Subjective ramblings about beer, pubs and associated topics

Something salty, perhaps?

I have hardly blogged about crisps (that's chips to you yanks) before, but you can trust the good old Telegraph to keep us updated on this British staple food. Their article today is about the premium end of the market, and it's a good read. Made me thirsty, though.

So how do these superior crisps differ from their cheaper counterparts? Well, most are hand-fried, which means a man with a rake stirs them around in the hot fat, to ensure they don't stick together.

In addition, they're free of monosodium glutamate and they have at least a passing acquaintance with their original flavouring ingredient; for example, a Burt's smoked Dorset bacon crisp is not suitable for vegetarians, whereas your average smoky bacon crisp is.

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 12:25 | link | comments (2)
beer, england, pubs

A glass from Samuel Adams

The Boston Beer Company has launched a new glass that offers beer lovers a full sensory drinking experience. Well, it looks nice, doesn't it? Maybe I'll order a set.

It's the contents that really matter, unfortunately their beers are not available around here.

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 14:07 | link | comments (1)
beer, usa

A little extract goes a long way.

Too busy and too lazy to post today. Go over to Geir Oves blog and read about his experiment in putting commercial strength hop extract into a glass of lager.

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 10:21 | link | comments
beer

10 minutes of fame revisited

On 23 February I'll be on the breakfast quiz show on Norwegian TV2 again. I's a long road to fame and fortune, but no one promised it should be easy.

Meanwhile, a bad joke from A Prairie Home Companion:

What do you call a Bohemian that gets thrown out of a bar?

A bounced Czech.

For those of you who read Norwegian, there is a comprehensive review of Pete Brown's Three Sheets to the Wind today. In the used-to-be-very-angry-and-lefty-oppositional Ny Tid of all places. The revolution is obviously put on hold.

Today's pub pic is from Cardiff.

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 11:34 | link | comments
beer, pubs

At last a product I don't need

Did you know that you can get flavoured beer salt? Yes, beer salt. If you dont't have any citrus fruit around when you have the urge for a tasty Corona, you can use a lime flavoured beer salt from Twang. Their motto? Add zing to anything.

They carry lemon flavour, too.

Ugh.

I could think of better ways to avoid scurvy.

Please don't tell them I sent you!

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 10:54 | link | comments
beer

The best brewers in the world

Ratebeer has compiled a list of the best brewers in the world, based on the accumulated ratings on their site. Lots of American micros, of course, but there are also many Belgian brewers. The Scandinavian micros are showing some muscle, too, with Mikkeller at no 5,  Ølfabrikken no 12, Närke Kulturbryggeri at no 26 and Nøgne ø at number 44.

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 12:12 | link | comments
beer, norway, denmark, microbreweries, nøgne ø

A Rebus dialogue

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 14:57 | link | comments
beer, pubs, scotland

Sssssh!

It's Friday night turning into Saturday morning. It's  Mark Knopfler and Emmylou in concert on TV. The family is all tucked up and sleeping, and I'm sipping a few beer cans of no significance. I'm reading the new Neil Gaiman collection, which is just wonderful.

A lazy day tomorrow, and then a long cross county ski excurson with my oldest on Sunday.

 

Bliss.

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 00:26 | link | comments
beer, norway

Norwegian legislation - update

An MP from the Centre Party supports the initiative from Venstre to liberalize the legislation for small scale producers of beer, wine and cider. As the Centre Party is in government, there is a fair chance of this getting a bit further.

I wouldn't hold my breath, though...

The interview is in today's Nationen, but it is not online.

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 12:43 | link | comments
beer, norway

Why I'm not switching

Thanks for the feedback. The reason why I'm doing this is because I have found a niche where I can expand my knowledge and where the constraint of the concept forces me to find new angles all the time. If I started blogging with roughly the same content in Norwegian, I'd be down to half a dozen readers in no time. There are very few Norwegians interested in, say, the Italian beer scene. There is one Norwegian beer blogger writing in Norwegian, bless him, but I wouldn't bother.

And  the Norwegian and Scandinavian beer nerd audience can read English, so I reach them as long as I write anything of interest. I'll hardly be a celebrity this way, but it's nice to walk into a brewpub and get samples of the beers not yet on tap because the brewers know you from your blog!

So the alternative is to have a broader blog for a Norwegian audience. Knowing myself, this would soon be a part of the more political part of the Norwegian blogsphere, bickering about US foreign policy, Islam, taxes, greenhouse gases and what have you. But that field is already filled up, isn't it?.

As Kristine wrote in her comment, Well-written goes only so far, I think niche is more important. So I'll stick to this for the time being.

Last, but not least, I feel I have a mission when it comes to beer pornography as well!

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 10:23 | link | comments (1)

A London Beer Blog

About time there was a London-based beer blog, wasn't it? Stonch's Beer Blog is excactly that, with elaborate posts, informative and well written. He even has the Jerusalem Tavern as his local, lucky man!

 

 

 

 

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 16:48 | link | comments
london, beer, england, youngs, pubs