We went to an international bazaar last weekend. Xmas gifts, national foods, etc. Many people, many families milling about.
I couldn’t find the Irish stand right away, so instead of buying a can of Guinness I went to the Belgian stand and asked the man to recommend one of his many beers to me. He had cherry beer and raspberry beer and Weizenbeer and light beer and dark beer. I forget the name of the one I had. It’s the strong, dark one. Joeri probably knows which one I’m talking about.
Then I saw a guy drinking Guinness and asked him where he got it and went and got one for myself. It’s the best way to experience the world, all concentrated into a single convention hall like that, with a Guinness in your hand.
Then I heard bagpipes and went to investigate and it was the Scotland stand, where Alpha had a tea and scones, and I had a shot of Macallan’s fine single malt whiskey. I think Macallan’s is my favorite to be honest. I’m partial to the Islay whiskies, but Macallans is even better, I think.
Then my wife said I was drunk and we got into a big fight and she went off into Vienna to hang out with friends.
I wasn’t drunk, though.
International
Posted in Metamorphosism
Hmmm. Strong dark Belgian beer. Might be Westmalle, for instance. Or – if the beers at the bazaar were more commercial – probably Leffe. Not so bad, but a traditional Trappist (like Westmalle) is to Leffe what Johnny Walker is to Oban. Good to have you drinking nevertheless :)
http://www.negia.net/~brew/westmalle.html
What? Belgium has more than one strong, dark beer?
It was on the sweet side, just slightly sweet. And strong. Like I said.
Oh, that reminds me. Bock beer season is approaching. Strong, bitter beer drunk around Christmastime hereabouts. Have you got that too? No doubt. Every brewing company in Austria puts out at least one, so you must. About twice as strong… or more… than normal beer. Normal European beer.
Sure we have “Christmas beers” in Belgium, not only Bock type, but every sort:
http://web.wanadoo.be/fredjevh/delouvre/xmas.html
Back when I used to drink and get into fights with myself, I loved Aberlour. Smokey, smooth and warm. Once, I became the unwitting victim of a lecture on Single Malts from another drunk at a bar who insisted on buying me a snifter of Johnny Walker Blue Label for comparison- although I agreed with him at the time to shut him up (and out of respect for the price tag), I swear I secretly liked Aberlour better.
Beta and I just finished a can of Belle-Vue Kriek beer I bought at that Belgian stand I was talking about – she wanted to taste it, so I poured a little into a glass and she took a sip and gave me the glass back. Which is what I was hoping – that she wouldn’t like beer. 14 is too young to get started on that.
Judging from the label of the can, “kriek” means cherry. The beer had a mild cherry taste. Not nearly as bad as it sounds.
Aberlour, huh? I’ve never heard of it. I’ll keep my eyes peeled. I used to drink Laphroaig, just because people familiar with it would say, “how the hell can you drink that stuff?” (strong iodine aftertaste, but good against colds, or so I told myself).
ahhh.. i miss eurobevs. while the us has a ton of amazing and, i would argue, even some of the best beer, and a few amazing bourbons, most of the truly good stuff is in euro land (tequila, however, is another matter. i really like the regional flavors and the fact that they are readily available or just a short journey away.
i am going to have to begin the single malt education.
that is something the US brewers dont really usually understand, the seasonal brews. us brewers will stick some cranberry or nutmeg in beer and call it xmas brew. no good, IMO. i liked the austrian seasonal stuff better. bock tooward christmas. sturm in the autumn. radlers in the summer. the hot mulled cider, wines and whiskey aroound the holidays… it all made more sense. what the good fruhlings beverage
Good springtime drink… Perhaps just regular beer. Or wine. No special drink occurs to me right now… Market opportunity. Let’s invent one. My suggestion: Eierlik
for what it’s worth…why do people always jump on me for being drunk when i’m not…and then let me go do whatever w/out a care when i’m blind and barely standing? happens to the beast of us I guess.