall boys for under $5 at Trader Joe’s. Tastes like Heineken, is in 16 ounce cans and I think might be better (especially the price).
  4. Avoid novetly beers – The Cave Creek Chili Beer was bad before the chili was added (how do you think it got there in the first place).
  5. Go seasonal – Summer beers, Winter Ales, Octoberfests and other seasonal brews are only available in the season so it is worth trying or you will be waiting until next year if it is truely a seasonal beer.

Last point…enyoy and drink responsibly…unless you have a driver.

Pot Smoking Benefits with Binge Drinking

binge drinking / By

Hmmm….5 beers or more is binge drinking. What is binge pot smoking? Read on…

Study found those who also smoked showed less damage to brain's white matter.

FRIDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) — Marijuana may buffer the brain against the damages of binge drinking, a new study suggests.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, used high-tech scans to compare microscopic changes in brain white matter in teens aged 16 to 19 who were divided into three groups: binge drinkers (boys who consume five or more drinks at one sitting, and girls who have four or more drinks); binge drinkers who also smoked marijuana; and a control group with little or no experience with either alcohol or drugs.

As expected, the binge drinkers showed signs of white matter damage in all eight brain regions examined by the researchers. But the binge drinkers/marijuana users had less damage in seven out of the eight brain regions than the binge drinkers did. And compared to the control group, the binge drinkers/marijuana users had more white matter damage in only three regions.

The researchers wrote that brain white matter tracts were “more coherent in adolescents who binge drink and use marijuana than in adolescents who report only binge drinking.” They said it’s “possible that marijuana may have some neuroprotective properties in mitigating alcohol-related oxidative stress or excitotoxic cell death.”

The study appears in the current issue of the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology.

“This study suggests that not only is marijuana safer than alcohol, it may actually protect against some of the damage that booze causes,” Steve Fox, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a news release from the project.

“It’s far better for teens not to drink or smoke marijuana, but our nation’s leaders send a dangerous message by defending laws that encourage the use of alcohol over marijuana,” he added.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about binge drinking.

Summer Beers Hit the Spot

Summer beers / By

best summer beersWith it being mid-summer and the temperature are still above1oo degrees in Phoenix, light body summer beers quench the thirst best. Since I posted my top 10 summer beers and Sierra Nevada Summerfest Bottom Fermented Beer and cold tank aging (AVB 5%) is still top of the list. I must say the surprise goes to Fat Tire Skinny Dip with a distinctive taste and a surprise ingredient goji berries (110 calories per 12oz serving, 7 grams carbs ABV 4.2%) that makes this summer beer stand out. Although it did not make my initial top 10 list because I am not a big wheat beer fan and their entire beer lineup has a wheat beer theme, I think Skinny Dip belongs in the top 10 summer beers list.

Summer beers

What are the Best Light Beers – Top 10 List

best light beers, Top 10 Beer List / By

Guinness Vs.Tivo

What are the best light beers is an excellent question and a timely one being summertime and that our tendency to drink light beers goes up with the summer heat. There are typically two camps when you look at the top selling and most popular light beers, Bud Light and Miller Light. Light beer drinkers typically choose (with passion) one over the other. I am in the Bud Light camp but will drink a miller light if that is my only option. best light beers

  1. Guinness (yes Guinness, look at the calories and you will agree)
  2. Heineken Light
  3. Becks Light
  4. Labatts Blue Light
  5. Bud Light
  6. Samuel Adams Light
  7. Corona Light
  8. Amstel Light
  9. Leinenkugel’s Amber Light
  10. Abita Light

Don’t try to test them all in one night. Light beers begin to taste the same after a few anyways. Light beer tends to be the backup beer after enjoying one or two quality beers like a Sierra Nevada of Newcastle Brown Ale. Some light beers are so light you might as well go with a non-alcoholic beer like Michelob Ultra and Coors Light. Light beers are also goo to use in cooking like beer can chicken. Excellent marinades have light beer to help with tenderizing. Also, light beer is good in a margarita, especially if your margarita mix is not that great (cuts the sweetness). What are some other good uses for light beer?

Best Summer Beers

Best Summer Beers Top 10 List…did I mention Cold Beers?

Summer beers, Top 10 Beer List / By

sierra nevada summerfestCold beer and summer goes together like cold beer and just about anything. Looking for some good summer beers? An on point question for this time of year. It is safe to say that we can steer clear of stout beers although a Guinness is always good when poured right (and still ok when not). However, when you think of summer beers, what comes to mind is pilsner, larger, kölsch, lambic, wheat and light beers. Oh and did I mention it must be cold beer? Summer beer is seasonal and many brewing companies have a limited time brew. Here are some noteworthy summer beers and beers best in the warm months to try:

  1. Sierra Nevada Summerfest
  2. Samuel Adams Summer Ale
  3. Blue Moon Blue Moon White (Lighter style Wheat Beer)
  4. Widmer Hefeweizen
  5. Anchor Summer (Anchor Steam Summer Beer)
  6. Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat
  7. Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Barrel Select Pils
  8. Lindeman’s Framboise Rasberry, Lambic Beer
  9. Belgian “Saison” Farmhouse Ale
  10. Stella Artois Pilsner Beer (how weak that Beer Advocate gives Stella a C+…come on!)

There you have it…a top ten list for summer beers, recommended to be enjoyed ice cold and responsibly or irresponsible in the comfort of your own home. Cold beer and summer go well together!

MMMM Beer….Ahhhggggg

Top 5 Beer List / By

mmmm...beer

MMMM Beer. The infamous words of Homer J. Simpson. Homer, like it or not, he resembles the stereotypical beer drinker profile vs. the atypical profile. With that being said, there is a wealth of knowledge that us beer drinkers have, including Homer, that needs to be shared with those that are not in the know. So, the first point to be noted about beer is, life is too short to drink cheap beer, unless…here is where the exceptions come out:

  1. You just got done hiking the Grand Canyon and the only beer in the cooler is Meisterbrau (which is ice cold even after 3 days in the hot car).
  2. The beer is partially frozen so that the water content remains in the can as the higher alcohol liquid is poured into a frosty mug.
  3. You just got done playing in a beer league tournament (I will say hockey) and a teammate brought ice cold Natural Light Ice into the locker room to celebrate your victory.
  4. It is the only option you have at the bar you are stranded at.
  5. Do we really need excuses or exceptions (we can justify any moment as long as we know it is temporary).

More to be said…so please join in! mmmm beer!