Now that it's officially summer, there's more opportunity to spend time outside. Being outside means sweating and sweating means getting thirsty. Thirst is something I cannot abide.
If it's really hot, sometimes a cold can of cheap beer hits the spot. These days I've been drinking Narragansett, as it's only $5 for a six-pack of 16 oz. cans. I love my microbrews, but when it's the kind of hot that makes dogs go crazy, a complex, heavy beer might not be my first choice. Great for mowing lawns.
Other times, like when walking around the city, a nice blue Slurpee with (a lot of) vanilla vodka is the way to go. Yes, it's gross on multiple levels, but awesome on several levels, so I'm ok with it as a very occasional thing.
Lately I've been drinking Allagash Yakuzawhich I think is a really nice, really refreshing beer. Another good one (and coincidentally Japanese influenced(?)) is Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale
For cocktails, I like An Old Cuban which is a variation of mojito.
What are your picks for summertime drinks?
There was an intention of moved away from chilled unsweetened green tea to occasional treats of Valentine vodka and lemonade/limeade (preferably) with either lemon or lime slices. Although not a huge drinker of beers, Strohs has reappeared among some friends and some inexpensive Trader Joe's Italian red wines have been in the mix too. But coffee and tea still dominate the slate most of the time...except for those Mexican Cokes and Sprites (no HFCS) that have been making themselves plentiful lately.
Bell's Oberon is my beer of choice in the summer. It's different every year (intentionally), but delicious every time. Fantastic beer to drink on a hot day. It's not a heavy too rich of a craft beer like many others, it's definitely a "session beer", meaning it's not to heavy/rich and you can drink a few of them. Had three of these today spanned over a few hours of a lawn mow, some flower potting, and cleaning up debris after a storm we had yesterday. The beer bottle has a sun on the label and is only available in the summer. It's literally made for this. :) Also, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. Beer and lemonade mixed together! Sounds gross, but amazingly delicious on a hot day of grilling or yard work. For non alcoholic things, cold water, an Arnold Palmer, or just some Powerade Low Cal... love that stuff.
I have been drinking Bell's long enough, or perhaps this is just another way of saying I am old enough to remember when Oberon was called Solson. Story has it they had to change the name because they were forced by Molson. It is a good beer, but I truly believe it has become less so due to mass production. It had more depth back in the day. Are you familiar with Bell's Two Hearted Ale? That is my favorite beer, or at least one of my favorites.
Molson huh? The story I've heard was that Oberon was Sol Sun, which was too much like the Mexican beer Sol. Either way, I agree it's a good standby. I'm a big Two-hearted fan as well. Have you tried Bell's Hop Slam? Bell's only makes it available in February, so says the guy the nearby liquor store. It's 12% abv and somehow it's so hoppy that it doesn't have a bitter bite to it. A fine wine sort of beer.
I stand corrected, apparently the kid that told me that in 1999 was full of shit, from Wikipedia: In 1998, Bell's changed the name of its flagship summer beer from Solsun to Oberon as a result of legal action by the Mexican brewing company Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, makers of a beer with a similar name: El Sol (The Sun). I have tried the Hop Slam and I recall enjoying it. Sometimes those uber-hoppy beers can be too much for me. Think I'll go poor myself a belgium-ale, all this talk of beer is making me thirsty. Thanks for the correction, I appreciate the info.
Every beer snob has had Bell's Two Hearted, and I love it. It's one of the better go to "session beers" out there. "Session' meaning "Still a craft beer, but not rich or potent enough that you can still drink many in one sitting without getting gut-rot" for those unfamiliar with the term. Bell's makes some brews I can't tolerate, and a few I love. I like Two Hearted, love Oberon, but that's about it from them. I'm a huge stout and porter fan and their stouts and porters are pretty mediocre at best.
I agree, having grown up in Michigan bells is everywhere and the only two I ever drink are the ones you mentioned. Have you ever tried Hitachino Nest? It's a white ale from Japan. It may be my favorite beer ever and is certainly nice in the summertime.
Oh I will, I have a beer list that I added it to for whenever I make it over to one of the better beer stores in the area that have a more robust selection of craft and import beer. I stay away from most Japanese beers because many use a rice mash for the grain, and that's a migraine trigger for me for whatever reason. Not rice itself, but alcohol made from rice. But this is a witbier so it should be wheat, so it should be a non-issue and I'm curious to try it now. I thank you in advance for the recommendation.
I'm intrigued. I'll see if this is available out here. Can you give an example of how Bell's Oberon changes year to year? I have a friend who is a big fan of shandies, though he likes 7 Up or Sprite with his. He uses Heineken too. Personally, ick. But, I have had a nice shandy here and there.
Oberon changes between years are minor, but sometimes it's more hoppy, or less hoppy, more or less malty, or more fruity like orange, some years it's more grapefruit notes. It's always mild differences, but it's never the same. It's good stuff, and I'm not a huge fan of their other beers honestly. Bell's Distribution:
Sour beer, such as gueuzes, lambics, and flanders oud bruin. Also, hoppy IPAs. I can't get enough hops or bitterness in a beer.
A nice hot cup of tea, actually. I find that it's much less pleasant to drink than something cold, but I actually always feel better. I think adding something hot to your body on a hot day actually makes it cool itself down better, somehow.
It's a link to my podcast on beer. That's right, I hijacked my penpals post to promote my podcast.
Made a variant of Empty Bottle's "Space Juice" this weekend for a BBQ. We called it "Jet Fuel" in honor of The Master but I don't know if that comparison holds up. Half a handle of Tito's, juice of about eight lemons, two cans of Arizona lemon iced tea, and a bottle of sparkling wine. All ingredients go into a beverage cooler. Could have probably used another bottle of sparkling wine as it wasn't quite as fizzy as I'd have liked, but the taste was delicious. If you're not a fan of HFCS (I'm not - the Arizona stuff wasn't my first choice) you could probably up the fizz and the class with a few cans of San Pellegrino sparkling sodas.
Cold brewed coffee. Takes about 12 hours any way you want to do it, so making enough to last all day can take some careful scheduling, but it's nice cold coffee without ice cubes (or, worse, ice cubes and milk) watering it down. Sweet tea. Any black tea will do; if you can tell the difference you haven't used enough sugar. Blenheim's Old #3 Hot ginger ale. Real ginger ale, with bits of ginger floating in it, that feels as if your nose hairs are on fire. I don't really like beer or cocktails, but Eagle Rare is a good cheap bourbon.
I haven't tried cold brew. Does it have any noticeable difference in taste? Personally I like my coffee to be 'smoky' and not really fruity/acidic. As for me, I like brewing really strong coffee in my aeropress and pressing it directly over some ice. Strongness isn't an issue for me, because sometimes the coffee that comes out of the thing is so strong that it's honestly preferable to dilute it with the extra boiled water you have, and share the pot with somebody.
That ginger ale looks really good! I've never had cold brewed coffee. Is it at all like sun-brewing tea? I love my bourbon as well as other whiskies, but sometimes I like something a lighter in the mouth. I don't know that I've seen that particular bourbon for sale where I live, I'll have to give it a whirl one of these days.
It can be. Use a medium roast, grind it fine. Most recipes will tell you you should use a coarse grind, but they lie. You want a cup or cup and a half per gallon you're making. You'll get very strong coffee, but without the acidity of coffee brewed hot. Use ice or water to dilute it if it's too coffee-ey. There are more elaborate ways to go about it, and at the far end you get something that should probably be a controlled substance.I've never had cold brewed coffee. Is it at all like sun-brewing tea?