Beer or other beverages
 

What is stocked in your "bar" right now? Are you like me and have the ever growing collection of beer?

I know some of us are OCONUS and may have access to brands not available in the US. Do you miss your brand from the US or do you have something local that is just as good if not better?

I would have to take an inventory to answer accurately, but here is a general description:

Liquor

Several types of bourbon. Usually three or four types of single-barrel. Currently I believe I have Blanton's, Booker's, JD Single Barrel, Black Maple Hill 14-year and perhaps one or two others. Also usually have a 1.75L bottle of JD, and sometimes some assorted others like Gentleman Jack or Maker's Mark.

A few tequilas. I always have one bottle of something good (currently I think I have Patron, not sure what type), plus some assorted others. I believe I currently have Cuervo 1800 and a 1.75L bottle of Cuervo gold.

Vodka. 1.75L bottle of Stoli, plus a few assorted others. Catwoman has been into martinis, so I believe I have some flavored stoli and absolut. No superpremiums currently in stock; I'll fix that eventually but see no urgent need.

Rum. Usually have 1.75L bacardi silver and malibu. Also have some cuban rum currently.

Scotch. I am not a scotch drinker, but I keep it in stock. Usually have something premium or superpremium, plus something more "regular." I think currently I am down to a bottle of glenmorangie and a bottle of Chivas.

Other whiskeys. I usually stock some others. Usually crown royal. Also have Jameson and some others.

Other assorteds, currently including (perhaps among others): Bailey's, Grand Marnier, Vermouth, Midori, Kahlua.

Wine

Usually keep at least a case of an "everyday" Chardonnay like Kendall-Jackson. Also usually have 6-12 bottles of the good stuff.

Usually stock about 6 bottles of Pinot Noir. Currently have more because we bought some cases in Napa recently. Usually only what we really enjoy, not "everyday" stuff unless we have leftovers from large parties when we didn't want to serve expensive wine to lots of people.

Usually stock about 6-12 bottles of Cabernets and Meritages. Same stocking philosophy as Pinot.

Assorted non-French bottles, no more than 6-12 at a time. Mostly Italian, nothing French unless it is non-fungible champagne. Usually keep 1-3 bottles of the good stuff for special occasions.

Beer

I do not stock more than 2-3 cases at a time. Typically will have a case of an everyday beer like Budweiser, although I will go long stretches only drinking something better. (I have been drinking nothing but Newcastle and Dos Equis special lager for the last few weeks.) Usually have leftovers from parties, a few bottles of this and that. Usually have 3-5 types of beer in the house and it really varies.

That is one heck of a collection for a man who does not have a drinking problem.:D

TR

I do not keep liquor around to much as I do not drink distilled spirits. My wife does and she usually has a bottle of Vanilla Stoli around but that is about it.

My beer collection would probably be the most eclectic with nothing being purchased by the 6pack or larger. I have a few stores as well as some buddies around the US who ship me what I am looking for.

Currently in the fridge would be

Dog Fish Head 120 Minute I2PA
Rogue I2PA
Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine
Rogue Imperial Stout
Three Floyd's Alpha Klaus
New Glarus Native Ale
New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red
Goose Island Pils
Goose Island IPA
Bells Brewing Expedition (Imperial) Stout
Bells Brewing Batch 5000
Bells Brewing Two Hearted Ale
Portland Brewing Co. Old Ale
Boulder Brewing Killer Penguin
Boulder Brewing Mojo IPA
Boulder Brewing Hazed & Infused
Sierra Nevada Big Foot Barleywine
Anchor Old Foghorn Barleywine
Hacker-Pschorr Edelhell
Capitol Brewery Winter Skal
Capital Brewery Blonde Dopple Bock
New Holland Dragons Milk (Barleywine)
Ertvelds Wit
Petrus Belgian Ale
Beerline Barleywine
Sprecher IPA
New Belgium Loft
New Belgium Tripple
New Belgium 1554
Boulevard Brewing Pale Ale
Boulevard Brewing Dry Stout
Sam Adams Double Bock
Sam Adams Tripple Bock

While I do not drink distilled spirits the good majority of these beers are in excess of 14% with one of them at 17.5% and another at 21%. They are nice big beers that go great as an after dinner wind down or while reading a good book.

I do have some "session" beers in there that are your normal run of the mill 4-5% beers for everyday and when I have others over who may not be into what I like.

I also have some vintages that have never been released from several breweries. They were done as test batches while they were formulating a new recipe and I have been able to finagle a few here and there from them.

We also drink wine on occassion and we have several local wineries that I like but most notable would be Hollyfield Winery in Basehor Kansas. They have an excellent Port that they make and I usually keep several bottle of that around in the late fall and winter as well as some of their late picking or special picking varities like a Riesling, Spatlese or Auslese. Their everyday Chardonay is nice but a little much on the butter side for me. In brewing butter notes come from Diacetyl and is not a desired trait in a good variety of the beers. I have been unable to bring myself to see it as an acceptable quality in any beverage because of that (I know, I should get over it).

I guess I should have added that with the bigger beers like the Imperial's and Barleywines that they can and should be cellared like good wines as they will continue to develop as they are generally bottle conditioned.

Bottle conditioning is a process in which the brewer introduces a small amount of yeast back into the beer at packaging time which will continue to ferment and carbonate the beer. Having this in there will also reduce oxidation that may have been picked up at bottling (called airs) as yeast metabolizing sugar produces CO2 as well as alcohol. While it will not increase the alcohol content much when the CO2 is produced it will not be able to escape, and therefore will force itself back into solution creating the carbonation.

Some beers (like AB or Coors products) are carbonated artificially by pumping CO2 thorugh a diffuser (porous ceramic stone or sintered stainless steel) that works in the same manner. When the CO2 goes into the beer it will go through the beer and escape into the headspace in the tank. When the headspace is filled and the CO2 can no longer escape it is "forced" to stay in solution and gives carbonation to the product.

Re: Beer or other beverages
 

Diet Coke, Diet Creme Soda, orange juice, cran-raspberry juice, iced-tea, milk, Ginger Ale, and oh yeah gator ade.

Jack Moroney

Brew:

When is the party?

Reed's Premium Ginger Brew.

Best Ginger ale around.

Their Regular and Extra Ginger flavors are up their as well.

When my jackass neighbor finally gets his dead ass tree out of the yard! :D

Sounds like a perfectly good reason for a party.

BTW, Seeing as how you have a beer inventory like that; If you need help getting rid of a tree, I imagine that there would be SEVERAL folks on this board who would be happy to help you out. ;)

Need a lawyer letter?

TR

Or would a little Demo work better?

When Diplomacy fails.....:D

It almost came to that. I called the city's code enforcement division and spoke with them about it. Well the tree is mostly in my yard they said something along the lines of that it was his failure to properly maintain the tree. Had he pruned the tree accordingly it would not have caused the damage it did. They also said that even though it is mostly in my yard, the base of it originates in his yard. His tree, his problem. They sent him a letter telling him to remove it from both yards. :D

The biggest obstacle was that he does not live in that house. He runs it as a rental so it was out of sight out of mind. I even was a gentleman about it and offered to get the chainsaws if he would help me cut and haul it. He then stopped answering the phone or returning my messages.

He is also a retired LTC according to his insurance company (USAA). He was probably one of those "phone" Colonels!

Read my mind :D

Brew:

I hate those guy that call and ID themselves like that.

Since it is wood, and probably dried, fire should remove it.

Just a thought. Keep a hose handy.

TR

Re: Beer or other beverages
 

Tequila - is anything else needed? :D

Milagro, Chinaco, Patron, Casta, Casa Noble and El Teporocho

I have a lot of that high-falutin crap like Grey Goose and Saphire, etc.. (pretty much on hand for the ladies)

The stuff I'm drinking is (anything that is an ale) and Mount Gay rum, Sailor Jerry's rum, Hendricks's Gin, Stoli Crystal and a tequila called "los duenos". Its good.

Can't find it. Is it only available in Colombia?

"The Landlords/Owners"?

Kill your landlord!!

TR

While Carrying out NDD's orders from Here

I was informed that Corralejo Reposado Tequila and Sotol Mesteno were Quite good, Though I, of course, have no first hand knowledge of such things:)

Good Times,
Blake

The full poem from Tyrone Green:

"Dark and lonely on a summer's night.
Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord.
Watchdog barking. Do he bite?
Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord.
Slip in his window. Break his neck.
Then his house I start to wreck.
Got no reason. What the heck?
Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord.
C-I-L my land lord!"

We now return you to your Beer programming.

TR

The finest assortment of "near beer"

All the free soda the DFAC has to offer

Bottled Water

Gatorade

I've only found it in Northern Virginia. I had soe at a loacl mexican resturant. It was so good, I went back and asked the bartender who he ordered it from. He didn't know and neiter did the manager. I offered to buy the bottle for $80 and they sold it to me.

I generally stock several cases of Chateau L'eau De Robinet, mostly 1982. Hopefully this situation won't change too much when I go to America...

;)

Solid

Well, since you are only 18, I suspect that it will.

TR

Good thing is Solid..... in America, you won't have to get that "british smile" thing going anymore. Most areas keep a ample supply of Chateau L'eau de Robinet avec du fluorure:D

And it would appear he may have been consuming some at the time of his posting. :D

Well, Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler for all of us over 21. I should have known that you had some French/Cajun language skills.

Good dental joke, BTW Sac.

TR

Dammit

TR- I use the language sparingly lest I be overcome with the desire to buy oil from totalitarian dictators, destroy peace efforts, and run abroad whenever soldiers in grey appear.

:)

Solid

I hate the sunlight and I hate the night.
I hate white people because they is white.
Their hair is wavy, their lips is thin,
But worse than white women, I hate white men.
Walking around with briefcase and money,
Bust they head open, my ain't that funny?
Not out of anger and not out of spite.
I just hate whitey because they is white.
W-I-T-E people.

We have three wine cellars at present, and are going to put another one in the Santa Fe house when we add on the additions. We have approx 8000 bottles of Red wine, mostly Bordeaux. Nancy collects single malt Scotch and has 150 plus bottles, I collect Tequila probably have 50-60 bottles, various assorted rums, bourbons, vodkas, gins, etc, etc, several cases of beer Boddingtons, Belhaven.

Terry

Terry:

When is the party?

RL

R L:

Whenever you are in town!:)

Terry

Deal! Same goes for you, of course. :)