BYCU
Like coffee, Guinness is one of those things I wish I liked, but simply can't stomach. In fact, I lump it in with sushi under the category of, "I Can't Freakin' Believe People Put That in Their Mouth." But I don't dispute that a lot of solid beer drinkers love it and it has a long and revered history as Ireland's Protestant brewer.
Travel Story
This could become a new genre: the beer travel piece. It's a well-crafted recount of one man's attempt to find the perfect pint of beer. The author takes his beer seriously, as well as his prose. Sample:
For lovers of hiking and history, the South Downs are a wonderland of Iron Age hill forts, castle ruins, and medieval villages whose time–tilted inns have hosted travelers since the Norman invasion. Rising above a busy corner of the world, the Downs offer some of England's most peaceful and appealing geography, a gently rolling countryside of farms punctuated by small woodlands and large herds of sheep. The 100-mile South Downs Way, a footpath and bridleway near Britain's south coast, is the centerpiece of South Downs National Park, the newest link in the U.K. network. There was clearly a part of me that wished I would stumble upon my younger self in England, the more adventurous and impetuous me buried under the swirling dust of my adult life.
If you don't want to click over, I'll summarize the article for you: He's not sure he ever found the perfect pint, but if he did, it's Harveys Best Bitter.
Champale
Also worth a read: Beer tastes best when it tastes like ... beer.
The idea behind Infinium is that it is a beer that is made to resemble champagne. I thought it sounded intriguing when I first heard of it. But then I looked online and I saw a comment, admittedly by someone who hadn't tried it, who said the idea reminded him of another beer that tried to resemble champagne: Champale.
I shuddered. Even if you are a certain age and remember the Reese's commercials, you very well might not remember Champale. Or maybe you put it out of your mind.
Champale was a highly publicized and even somewhat popular concoction in the mid-1970s, though it has actually been around since the 1930s. Technically a malt liquor, which is essentially just beer with a higher alcohol content and cheaper ingredients, Champale was widely reviled by all who didn't drink it. Surprisingly, it is still brewed today, though it can be hard to find.
Anyway, I put all thoughts of Champale out of my mind and popped the cork (literally, it has a cork you pop) on a bottle of Infinium. I poured a small glass and took a sip.
Let's just say I'm glad I poured a small glass. Beer is beer and champagne is champagne and, Champale aside, ne'er the twain shall meet. It's two great tastes that ”¦ yuck.
