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| Wine Spectator It is all about wines in this magazine. Although most of us enjoy wines, the problem is most of us don't understand wine. Heck, I have been drinking wine for maybe over 10 years and most of the time, I am lost about the vintage, the type of wine and so on. But once you learn to appreciate and understand wine, you might find that it is even more enjoyable - just like sports. Wine Spectator provides wine ratings, wine news, expert advise, which drink is popular these days and so on. They even have a section where you can travel around the world and find the best wines! Oh and check out their very active forums, where wine drinkers and wine makers mingle and discuss their favourite pastime. |
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| Stella Artois Another Belgian beer. It seems to me that the both the Germans and the Belgians are great at making beer. Of course since the age of commericalization, most of these products have dropped significantly in quality. You cannot mass produce a product if you stand on quality alone right? Anyway, Stella Artois beers are Pilsner Lagers made from the Pilsner malt instead of the regular barley malt. I guess this makes the beer lighter in colour perhaps? One of the more suprising fact is that Stella Artois is a very popular brand intenationally but somehow in Belgium, they did not achieve that great a success. Perhaps Belgians are spolit with choice there or maybe they know the difference between great beers and subpar ones. I myself find Stella beers quite enjoyable, definitely better than Becks. Furthermore, I really like their logo as well as their slogan - "She is a thing of beauty". You know this beer is from Europe. |
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| Anheuser Busch Company Hmm....this company makes beer and alcoholic beverages and they are one of the most admired companies in the world. Why? Maybe because they make beer. Or they treat their employees with great respect. I don't know, all I know is that they are attracting talents from all over the world to work for them. I guess this is the reason why they are successful - they get the best talent who looks after the company, as the company looks after them. However for most people, they are more interested in the beer they produce. Yes, they own the Budweiser brand, which is kind of sad because honestly their beers aren't that great compared to the other real beers. But of course if you are talking about comparing with supermarket brands, they are still one of the better ones. And Budweiser is famous throughout the world! Everyone has heard of the name Budweiser, because it says so on the can of beer they are gulping down right this moment. Admire away my friends. |
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| WineMaker Magazine This magazine is all about you making your own wine. Didn't expect yourself to be making your own wine? Well, nowadays they have such things as a wine making kit where you can easily (with a few additional equipment) make wine. The kit usually consists of some grape or juice concentrate for you to ferment and create your wine.Yes, it will probably take a few weeks or even months to get the wine ready for consumpton. Not surprising, it has gained many wine making enthusiasts. Of course, I doubt the quality will match those of the high end wines, but it will do for most people. Check out the books and all the wine competition and conferences for amateur wine making. |
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| Decanter Wine is probably one of the least appreciated hobbies around the world. We all love to drink wine but it can be rather difficult to fully understand wine. And sometimes after reading about more about wine, you get more confused. But no worries, Decanter is here to help you. It will tell you where to find the best wines, what kind of food to go with the wine and how to truly appreciate wine. A very good site to learn about the different types of wine, how to choose the right wine for the occasion and so on from the wine experts. Yes, wine people can be very snobbish at times but hey, just learn what you can and enjoy the wines. It is not like we are going to be living in their vineyard or near their oak barrels right? |
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| Wine Searcher If you are into wines, you should check out this site. Basically it is an updated list of prices from wine merchants throughout the world. Knowing the right wine for your occasion is the easy part, finding which wine stores or merchant sell those wines and get them reasonably priced is another story. Wine Searcher makes everything easier by helping you locate in your region the lowest priced wine. And even if you have no idea which wine you want, Wine Searcher will still provide recommendations and tips on choosing the right wine. They have a "pro" service which allows users to have a wider search and better results. Wine merchants can list their price list on this site, providing access to potential customers in their area. |
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| Wine&Spirits Magazine One of the most popular wine & alcohol beverage magazine. They are also one of the most respected authority in wines selection and recommendation. I myself would spend hours pouring over their expert recommendations if I actually give a damn, but then I really don't. Alcohol should be drank in large amounts and you should wake up not knowing where you are or what you have done the previous night. Drinking alcohol like a sissy using a glass and smelling through your nose is not my cup of tea. Anyway, they claim that all their wines are "tested" using some controlled, blind testing thingy and so you should trust their recommendations. They also include dining, nightlife and recipes to go with that fine wine you have been eyeing. So if you want to be sophiscated and know more about wines, this is definitely the magazine to get. If you are a wne producer, you might want to submit your wines to them for evaulation. They do get a lot of subscribers to their magazine and to their website. |
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| Bacardi Rum. My favourite "alcoholic" drink of all-time. Well, actually all kinds of alcohols are my favourite drinks. I mean what is better than coming home after a hard day's work in the fields growing vegetables and enjoying a cup of whisky, or if you can, rum. Yes, I know rum isn't as popular as whisky but still, it is really an enjoyable relaxing drink. Maybe not as smooth as whisky or even brandy but good enough. Rum is actually made from the byproducts of sugar production. And nowadays rum are often use as a party drink - mix with some sugar, lime, mint and sparkling water, you got the world famous Mojito. With that, you can party all night. You can check out the different recipes of Mojito on their site. Or better still, get them on your iPhone! And since Cuban is the birthplace of Mojito, why not have rum from there as well. Bacardi carries a variety of rum for your choosing. Don't be suprised to see that even rums have different quality and types. Oh, by the way, Bacardi sells about 200 million bottles of rum yearly, so yes, it is indeed a very popular spirit. Remember never drink and drive! |
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| Jagermeister I am betting most people never heard of Jagermeister. It means hunt master or master of the hunt. It is to celebrate people like me, whose skill with the rifle is legendary. Ya, who am I kidding. I can't even shoot straight when I am pissing, let alone shoot with a hunting rifle. Anyway, Jagermeister is an alcohol mixed with numerous spices and herbs. The purpose of this alcoholic nuclear bomb is most likely to ward off the cold when hunting. Those Germans really love hunting - birds, small animals and even humans are never safe when there are Germans around. Just ask the Jews. I would have never thought that such a disgusting drink could ever be popular but somehow it did. And most likely through marketing and the promotions by rock bands. Thus they have now been associated with toughness and bikers. They are however often used in cocktails rather than straight up. |
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| Coors Light Surprisingly a pleasant tasting lager which I actually like. They call themselves the world's most refreshing beer, a title which I say quite suits them. Coors Light lagers are nice, crisp and pleasant to drink. And like most lagers, they are easy to drink without all those hangovers afterwards. Just pull back a tab and enjoy! Oh, did I mention it is relatively cheap as well. You have to admit, good beers do cost a bundle, especially if you are planning to have the time of your life. Sometimes a cheaper alternative is needed to save on the rent. And the best tip I can give everyone is to serve Coors Light ice cold. Superb during the hotter seasons. What goes into a Coors Light beer? I have absolutely no idea, all I know is that it tastes great and I am loving it. Not too shabby for an American beer. I had always thought that American beers are the worst of the lot, but Coors Light really make me proud. Visit their site to learn more about their beer and some history lessons as well. Their brewery is at the base of the Rocky Mountains so you will get the best Rocky mountain water. |
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| Guinness I bet you have heard of this one before right? It is Guinness Stout! If you have never drank this beer before, I am sure you have heard of the Guinness Book of Records? Yes, although the World of Records can be considered a seperate entity to the beer manufacturer, we still have to attribute the Guinness Book of Records to them. Anyway, Guinness Breweries produce the world famous stout which is synonymous with strength and endurance. It is also one of the world's most popular beers. The dark, bitter creamy elixir which is the result of using roasted barley and nitrogen to create such a marvelous beer to be enjoyed by millions of people around the world, has sadly declined in popularity. Yes, their popularity has declined somewhat now with the commerical appeal of the basically tasteless lagers which college kids love to drink so much. I understand why - lagers are bland and tasteless, so you can easily drink tons of it at parties or in front of the TV. Stout on the other hand, requires some effort to appreciate. College kids do not have the time or the inclination to enjoy great beers like stouts. But thank god for the Irish. They love this drink for the gods. |
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| Absolut Vodka Vodka is probably one of the strongest alcoholic drink in the world. And not surprising, it is also one of the most popular in the world as well. Yes, life can be so stressful that we need to get pissed.....real fast. Absolut is a Swedish brand and they make all kinds of flavoured Vokda - ruby red, berri acai,wild tea, raspberri, vanilla, kurant, pears, mango, apeach - usually made from fruits. Seems that fruits go very well with Vodka. They claim that their flavoured Vodka are made from "natural" flavours. I had thought only the Russians made Vodka, but apparently the Swedes do too. Their site contains numerous recipes for making different drinks so that you can try out as many as you want. I have to admit I do enjoy some of the cocktails made from Vodka. If I am not wrong, not many people enjoy drinking Vodka straight up. Vodka is actually pretty much tasteless, probably why nowadays it comes flavoured. They are also famous for their flashy advertisements, beautiful bottles and even their gay themes. |
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| Moet & Chandon Ahhh....the name for celebration! If you are going to celebrate your anniversary, your promotion or even your pet dog getting married, then Moët & Chandon is what you are looking for. They are a champagne producer, making some of the most well-known champagnes around the world. I mean what is there not to like about champagne? It is bubbly, usually quite sweet and not difficult to drink at all. In fact, most of us can gissle like half a bottle of champagne without any problem. And Moët & Chandon has one of the most interesting history, mostly due to Napoleon. Yes, the short general with the tall ego. That alone made them extremely popular. Nowadays they are also very popular with the hip-hop crowd. Don't ask me, I have no idea why. They own more than 2,500 acres of vineyard and produces about 26 million bottles of champagne evey year. Seems like we have a lot of celebrating going on. |
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| Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Judging from the number of Champagne houses we have, this slightly alcoholic sparkling drink is very popular. That is a joke on the slightly alcoholic part - it is actually pretty strong stuff. If I am not wrong, Champagnes can go up to 18-19% ACV, which is like those real strength Sake. Anyway, everytime you have something to celebrate like a promotion, wedding or something, you will "pop" a Champagne. It has become something of a status symbol as well. I guess this is both marketing and also from history. Apparently the royalties in Europe enjoy (and appreciate) Champagne since they celebrate so much. Some of these Champagne houses are even given royal warrant from Kings and Queens of Europe. And only sparkling wines made in the region of Champagne in France can be legally called Champagne. If you have a great tasting sparkling wine from the City of Detriot made from grapes in your backyard ghetto, it is not called Champagne, understand. Snobbish I know. |
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| Wine Lovers Page Learn about wine! This site is the place to be when you want to learn about wine. As a beginner myself, I learned quite a lot about wine, wine making, appreciation of wine, understanding the vintages, the grapes and so on. It is like a treasure cove of wine information, all made easy to understand for clueless folks like me. Visit their site and click on "Learn about wine". Hey, I even know what Tannin means now. And it is not just for beginners, even for more experience wine "lovers", there are tons of articles, news, reviews and books on wine. Some of the articles are actually pretty interesting. I had spent a lot of my time on the Internet learning more about wine and part of them is on this site. And yes, you don't need to be a snob to appreciate wine. You don't need those fancy names or glasses or whatever, just need some basics and you are set to go. And it boils down to your own tastes. Everyone has their own perference. Just because some expert like a certain wine does not mean that you should also like it. But learning how to drink and appreciate wine will make your enjoyment of wines even more ...well...enjoyable. |
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| Oriel Wines Oriel Wines is a direct seller of wines. Unlike most other wine sellers, they do not have a middleman to do marketing or to distribute to others. This enables them to cut down the cut and pass the savings directly to the consumers. Hence, they are able to sell good quality wines at a much cheaper price. Isn't that great? More often than not, good wines are pretty expensive and most of us cannot afford them. We have to make do with cheaper crappier vintages. Take a look at their variety of wine offerings - from the 2006 Mana to the 2004 Ondine to the 2005 Jocunda. All at great prices. |
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| RedStripe Jamaican beer? You would never expect Jamaica to break out and produce one of the most popular brands of beers right? I was just surprised that they did. And I am not talking about those cheap beers from China or Thailand which leaves a lot to be desired. I am talking about straight up, honest-to-goodness, crisp and unique lagers. But kind of sad to see that their beers are pretty weak in alcohol, not that good to get pissed from in my opinion. So you probably won't get a lot of college kids buying their beers. Furthermore, their beers need a little getting used to since they have this rather bold flavour. Most likely the hops they used in the beer. Their logo is very well known - it is the "red stripe" and their slogan "Hooray Beer!" is easy to remember. Red Stripe sponsors many reggae events and festivals, since this is a Jamaican brand. By the way, they actually started out as a soda-pop manufacturer. I guess soda pop didn't have enough kick for them. |
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| Becks Not my greatest hour, but I admit I have drank Becks Beer before. Yes, I know it is embarrassing for someone my stature to be drinking such hogwash, but I was young. I didn't know better. After vomitting out the dog piss they put into the Becks can, I swore never to drink beer again. Well, that was before I had my first micro-brew. Now I drink beer almost everyday. But seriously, please be responsible and never drink and drive. Better yet, don't drink at all. Bring those beer cans to my house. Anyway you will be surprised to realize that Becks is a very popular brand in the United States and around the world. I don't know why it is possible. Perhaps it is cheap? Perhaps they do good marketing? Whatever it is, I would suggest you to stop drinking Becks and start tasting other beers. You don't want to grow old one day and wake up realizing that you have been drinking hogwash all your life. There are indeed many other better beers out there, even off the shelf commerical beers are better. |
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| Erdinger Not just any beer but wheat beer. What is the difference you might ask? Well, unlike the more common beers which are made only from barley (and other adjucts), the malt for the beer is partly made from wheat. This gives the beer a cloudy appearance and a more robust "head". I guess some people like foam around the mouths when they drink. But I like wheat beers. Definitely a party drink which goes down easier than even regular lagers. Of course other than wheat beers, they produce other types of beers as well like Dunkel, Kristallklar, Pikantus, Urweisse and many more. Don't ask me what they mean though, I merely drink them. If you are tired of American tasteless lagers and your area do not have a microbrewery, you should perhaps expand your horizons by trying out Erdinger's offerings. They claim that all their beers are made according to the German "purity law". Yes, those Germans take beer brewing seriously so you better not joke about beer when you go for Oktoberfest. |
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| Chimay The art of Trappist cheese and beer - whatever that means. I kind of like trappist beer, definitely more flavour than our regular lagers we are all so used to by now. Yes, trappist beers are actually ales and they are made in Belgium under some supposedly strict set of rules and regulations. Made by monks? I doubt so anymore but it does have this mysterious aura over it dosn't it? Who won't want to drink beers made by some monks using some anicent recipe? Oh Chimay's beers and cheese are actually made in a Trappist monastery under the control of the monks. And you thought you had fled Europe to avoid religious control. Their beers are made only with ingredients found in the region. Their cheeses as well. I myself have never tried their cheese before though. They claim that their cheeses are full of character, something which our local store bought cheeses cannot compare. |