. Favourite Beer of the Week

It was my idea to get Hoegaarden. Bryce was going to get a Chimay. But the Hoegaarden was on tap, and Bryce always makes the wrong choices when we eat at Fritjz, so he followed my lead. See how happy it made him. If only more people would do what I say, the world would look like Bryce.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

Don De Dieu, meaning "Gift of God" is the last bottle of the fantastically strong 'Unibroue' beers given to me for my birthday by the fantastically strong Canadian, Eric Lessard. This one is named after a boat which arrived in Quebec (a dirty Canadian shantytown famous mostly for Eric Lessard) on my birthday (June 3rd) in 1608. It has been said that such beers (of 9% abv) should be shared amongst friends. Sadly, the Lessards have now returned to Canadia, so I have been forced once again to drink the whole 1pt 9.4fl.oz myself, while my wife labours tirelessly in the kitchen to prepare some beany tomato thing that will no doubt be frickin fantastic.

This beer is creamy and sweet and hoppy and malty and yeasty and seriously I know bugger all about beer but this one is really nice.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

This is one of those cloudy Belgian-style saison beers that you're supposed to pour slowly or decant into something else first to avoid drinking the bits in the bottom. Whatever.

The label claims that it is both 7.5% ABV and 8.5% ABV. I suspect it is the latter as I was home alone and forced to drink it all myself and became quite inebriated.

It has possibly the ugliest beer label I have ever seen, and it's not even Belgian (it's made in New York) but it makes up for this dirty lie by having a cork like those Canadian beers. Corks are fun! It tastes similarly rich and hoppy to the Unibroues I have had, maybe a little crisper, and the froth on top is not as thick. And it's 1Pt 9.4 fl.oz. And that is all.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

Sam Smiths' Organic Ale is made in Tadcaster which is just off the A64 between Leeds and York where I am from. Like most things in Yorkshire, the brewery has been there since 1758. Sam Smith's more famous uncle, John Smith, made his beer next door to Sam, and liked to hide in his shed and lick magnets, apparently.

This bottle is 1 pint 2.7fl oz, 5% Alc by vol, or ABV as it shall now be known.
Slightly malty, slightly fruity.

Goes great with Sushi with Susan.

. Least Favourite Beer of the Week

My least favourite beer of this week was the second beer I drank while watching Batman Dark Knight at the Sundance Kabuki. I did not know it was such a long movie. And I have never needed to pee more in my life. I seriously thought I was going to damage myself.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

St Peter's English Ale is known in England as St Peter's Organic Ale, because everyone in England already knows that St Peter was English, like Jesus. It is brewed in an old Hall made of bits of a nunnery that Henry VIII destroyed while he was killing nuns for doing things all wrong.
And it tastes like beer.

Goes great with scalloped potatoes and grilled asparagus and salad which I have forgotten to make salad dressing for. Damn. And season one of Comic Strip Presents... Five Go Mad in Dorset.

. Rani's birthday party looked like this

And like this:

. Favourite Beer of the Week

Foret is an organic, bottle-conditioned saison ale from Belgiumland. "Bottle conditioned" means its got bits of stuff floating around in it. "Saison" means "season", and that it was originally brewed in the autumn or winter by farm workers who were entitled to 5 liters of it throughout the workday during the harvest season because apparently water was hard to come by. 5 liters is over 10 pints. 10 pints a day! Good lord! This bottle is 1pt. 9.4 fl oz. 7.5% Alc by vol, and has a picture of a unicorn on it.

Goes great with sharp cheeses and other hearty fare, including veggie tempeh indian wraps and Doctor Who season 4.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

If, like me, you find yourself with no friends on a Saturday night, I recommend to you - La Fin Du Monde. Made by the people who brought you "Ounibroue 16" and named in honour of the people who thought they'd reached the end of the world when they hit America, it's strong and tasty and triple fermented, whatever the hell that means. Goes great with Lentil and Vegetable Bake and roast potatoes and season two of Gavin and Stacey, and Nif. :)

. Favourite Beer of the Week

Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale is from Flemland, or Belgium as it is sometimes known, and I like it very much. It is more sparkly and less rich than last week's Favourite Beer of the Week. Let's call it medium bodied. And it is 9% alc./vol, which is weaker than a Unibroue, but still pretty strong compared to most American beer, or piss as it is sometimes known.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

Unibroue beer is from Chambly in Quebec, the Frenchy bit of Canada. Chambly is known for its canal and large fort. Quebec is known for its Celine Dion and Eric Lessard. "16" is Unibroue's 16th Anniversary Celebration beer. This bottle is a bit over a pint and a half, and 10% alc./vol. And it tastes great. Do you want some? Tough, it's all mine. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.