h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's always a good idea to let a bottle of beer settle for at least three or four hours after you bring it home. That's one reason why I do most of my beer shopping in the morning

Well, actually went to the pub, the last two nights, and probalby will be again tonight too I think

Had Theory 108 (think it was 108), err black bar brewry I think (or Cambridge brewing co, both are new brewreys), that was... alright... then had Ash blonde I htink it was called, which was more like a European style lager, but I actually quite liked that one... sort of dry, biscuity thing, but one or two pints would be enough for me, its still got too much gas and acidity in it for my tummy to want much of it
Then a dark beer, from Brentwood brewery (another new brewery I think, a couple years old maybe) I liked that one... a lot... big blackcurrent taste, a bit* sweet, but balance d flavours and loverly and dark... mind, three pints of that were enough, the flavour started getting a bit much after that... err... there was another beer too.... which clearly didn't register as I've not got a clue waht it was.... hmmm..... nah... sort of hoppy thing, but didn't exactly spark enough interest in it, for me to have reemmbered it

I think maybe by that point in the proceedings it didn't matter too much

Well, it's turned full circle, sort of.

Southern Tier Pumking is back (and reportedly has been since July 12th)
http://beerpulse.com/2013/08/southern-tier-pumking-is-back-and-reportedly-has-been-since-july-12th

New Belgium Pumpkick now available (and again, has been since July 12th or so)
http://beerpulse.com/2013/08/new-belgium-pumpkick-now-available-and-again-has-been-since-july-12th-or-so-1043

So far so

Rogue Ales to release pumpkin beer during pumpkin season
http://beerpulse.com/2013/08/rogue-approach-to-pumpkin-ales-pumpkin-patch-ale-wont-be-released-until-october-1041

It's come to something when a brewery can apparently make a marketing angle of the fact that they're actually making a seasonal beer in the right season.

I didn't get drunk on either occasion; those beers were over two* nights; Had the theory 108, the ash blonde, and the one I can't remember the name of on Saturday night, then on Suinday night (at a differnt pub), I had the Brentford mild... I should have tried a couple others that night, but I just stuck to the Mild as I kinda had the taste for it
Not sure what pub we'll be at tonight, hopfully either the Blue or the Kingston (was at the Blue on Sunday night, and they've probably got the biggest range of real ales, plus world bottled beers, of any pub I've ever been too), the Kingston is the same, only just a smaller pub, so slightly less range the pub on Saturday night, is a GreenKing pub, but they seem to manage to get in some beers from Microbrewrys, r and don't try to pretend sticking IPA and suchlike on is sufficient to cover 'real ale' I hope I wake up though, before I go out tonight... feeling so tired, after William's visit

"Until now anything containing less than 10% alcohol in Russia has been considered a foodstuff."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14232970

Which is entirely as it should be

"Correspondents say it is common to see people swigging beer in the street and in parks as if they are drinking soft drinks.

It is not restricted to certain stores and is sold around the clock."

Let's leave aside the loaded word 'swigging' there - but I think that is entirely normal. It's the same in Germany, and a lot of other countries. What is unnatural is how we treat it in this country: it's confined to certain specific times and places where alcohol is the entire raison d'être - all that does is lead to unhealthy 'drink til you drop' binging.

Oh, there was binge drinking a long time before pubs had their hours restricted, not mention all the other restrictions licensing authorities and magistrates imposed on the trade. And they have been many and diverse.

Oh, I wouldn't doubt it.

But if I was to drink an alcoholic drink at noon, it would be frowned upon in this country. But not in Spain or Germany. And why? Because the assumption here, unlike elsewhere, is that once you've started drinking, that's it for the rest of the night.

I am surprised at that. I didn't think a lunchtime tipple would be so frowned upon in Ireland. I'm tempted to suggest a religious element to that attitude, although Spain is a Catholic country too, and the UK still has a hangover from the bloody puritans, but nowhere near as much as is the case here, from what I can tell, with respect to alcohol.

This subject came up in a conversation recently, possibly two conversations, but I can't remember which one(s) and I can't find them, and since this is turning into the Gosho everything beer-related thread it seems as good a place as any to bring it up again.

Lawsuits are starting to appear in the aluminium hoarding story http://finance.yahoo.com/news/aluminum-storage-backfire-banks-182259644.html