Broon ale? Yes. Prohibition? Not so much.

Broon ale? Never heard of it.

It's how you pronounce "Brown Ale" if you're from where Newcastle Brown Ale is from. Although actually when asking for it in a pub, I ask for "dog".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcastle_brown_ale

I mean specifically Newcastle Brown - do you like it? To me it just seems like one of the several dozen miscellaneous mediocre imports at the liquor store.

Although, I am not much a fan of European styles of beer. There is the occasional one I like. Such as Red Macgregor I just had which was great.

Do you try and find living beer (real ales) when you have the chance, Jamie? This is trending hugely in Ontario.

In the more civalised parts of the UK it is known as Newkie Brown to enthusiasts, but when actually asking for it in a pub I say "you've got nothing at all on tap? Not even Pedigree??? Bugger... Newcastle Brown it is then...)

@ Lando:

1. Yes specifically Newcastle Brown, I am honestly quite fond of it. I don't know whether the version you get in Canada is any different, mind you. I know that for some reason Newcastle Brown in glass bottles tastes good here but Newcastle Brown in cans is horrible.

2. The Red MacGregor is also very nice, yes.

3. I am partial to the odd real ale, yes. Scottish ales such as Deuchars IPA and Harviestoun "Bitter & Twisted" in particular.

I also agree with Octavious that Pedigree is fairly bogging.

Why do your beers all taste "sweet"? All European beers, regardless fo where they are from.

I think a lot of the European beers we get here are bastardized versions of the ones they sell locally. Not that I really have any first hand proof of this.
I really hope they're bastardized version or else the English drink swill for the most part.

"the English drink swill for the most part. " - QFT. :-) hehehe

Most English ales are seldom seen further than 100 miles from where they're brewed, except at beer festivals. The names you Yanks mention when you talk about them I usually have never heard of.

It's amazing what happens to beers when they venture over national boards though. I bought a bottle of Guinness in Italy once. Actually spat it out over the cafe table, it was so revolting! One of the most embarrassing moments of my life...

Are you saying that Guinness is not actually tasting like rat piss? That only the exported Guinness is pure shit? That seems worth investigating even though I swore myself I won't try it ever again.

Bash a beer all you want, but Guinness tasting like any kind of piss is just ridiculous.

I'm a big fan of Newcastle. I don't really listen to Octavious on the subject of beer, since he's a cider drinker anyway.

Cider in summer, beer in winter. Nothing beats a dark, rich beer in front of the fire at Christmas time

""the English drink swill for the most part. "

The best selling beer in the UK is Canadian (Carling). Swill indeed.

So what's the new PC term for shitty beer if piss is outdated?

It's a stout for christ's sake. How can stout taste like piss?

Carling is the best selling beer in the UK?

Carling is huge at Canadian Univeristies/colleges because it is the cheapest beer on the market and tastes like water. I haven't drank a Carling in years.

Also, Guiness doesn't taste bad, but it certainly isn't much of a stout. Again, maybe I get a different version.

@Octavious - that is probably true for most local beers. I tend to have to drive to breweries to pick up the stuff I want as our liquor here is regulated and the macro brewers own the "Beer Store" one of two places to buy alcohol.

Vodka in summer, scotch in winter. Nothing beats The Glenlivet XXV in front of the fire on a snowy January evening except The Glenlivet XXV at a poker table in the casino during a serious ice strom that will keep the fish spending their money cause they don't want to go him in the mess. Beer - meh... It's OK for drinking out with friends while watching a game at the local sports bar and munching on soft pretzels and pizza or having a Dos Equis to cool down a rather hot Mexican meal. But that's about all it's good for.

You have obviously not tried the good beer then, Draugnar.

Also, for scotch, I prefer Glen Breton.

@Lando - I've had Heineken and understand why they call it Heiny for short. IT tastes like ass. I've had Bud and Miller and most of the American beers and they are drinkable, but just don't interest me like a scotch or vodka does. And I've had several beers from the Schwaben region of Germany and Austria. OK, but just not my thing. I'd rather have a cider most times or, in that region, a schnapps.

Right, but you have just demonstrated that you have not tried the good beer. You live in Cincinnati? If so, cross the bridge to Kentucky and go to a place called the "Party Source." Pick up beers from places like Stone, Brooklyn, Great Lakes, Founders, etc. These are what you are looking for. Try New Albanian's Hoptimus for a local favourite (recommended to me in Cinci, despite being from Indiana).

"Again, maybe I get a different version. "

No, I think you're just used to drinking Stone & Founders.

The tendency these days is for beer snobs to think a real beer has to be loaded with hops and spices in order to be good.

Which is still generally preferable to what we had twenty years ago when beer snobs seemed to think real beer had to have bits floating in it and smell slightly of eggs... Even when I first started drinking the good stuff (ten years ago (ish)) you had to leave a finger in the bottom of the glass to avoid choking to death.

Carling is huge because it is cheap, doesn't really taste of anything, and has a low alcohol content (so the inexperienced can get drunk gradually). Also it tastes of exactly the same nothing no matter what the quality of the pub you're in is. Real beer when treated badly can be a complete disaster.

PBR is my favorite shit-beer. Yuengling and Magic Hat No. 9 are my standard go-to beers. Wachusett Blueberry Ale in Spring and Summer. Shipyard Pumpkin head in Fall. Dont really have a favorite winter beer.

Busch Light if I am going to be drinking a dozen of anything. Great for the cottage.

@Poutine, I don't think beer has to be loaded with anything, but it does have to have some flavour. Most beer doesn't, because most beer is made for people who don't want to taste anything.

I am worried about where all the comparison data is coming from. Bad beer (e.g. Heineken or Bud) I can understand, but I am NOT going to collect comparison data on "piss" or "ass".

I have had Great Lakes and also Sam Adams seasonals like Summer Ale and Winter Lager. I just don't care for beer. And now that I have stopped drinking altogether for diabetes control reasons, I am.fine with it. I do miss scotch, vodka, bourbon, and cognac (and brandy in general).

Honestly, I'm not a fan of Sam Adams at all and I live less than an hour from their brewery.

What are your thoughts in Sherry, Draug? Also, an good cigar recommendations for when I finally get a job?

A fine drink that may well make Putin squirm (so something of a double win)

Take a Guinness. Add a shot of Port. Enjoy...

Is that a thing? I keep both Amontillado and Port in decanters at all times. I'll have to buy some Guinness.

It's a habit I picked up from a few friends at uni. People who try it swear by it...

Although around half of that is "what the fuck have you done to my Guinness?!?"...

If you're one of those that like it, however, you'll be forever in my debt :)

@ Druggie McStarwars

I think your habitual drug usage has killed your taste buds. Smokers tend to over salt and over spice their food. Probably the same type of deal with beer.

I tend to drink brown & Scottish ales. I like Belhaven, Samuel Smith, and Bell's. I'm with abg on PBR for cheap beer. The only union made beer!

Well maybe not the only union made but the only one that brags about it.

Yeah I hundy over spice my food. But I tend to think of it more that I just really like spicy food, much like I like flavourful beer. I don't think these are detriments to me. Nice nickname, too.

Also, almost every beer is union made, and most of them say it right on the can/bottle.

Coors products ain't. And I've never seen union made on any Anheiser-Busch products.

I don't recall seeing it on many bottles, either.

Maybe it is again a different product we get up here? I know for fact that most of Budweiser beers drank in Canada is made in Canada. I assume it is the same for Coors, and I guess the Molson and Labatt plants are still union-run.

I have enjoyed a sherry in my time. But I couldn't male a brand recommendation.

Cigars:
CAO - Any non flavored one but particularly the Criollo, Gold, Brazilian, and Italia.
Arturo Fuente Hemingway
Macanudo Cafe
Cohiba Red Dot
and if you have access to Cubans, a real Cohiba

I can recommend lots of others but that is a good start. Find a ring size and length you like and use that in selecting the size of your future purchases. Personally, I like. 38-48 ring band and a 5.5-7 inch length

@putin: here's a list of union made beers, you arent limited to pabst http://www.unionplus.org/union-made/beers

@lando: hundy Party Source. hundy cinci.

I brewed my own batch of beer a little while back, and there's no returning to the store. It's so easy I could hardly believe it, and it was GOOD. Suited my tastes, at least. And it'll cost less than half the price of bottled beer from the store.

People can't also ever be literally thick as a brick so I don't see why a beverage has to have certain qualities to qualify for "tasting like a piss" or "tasting like shit" comparison. Looking like piss I would understand, though, that can only apply to certain types of beer.

Yeah, no one said Heiny *literally* tastes like ass. After all, I've done some freaky sex stuff in my life and ass (well the nice round female ass I was nibling on) tasted a hell of a lot better than Heiny.