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Beverages

Postby smitch » Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:37 am

A place for us to chat about what we're drinking, alcoholic or otherwise :mug: :cocktail:

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Re: Beverages

Postby Sakkarin » Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:20 pm

I'm afraid I'm not really a wine buff, but this article looks interesting, is there any detail there that is useful for us non-connoisseurs?

https://www.smashedgrapes.co.uk/blogs/n ... O2H8t9H6uA

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Re: Beverages

Postby Binky » Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:02 pm

We're not wine buffs either but we do like a nice drop of wine. Tonight we're having a Primitivo, from southern Italy.

We were introduced to it at a Food Festival. Sophie Grigson was cooking and handing out wine samples (she'd recently moved to s. Italy and was showing the crowd a few recipes). Well worth searching out.

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Re: Beverages

Postby Badger's Mate » Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:09 pm

That's not a very convincing article - Sainsbury's Vinsobres has been discounted for ages, long before Covid -19 was a glint in a bat's eye/myth/laboratory mishap (feel free to select preferred conspiracy)

I only cottoned on to the stuff (Vinsobres, not Covid) because Keith Floyd used to wax lyrical about it. :wino

Coincidentally I opened a bottle of Primitivo the other day. Still got a glass left I think...

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Re: Beverages

Postby scullion » Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:34 pm

same here, lidl primitivo on a price reduction. nice and fruity - but if i don't get round to drinking the end of the bottle soon the remainder will be given to the vinegar jar - nice rich vinegar!

we had a lovely primitivo/merlot a couple of decades ago, in a restaurant, which i searched out online and bought a couple of cases. i think the vineyard was taken over by someone else and i haven't found it since.
but it did make me start buying primitivo. fruity with a good body.
Last edited by scullion on Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Beverages

Postby Binky » Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:42 pm

Philistines! There is no such thing as leftover wine. Freeze it in ice cube trays and pop in your bolognaise sauce.

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Re: Beverages

Postby smitch » Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:43 pm

I've been reading a lot today from small brewers who will be severely affected by proposals to amend tax relief within the sector. The beneficiaries of the changes will be 'family' brewers, most of whom are large, stable and well established. Personally, I rarely drink anything from most of the champions of the scheme, but will definitely avoid from now on https://beernouveau.co.uk/blog/

Otherwise, I'm going to try a beer tonight for the first time in a while because of the migraine. I've got a low abv pale ale from Cloudwater, a Manchester brewery who try to be socially responsible too :thumbsup

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Re: Beverages

Postby scullion » Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:44 pm

but i make lovely red wine vinegar!
i buy them bottles just for themselves usually.

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Re: Beverages

Postby Binky » Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:17 pm

smitch wrote:I've been reading a lot today from small brewers who will be severely affected by proposals to amend tax relief within the sector. The beneficiaries of the changes will be 'family' brewers, most of whom are large, stable and well established. Personally, I rarely drink anything from most of the champions of the scheme, but will definitely avoid from now on https://beernouveau.co.uk/blog/

Otherwise, I'm going to try a beer tonight for the first time in a while because of the migraine. I've got a low abv pale ale from Cloudwater, a Manchester brewery who try to be socially responsible too :thumbsup

m

I imagine CAMRA will start a campaign to publicise this.

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Re: Beverages

Postby smitch » Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:29 pm

CAMRA issued a vague statement but they’re pretty cosy with many of the big brewers (and Wetherspoons) so sadly I doubt they’ll get too involved. The Campaign for Pubs (CAMRA splinter group) and the Small Brewers’ association are all over it though.

The sector has been badly hit by C19 and it could be the end of many small brewers in the UK :(

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Re: Beverages

Postby patpoyntz » Wed Jul 22, 2020 8:52 pm

Our son is an airline pilot and therefore rarely drinks alcohol. He enjoys an alcohol free beer when he comes here for dinner. So far I’ve found Adnams Ghost Ship AF, and Brewdog Nanny state. If anyone has any other suggestions I’d be very grateful.
I like to spoil him a little!

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Re: Beverages

Postby smitch » Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:46 pm

Do you want alcohol free suggestions (normally 0.5% abv) or low alcohol? There are some great table beers at around 3% at the moment.

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Re: Beverages

Postby smitch » Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:06 pm

Just had a look on a beer group I’m in. Big Drop come highly recommended at 0.5%. Mikkeller also do some well regarded beers, they’re based in Denmark. To-Ol are also Scandinavian and do some good low alcohol stuff. It depends what styles he likes really. Stay away from companies like Beer Hawk, Flavourly and Beer52, their ranges are poor, usually old and they don’t pay the brewer a fair rate.

Cloudwater do a range of brewed fruit sodas which are really nice and alcohol free. They also do some good beers at around 3%. Track Sonoma is a cracking sub 4% pale and Kernel do some fab table beers. There is also Striding Edge by Northern Monk which I think is available in supermarkets, again around 3%.

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Re: Beverages

Postby herbidacious » Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:08 pm

I have been buying mixed boxes of AF and very low alcohol beer and cider from the Dry Drinker, during lockdown. I have been enjoying the cider more than the beer so can't really recommend the latter, but might be worth a look at their site.
I quite liked Lucky Saint, but am no expert. When I drank, wine was my thing. But I do quite like a chilled AF beer or cider when I've had an intensive gardeing session on a warm day.
I also like lemony AF beers which I buy in France. Not sure if you can get them here.

There are suddenly lots of AF beers on the market...

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Re: Beverages

Postby smitch » Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:10 pm

I just came back to mention dry drinker https://drydrinker.com/ Just stay away from the Doom Bar, even the alcoholic version is terrible :lol:

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Re: Beverages

Postby patpoyntz » Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:38 pm

Thanks for those suggestions Smitch and herbi. The drinks have to be alcohol free.
The link to the dry drinker web site is new to me and looks very useful. Plenty of choice there. Thanks.

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Re: Beverages

Postby smitch » Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:45 pm

Glad to help. Just be aware that most ‘alcohol free’ beers are actually 0.5%.

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Re: Beverages

Postby Badger's Mate » Wed Jul 22, 2020 11:31 pm

Philistines! There is no such thing as leftover wine. Freeze it in ice cube trays and pop in your bolognaise sauce.


Steady on, I've simply not got around to drinking it yet! :wino

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Re: Beverages

Postby karadekoolaid » Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:41 am

Just stay away from the Doom Bar, even the alcoholic version is terrible :lol:

Have to disagree with you there, Smitch.
I enjoyed many a pint of Doombar when I was over there a couple of years back. Maybe it doesn´t travel well from Cornwall!

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Re: Beverages

Postby smitch » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:39 am

karadekoolaid wrote:
Just stay away from the Doom Bar, even the alcoholic version is terrible :lol:

Have to disagree with you there, Smitch.
I enjoyed many a pint of Doombar when I was over there a couple of years back. Maybe it doesn´t travel well from Cornwall!


No it doesn’t. It is nothing like it used to be and is a standard offering in pubco and chain pubs. There is much better trad bitter available.

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