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Ordering a beer with lunch would be fine, even if it's an earlier lunch.
Also, you're thinking too much about this. Relax and enjoy!
What he said.
Like you already said, if it's pretty early (like breakfast) it may not be appropriate, although that really depends on the people you're with. The waiter/waitress isn't going to care. To them, if you're drinking it just means a possibly bigger tip.
There are some mixed drinks that are even served frequently at breakfast/brunch places (bellinis, mimosas, bloody marys)
Beer and wine are standard lunch/dinner drinks, though beer is more uniform. In other words, its easier to have a beer with a fancy meal than it is to have wine with a meat & potatos sort. Port wine is an after-meal drink, and should not be ordered with the meal.
Mixed drinks can be ordered with a meal, but are usually only for evening meals - with the exception of the mimosa, which can be a breakfast/brunch drink.
Sword_of_Light on
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. "
I've ordered beer with breakfast a few times and have never gotten so much as a funny look from the server. They honestly don't care, and like Daenris said, they probably just view it as a chance for a bigger tip. I probably wouldn't do that if I was out to breakfast with my grandparents, though. It really depends on who you are eating with and not who you are ordering from as far as when it is appropriate to get a drink.
As far as recommending beers, I'm a big fan of microbreweries so I would suggest trying stuff that anyone local to you might make. If you like darker beers, look for stouts, porters or winter seasonal ales. Deschutes, Bridgeport and Red Hook are all really good brewers. Deschutes makes Black Butte Porter and a really good IPA, Bridgeport IPA is one of my favorite commercial beers and Red Hook has a really great seasonal beer called Winter Hook. They are all WA or OR brewers, so I'm not sure if they are available in your area. Definitely good stuff, though.
Ordering a beer with lunch would be fine, even if it's an earlier lunch.
Also, you're thinking too much about this. Relax and enjoy!
Yeah, I'm sure I'm just thinking too much about it. I'm always looking around the place... probably because I really don't look 21.
I've been trying to stick to the darkest beers... very much like my coffee. Guinness is pretty good, and I'm just in the phase where I want to try lots of different beers and compare them.
On that note: Can you reccomend any good dark beers to try? Like I said, I tried Guinness, which is decent enough. Guinness Stout had much more bite to it. I'm not sure what kind of Sam Adams I had, but I would love to try different types of those. Killians was fine.
Thanks for the input so far, though. I do appreciate it, and because of it, I will likely be going for lunch and a glass right now ^^
Guiness is the standard for stouts, but you can also look into Imperial Stouts and Oatmeal Stouts - theres are types, not brands, and you can probably find them in bars that say they have hundreds of beers on tap.
Be warned, they're even denser than stout beer - and some are quite alcoholic.
My personal preference tends towards Bass. Magic Hat makes an American equivalent called Phat Angel. Boddington's is excellent, as is Newcatle Brown Ale. Sam has gotten a little too mass produced; they were better when they actually were a microbrew, but you can still get a good beer off of them. Copper Creek out of VT has some good stuff, too.
For 'american lager' beers, avoid all mass produced onces, stick with south of the border ones like Presidente, Dos XX, and so forth.
For out of the way beers with unusual flavors, Old Speckled Hen is a good one, as is Corsendonk.
Sword_of_Light on
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. "
alcohol shouldn't be a weird drink. It isn't. Especially that you are 21, nothing should be awkward about it, ever. It's not illegal and is very normal for people to drink it casually with meals.
A waiter will never be anything but happy to have you order a drink, no matter what time of day it is. And don't knock drinking at breakfast, beer and eggs are a dynamite combination.
As far as dark beers go, I love stouts and porters but I hate Guiness. I greatly prefer American style stouts and Imperial Stouts. Some of my favorites are Stone Imperial Russian Stout, Sierra Nevada Stout, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, and Rogue Mocha Porter. As far as other types of dark beers I've tried a number of Belgian Dark ales and I thought they were ok, if a bit sweeter than I prefer. I don't drink lagers that much so I can't really comment much on dark lagers, I've tried a few but nothing stands out. Also, I LOVE coffee porters, I highly recommend them, though my personal favorite of that style is not really available outside of Alaska.
I think getting hammered at lunchtime is more frowned upon than merely drinking. Probably depends where you are though, drinking varies from a social requisite to taboo.
Seeing your taste in beer thus far, I think you're in the perfect season for trying beers that should be up your alley. Winter seasonal beers usually are heavier (& hoppier) than seasonals any other time of the year. They also have a higher alcohol content so if you want to stay away from drunkenness I recommend small doses.
Three of my personal favorite winter seasonals are Santa's Private Reserve Ale (by Rogue Brewery in Oregon), 2 Below (by New Belgium Brewery of Colorado), and the Sam Adams winter seasonal... I apologize but I don't recall the name. But really, I haven't stumbled on many winter seasonals I wouldn't recommend. These are merely the top 3.
Since you say Killian's was fine, I just have to throw this out there... Fat Tire is similarly an amber ale and ranks as my favorite beer. I cannot make beer recommendations without mentioning it, though this seems to be a polarizing beer for some reason.
EDIT: Just found this beer advocate blog running through some winter seasonals. Pretty good descriptions. Might help you out. Also, a year-round beer that slipped my mind that sounds to be within your tastes: Arrogant Bastard Ale (by Stone Brewing Company in California).
Pickles on
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firewaterwordSatchitanandaPais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered Userregular
Also, a year-round beer that slipped my mind that sounds to be within your tastes: Arrogant Bastard Ale (by Stone Brewing Company in California).
I second that! While it's been too long since I've had it, that be some mighty fine beer. Personally, I tend to avoid beer due to the whole too many calories thing.
As for when to drink, no real rules. Some people say wait till after five... but its always five o'clock somewhere. Generally speaking, if it's not a working lunch, I'll allow myself something light (me likey Singha).
Mmm... speaking of booze, I've got a case of Corner Creek bourbon waiting for me to get off work.
You can drink any time you want to; you just gotta realize that you're likely to feel it afterwards, so if you're going to work, you probably don't want to slam back a beer.
But as mentioned above, plenty of places will serve bloody mary's for breakfast/brunch. If you want a beer for lunch, order it. No one's going to call you a lush or think you have a problem. For instance, if you enjoy having a drink when among friends, but you're only going to see them for lunch and plan on just sitting home that evening, have a beer for lunch. Not a big deal.
The bigger thing is to be the only one having a drink. A single drink won't make you feel too awkward, but if you're out with people and no one orders anything alcohol, and you order a black russian, you might feel a little self conscious.
Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
edited January 2008
Killkenny is often a popular choice.
I always go by the rule if you are going have drinks early is that before 11 champagne only, after 11 everything else is fine.
As for getting drunk at lunch it is perfectly acceptable. Getting drunk at lunch then going back to work is not, because much like drink driving that is irresponsible.
Not being critical, just curious, but is there a reason you're so strongly against the idea of getting drunk?
I've worked at a few coffee shops, and I'm a certified Barista and Coffee Master. I went through a long program to learn a lot about it, as well as very delicate tasting procedures. In short, I enjoy good coffee.
When I turned 21, I wanted to do the same with Beer. I'd love to make my own one day down the road, but right now, it's new to me and I want to learn more about it and taste around.
I have no interest in getting drunk because of family reasons. I've been influenced against it from witnessing first-hand the results.
But yeah, just a personal choice.
I just started brewing my own beer last summer and I love doing it. I've been a beer drinker for quite a few years, but I've learned more about it in the last 6 months than I have in the last 10 years. It is a great hobby and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves beer.
Right now I'm drinking a really great stout I brewed in early December. It is so good, with a really nice flavor combination of hops and coffee. I also made an IPA in the fall that was delicious. I was surprised at how easy it is to make really good beer so quickly.
Head to your local bottle shop and buy a bunch of totally random beers that may fit into your already acquired tastes. Don't look at the price, just buy.
The ones you like, keep the bottle around some place, the ones you hate, throw the bottle.
Do the same every time you are at a bar or restaraunt.
If you are going to start sampling, start with Jack. That way you'll know what shit tastes like when you drink some good whisky.
That is a bold statement.
Jack is not that bad. Its no single malt but for mixing with other things it is just fine.
If you really want to get into whiskey find a nice irish bar with a quality scotch/bourbon menu and get a bunch of samples. Ask them to help you out most bar tenders at places that have a scotch menu tend to know what they are talking about. The better single malts cost upwards of 50$ per bottle way more than you want to spend when you are just trying to figure out what it is you like.
If you are going to start sampling, start with Jack. That way you'll know what shit tastes like when you drink some good whisky.
-1
Bulleit is way worse.
-1
Cougar is even worse.
This thread needs more Old Grandad. It's scary.
Sporked on
0
MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
edited January 2008
It was already mentioned, but is worth repeating - bloody mary's! It's a great drink for breakfast/brunch, especially on Sundays. Mimosas (sp ) are also good if you're a 50yr old woman.
If you are going to start sampling, start with Jack. That way you'll know what shit tastes like when you drink some good whisky.
-1
Bulleit is way worse.
-1
Cougar is even worse.
I've never even seen those but man do they sound awful. But yeah, jack is decent for popular/cheap mixer. But I wouldn't buy it to drink it straight. Go single malts. The taste difference is amazing
I heard Sam Adams seasonal was good. How would you compare it to a Sams Boston Lager? Is it indeed darker? I'll have to try that tomorrow...
Seasonals like Sam Oktoberfest is your best bet with Sam these days. The seasonals are less mass-produced than their mainstream stuff (I mean, they've got a Sam Lite now! Urhgh!), so the quality is more consistent.
"Budweiser is like sex in a canoe. They're both fucking close to water."
-Monty Python Live At the Hollywood Bowl
Sword_of_Light on
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. "
0
The GeekOh-Two Crew, OmeganautRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I'm not all that interested in beer, other than to "try" and "taste" quality stuff, y'know?
I have no intentions of ever getting "drunk", and any time I go to a restaraunt, I limit myself to one drink.
Now that that is out of the way...
I'm still in that point where it's a bit uncomfortable to order a drink, and I've never been to a bar of any kind. When you go to a restaraunt, is there a certain time of the day where it's considered ok to order a drink? Is there such a thing as "too early"? I mean, obviously I wouldn't order breakfast with a beer... but somteimes I like to get lunch around 2 or 3pm, and order a drink. Is that ok?
I appreciate any input on this... trying not to embarass myself or make the waiter/waitresses thing wierdly of me.
If it's still kind of uncomfortable, keep in mind that just because you can drink, doesn't mean you have to.
I'm not all that interested in beer, other than to "try" and "taste" quality stuff, y'know?
I have no intentions of ever getting "drunk", and any time I go to a restaraunt, I limit myself to one drink.
Now that that is out of the way...
I'm still in that point where it's a bit uncomfortable to order a drink, and I've never been to a bar of any kind. When you go to a restaraunt, is there a certain time of the day where it's considered ok to order a drink? Is there such a thing as "too early"? I mean, obviously I wouldn't order breakfast with a beer... but somteimes I like to get lunch around 2 or 3pm, and order a drink. Is that ok?
I appreciate any input on this... trying not to embarass myself or make the waiter/waitresses thing wierdly of me.
If it's still kind of uncomfortable, keep in mind that just because you can drink, doesn't mean you have to.
Nonsense! All your friends are doing it. You'll be cool.
Sword_of_Light on
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. "
0
firewaterwordSatchitanandaPais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered Userregular
edited January 2008
I love me some booze threads! I've recently been trying to develop an appreciation for scotch. Based on someone's recommendation in a similar booze thread on the '07 Christmas Hangout, I got myself a bottle of Glengoyne single malt... and it was criminally good. Best scotch I've ever had the pleasure of trying. Then again, it should have been for $46. Also had a bottle of the 12 year old Famous Grouse for New Years, which was great.
I will say, however, that for the money, I still think you can get a great bottle of bourbon for the same price as a mediocre bottle of single-malt. My favorites include Woodford Reserve, Corner Creek, and Michter's Reserve. Maker's Mark isn't bad either.
I'm a port man, m'self. You can whip out a 20 and buy a really good bottle of the stuff, and its an Old Man drink, so you've got a snooty factor with it, too.
Sword_of_Light on
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. "
I'm a port man, m'self. You can whip out a 20 and buy a really good bottle of the stuff, and its an Old Man drink, so you've got a snooty factor with it, too.
It's awesome stuff. You can totally level yourself without even realising, and look cultured at the same time.
I can get an acceptable bottle for £5.50 here, absolutely great stuff.
corcorigan on
Ad Astra Per Aspera
0
firewaterwordSatchitanandaPais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered Userregular
edited January 2008
Port is great - give me an after dinner glass of tawny port over almost any dessert out there. Six Grapes makes a good, fairly inexpensive bottle.
I had a glass of white port once before too, which was pretty good.
Posts
Also, you're thinking too much about this. Relax and enjoy!
What he said.
Like you already said, if it's pretty early (like breakfast) it may not be appropriate, although that really depends on the people you're with. The waiter/waitress isn't going to care. To them, if you're drinking it just means a possibly bigger tip.
There are some mixed drinks that are even served frequently at breakfast/brunch places (bellinis, mimosas, bloody marys)
Mixed drinks can be ordered with a meal, but are usually only for evening meals - with the exception of the mimosa, which can be a breakfast/brunch drink.
As far as recommending beers, I'm a big fan of microbreweries so I would suggest trying stuff that anyone local to you might make. If you like darker beers, look for stouts, porters or winter seasonal ales. Deschutes, Bridgeport and Red Hook are all really good brewers. Deschutes makes Black Butte Porter and a really good IPA, Bridgeport IPA is one of my favorite commercial beers and Red Hook has a really great seasonal beer called Winter Hook. They are all WA or OR brewers, so I'm not sure if they are available in your area. Definitely good stuff, though.
Guiness is the standard for stouts, but you can also look into Imperial Stouts and Oatmeal Stouts - theres are types, not brands, and you can probably find them in bars that say they have hundreds of beers on tap.
Be warned, they're even denser than stout beer - and some are quite alcoholic.
My personal preference tends towards Bass. Magic Hat makes an American equivalent called Phat Angel. Boddington's is excellent, as is Newcatle Brown Ale. Sam has gotten a little too mass produced; they were better when they actually were a microbrew, but you can still get a good beer off of them. Copper Creek out of VT has some good stuff, too.
For 'american lager' beers, avoid all mass produced onces, stick with south of the border ones like Presidente, Dos XX, and so forth.
For out of the way beers with unusual flavors, Old Speckled Hen is a good one, as is Corsendonk.
B.net: Kusanku
As far as dark beers go, I love stouts and porters but I hate Guiness. I greatly prefer American style stouts and Imperial Stouts. Some of my favorites are Stone Imperial Russian Stout, Sierra Nevada Stout, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, and Rogue Mocha Porter. As far as other types of dark beers I've tried a number of Belgian Dark ales and I thought they were ok, if a bit sweeter than I prefer. I don't drink lagers that much so I can't really comment much on dark lagers, I've tried a few but nothing stands out. Also, I LOVE coffee porters, I highly recommend them, though my personal favorite of that style is not really available outside of Alaska.
Remember those beer calories add up though.
Three of my personal favorite winter seasonals are Santa's Private Reserve Ale (by Rogue Brewery in Oregon), 2 Below (by New Belgium Brewery of Colorado), and the Sam Adams winter seasonal... I apologize but I don't recall the name. But really, I haven't stumbled on many winter seasonals I wouldn't recommend. These are merely the top 3.
Since you say Killian's was fine, I just have to throw this out there... Fat Tire is similarly an amber ale and ranks as my favorite beer. I cannot make beer recommendations without mentioning it, though this seems to be a polarizing beer for some reason.
EDIT: Just found this beer advocate blog running through some winter seasonals. Pretty good descriptions. Might help you out. Also, a year-round beer that slipped my mind that sounds to be within your tastes: Arrogant Bastard Ale (by Stone Brewing Company in California).
I second that! While it's been too long since I've had it, that be some mighty fine beer. Personally, I tend to avoid beer due to the whole too many calories thing.
As for when to drink, no real rules. Some people say wait till after five... but its always five o'clock somewhere. Generally speaking, if it's not a working lunch, I'll allow myself something light (me likey Singha).
Mmm... speaking of booze, I've got a case of Corner Creek bourbon waiting for me to get off work.
Tick... Tick... Tick...
But as mentioned above, plenty of places will serve bloody mary's for breakfast/brunch. If you want a beer for lunch, order it. No one's going to call you a lush or think you have a problem. For instance, if you enjoy having a drink when among friends, but you're only going to see them for lunch and plan on just sitting home that evening, have a beer for lunch. Not a big deal.
The bigger thing is to be the only one having a drink. A single drink won't make you feel too awkward, but if you're out with people and no one orders anything alcohol, and you order a black russian, you might feel a little self conscious.
I always go by the rule if you are going have drinks early is that before 11 champagne only, after 11 everything else is fine.
As for getting drunk at lunch it is perfectly acceptable. Getting drunk at lunch then going back to work is not, because much like drink driving that is irresponsible.
Satans..... hints.....
I just started brewing my own beer last summer and I love doing it. I've been a beer drinker for quite a few years, but I've learned more about it in the last 6 months than I have in the last 10 years. It is a great hobby and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves beer.
Right now I'm drinking a really great stout I brewed in early December. It is so good, with a really nice flavor combination of hops and coffee. I also made an IPA in the fall that was delicious. I was surprised at how easy it is to make really good beer so quickly.
The ones you like, keep the bottle around some place, the ones you hate, throw the bottle.
Do the same every time you are at a bar or restaraunt.
That is a bold statement.
Jack is not that bad. Its no single malt but for mixing with other things it is just fine.
If you really want to get into whiskey find a nice irish bar with a quality scotch/bourbon menu and get a bunch of samples. Ask them to help you out most bar tenders at places that have a scotch menu tend to know what they are talking about. The better single malts cost upwards of 50$ per bottle way more than you want to spend when you are just trying to figure out what it is you like.
-1
Bulleit is way worse.
-1
Cougar is even worse.
But Jack is widely popular.
Sam Adam's Winter Ale is the seasonal winter beer.
As for recommendations, try an Opptimator(sp?). Dark and chocolatey.
This thread needs more Old Grandad. It's scary.
I've never even seen those but man do they sound awful. But yeah, jack is decent for popular/cheap mixer. But I wouldn't buy it to drink it straight. Go single malts. The taste difference is amazing
B.net: Kusanku
Seasonals like Sam Oktoberfest is your best bet with Sam these days. The seasonals are less mass-produced than their mainstream stuff (I mean, they've got a Sam Lite now! Urhgh!), so the quality is more consistent.
"Budweiser is like sex in a canoe. They're both fucking close to water."
-Monty Python Live At the Hollywood Bowl
If it's still kind of uncomfortable, keep in mind that just because you can drink, doesn't mean you have to.
Nonsense! All your friends are doing it. You'll be cool.
I will say, however, that for the money, I still think you can get a great bottle of bourbon for the same price as a mediocre bottle of single-malt. My favorites include Woodford Reserve, Corner Creek, and Michter's Reserve. Maker's Mark isn't bad either.
It's awesome stuff. You can totally level yourself without even realising, and look cultured at the same time.
I can get an acceptable bottle for £5.50 here, absolutely great stuff.
I had a glass of white port once before too, which was pretty good.
I've never had it from the bottle, but draft Killians is beautiful nectar. Have you had a chance to try a proper Black-and-Tan yet?