Do you like the taste of Lager?

[jonbeeza]

It is nice to see we are not a nation of p***s heads that will simply drink anything just to get smashed. It seems some do appreciate the more obscure ales and beers, while others like and are happy with the more well known lagers.

I just don't think our little local would serve a pint of Woodcutters smooth full bodied special hop blend, or other sounding beer. Our bar maid would probably tell me where to go lol

 

[joescrivens]

I like a lot of the badger beers - fursty ferret, golden champion, tangle foot are probably my favourites. Though I have just cracked open a bottle of England's Own and its very nice indeed.

I like a hobgoblin and enjoy all the wychwood beers too.

As far as lager goes, I don't mind cobra or kingfisher and both of those do go down very nicely with a curry.

If I'm in a weatherspoons or somewhere that tends to only cater for mainstream tastes I can tolerate a generic lager like bud, carling or fosters but it does taste pretty bland.

Love crabbies too.

If any of you guys want to try something a bit different which isn't too heavy, get a couple of bottles of badger, its lovely.

I can't get used to most of the badger ales. Fursty ferret is too bitter. Golden champion is ok but I don't rate the badger beers that highly.

Although I have yet to try any on draught so I'll hold my opinion.

For Christmas I'm getting an 18pint polygon of skinners Cornish knocker which is exquisite.

 

[antihero]

Love crabbies too.

Nooooooooooo!! tastes like it's got a full bag of sugar in it! far too sweet. King of the modern alcopops has to be Jeremiah Weed Root Brew. mmmmmmm.

Not a real fan of real ale in all honesty, but do like the premium lagers if i'm flush. Erdinger is a beaut. If i'm slumming it, i'll go on pints of Tuborg. Not bad at all compared to Fosters or Carling.

Carlsberg can just do one. It's rank. Even in export mode.

 

[jonbeeza]

Has anyone tried the cheapo Beers in Home Bargains? I have seen them priced about 99p to about £1.50 odd. I tried a couple from here and a few were nice, but a few were really kacky tasting also. I think one was a strong pale ale that I found really nice.

 

[Steep]

Isn't this the first sign of an alcoholic....drinking purely for the buzz/after effects, and not for the flavour? I never drink an alcoholic drink purely because it is alcohol.........that's just a bad path to take.

If you could find the beer you like minus the alcohol I'm willing to bet you wouldn't like it. If it wasn't that way the drinks companies would be falling over themselves to offer us alcohol free versions of all our favourite tipples.

 

[ZoneV]

Has anyone tried the cheapo Beers in Home Bargains? I have seen them priced about 99p to about £1.50 odd. I tried a couple from here and a few were nice, but a few wre really kacky tasting also. I think one was a strong pale ale that I found really nice.

My local HB's store often has Theakstones Old Peculiar and a Wychwood beer or two, quite nice beers.

With regards to lager, I enjoy it (any brand, as long as it's wet & extremely cold) on a sweltering day or after some hot graft, but I normally prefer real ale or red wine. My current favourite beers are by the Mws Piws (Purple Moose) brewery.

 

[modchild]

The only lager I really like is Carlsberg, not the 'export', and only in bottles or glass but not tins. I have tried many different lagers but Carlsberg is the only one I really do like.

 

[joescrivens]

If you could find the beer you like minus the alcohol I'm willing to bet you wouldn't like it. If it wasn't that way the drinks companies would be falling over themselves to offer us alcohol free versions of all our favourite tipples.

It's impossible. Plus they don't need to, they already have non alcoholic best sellers. Coke for example

The fermenting of the yeast creates the taste. You cannot create a beer that tastes the same. Thus your point about alcohol not tasting nice is incorrect. I'll often have just one ale of an evening. Often a 3.5% ale. It has zero effect on me so I'm not drinking it for the buzz etc, there is no buzz. I'm drinking it because the taste is delicious.

 

[jackthekipper]

I love that Black Lager but can't seem to remember it's name.

Oh! just came back to me Guinness yep dats de one.

 

[seriousrikk]

Do I like the taste of lager?

Generally, no. Certainly not the stuff you generally get served in pubs anyway. Although I do keep a few bottles of Staropramen in the fridge because they go down lovely while I'm cooking something.

Definitely prefer real ale, although I fully admit I'm only just starting out in the exploration of good ales. Rather like Hobgoblin and Doombar and as an added bonus they are on tap at the local rock pub. Adnams is another brewer that I will get a little bit excited about when I see their ales on tap along with Jennings (Particularly Snecklifter).

Almost forgot, at another hostelry of disrepute in Nottingham I also enjoy a pale ale called Pale Rider and oddly enough, one called Dregs...

 

[joescrivens]

Music to my ears. Sneck lifter is exceptional. If you like doom bar try and get hold of tribute or skinners Betty stoggs.

 

[Marc]

My local HB's store often has Theakstones Old Peculiar and a Wychwood beer or two, quite nice beers.

With regards to lager, I enjoy it (any brand, as long as it's wet & extremely cold) on a sweltering day or after some hot graft, but I normally prefer real ale or red wine. My current favourite beers are by the Mws Piws (Purple Moose) brewery.

Now there's a beer I've not had for a long time, may have to rectify that soon.

As for lager, I'm convinced that the water in this country is rubbish for brewing lager as anything brewed here tastes awful. I'll only drink imported.

 

[Reidy36]

if a hoppy pint is what you are after then look no further than Jaipur from the thornbridge brewery. its sacrilicious

I tried Jaipur at the Lincolnshire beer festival, it was the only ale I had a second glass of, very nice.

Agreed. Never understood the need to get drunk.

Was once on a course and all apart from one drank alcohol. One morning the instructor asked the guy what it felt like to know that when you woke up, you would feel like that all day, where those of us who drank, knew that we would feel better as the day wore on.

Having spent time in the military in muslim countries where they are dry, watching people drinking near beer (non alcoholic stuff) and then after a few behaving like they were drinking proper beer, was an eye opener, this was to the extent of people staggering off to their rooms, yet they were alcohol free.

I apologise to the lager drinkers, for what some may have seen me having a dig at their choice of tipple, it's just most seem bland and tasteless.

 

[ZoneV]

Now there's a beer I've not had for a long time, may have to rectify that soon.

It's as dark, full bodied and strong as ever. An aquired taste, as you know, but it definitely has a certain niceness to it. One of the few dark, stronger beers that I can drink over a session rather than just a couple.

 

[Marc]

It's as dark, full bodied and strong as ever. An aquired taste, as you know, but it definitely has a certain niceness to it. One of the few dark, stronger beers that I can drink over a session rather than just a couple.

Was introduced to it when visiting friends in Yorkshire, it was unlike any other beer I'd had. Lost touch with those friends and also with the beer.

 

[jonbeeza]

I do recall I asked for a beer once, and the girl behind the bar gave me a bottle of lager. I said to the girl that's a lager not a beer, she then replied what's the difference :shrug:

 

[Marc]

I do recall I asked for a beer once, and the girl behind the bar gave me a bottle of lager. I said to the girl that's a lager not a beer, she then replied what's the difference :shrug:

Well, lager is a beer and, outside of the uk, I've never seen it called anything other than beer.

 

[jonbeeza]

Well, lager is a beer and, outside of the uk, I've never seen it called anything other than beer.

Why do we hear the term Real Ale ? I thought it was something to do with hops, barley etc. Is Lager made differently ?

 

[Marc]

Why do we hear the term Real Ale ? I thought it was something to do with hops, barley etc. Is Lager made differently ?

Lager is a different drink from Ale, don't ask me how either is made though.

Edit: I think this explains the difference

 

[Bend The Light]

If any of you guys want to try something a bit different which isn't too heavy, get a couple of bottles of badger, its lovely.

Definitely, although having said that, the last 4 or 5 bottles I have had have tasted not quite right. Not sure if it's the store or the brewery, but they weren't right. So I gave it a rest and drink the Crabbies on Ice. Hmmm. Yeah!

 

[specialman]

It's impossible. Plus they don't need to, they already have non alcoholic best sellers. Coke for example

The fermenting of the yeast creates the taste. You cannot create a beer that tastes the same. Thus your point about alcohol not tasting nice is incorrect. I'll often have just one ale of an evening. Often a 3.5% ale. It has zero effect on me so I'm not drinking it for the buzz etc, there is no buzz. I'm drinking it because the taste is delicious.

There are some that come close, but they just lack that certain something in the taste

The closest I've ever come is Erdinger alcohol free - it's what I drink at BBQs when I'm driving and don't want to drink fizzy pop.

 

[Zoomboxer]

Come to Cambridge Beer Festival next year - not a lager in sight

 

[jonbeeza]

I think it has been said many times over the years, that Lager was something the British drank reluctantly when they went on holiday, this was going back many years ago. They only drank real Beer/Ale while at home

But of course Lager is drank so readily over here now.

 

[joescrivens]

I think it has been said many times over the years, that Lager was something the British drank reluctantly when they went on holiday, this was going back many years ago. They only drank real Beer/Ale while at home

But of course Lager is drank so readily over here now.

The reason lager became prolific in this country was in the 70's when breweries introduced it. They marketted it as a mainland european drink and it appealed because it was new. The pubs loved it because the shelf life was very long.

It takes a good landlord to know how to keep real ale, you have to tap it correctly and allow it to settle etc. You also have to clean the lines regularly and pull through each day to remove the ale left in the pipes. If you aren't selling a lot then the ale can spoil and you lose profit.

A nitrogen kegged beer lasts much longer as it is pasteurised. This is much more convienient for a pub. So the two things combined almost killed the english ale industry. Thankfully CAMRA was formed immediately and soldiered on to save it.

Over time the general public are being better educated to realise that they shouldn't settle for poor quality beer and more and more pubs are offering real ale as an alternative. Right now there are more real ale microbreweries than at any time since the war, despite pubs closing the actual real ale industry is growing.

The UK can be proud of it's beer history in the same way that people hold belgium or czech beers in high regard. We have our own very unique and interesting alcoholic drink.

 

[joescrivens]

Lager is a different drink from Ale, don't ask me how either is made though.

Edit: I think this explains the difference

that link does go into some technical differences but the biggest difference between what we call lagers and real ales is that real ale still contains live yeast and is conditioned in the keg.

A lager is pasteurised and is nitrogen kegged, as are smooth bitters like john smiths and boddingtons. A real ale or "cask ale" is left with yeast in it to finish the fermenting process - therefore if not handled correctly it can spoil because it is live.

Bottles of real ale like old perculier and hobgoblin etc aren't really "real ales" as such because they aren't live. If you want to really taste the difference go to the wychwood brewery in Whitney and during the tour they do a guided tasting where they will give you cask hobgoblin and bottled hobgoblin and the difference is phenomenal. Bottled real ales have carbonation added in the bottling process where as a cask real ale gets a very slight fizz from the extra fermenting that goes on in the barrel.

I'm drinking less and less bottled ales and trying to stick to the pubs instead because the quality is just so much better.

 

[jonbeeza]

The reason lager became prolific in this country was in the 70's when breweries introduced it. They marketted it as a mainland european drink and it appealed because it was new. The pubs loved it because the shelf life was very long.

It takes a good landlord to know how to keep real ale, you have to tap it correctly and allow it to settle etc. You also have to clean the lines regularly and pull through each day to remove the ale left in the pipes. If you aren't selling a lot then the ale can spoil and you lose profit.

A nitrogen kegged beer lasts much longer as it is pasteurised. This is much more convienient for a pub. So the two things combined almost killed the english ale industry. Thankfully CAMRA was formed immediately and soldiered on to save it.

Over time the general public are being better educated to realise that they shouldn't settle for poor quality beer and more and more pubs are offering real ale as an alternative. Right now there are more real ale microbreweries than at any time since the war, despite pubs closing the actual real ale industry is growing.

The UK can be proud of it's beer history in the same way that people hold belgium or czech beers in high regard. We have our own very unique and interesting alcoholic drink.

I did not realize so much care and dedication was needed to keep on top of real ale. But your post does make a lot of sense, next time I get the chance to drink a pint of real ale, I will savour it that much more.

I do recall where I used to live in Liverpool in the 70s, there was a big brewery near the dock road, I used to love walking past it. You would get a lovely smell wafting through the air, a sort of malty weetabix aroma, it was lovely.

 

[joescrivens]

I did not realize so much care and dedication was needed to keep on top of real ale. But your post does make a lot of sense, next time I get the chance to drink a pint of real ale, I will savour it that much more.

A real ale is like a woman, you have to nurture and care for it, treat it badly and it will pay you back with a sour vinegary taste - just like a woman

 

[jonbeeza]

A real ale is like a woman, you have to nurture and care for it, treat it badly and it will pay you back with a sour vinegary taste - just like a woman

Not sure how to reply to that, but it made me smile

 

[Russ77]

I never drank any form of alcohol until just before my 18th Birthday but only because I didn't like the taste of it.

One New Years Eve at a family party, one of my uncles suggested I put a little vodka in my orange which I found quite pleasant and easy to drink..........

When I was 19/20 (that's around 15-16 years ago) I used to drink lager but in 1997 I just went off it mid-pint on a night out

I still can't stand the taste of the stuff, some ciders are OK but now I'll drink wine and/or vodka & coke.

I do feel somewhat less than manly standing their nursing a vodka & coke when everyone else is driking pints, it probably doesn't help that I've got huge hands which makes the glass look like an eye-bath

 

[Steep]

A real ale is like a woman, you have to nurture and care for it, treat it badly and it will pay you back with a sour vinegary taste - just like a woman

Thank you Swiss Tony..

 

[joescrivens]

Thank you Swiss Tony..

 

[DorsetDude]

Well you see Paul, drinking real ale is, very much like making love to a beautiful woman.
Youve got to get a grip on your pump handle, pull, dont give too much head, give it a sniff, down it in one and then have another go and get your mates to pay.

 

[Nod]

Very true, Joe, however, it's often not the landlord you have to thank but the cellarman! (Ex cellarman.) Even he doesn't have that much to do, just make sure the cellar thermostat keeps it all at the right temperature, ensure that the barrels are laid back for a day or 2 before spiling and tapping then left as undisturbed as possible until they need tipping a little to get the last of the drinkable out. There are even automatic tippers available these days - I had to rely on blocks of wood.

For a while, all we had in terms of Ale was Bass, mass produced and handled by the draymen like the fizzy casks, so often bruised and hard to clear. Then we switched to small, independent, local brewers who delivered the barrels carefully and lifted them out of the van rather than lobbing it onto a sack! Far quicker to settle and far better behaved. Pipe cleaning was always a pain though but had to be done every week (or, if there was a change in guests midweek, then as well). Most of the fizzy stuff's pipes would go a fornight between cleanings and the few that wouldn't got cleaned weekly too. Cider lines almost never needed a clean - the acidity of the drink seemed to keep the lines clear (Strongbow etc, not proper cider!) for at least a month, longer in Summer when sales of it were up.

 

[mindcrime]

I do recall where I used to live in Liverpool in the 70s, there was a big brewery near the dock road, I used to love walking past it. You would get a lovely smell wafting through the air, a sort of malty weetabix aroma, it was lovely.

That'll be Cain's Brewery, their mild is fantastic!