And it's Classic Day at the Blog

One of the great things about beer is that there seems to be a never ending selection available to suit everyone's tastes.  There is beer brewed with fruit, beer brewed with tomato, beer brewed from sorghum.  You've got wheat beer, light beer, beer with tons of alcohol, beer with no alcohol at all.  It comes in a can, it comes in bottles, even in plastic.  There are lots of choices out there for us beer lovers who know what we want or want to try something different.

For people that just dabble in beer or who are not sure what their likings are, I have chose to review two classic brews that I don't think you can go wrong with.  To make it more interesting, I have chosen these two classics at different ends of the spectrum.  Today we are going to delve into Miller High Life and Guinness.

Miller High Life:  The Champagne of Beers!  I can hear the jeers coming through my screen from all the beer snobs out there.  To them I say phooey!  The fact that some folks think that their beer has to have a high price tag on it to be considered "good" are treading in a sea of retardedness.  Real beer drinkers know that it makes no difference if your 6 pack costs $4 or $20.  If you like it, then you like it.  Deciding what beer to buy at the local party store also depends on your mood, the time of year, etc-not just how much money you have in your wallet.

High Life brings back a lot of good memories for me.  As a child, it was the beer that I would shuttle to my father and neighbors on a bright blue skied July afternoon.  My dad drank it, his dad drank it, and I'm sure his dad's dad drank it as well.  There is something to be said about longevity.  High Life was introduced in 1903 and has had a remarkable run even winning gold at the 2002 World Beer Cup in the category of American Style Lager.

High Life is a great everyday beer.  When your buddy drops by while you are out mowing the grass, it's a beautiful thing to bring out a couple bottles of High Life and discuss if the Tigers have a chance to win the pennant.  Call me sentimental, but sitting on the porch in the heat of the afternoon with a glistening High Life bottle is Americana at it's best.

Like any beer, High Life does have it's quirks.  It's high carbonation can be a turn off to some.  The bubbles are in there to mirror the "champagne" qualities.  High Life is best served extremely cold.  It's taste will vary greatly depending on the temp.  I've had High Life that has been chilled in a semi cool fridge and thought it disgusting.  If the option is available, the best way to drink it is after it's been chilled with ice.  A galvanized tub full of ice and High Life will be a welcome addition to any summer day.  If ice isn't an option, set the temp to your beer fridge a little cooler than usual.  You will thank me for this.  

 Forgive the Hamm's glass.

Guinness.  I used to hate this brew.  I detested all it stood for and everything about it.  People would ramble on and on about how good Guinness was.  To me it tasted and looked like outhouse drippings.  This is a time in my life where quantity was much more important than quality.  The beers that I drank around this time consisted of Blatz, Milwaukee's Best and assorted 40 ouncer's of malt liquor.  It took me years to really sit down and give this one a try.  When I finally did, I saw a light.

I would be lying if I said that this is the end all be all beer.  I do like it.  I like it in small doses.  I like it at a certain time of the year.  For those occasions, nothing else will do.

The inky blackness of Guinness provides you with a very smooth tasting stout-perfect for extended discussions and cricket tournaments at the local pub.  For people who have never tried Guinness before, don't let the look of it fool you into believing you are about to drink a glass full of motor oil.  It's smooth.  It is surprisingly refreshing.  It's not a beer I would grab on a 90 degree day after I mowed the lawn, but it is semi thirst quenching.  For a stout, that is a pretty interesting thing.

The thing I enjoy about Guinness the most is the complex flavors.  Slightly acidic, hints of the dark malt lends to an almost coffee taste.  It pairs well with food.  I would recommend almost any sort of meal with this beer.  Pizza, burgers, wings all go great and compliment each other nicely.  Guinness can also be used as an ingredient in a lot of recipes.  I have used it in place of stocks for soups and stews.  Use it as a marinade for red meat and you won't be disappointed.  My wife makes a chocolate Guinness cupcake that is out of this world.  And while we are on the subject of desserts, Guinness is one of the few beers out there that actually lends flavor while eating your dessert.

Again with the Hamm's glass.