This year when we’re drinking your home brew for Thanksgiving…
What? You’re not making beer for Thanksgiving? You don’t have a home brew that you make special for Thanksgiving?
Well, how weird is that?
It must not be a tradition everyone shares. But, see if you can relate to any of these:
- Sitting on the couch and eating Thanksgiving while watching football.
- Same thing…sitting on the recliner with a food tray.
- Saying, “It’s not worth it. We’re going to a restaurant.”
- I ordered Pizza and Wings one year…
That was the year I had just finished my home bar and I made my first home brew for our New Happy Thanksgiving Tradition.
I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoys their own traditions, whatever they may be!
by Luke Porter
“Beer” is the casual term used to describe a cold refreshing alcoholic beverage made of malt and hops. However, for those with more than a passing interest in the drink, a single word is far from sufficient to describe it.
When it comes to types of beer, there are many, many options to choose from. The amount of differing characteristics that can be found is surprising, with most people having a favorite type even if they are not aware of it. You’d be surprised at how a pilsner can differ from a porter, or how a stout stands out from a cider.
The method of brewing tends to be somewhat similar for most commercially produced beers. However, the names given to different styles of beer generally reflect individual characteristics of the product, such as where it originated. Different types of beer have unique qualities like appearance, taste, origin and aroma.
Below are some of the most popular types of beer available…
Lager: Some of the world’s most popular beer brands are lagers. Incorporated within this type of beer are American styles such as double pilsner, all-malt and ‘light’ beers. Popular international choices include Czech, European, Japanese and German lagers.
Ale: American amber, brown ale, porter, strong, sour and wild ales are also common American beers. Other variations are ales brewed with local techniques from Belgium, Ireland, Finland, Scotland and France.
Cider: While not an official beer, cider is still enjoyed by many beer drinkers. Favorites include standard cider, New England cider and many specialty ciders.
Hybrids: This term refers to experimental brewing methods and ingredients. Sub-categories include smoked, spiced, fruit and vegetable beer.
You’re missing out if you haven’t tried at least the types of beer listed above. Remember that variety is the spice of the life; you’re severely limiting yourself by always being loyal to one brand. There is a world of options available to you, so try something new next time you’re in a beer drinking mood.
by Luke Porter
If you are one of the many people out there who are a tried and true beer lover, then you are definitely going to want to know how to make beer at home. It is actually not that difficult of a process, and it is not expensive either.
So, how do you make beer at home? We will cover the main steps below. It really is that simple that you can learn the basic process involved in just 5 minutes.
Making beer at home requires you to only really follow a few steps. The first is to get yourself a beer kit, which is a kit that includes all of the different tools and materials that you are going to need to make the beer.
Then you need the four main ingredients, which are: water, malt, hops, and yeast. Water is the most abundant ingredient in any style of beer. Malted barley is barley grain that has carefully been soaked in water until it sprouts and is then dried and used to make beer. Hops balance out the sweetness by adding a degree of bitterness and also add a distinctive aroma to the finished brew. As for the yeast, this is the catalyst which is needed to make the other ingredients come together.
You then need to combine all of the ingredients using your beer kit. The exact way to do this is dependent on the type of beer kit you get, but every beer kit will come with instructions that will be easy enough to follow.
You can even add your own decided flavors to the beer if you like, however you just want to make sure beforehand that you know what you are doing so that you do not use too much or too little and end up ruining the beer.
Don’t worry about making mistakes as starting over is no big deal. In fact, practice and experimentation is the best way to learn. After a few batches, you are going to be quite good at making your own beer, and you will be surprised at the freshness and tastiness of it, especially compared to the beer that you are used to drinking.
by Luke Porter
Making your own alcoholic drinks can be fun and challenging at the same time, and will not take up a lot of time or space. Most of the ‘scientific’ part of the process can be conducted on a standard home stove by following a set of simple instructions. With just a couple of hours work, you could have 4-5 gallons of home brew to look forward to.
Are you interested in home brewing? Maybe you have already followed up that interest and have already brewed some alcoholic beverages at your own home. Either way, you may want to consider joining a home brew club. Whether your beverage of choice is beer, wine or grain alcohol, and regardless of where in the country you reside, there is going to be a home brew club to match your interest.
Many times people follow directions for so long they tend to ignore the possibility there are other ways of doing things. As people become more experienced in home brewing, they may try different methods or different ingredients and often willingly share these findings with other members of their home brew club. The sharing of information and tips is just half of the home brew club equation though, the other half being the sharing amongst members of each others finished products.
By joining a home brew club, you can get many new ideas and can ask questions of your own, finding out if a technique will work before you try it. Others in the home brew club may have already tried and failed and can offer advice on how to do things correctly.
Many members of a home brew club are more than willing to share their knowledge and experience, despite the intense competition of brewing the best. Whether beer, wine or straight alcohol, sharing tips with new brewers are what some of the more experienced brewers do best.
Many times a home brew club will have local competitions where members can enter their brews to be judged. You will be going up against some pretty experienced people should you enter but do not let that put you off. This is one type of competition in which taking part is truly more important than winning. You are guaranteed to have great time!
by Luke Porter
Most people who brew their own beer do so in small quantities. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this to start with, once you hit upon a magical recipe you will obviously want to brew it on a larger scale so as to share your success with as many people as possible.
Most people only plan on making a large home brew if they are having a lot of people over or if they are planning to store most of the brew away so that they can use it in the future, and both of these reasons are acceptable. Should these circumstances not apply to you then you are probably better off sticking with smaller, more frequent, brews as you may end up with an unacceptable amount of wastage.
The first thing that you are going to want to think about when you are planning on making a large home brew is the fact that it is going to take a lot more time and effort. So if you do not have a lot extra of all of these, then perhaps you should just reconsider.
Also, before making a start on making a large home brew, think carefully about whether you really have the space available to do it properly. After all, you can quite easily make a small home brew right in a tiny kitchen, however when it comes to a larger one you may have difficulty if you do not have enough room for everything.
Assess the amount of space that you have available on the countertops, in the sink and in the fridge. Spend a few minutes maximizing the space available for your large home brew as moving things out of the way whilst you are in the process of brewing could cause you to lose your concentration and make a mistake.
If you do not have sufficient space in your kitchen, then there are basically two options that you have; either you make a series of smaller brews one after the other, or you give a fellow beer lover a percentage of the finished product in return for them giving you the use of their kitchen.
In terms of the actual brewing process, it is exactly the same to make a large brew as it is to make a small one. Just make sure that you increase the quantities of the ingredients in equal measures.
by Carla Burby
Everyone likes going to bars. You meet your friends there. Or better yet, you meet someone new.
Strolling up to the bar is no problem – you know you got it. But the bartender doesn’t seem to think so. There’s definitely something wrong with that.
The wallet comes out, and you pull out your bills. You hold them up in clear view. This is accompanied by shouting out their name.
Doesn’t appear to make any difference, does it? You feel like you’re being flat out ignored. Obviously, you have to wait just like everyone else.
The American Idol-esque karaoke act wasn’t that great either. So you think you can sing? Singing won’t get you your drink, waiting will.
Now you start whistling instead. This is a definite no-no. Bartenders won’t respond to a whistle, since they are certainly not dogs.
If getting that all-important drink will make you satisfied, then pay attention to this. Playing the lost “please help me” look never works either. Basically, you’re at a loss anyway, and you might be standing there waiting helplessly forever.
By the way, trying to impress the cute girl or boy next to you doesn’t necessarily score you points in this situation. Offering them the “go ahead” might backfire. Your place in line just got pushed back a few notches.
So be patient, and try to wait it out. The more you accept it, the better your mood will be. The drink will come eventually – promise.
Once you get your drink, make sure to leave a tip. Bartenders appreciate this. And if you tip a little higher, you will most likely become a household name.
So don’t forget to tip. And put on something hot. Bartenders will notice the attractive people.
by Mark Alfredo
The habit of consuming beer on a regular basis in the belief that it is good for health has been in practice for the past many centuries. This drinking habit has not taken into account, the calories in beer. The high-tech mega organizations of present days, in trying to promote human relations, organize social gatherings and outings for relaxation, where drinking a glass of beer has become a fashion.
Beer is most commonly served at parties organized by friends for a weekend relaxation and fun, along with other alcoholic drinks. In the belief that it is not harmful to the body, beer is consumed freely. Considering, 150 calories in a (12 oz) mug of beer, 120 calories in a (8 oz) glass of wine and 100 calories in a (3 0z) shot of liquor, alcohol content being the same for all three, the calories in beer is the lowest of all alcohol drinks.
Based on this assumption that beer contains low calories, it is consumed more than it should at these social gatherings and weekend parties. Normally a person would consume a glass of beer, but some would consume 3 to 4 glasses which would mean the person is taking in 450 to 600 calories. A person never realizes that this way of life, the drinking of alcohol destroys his health after some time.
Calculating the calories in a mug of bear, it has been observed that a person taking just one beer after a meal everyday consumes 1050 calories in week. This adds 7 kg to body weight in one year increasing the waistline and stomach flab. When people take light beer they are unable to restrict themselves and consume more than they should, which causes more calories to be accumulated in their stomach area of their body ultimately making the person pot bellied.
In trying to vie with men, women have also started drinking more and we even have habitual drinkers. Nowadays you have women drinking 2 to 12 beers on an average, with some women drinking 2 to 3 beers a day and some drinking even 12 beers at the weekend. Women are becoming addicted to alcohol.
Persons taking alcohol on a regular basis are bound to have a pot belly or what is called a paunch. This condition arises because the fat and carbohydrates remaining unburned gets accumulated in the stomach portion. It is because the alcohol in the beer taken by a person gets burned first. The calories in beer are empty calories.
It has been noted in studies made that you cannot recollect even what you had eaten with your friends at the party, because you had consumed more beer than the advisable limit. The excess alcohol would have dulled your senses and made you eat more of the chips and margaritas, more than you normally eat adding to the calories.
Watching a game of football you might want to have a glass of beer with some snacks to munch, or you may want to enjoy an outing with your friends enjoying the cocktails. You might even want to have a glass of wine with dinner. Well! These are some of the things you might want to do for a little bit of relaxation and to have some enjoyment. But, the fact that the calories in beer and the other alcoholic drinks will be adding to your waistline should never be forgotten. The blushes of having a pot belly can be avoided, if instead of alcoholic drinks, you could just have a glass of fruit juice or some healthy beverage.
Surely, enjoyment and relaxation can be derived from the calories in beer, but when consumed over the limit it can cause harm to your body.
About the Author:
Author of this article on “
Calories in Beer“, has his own website filled with lot of useful articles about calories and fat loss.. You can check his other articles by visiting his website “
Everything Calories“.
by Mark Alfredo
When social gatherings and relaxation outings have become the norm for the high-tech mega organizations of present days in their efforts to emphasis human relations, drinking of a glass or two of beer is a fashion. Unmindful of the calories in beer, for many, the habit of consuming beer regularly otherwise called drinking habit has been in vogue for the past many centuries.
Beer is most commonly served at parties organized by friends for a weekend relaxation and fun, along with other alcoholic drinks. In the belief that it is not harmful to the body, beer is consumed freely. Considering, 150 calories in a (12 oz) mug of beer, 120 calories in a (8 oz) glass of wine and 100 calories in a (3 0z) shot of liquor, alcohol content being the same for all three, the calories in beer is the lowest of all alcohol drinks.
At a social gathering or a weekend party almost everyone would consume at least a mug of beer and some would consume 3 to 4 mugs of beer, which would mean an intake of 450 to 600 calories. Due to the assumption that beer is of low calories one tends to consume beer, beyond the limit, which means more calories. Little do people realize that drinking of alcohol, which has become a way of life today, becomes a destroyer of ones health at a later stage.
A person habituated to drinking a beer after meals every day would be consuming about 1050 calories per week, which will add 7 kg to his weight in one year. Seven kilograms in a year will add to his waistline and cause stomach flab leading to pot belly. Very people can limit themselves and the light beer consumes them. The calories in beer change their whole bodily appearance, with that wobbly pot belly becoming more prominently visible adding to the discomfort of the person.
Women are putting themselves in danger of becoming addicted to alcohol drinking habits. Their drinking patterns vary with their consuming 2 to 12 beers on an average. A woman normally consuming 2 to 3 beers per day consumes more than 12 beers at weekends, which is a bad sign.
The calories in beer are termed to be empty calories. The alcohol gets burned quickly even before the fat and carbohydrates and as such get accumulated in your body and the most common area is the stomach area. Persons consuming beer on a regular basis, after a few months, will start noticing a marked bulge appearing in their stomach area finally leading to pot belly.
It has been noted in studies made that you cannot recollect even what you had eaten with your friends at the party, because you had consumed more beer than the advisable limit. The excess alcohol would have dulled your senses and made you eat more of the chips and margaritas, more than you normally eat adding to the calories.
No doubt you would want to enjoy a weekend outing with friends with cocktails. You might want to enjoy with a glass of wine at dinner. You might want watch a game of football with beer to sip and snacks to munch. All this is good from the point of view of enjoyment or relaxation. But, you should never forget that this is going to add to your weight because of the calories in beer and other alcoholic beverages. So watch out. Instead, you could have a glass of fruit juice or a healthy beverage which could save you the blushes of a pot belly.
Surely, enjoyment and relaxation can be derived from the calories in beer, but when consumed over the limit it can cause harm to your body.
About the Author:
Mark, who wrote this article on “
Calories in Beer“, has his own blog filled with lot of useful articles you may find very helpful. You can check his work by visiting his blog “
Everything Calories“.
