It’s been a long time since we had an If you had to, but it’s back!
It's simple: If you had to choose, would you rather have a cold, crisp pale beer in the hot sun or a warming, big, strong beer on a cold day?
You can only choose one, so would you rather the refreshing quality of cold beer or do you like the snug feeling of a warming beer?
And, thinking sideways, looking at 'extremes' of beer drinking, do you know if there has ever been a beer designed to drink warm or hot? I'm not talking mulled beer, just a beer that is made to be served hot, an intense coffee stout, perhaps? If this hasn't been done, then how long before it is?
I love being in the sun and drinking a cold pint but at the same time there’s nothing like a rich, roasty imperial stout on a cold day... For pure refreshment, and because I like to be in the sun (and wish I was in the sun now!), I’ll pick the cold beer on a hot day.
ReplyDeleteAs for a warm coffee imperial stout, then I’d be very interested in trying one of those!
What can beat an ice cold Mythos sitting by the pool on a Greek island?
ReplyDeleteBut then a chocolate stout at Christmas time?!
I'm going to go for a warming pint in front of the fire on a cold day(until I change my mind later on in the day anyway!)
Ice cold beer down by the beach on a hot summers day - busty chicks wearing skimpy bikinis are mandatory.
ReplyDeleteGot to go for the cold beer on a hot day too. I bet if you asked me in the middle of summer, I'd say a warming beer in winter though. Grass is always greener, as they say.
ReplyDeleteNanny State tasted like a cup of tea gone cold ... does that count?
A massive warming stout on a crisp sunny day on a snow covered mountain just before a long 10k ski run. And then another stout afterwards.
ReplyDeleteAn English country pub in winter, close to the fire, good conversation and a warming rich hoppy beer.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing quite like a winter or Christmas ale by the fire in a pub. So that's my vote.
ReplyDeleteI'll go for the hot day one, but not if it's yellow fizz. As Ron's forever pointing out: 7-8% ABV stout is what they drink in Africa and the Caribbean. One of them, chilled down: perfect.
ReplyDeleteanother tough one but personally id like a deep dark ale by the fire after coming in from a day hiking in the hills or moors.
ReplyDeleteHaving spent my whole life in the heat Down Under I have to go with the crisp fresh lager - but with stipulations. As Beer Nut said, no cheap yellow fizz. A nice cold Czech Pilsner with plenty of character and earthy hops - almost the best of both worlds?
ReplyDeleteCheers
Prof. Pilsner
Ridiculous question. It's like asking would I rather have only oxygen or water and I'm having no part in it!
ReplyDeleteCrisp, pale beer in the sun for me please. In fact, as much as I like big strong beers, a pint of Marble Pint or Fyne Ales Avalanche will do at any time of year and any temperature!!
ReplyDeleteRight now: a big, warming winter brew in front of an open fire would be perfect. In the middle of June, I'll go with Beer Nut's chilled imperial stout suggestion.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking winter warmer by a log fire at the moment.
ReplyDeleteMy latest home brew is defintely best drunk warmed, but it was brewed with all the spicy ingredients you'd find in mulled ale already added.
Warming strong beer on a cold day, it just has to be. Warm fire to sit near would be nice too.
ReplyDeleteLots of people want to sit by a roaring fire and sip strong beer. That sounds great to me, especially in the cold weather we have today!! Ultimately, I just love sitting in the sun, reading and drinking cold beer. But like Chunk says, I wonder what the responses will be like if I ask again in June!
ReplyDeleteAs for heated-up beer, there have been some interesting responses and it seems there are a few beers made to be drunk warm!
I love both summer beers and winter warmers... bit I think the conception of beer as a "refreshing drink" still influence my preferences :)
ReplyDeleteIf I really had to choose, it would have to be the cold beer on a hot day.
ReplyDeleteThis one is supposed to be drunk warm:
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/uberach-sidonie/44056/
on balance, a cold one.
ReplyDeleteCold beer, hot day - every time
ReplyDeleteCold beer on a hot day, everytime.
ReplyDeletewell, you have to also take into consideration what goes with the beer. Let's see... hot day, beer out on the terrace of your favorite pub/cafe with friends. A nice chat that takes you into the long sunny evening. Now the winter beer. Snugged up under a blanket on your favorite couch. A roaring fire that makes the edges of your beer sparkle magically.
ReplyDeleteDamnit!... I thought this would make it easier. I give up!
What the hell has beer blogging come to? You know things have gone terribly wrong when you start siding with that sausage prick.
ReplyDeleteCan I choose "swig a can of lout after rattling your missus" ?
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like a McEwan's Scotch Ale (if you can find it) on a cold winter day...or a Young's Chocolate Stout...yummy.
ReplyDeleteDubbel said...
ReplyDeleteRidiculous question. It's like asking would I rather have only oxygen or water and I'm having no part in it!
Me neither. Lazy and and self indulgent blogging I'd say. Playground stuff.
I'm craving some big beer in front of the fire now. Although I also want to crack open a refreshingly cold gueuze while sitting in the hot sun!!
ReplyDeleteT-man, I do hope that was meant in the same tone as Dubbel's comment, although I fear not.
The problem is most cold beer served in hot countries is crap.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why when watching the cricket in Barbados this year the rule was always Banks till the lunch interval then rum and coke till stumps then back to the hotel for a shit,shower 'n'shave THEN it was time for more beer, wine with the meal and then rum and beer alternating till beddy bies.
Having said all that a really nice stout STANDING by a bar in any weather is my choice.
Mark. No offence meant. It's just comment. You are top of the blogging pile so you need to set high standards. I know you like this imaginary or fantasy beer stuff, but to me it's just space filler. Blogging isn't and shouldn't be cosy and fluffy. We should all be criticised from time to time I reckon.
ReplyDeleteFeel free to do so with me. It makes blogging better.
it's just space filler
ReplyDeleteSend him a refund on his subscription, Mark.
Part of this whole blogging thing is about sharing opinion, so:
ReplyDeleteI do kind of see where Tandleman is coming from. Compared to some of the stuff you write Mark, I bet this entry didn't take a lot of thought or effort. But to be honest, so what? People clearly find it a laugh to talk about this sort of pointless debate ... look at the sheer number of comments in comparison to other posts on this blog.
Surely there's nothing wrong with a bit of titting about between the more though provoking stuff? And as The Beer Nut says, it is only a blog, it hasn't cost you anything to read it.
No attack or anything intended. Genuinely. Just my opinion on it.
Chunk.
http://beerbirrabier.blogspot.com
I consider my self a beer lover, brewer and connoisseur. I can say with complete candour I like nothing more than a cold Budweiser or Hoegaarden on a hot Summer's day. There, I said it.
ReplyDeleteWell, I live in San Diego... which makes this difficult since almost all the beers brewed here are "warming big strong" beers, and most of the days are full of the "hot sun". So I'll say.. both..
ReplyDeleteTandleman, I like posts like this. Not everything I write can be 1,000-word articles and sometimes small pieces like this are just as engaging and interesting, IMO, and I try hard for variety so that it doesn't become boring. Questions like this are genuinely interesting to me - and it seems others are interested to (as Chunk said). And this blog isn't a place for me to dictate opinion - it's a place to share it and ask for other input. That's why I do it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you didn't like this post but there will be more of the same. And, of course, feel free to criticise - normally your comments are very helpful and often help me see things from a different perspective, which helps my writing and my general beer knowledge.
And you still haven't answered the question: cold beer on a hot day or warming beer on a cold day?! Come on, play along (I'm sure you've thought about your answer...!).
Chunk, I like a bit of titting about :)
Hoptopic, Hoegaarden?!
Pat, ah...! At least you can refrigerate the beers down nice and cold!
Fairy Nuff. It has to be something warming in winter then!
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose there's a nice picture of Lauren clad only in a thong and lounging by a pool sipping a cold beer to illustrate your debate is there ?
ReplyDeleteThe cold beer in question would be unimportant !
I'd probably have said coldish beer of a hot day, until I had a beer crisis on one of the few hot days last summer:we'd been working late outside, and I'd run out of bottles except for a lonely Gadd's Dogbolter that I'd been saving for later in the year. A few minutes in the fridge-delicious and refreshing. Guess what I'll be drinking tonight in the potentially arctic Kent.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of sacrelidge I'm a lager man throughout the summer. I love a stronger warming pint of the real stuff on a cold winter's day chased by a lovely smooth Glenmorangie Rosewood finish. In fact that's it I'm going home to have them right now! By the way I've added your link to TonbridgeBlog and will look out for those beer books for you....
ReplyDelete