What are you eating/drinking right now?

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Originally Posted by Neely

Oh super, you managed to get a Brooklyn lager then? I'm somewhat jealous I think it is a fine little drink and I am hoping to get hold of one or two tomorrow. You must report back.

I'm going with the Leffe Blonde tonight, just two or three bottles because I have a full-on day tomorrow, work followed by uni, so must be semi-fresh I suppose. Work and all of that is such a bore. Instead I'm thinking of making money by playing quiz machines and selling bananas.

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I was surprised to see that Sainsbury's stocked Old Peculiar as it's not available in Waitrose where I normally shop; neither is Brooklyn although they do stock Fursty Ferret. I wouldn't recommend Old Peculiar as it is a dark beer and only for those of catholic tastes. The Brooklyn was quite strong and had a good body: unlike those French and Italian lagers such as Peroni which, for the most part, seem to be made for women and children; the words weak and insipid spring to mind. Brooklyn is described on the bottle as a pre-prohibition beer which I think must be a different recipe and post-dates the original brew that, ironically, was started by two men who made it secretly for themselves when working in Saudi Arabia, which doesn't allow alcohol at all.
The work front is something I no longer have to put up with thank God. It wasn't so much the work as the getting there with all those glum (none glummer than mine) faces on public transport five days a week. Some of the work was quite interesting but you will never beat doing your own thing and the nine to five ritual runs contrary to human nature in my view. It's the ritualistic nature of work that's most disturbing and nothing makes a person feel only a number than being part of the rush hour where human beings are literally swept along in a great mass of people whose individuality has been totally submerged in pursuit of the bare necessities. Obviously this is the price we pay for living in a structured society as opposed to one of dissolution which has all kinds of other horrors but, providing they don't resort to criminality and live off everyone else, I do admire those people who turn their back on the whole issue and are able to live according to their lights rather than simply exist. That's one reason why The Moon and Sixpence is my favourite novel.

Yes Old Peculiar is a beer that you can usually get hold of without too much difficulty. I was going to say that I probably wouldn’t have drunk it before the Duval personally, because of the contrasts in taste and style, but no major harm.

I agree lager beers like the Peroni/San Miguel are light fizz in comparison and not worth bothering with at all. That Brooklyn lager is a whole different thing and it makes me want to try more of the specialist American brews, probably only available in more specialist pubs like my own Devonshire Cat. Here they have an extensive range 20+ American beers probably more so, or equal to, the Belgian varieties – prices have rocketed this year though, some as much as 50-100% in the last 12 months.

I more than agree with your points about work. It disenfranchises individuality, but as you say it is the price we have to pay, seemingly.

Right now I am drinking water from a cooler machine but thinking of Brooklyn…

a cup of tea.

http://www.whiskybrands.co.uk/wp-con...6/Haiggold.jpg

I am enjoying an egg salad with prawns, which rather rules out red wine, so I have got a Domaine Louis Moreau 2008 Chablis to go with it; a bit pricey but a very nice wine that compliments the meal admirably.

After a 15+ hour day I feel I am well within my rights to quickly down a Brooklyn beer and then an Organic Westons.

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Originally Posted by Neely

After a 15+ hour day I feel I am well within my rights to quickly down a Brooklyn beer and then an Organic Westons.

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!5+ hour day! No wonder you reached for the booze. I am at the keyboard eating some 'steak and ale pie' crisps would you believe, and they are being washed down with Fullers 1845 Ale which is very flavoursome indeed.
Next in line is a Ruddles county ale which I used to drink regularly before it became something of a rarity in pub draught beers. I also have a Brooklyn lined up as I went to the supermarket again today, ostensibly because my cat was getting low on Go Cat. My neighbour knocked to say thanks for taking care of his injured cat yesterday and insisted on buying me a bottle of wine as recompense. I said as long as it was red and from Europe anything would be OK: this in the wake of a news broadcast about large amounts of fake Blossom Hill Australian wine being discovered because the fraudsters had misspelled Australia on the label. You couldn't make it up.:D

:lol: It does raise the question though if the fake stuff actually tasted better than the real thing in the case of Blossom Hill. I say 15+ hour day, this is true with work and uni (not getting in while 10.50pm!) but it did include a pub lunch in-between, naturally, where's the expenses account when you need it? A 13/14 hour day today; a lazy one, an Easter break now though and just three sessions after that and I'm done with all that nonsense.

I'm glad the trip to purchase Go Cat resulted in some quality beer. I have not had the Fullers 1845, I've had other Fuller brews but not that one I think, I'll keep an eye open. I'm not a fan of the Ruddles County, too much of a standard session beer, but it might be better in bottles, they can be totally different brews, take for example the pretty good ale Black Sheep, it's a standard session ale (4.2%) on tap, but about 5% and a whole better drink from the bottle. Glad next door neighbours cat is well.

Currently, I've just had a Leffe (which went down well) and now I've just cracked open a Brooklyn.

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Originally Posted by Neely

:lol: It does raise the question though if the fake stuff actually tasted better than the real thing in the case of Blossom Hill. I say 15+ hour day, this is true with work and uni (not getting in while 10.50pm!) but it did include a pub lunch in-between, naturally, where's the expenses account when you need it? A 13/14 hour day today; a lazy one, an Easter break now though and just three sessions after that and I'm done with all that nonsense.

I'm glad the trip to purchase Go Cat resulted in some quality beer. I have not had the Fullers 1845, I've had other Fuller brews but not that one I think, I'll keep an eye open. I'm not a fan of the Ruddles County, too much of a standard session beer, but it might be better in bottles, they can be totally different brews, take for example the pretty good ale Black Sheep, it's a standard session ale (4.2%) on tap, but about 5% and a whole better drink from the bottle. Glad next door neighbours cat is well.

Currently, I've just had a Leffe (which went down well) and now I've just cracked open a Brooklyn.

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I should apologise for misreporting that Blossom Hill was the wine involved when it was actually Jacobs Creek. As this is an American website, some might take offence that one of the best selling Californian wines was mentioned in error. Nevertheless I think Blossom Hill is a rather twee name for a wine, it's obviously aimed at the distaff side of the market; the wife of a friend drinks it but only at mealtimes.
I think that Ruddles fell out of favour down here because its countrified persona was at odds with the cosmopolitanism of London where lager rules the roost, except for those who really know their beer. A plethora of spotty youths means that any beer that hasn't been implanted in their shallow mindset by mass advertising is beyond their ken and, consequently, Fosters, which is the equivalent of the Sun in journalistic terms, sells more than most decent beer sales added together.
There is a criticism of your last post in the serious discussions thread that touches on this subject but perhaps you have already seen it.

I'm about to sink a Titanic Iceburg. I hope it goes down well.

I'm also thinking about the Pickled Partridge I have safely stuffed away in the fridge, that and the Dark Lord and the blonde, and the...and the...

I also have a top tip for you all in the National tomorrow. V-neck. Apparently it's an excellent jumper.

(I texted that one to my brother earlier and this was his reply: "OK, thanks I've not looked at the horses yet I'll keep that in mind. Do you fancy a drink tomorrow?")

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Originally Posted by Neely

I'm about to sink a Titanic Iceburg. I hope it goes down well.

I'm also thinking about the Pickled Partridge I have safely stuffed away in the fridge, that and the Dark Lord and the blonde, and the...and the...

I also have a top tip for you all in the National tomorrow. V-neck. Apparently it's an excellent jumper.

(I texted that one to my brother earlier and this was his reply: "OK, thanks I've not looked at the horses yet I'll keep that in mind. Do you fancy a drink tomorrow?")

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Titanic used to be sold on draught in London but I haven't seen it around for a couple of years. I must say that whatever the name of the horse, if I were to back the animal it would come in last. I never bet on anything other than certanties, which means I don't bet at all. Nothing ventured, nothing lost
would seem to be the best option.
"Do you fancy a drink tomorrow?" must be the most rhetorical question known to man.

I'm back on the white wine for this evening, a simple Soave 2010 from the reliable vintners Pasqua of Verona.

Oh yes, backing winners in the National is neigh on impossible.

Lays French Cheese

A Gouda cheese sandwich and a mug of Green tea.

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Originally Posted by Neely

Oh yes, backing winners in the National is neigh on impossible.

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However, Neely did it, to the grand old sum of £1ew at about 20/1! Beer money!

I've just had a light pasta and spinach salad (my own spinach) and washed it down with Copella apple juice - the best apple juice in town!