August Wine Focus: What's your pleasure?

[Robin Garr]

Well, "Hot Weather Reds" worked out really well, I think. I enjoyed it, and it afforded us an opportunity to explore.

I can hardly believe that July is just about shot already, though! New month starts Saturday. What's your pleasure? Can we come up with another good topic to match the interest of the last couple of months?

[David M. Bueker]

Based on the forecast I am thinking iced tea.

Maybe a break and do beer for a month?

Maybe a break and do beer for a month?

I immediately thought the same thing before reading this.

Put me in column beer.

[Robin Garr]

Based on the forecast I am thinking iced tea.

Maybe a break and do beer for a month?

I'm willing, unless anyone shouts "Blasphemy!"

Or maybe even if they do?

[Robin Garr]

So, following up on beer, should we refine it at all? "Local" or "craft" or "artisan" or "local-to-you"? Or just leave the doors wide open, so if somebody really wants to post a BTN on Bud Lite, they can do it, assuming they are willing to face the consequent shaming?

I'd say we have to leave it open. Around the world, many of the best beers are local, or maybe regional. But if someone wants to post on a national beer, such as Sam Adams Summer Ale, I wouldn't have a problem with that.

[David M. Bueker]

Leave it open

[Robin Garr]

Okay, consensus is "open," and I'm good with that. I do reserve the right to mock anyone who posts favorably about mega-industrial swill, though.

[David M. Bueker]

You're not going to post a Bud Lite Lime note for us?

[David M. Bueker]

One more thing...allow cider as well. Maybe Tim can get a good one in Normandy.

[Robin Garr]

You're not going to post a Bud Lite Lime note for us?

Certainly not a positive note.

[Robin Garr]

One more thing...allow cider as well. Maybe Tim can get a good one in Normandy.

Very good idea. Ciders are typically sold alongside beer these days. No problem. "Summer brews and cooling libations" and let people bring whatever they like that fits that broad term?

Beer, especially craft beer, sounds great to me.

Sounds good to me, says a guy who had his first, second and third tastes of Sam Adams Summer Ale this Summer..Beer has been my longtime go-to beverage for summertime, après ski and apres golf drinking as well as when a resto's wine list selections and/or pricing leaves me underwhelmed

Tsingtao .

There was a thread about this beer over on the UK wine forum a few years back and knives were drawn so we had best avoid here eh.

[Robin Garr]

Tsingtao .

There was a thread about this beer over on the UK wine forum a few years back and knives were drawn so we had best avoid here eh.

I'm not sure why knives would be drawn, but I'd say Tsingtao falls into the same broad category as Heineken, Stella Artois and the American commercial lagers like Bud, Coors and Miller: Industrial beer made in huge quantities to a rather generic flavor profile. <shrug>

I think we can do better. But no need for knives to be drawn, nor for pre-emptive censorship.

[David M. Bueker]

The only time knives are actually drawn on the UK forum is to spread cream on scones.

Oh, it all became a very heated conversation and one chap even quit the forum as a result of the long and acrimonious discussion.

I'm in! Sounds like great fun! There are tons of great local beers around here, and we drink lots of dry cider too.

I'm in! Sounds like great fun! There are tons of great local beers around here, and we drink lots of dry cider too.

There's a thought there. I know of no local beers round here in Normandy but there are scores of local cider and perry. May we include those, please?

PS: Well, I'm obviously wrong about there being no Norman beers http://www.madeincalvados.com/categorie ... andes.html . And there are lots of interesting articles about them on-line in French.

[David M. Bueker]

Tim - I had already added in ciders further up the thread, specifically thinking of you.