St. Patrick's Day Japanese Beer Thread

[Rebel Jew]

Has anybody else noticed that the three major Japanese beers (Asahi, Sapporo, and Kirin) are all brewed in Canada?!?  Also, has anybody else noticed that they all taste horrible?

Are there any good Japanese beers out there?  Any imports that are actually brewed in Japan?

[astro pete]

Quote:

Has anybody else noticed that the three major Japanese beers (Asahi, Sapporo, and Kirin) are all brewed in Canada?!?  Also, has anybody else noticed that they all taste horrible?

Are there any good Japanese beers out there?  Any imports that are actually brewed in Japan?

Drop some sake in your Sapporo.

[HudsonHawk]

Quote:

Also, has anybody else noticed that they all taste horrible?

About 18 years ago.

Quote:

Are there any good Japanese beers out there?

No.

Quote:

  Any imports that are actually brewed in Japan?

Well, Asahi, Sapporo, and Kirin are all actually brewed in Japan as well, but I'm not sure where you can get the real deal.  Like you say, what you find here is brewed in Canada by Molson.  

I've heard that microbreweries are springing up all over Japan, as beer has become the top alcoholic beverage of choice, now surpassing the popularity of sake (which is really beer anyway).

[astro pete]

Quote:

I've heard that microbreweries are springing up all over Japan, as beer has become the top alcoholic beverage of choice, now surpassing the popularity of sake (which is really beer anyway).

It is?  I've always thought it was "rice wine," not that that means anything to me.

[HudsonHawk]

Quote:

It is?  I've always thought it was "rice wine," not that that means anything to me.

Well, you could call beer "barley wine" or wine "grape beer".  They're all simply fermented beverages.  By general convention though, fermented grains are considered "beer" and fermented fruits are considered "wine".

[T. J.]

Speaking of beer...  Has there ever been a better day to drink it than today?

1.  St Patrick's Day
2.  March Madness all afternoon
3.  Friday

So what the hell am I doing at work?

[strosrays]

Quote:

...and fermented fruits are considered "wine".

Or Harvey Fierstein.

And remember, rice beer is as close by as your nearest Budweiser vendor.

[Limey]

Quote:
Drop some sake in your Sapporo.

Along similar lines, my local Tex-Mex has just started serving michelados.  It's a bizarre concept that turns out to be quite tasty.

Put some lime and hot sauce in a glass, add your beer of choice.  Drink, repeat.

[T. J.]

Quote:
Along similar lines, my local Tex-Mex has just started serving michelados.  It's a bizarre concept that turns out to be quite tasty.

Put some lime and hot sauce in a glass, add your beer of choice.  Drink, repeat.

That's michelada Limey.  And dammit, now I'm really thirsty.

My home recipe:  juice of one lime, couple drops of worcestershire, couple drops of soy sauce, a WHOLE lot of tabasco, ice, beer (preferably Dos Equis), in a salt-rimmed glass.  Drink through a straw (really).

I got addicted to these last year in Oaxaca.

[Limey]

Quote:
That's michelada Limey.  And dammit, now I'm really thirsty.

My home recipe:  juice of one lime, couple drops of worcestershire, couple drops of soy sauce, a WHOLE lot of tabasco, ice, beer (preferably Dos Equis), in a salt-rimmed glass.  Drink through a straw (really).

I got addicted to these last year in Oaxaca.

You say michelada...

I wasn't a fan of the salt rim, but once I'd cleared a hole, I was hooked.  Like a beer bloody mary.  I have mine with Bohemia.

[Rebel Jew]

Quote:

Quote:

Also, has anybody else noticed that they all taste horrible?

About 18 years ago.

Quote:

Are there any good Japanese beers out there?

No.

Quote:

  Any imports that are actually brewed in Japan?

Well, Asahi, Sapporo, and Kirin are all actually brewed in Japan as well, but I'm not sure where you can get the real deal.  Like you say, what you find here is brewed in Canada by Molson.  

I've heard that microbreweries are springing up all over Japan, as beer has become the top alcoholic beverage of choice, now surpassing the popularity of sake (which is really beer anyway).

I've never really had the desire or the impetus to drink this Jap swill until I moved to the bay area and started eating at the many fine Japanese restaurants around here.  I'm surprised that the sushi places go for this, despite the brand names, because they otherwise have very high standards for the food.

And as for the whole "sake bomb" concept, I'd be lying if I said it's not fun, but my wife always gives me the 'stupid gringo' look afterward, as does the SF hipster contingent.

[T. J.]

Quote:

You say michelada...

I wasn't a fan of the salt rim, but once I'd cleared a hole, I was hooked.  Like a beer bloody mary.  I have mine with Bohemia.

A beer bloody mary, exactly.  Best served with spicy peanuts and a lime.

Back on topic, I don't find Kirin to be that objectionable.  Then again, my local sushi place has it on tap, so maybe that's the difference.  I've never had it from a bottle.

Too much beer talk.  I've gotta go find me a Guinness.

[S.P. Rodriguez]

Quote:

Quote:
That's michelada Limey.  And dammit, now I'm really thirsty.

My home recipe:  juice of one lime, couple drops of worcestershire, couple drops of soy sauce, a WHOLE lot of tabasco, ice, beer (preferably Dos Equis), in a salt-rimmed glass.  Drink through a straw (really).

I got addicted to these last year in Oaxaca.

You say michelada...

I wasn't a fan of the salt rim, but once I'd cleared a hole, I was hooked.  Like a beer bloody mary.  I have mine with Bohemia.

Not sure where the hot-sauce came into the picture but my wife has been drinking these since I've known her.  Although her recipe is only beer, an entire squeezed lime, and salt.  Personally, that much lime makes me wince but she loves them, when she isn't pregnant of course (7 months and truckin').  She has also informed me that her way is the "Laredo" way.  

And one other thing, it's one thing to bastardize a beer like Dos Equis or Tecate (my personal "any day" beer) but to savage a Bohemia like that is downright offensive.  Bohemia and Negra Modelo need only a small wedge.  I could live off those...

[Limey]

Quote:
Not sure where the hot-sauce came into the picture but my wife has been drinking these since I've known her.  Although her recipe is only beer, an entire squeezed lime, and salt.  Personally, that much lime makes me wince but she loves them, when she isn't pregnant of course (7 months and truckin').  She has also informed me that her way is the "Laredo" way.  

And one other thing, it's one thing to bastardize a beer like Dos Equis or Tecate (my personal "any day" beer) but to savage a Bohemia like that is downright offensive.  Bohemia and Negra Modelo need only a small wedge.  I could live off those...

In Mexico last week, I was offered a choice of with or without hot sauce.  They had different names, but I couldn't decipher them.

As for choice of beer, good ingredients make for a good drink.

[Rebel Jew]

Quote:

Quote:
Along similar lines, my local Tex-Mex has just started serving michelados.  It's a bizarre concept that turns out to be quite tasty.

Put some lime and hot sauce in a glass, add your beer of choice.  Drink, repeat.

That's michelada Limey.  And dammit, now I'm really thirsty.

My home recipe:  juice of one lime, couple drops of worcestershire, couple drops of soy sauce, a WHOLE lot of tabasco, ice, beer (preferably Dos Equis), in a salt-rimmed glass.  Drink through a straw (really).

I got addicted to these last year in Oaxaca.

I was talked into getting one of these a couple of years ago by my waiter at the otherwise excellent Polvo's restaurant in Austin.  What I got was a tecate with some sprite in it and some salt on the glass-- a waste of both a beer and a sprite it tasted like.  However, I was also talked into getting one of these about a year ago by some friends at a restaurant in Monterrey, Mexico, and it was great-- some tobasco and lime and salt and probably something else along with the tecate.

[Limey]

Quote:
What I got was a tecate with some sprite in it and some salt on the glass

Sans salt, that's called a shandy.  A refreshing drink as the soda takes the edge off the beer so you can drink it faster.  Of course, there's less booze in it because it's a diluted beer.  Like Michelob Ultra.

"Shandy" is a very flexible word.  "Shandy drinker" is an Auntie-friendly insult similar to "girly man".  A "hand shandy" is something completly different, but I'll let you figure that one out for yourselves...

[EasTexAstro]

Dos Equis is actualy a German beer. It needs no flavoring.