Did someone say Beer! Yo ho Yo ho a pirates life for me!

[cozmik_cowboy]

Thanks for the heads up, John - I do believe I'll walk the 4 blocks for that one (too bad on the date - #3 son, who is a huge fan, will be in town for his brother's wedding that week - and flies back to AK that day.)
Paul - I have tried the NG IPA, but I'm not a big hop freak - and as you say, you'd better be with that one.
Mike - yes, indeedy, on the wheat - #4 on my list would probably be Paulaner Hefeweissen, & my fridge currently holds some Goose Island 312.
 
Peter
 
(Message edited by cozmik_cowboy on August 07, 2009)

[darkstar01]

i'm a huge fan of new belgium brewery (in ft. collins, co... if you have the chance to check it out, do it. but it's always packed). fat tire is probably their most popular brew, but 1554 is my all time favorite beer.  i love a nice stout/black ale.  and coming back to my home state of south carolina to find new belgium has started shipping there didn't hurt.  i also love brooklyn brewery, based (oddly enough) in brooklyn.  i live in nyc, so i don't know how far outside of the state they ship. but brooklyn lager and the chocolate stout are both pretty good.

[terryc]

okay you guys lets talk serious beer..
Here in the North east of the UK it is known for some very high quality headache inducing liquid.
Newcastle Brown Ale or rocket fuel as it is known as. Very strong and unique taste.
Camerons Stongarm..brewed originally for the steel workers and iron furnace workers in Teesside in the early part of the 20th century.
A very tasty brew.  
Worthington Ale..another great beer.
Hand pulled Bass(pronounced like the fish)..only one pub in Teesside serves this ale..The Sun Inn in Stockton on Tees...my god it is heaven in a glass.
There are some great independents here in the n/east too.
Black Sheep brewery in Masham, this produces the very strong Black Sheep Ale and Riggwelter..not for the fainted hearted or stomach.
So if any USA people get over here..try them out.
 
A friend of mine who was from the USA got used to drinking these, when his relatives came over we took them out for a few of these ales, needless to say Jerry and I were still standing at the end of the night whilst his cousins needed help into the taxi. Nuff said

[cozmik_cowboy]

I'd love to check it out, Terry; Newcastle & Bass are both available here, and incredible, but I imagine it's a whole 'nother matter without the trans-pond shippping time.
I'll watch for the other ones.
 
Peter

[john_judge]

Love me some New Castle, Hey Terry do you happen to know if Watney's Red Barrel is still available or did they retire it, I drank it on tap when I was over there in 1980 and 1981, I loved it it had a touch of a carmel amber to it with a bit of whitbread flavor but like no other, smooth drinking stuff..let me know if you seen it Terry I might have to get me a case shipped over here LOL!....John

[bsee]

From what I've read, Watney's has been gone since '97. When I was over in Ireland, my choice was the Smithwick's. There are a few places here in Massachusetts that have it now, but it doesn't seem quite the same.

[bracheen]

I haven't had Smithwick's in Ireland.  I've had it here and wasn't wild about it.  I have a dear friend who loves it.  What I like in a bottled lager is Harp followed by Yuengling (not sure of the spelling).  Of course my #1 all time favorite is still Guinness draught.

[john_judge]

A fellow by the name of Mike Craft wrote this on a blog I found,  
his Beer story is as follows:
 
My family have a long history of working at the Watney breweries and hold a record for long service totalling 346 years. My fore fathers where all coopers and the trade was handed down father to son. We lived in the brewery owned street named Watney Road at Mortlake for 14 years which formed the back drop of my early years of growing up. Mortlake was dominated by the brewery and life revolved around it's activities, the brewery hooter was a big influence on life as it went off at 0700 hrs, 1300 hrs and 1700 hrs and could be heard for many miles around. My father who was the last in the line of coopers worked as an area manager, managing the sales of beer to the pubs after many years following the family trade as coopers.
 
 I never joined the brewery breaking the family tradition which must have been a bit upsetting for the older members of the family. Watneys certainly looked after their staff with many welfare benefits and sports opportunites, My father was capatian of the 1st eleven cricket club so all of my younger summer weekends where spent on a cricket ground in Surrey and South London. Watneys looked after us as a family well and the family trade of coopers was well paid if you could turn out the barrels fast enough. Many happy memories from this period.

[afrobeat_fool]

Real pirates with wheat allergies prefer Rum. A Dram in the mornin' and three at dusk. By the way, In Portland, I found listings of over 50 handcrafted Micro breweries. What other cities can boast that!I have personally played in maybe a dozen.

[john_judge]

I've say you earned your spot in the Crow nest Nick..come a board mate..I have tried my hand at making Wine but now I think it's time to buy a wooden Keg and brew some of me own stuff.  
Have to check the regulations but it be nice to bring some home brew to one of the Alembic gatherings like Chicago...Oh Yeah!  
I'm sipping on a Fat Tire as we speak. Not much going on today so I am enjoying my time off posting and sippin.  
 
Only one thing lacking in this post and I am about to add it now is PIZZA! I have a home built Brick Italian oven in my yard that hit's about 850 degrees and I got fresh veggies from the garden including some Aniiiem peppers and fresh Mozzarella and homemade rope sausage, and you know that I am fixin to move me and the beer out to cook the Dough thats been retarding in my fridge the past 3 days..I'll will be thinking of you all.
 By the way I have to say I am a Pizziola which means I make a mean one, comes from my family Italian side and when I was a kid I worked in the very beat Pizza place you can find,
 Charcoal wood fired ovens 950 degrees cooked on Italian glazed bricks that were boated in from Italy in 1900 and he finally got open in 1925. The place Frank Pepe's Pizza in New Haven,CT well worth the trip check it out on the web. peace everyone, love you Beer drinkers and which you were all here for a slice.
 
(Message edited by john judge on August 08, 2009)

[artswork99]

My all time favorite - Mineo's Pizza - Pittsburgh, PA.    
 
A good story on this place... several years ago my sister was flying on Southwest and in their airline magazine was an article on the top 10 pizza joints in the nation... Mineo's made it into that elite group so she ripped the article out and sent it to me
 
That brick oven in the backyard sure does sound inviting John!
 
(Message edited by artswork99 on August 08, 2009)

[keith_h]

John,
We need to get together to talk about your backyard oven. I have been thinking about one of those but haven't been able to find folks with real experience of having them.  
 
To get back to beer Rene, my wife, and I have been talking that it might be time try our hand at brewing.  
 
Keith

[elwoodblue]

850+ degrees !!
I used to make a couple hundred loaves each night for a couple local bakeries ( just me and the tunes )...450 was about the highest I could do with the baguettes. Those high heats really get some nice caramelization to the crust.  
 
 Thanks for the visceral sharing of a tasty slice.

[2400wattman]

I too am sipping on some Fat Tire myself and I must agree with Austin about the 1554 ale which is excellent. Here's a short list of the ones I prefer.
1. Weihenstenphaner Dunkel(dark wheat beer and gets better as it warms)
2. Damn near any Porter  
3. Sam Adam's Imperial White Ale-10.3% alc. per 12 oz. bottle and will knock you on your A@*!!
4. Sam Adam's Winter Lager
5. Heineken or Beck's when I can't get what I really want
6. Can not forget Chimay, those Trappist Monks brew a wonderful flavor rich ale.  
Cheers gentlemen. Adam
 
(Message edited by 2400wattman on August 08, 2009)

[terryc]

Watney's was more favoured down at the south of the UK.
John, the sound of those pizzas sound great, pizza cooked in standard  ovens don't compare.
Your pizza sound divine..just thinkng about them makes me hungry now.
How do you maintain that temperature from the charcoal all the time...do you have a bellows system like a blacksmith???