Beer

[Richard Barrett]

Near bedtime treat - 1664 Millesime - bottle bought as an experiment on a recent trip to France. Rather tasty.

I haven't come across that variety, but I discovered the "1664 Blanc" when I was in France last month and was very taken indeed by it. Doesn't seem that easy to find outside France though. It's going to have to be G&T for me this evening.

[Lat-Literal]

No he wasn't; he was in York, the only Essex connection being finishing reading The Essex Serpent.

An interesting read:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jun/16/the-essex-serpent-sarah-perry-review-novel

Which reminds me that I must visit the southern mystical part of that county that is estuarial Canewdon.

York is still a wonderful place - it does at least retain for now its greatest historical monument : Bootham Crescent although alas for not much longer - but it hasn't been quite the same since (a) that miserable garage owner just beyond Foss Islands Road forced the closure of the John Bull and its subsequent dereliction - there is no other pub there where a jazz band could play Misty for me or anyone else - and (b) Ethel and Ethel left the Blue Bell at a somewhat advanced age to other managers. My guess is that it was 101 and 82 or thereabouts.

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/lifestyle/fooddrink/pintsofview/11219064.A_lost_pub_remembered___20_years_on/

https://www.facebook.com/The-Blue-Bell-194681907239090/

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/98/c4/07/98c407369de8b18ab92947ca7cc48046.jpg

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/9c/da/df/the-front-bar.jpg

[Alain Maréchal]

I haven't come across that variety, but I discovered the "1664 Blanc" when I was in France last month and was very taken indeed by it. Doesn't seem that easy to find outside France though. It's going to have to be G&T for me this evening.

There are about ten varieties of 1664, but most of them are available only in France. Kronenbourg, currently owned by Carlsberg (Danish! is there an icon for shock, horror? but then they are an Alsacien brand so I don't really care), but since beer brands are snapped up so frequently it is becoming difficult to tell who owns what and where, is the most consumed beer brand in France and extensively sold elsewhere so I assume they feel no need to push the premium products. Millesime is rather refreshing though, if served well chilled. Good (ie Belgian), beer tastes better in the cooler months when it can be served at temperatures which allow the flavours to rotate around the mouth. On a really hot day, such as today, my first glass of very cold end-of-afternoon thirst-quenching Affligem pression (6.7%) sank so quickly that I needed a second to appreciate it.

That 9% beer mentioned earlier would be classed as a Tripel, needs longer production, so that sort of price would not surprise me.

[BBMmk2]

I thought the same!

Oh yes!!!

[Richard Barrett]

There are about ten varieties of 1664, but most of them are available only in France. Kronenbourg, currently owned by Carlsberg (Danish! is there an icon for shock, horror? but then they are an Alsacien brand so I don't really care), but since beer brands are snapped up so frequently it is becoming difficult to tell who owns what and where, is the most consumed beer brand in France and extensively sold elsewhere so I assume they feel no need to push the premium products. Millesime is rather refreshing though, if served well chilled. Good (ie Belgian), beer tastes better in the cooler months when it can be served at temperatures which allow the flavours to rotate around the mouth. On a really hot day, such as today, my first glass of very cold end-of-afternoon thirst-quenching Affligem pression (6.7%) sank so quickly that I needed a second to appreciate it.

There seem to be only a handful of companies in the world that own most of the beer brands (to name only these). As for 1664, I shall simply have to go back to France as often as possible. Nothing scheduled at the moment though. When in Belgium (and indeed often when not in Belgium, since it can be obtained even here in the far-off Balkans) I tend to favour Duvel. Although consumption of that particular substance does need to be kept under control if one isn't to start staggering around and talking nonsense.

[vinteuil]

Real ale still has its merits. It is the only enjoyable alcohol in my opinion. All other alcohol is rubbish...

... I pity lat-lit if that is really his honest judgment. Even Byrrh is preferable to beer most of the time.


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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byrrh

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[Richard Barrett]

When I first emigrated from the UK in 1993 I would look forward to my visits back to the old country in order to have access once more to what I thought of as proper beer, in distinction to all the nonsense purveyed under that name on the continent. This lasted a few years, but subsequently I completely lost any desire for the warm, flat and unpleasant-tasting product so many British people are so proud of they reserve the word "real" for it.

[Alain Maréchal]

I tend to favour Duvel. Although consumption of that particular substance does need to be kept under control if one isn't to start staggering around and talking nonsense.

...and the problem lies where, exactly?

[cloughie]

When I first emigrated from the UK in 1993 I would look forward to my visits back to the old country in order to have access once more to what I thought of as proper beer, in distinction to all the nonsense purveyed under that name on the continent. This lasted a few years, but subsequently I completely lost any desire for the warm, flat and unpleasant-tasting product so many British people are so proud of they reserve the word "real" for it.

In which case you've probably been drinking the wrong beer in the wrong places. Beer is as good if not better now than an at any time in my lifetime!

[vinteuil]

Beer is as good if not better now than an at any time in my lifetime!

... but, sadly, it's still beer.


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[Richard Barrett]

Beer is as good if not better now than an at any time in my lifetime!

I agree. I was only (tongue-in-cheekily) saying I've completely gone off the UK variety.

[cloughie]

I agree. I was only (tongue-in-cheekily) saying I've completely gone off the UK variety.

Had me worried for a moment there - thought you might want the returnof Watney's Red Barrel! Our local has recently been importing beer from England, from the Exeter Brewery - though I do not usually drink Stout, their 'Darkness' is a really good brew, as is their 'Avocet Organic Ale'.

[Dave2002]

When I first emigrated from the UK in 1993 I would look forward to my visits back to the old country in order to have access once more to what I thought of as proper beer, in distinction to all the nonsense purveyed under that name on the continent. This lasted a few years, but subsequently I completely lost any desire for the warm, flat and unpleasant-tasting product so many British people are so proud of they reserve the word "real" for it.

I agree that some "traditional" English beers are/were not so pleasant, and it seemed to be necessary to acquire a liking for them for social reasons. It was also important to emphasise a dislike of lagers for pretty stupid reasons. Some British beers made nowadays are much more palatable, IMO.

[Richard Barrett]

it seemed to be necessary to acquire a liking for them for social reasons.

TBH I feel somewhat the same way about wine, most of the sophisticated conversation about which goes somewhat over my head, although I generally prefer to nod sagely rather than get into a discussion about how wrong I am to be so undiscerning... I could quite happily exist without wine, but beer is a different matter.

[teamsaint]

TBH I feel somewhat the same way about wine, most of the sophisticated conversation about which goes somewhat over my head, although I generally prefer to nod sagely rather than get into a discussion about how wrong I am to be so undiscerning... I could quite happily exist without wine, but beer is a different matter.

If beer is a different matter, by extension does that make Stout Dark Matter ?

( not sure where to go for sophisticated discussion of wine, so I'll content myself with drinking plonk.)