Beers Brewed in Thailand

Thailand has a long tradition of brewing, with the first beer brewed in 1933. Thai beers compare well with some of the world's most popular lager beers. Recently, several Thai beers have won top honours at international beer festivals.

Thailand has a wide range of locally brewed beers. Some of them like Singha, Chang, and Phuket lager are uniquely Thai. Some are brewed under licence like Heineken and Tiger. The beers brewed in Thailand are mainly lager beers, that is largely because of the climate, with noon day temperatures often around 30 degrees Celsius. The relentless heat makes a lager a great thirst quencher.

Thailand has two major brewing companies, Boon Rawd and ThaiBev, plus two foreign controlled brewers, Asia Pacific (Singapore) brewers of Tiger beer and San Miguel Breweries who have a major share of the Philippines beer market.

Boon Rawd produces Singha, Leo and Thai Beer. Singha is Thailand's oldest beer, and until recently Thailand's most popular beer. Singha has a dry taste, with a slightly bitter after taste. Leo is more malty, with a slightly sweeter after taste. Thai Beer, a malt liquor, has a sweet taste and a slightly hoppy, sweet after taste.

ThaiBev produces Chang, Archa and Federbrau. Chang is quite different from Singha, its main rival. It has a more full bodied malty taste, with a slightly dry, slightly bitter after taste. A nice, well balanced beer, but less refreshing on a hot day than some of the lighter beers. It has a lower price and higher alcohol content (6.4%). Chang is now the most popular beer in Thailand. It's popularity due, at least in part to its sponsorship of Everton football team.

ThaiBev also produces Archa, a lighter bodied, lower priced beer. ThaiBev recently introduced a new brand Federbrau. It is one of only two Thai beers to be brewed under the German Brewing laws. ThaiBev has gone to great lengths to disguise the beer's origins, and create an image of a beer of German origin. The label does not mention ThaiBev, only mentioning the Cosmos Brewery where it is brewed. It is intended to compete directly with Heineken, in the premium beer category. It is a light tasting, German style beer.

Thai Asia Pacific, was formed in 1993 by Asia Pacific (Singapore) to brew Heineken under licence in Thailand. The company also brews the popular Tiger Beer under licence and recently launched a new beer for the Thai market, Cheers. It's a lighter beer, that has won some awards including the Monde Selection gold medal for full taste and high quality. The beer has received mixed reviews in Thailand.

San Miguel Breweries produce a range of lager beers. In particular, San Miguel Light has become popular in Thailand. It is light in taste and low in calories, although it is 5% alcohol. It has become the beer of choice among Thai women drinkers, with the promise of fewer calories!

Phuket Lager Beer is made by an independent Thai brewer, Tropical Beverage Company. It is produced with premium ingredients including German hops, and is an all-natural beer with no additive or preservatives. Phuket Lager received the first gold medal ever for a beer from Thailand, at the 2006 Monde Selection Awards. Phuket Lager has a malty, sweet, smooth taste, with a nutty after taste. It is brewed at the San Miguel Brewery under the supervision of Tropical Beverage Company.

There's a good selection of Thai brewed beers available to suit all tastes. You'll find them in supermarkets and 7/11 corner stores. Just remember the licensing hours in Thailand: alcohol sales are permitted between 11:00 and 14:00 (2pm) and from 17:00 (5pm) to midnight. The supermarkets abide by the rules, but you might find a corner store that will forget to check the time!

For more on beers available in Thailand, including imported beers and the results of a taste test of Thai brewed beers, check out my website at http://www.pattaya-discover.com/beer-in-pattaya.html.

Rick Gilmore has lived in Pattaya for the last 5 years.
Rick is a keen reporter on events in Thailand.
His particular interest is understanding Thai culture and how that impacts relationships between Thais and westerners. Rick can read and write the Thai language and is currently developing fluency in speaking Thai.

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The Great Trappist Belgian Beers

Belgian beer is made all over Belgium and certain Belgian beers are brewed by Monks. Although they cannot drink the beer themselves, they have a well-known reputation for producing great beer. Beers brewed by Cistercian Monks in or around monasteries are called Trappist beers. At present, there are only 7 Trappist breweries in the world with 6 of these being in Belgium. They are Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren. These are very popular in both Belgium and the rest of the world.

Achel can trace its history back to 1648 however the brewery was destroyed during the French Revolution but was later rebuilt in 1844 by the Westmalle Monks. They endured a turbulent time around the First World War when the copper from the brewery was dismantled but began brewing again in 1998 and now sell 3 different types of beer worldwide. These beers are Achel Blond 8, Achel Bruin 8 and Achel Extra 9.5%. As with most Belgian beers they are much stronger that normal UK beers so take care when drinking!

In the UK, Chimay is the most common Trappist beer and comes in large variety of strengths and tastes. All Belgian beers are made to be enjoyed with a specific type of glass and Trappist Belgian beers are no different. The Chimay glass is goblet shaped to ensure the head is not too large allowing the beer to breathe easily. Chimay beer began in 1862 by the Cistercian Trappist Monks of Chimay. Chimay beers include Red, Blue and White and change their name to Premiere, Grand Reserve and Cinq Cents if in big bottles and they also do a range of cheeses.

Orval is thought to have had a brewery since 1529 however the beer that is now sold started life in 1931. It was produced by a German brewer from English hops which was made using unique techniques. The beer comes in a distinct bottle which has remained unchanged for nearly 80 years.

Rochefort was founded in 1595 and has been producing beers ever since. They produce 3 beers which are Rochefort 6, 8 and 10 with increasing strength proportional to their number. Rochefort 6 is the most difficult to obtain as it accounts for around 1% of production. Rochefort 8 is the most produced and can be seen in a number of bars in the UK. Rochefort 10 is the strongest beer and is 11.2% ABV, when compared to a standard UK beer of 4% so it should be drank sparingly.

The Westmalle brewery started in 1836 but it took until 1865 before it was making beers in any great quantity. In 1921 they decided to brew beer for the beer trade and money they earned was used to keep the Abbey going and any surplus was given to charity or the community. The brewery has been extensively modernised and if the quality of the beer can be improved then the Monks are happy to use modern technology.

Westvleteren, founded in 1838, is unique even for a Trappist beer. They only produce enough beer to continue living as monks and won't produce anymore even if there is demand. You can purchase the beer but it can only be bought from their brewery or visitor centre.

Belgian Trappist beers really are unique; not only in their taste but in the fact they are produced to support the Monks and their local communities.

These great Trappist Belgian Beers are available to be purchased online and delivered directly to your door. In addition many other types of belgian beers can be purchased online.

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Home Beer Making - Top 5 Beginner Beers to Brew

Brewing beer at home has now become a very easy task. There are many home brewing kits available in the market today. Seasonal beers are generally available at the pubs and not at local stores. Also buying the special beer bottles from the supermarket is expensive affair; therefore, many beer lovers have started brewing beer at home. If you are a newbie and still want to learn how to brew beer of your own choice, then there are many good beer-brewing kits that can be quite handy to brew a quality beer at home. Despite of you not having adequate skills, you can still get started.

If you are beginner, start with brewing simple and easy beers. Many people advise the beginners to stay away from lagers and sour beers as they can be fussier and require more equipment compared to brewing other beers. Pick a style that can be done with extract, hops and yeasts, as they are easy to brew, taste better, and condition quickly. Simple beers have bitter component and take less time than those, which have flavoring and aroma hops. Start with something with an OG of 1.070 or less as having a high gravity will make the whole process easier for the beginners. Use dry yeast and do a malt extract beer with some grains. Do not start with a mini mash or all grains.

Let us take a look at the various types of beer and also some beginner beers to brew at home.

First in the list of good beers is Ales

The best part of ales is that when it is brewed it does not convert much of the sugars into alcohol, which gives it a sweeter and fruitier taste. For beginners brewing True Brew Pale Ale and Brewers Best Ale are recommended, as they are much easier to brew compared to other lines of Ales beer. You can add different flavors to it such as mint, citrus etc. This is a very cheap beer to brew.

The second choice can be Lagers

Most of the lagers have a crisp taste and can range from very light to very dark as per the brewing process. This beer goes well with spicy, Indian and Mexican foods.

The stouts are third in place

Stouts are very dark full-bodied type of beer and have a flavor very similar to the coffee. They can be brewed in other flavors like sweet, bitter, milk, and even oatmeal. Chocolate Stout is a safe beer to brew by the beginners. It is very smooth, chocolaty and taste very good among the other beers in the same category.

Fourth in the list are porters

These are very strong and delicious type of beer. This beer is dark, strong and has bitter hops flavor with a hint of chocolate.

The fifth beer in sequence is Pilsners

This beer has a golden color and is clear. This does not have a thick body and is soft and easy to drink. Having hoppy full flavors they are generally more preferred than general lagers.

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Pay attention because this cutting-edge beer brewing guide will get you up and running home beer making in no time. This beer brewing method is idiot proof with step-by-step instructions along with pictorials to guide you every step of the way! Learn more about becoming the envy of every single beer making "wannabe" at http://MyHomeBeerMaking.com.

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Home Beer Making - Beers of the World, Different Types and Styles

There are hundreds of different types and styles of beer being brewed all over the world. People from different part of world have designed and developed their own techniques of brewing beer adding custom flavors and aromas to it. Beers also vary in their appearance, texture, smoothness, flavor, ingredients, gravity, texture and recipe. Each type of beer has a history attached to it as to where and how it was originated. Here are the three main kinds of beers found at different parts of the world!

Top Fermenting Type:

These beers are made from top-fermenting yeast, which typically ferments at higher temperatures giving a significant amount of esters and other secondary aromas and flavors. The yeast forms a layer of foam at the surface of the fermenting beer giving flavors that resemble those of apple, pear, pineapple, grass, hay, banana, plum or prune. The top fermented beers include Ales, Altbeer, Special and Wheatbeers.

Ales - This beer is very popular in England. The style includes bitters, pale ales, porters, stouts, barley wines, trappist, and alt. Barley Wine is an English beer which is popular being powerful, syrupy and strong flavored. It comes in golden or dark colors. Biere de Garde is medium to strong spicy ales from North West France.

Altbeer - Made in the city of Dusseldorf and other cities in the north of Germany, this beer is copper-colored aromatic ale, which is quite bitter in taste. It contains about 4.5% alcohol and is made using the ancient style of brewing. Diebels, Schlosser and Uerige are few examples of Alt beer.

Wheatbeers - Berliner Weisse is a popular and sharply acidic wheat beer being made mainly in Berlin, Germany. This beer has low alcohol and comes with green woodruff or raspberry juice added to it giving colors to its cloudy white appearance.

Bottom Fermenting Types:

In these types of beer the yeast ferments at lower temperatures and process a compound called Raffinose is a complex sugar. The yeast collects at the bottom of the fermenting beer giving its own flavor. Lager is the most popular kind of beer fermented this way.

Lagers - The bottom fermenting procedure is also called "Largering". The Lager beers include bocks, doppelbocks, Munich, Vienna, Marzen and pilsners. Popular Lagers include Oud bruin, a weak sweetish Lager from Netherland, Muncher a brown malty lager from Munich, Germany. Marzen is another copper-colored lager made in Vienna.

Spontaneous Fermentation Type:

In the spontaneous fermenting type of beers wild stains of yeast are used. These types of beer originated and are very popular in Belgium. These types of beers are often referred as Lambic.

Lambic - This beer is often flavored using fruit like cherries and brewed in parts of Belgium. Kriek is a Belgian Lambic beer has a fruity flavor and deep colors. This beer is secondary fermented by adding cherries to it. Faro is another Belgian Lambic beer is weak and is sweetened with sugars. Geuze is a ripe blend of old and new Belgian Lambics. Gueuze is not filtered or pasteurized and has a fruity, sour, dry taste.

Ever wanted to know how to easily brew your own amazing beer at home?

Pay attention because this cutting-edge beer brewing guide will get you up and running home beer making in no time. This beer brewing method is idiot proof with step-by-step instructions along with pictorials to guide you every step of the way!

Learn more about becoming the envy of every single beer making "wannabe" at http://MyHomeBeerMaking.com.

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Belgian Beer - The History and Background of the Beers of Belgium

In Belgium today there are 125 breweries which are able to produce 500 different kinds of Belgian Beer. Beer has been brewed in Belgium since the Middle Ages when originally it was produced in monasteries only. However today this is a country where the most varieties of beer are brewed and can be drunk.

The alcohol content of these particular beers is considerably higher than some of the other varieties available in Europe and in some cases it reaches a level of between 6 and 8 percent. Breweries were forced into making higher alcohol content beers because a law was passed stating that spirits (which beer was classed as) could not be drunk in public houses. However, although this law stood for many years it was finally rescinded back in 1983.

As we have already mentioned there are 500 different kinds of Belgian beer being brewed in Belgium today and they fall into a number of different categories. In this article we take a look at what these different types of beer are.

Trappist Beer - Only beer that is brewed in one of 6 monasteries in Belgium can be classified as being this type of beer. The whole process of brewing the beer should have either been overseen or carried out by the Trappist monks who reside at the monastery where beer is produced. Each bottle of beer that is brewed comes with a label on it clearly indicating that it is the genuine Trappist product and that monastery has complied with rules decreed by the International Trappist Association.

Lambic Beer - Is a very unique beer to Belgium and wild yeasts grown in abundance near Brussels are used in its fermentation process. The actual time that it takes for this beer to ferment is considerably longer than many others. Some forms of this beer the fermentation process lasts between 3 and 6 months and others it as long as 2 to 3 years.

It is this fermentation process which provides this particular variety of beer with its very distinctive flavor, which some people may dislike. It is very dry, vinous and cidery which results in it having a somewhat sour aftertaste.

Fruit Beers - These are made using Lambic beer and will contain either a fruit concentrate or fresh fruit in them. The most commonly produced and drunk of the fruit beers is Kriek which contains cherries, but there are many other varieties including those made using blackcurrants, raspberries and peaches. Once the fruit has been added to the Lambic beer a second fermentation process takes place.

White Beer - This particular Belgian beer is made using wheat hops and spices and will often contain orange peel and coriander. However, each beer that the various breweries around Belgium produce comes with its own distinctive flavor and this will be down to the ingredients and brewing methods used.

There are a wide range of different types of Belgian Beer available to buy online, many of the popular beers are mentioned above such as Blond Beer and Fruit Beer. Trappist Beer is also very popular amongst beer loves throughout Europe.

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King Of Beers

When you were born and raised in Belgium, like I was, love of beer is a given. Make that a birth right. A requirement, even. So imagine my parents' dismay when I announced at the age of 18 that I did not care for beer. They cried. They yelled. They threatened to disown me. They tried to make me see a shrink. All to no avail. I could not understand for the life of me why anyone would love to drink fermented barley juice. What's the fun in that, when you can have a Mojito instead? Or a Pina Colada? Beer, to me, was just a foul-tasting beverage that I would only consider if I'd been stuck in the Mojave desert for three weeks straight. And only if the beer was ice cold.

So for years, I was the butt of the joke every time my friends took me drinking. While they were having beers with exotic names like Westmalle, Chimay and Herkenrode Triple, I was ordering chocolate milk. On the rocks. With a straw, please. Hilarity ensued.

In my late 20's, I met a Canadian couple living in Brussels. They loved Belgian beers, being particularly fond of trappists and abbey beers. I didn't get it. Weren't those beers for people with senior cards?

After hearing them rant and rave about my country's biggest export product after chocolate, my curiosity got the better of me. I went to out and bought one bottle of every beer I'd ever seen them drink and took them home. For the next two weeks or so, I sampled. I vowed to keep an open mind. And honesty compels me to admit that I was pleasantly surprised more often than not.

Without further ado, allow me to introduce to you, some of Belgian's finest.

Orval

The first on the list is a trappist beer. Currently there are only 8 trappist beers in the world, 7 of which are Belgian. This one was an acquired taste for me, probably due to its complex flavor. At bottling, brettanomyces yeast (a local wild yeast) is added, which, along with the dry-hopping method, gives this beer its unique flavor. I found it to be unusually crisp for a trappist, but it may take several sampling sessions for you to come to the same conclusion. Persistance is key, I assure you that you will not be disappointed.

As with all trappist and some abbey beers, the Orval monastery only keeps part of the proceeds to ensure their survival, the rest of the money goes to charity. (Next time your wife complains about you going out drinking with your buddies too often, you can honestly say, "But honey... it's for charity!"

Westvleteren

Another trappist beer, this beer was named"Best Beer in the World" by RateBeer.com and a slew of other beer related websites.

I'm not sure I agree.

Don't get me wrong, this beer is nothing short of amazing, but the lack of availability is a bit of a party pooper for me. You see, this beer isn't available in any stores. Naah, that would be too easy. The monks at the Saint Sixtus monastery do not give money to charity, like Orval does. They only want to brew and sell enough beer to get by. As a result, their beer can only be bought by calling the beer hotline (I kid you not). You provide your license plate and arrange a date and time on which you can pick up your brewskis.

I can hear you thinking, no big deal, I'll just order a few cases. Wrong. You can only order one case a month. If you're lucky, you can sometimes order two, depending on the kind of beer and depending on how busy the monks have been doing other trivial things, like praying and stuff. Plus, when it comes to communication, the Saint Sixtus abbey hasn't quite made it into the 21st century just yet. No email, no cell phones, no Blackberries. They only have one phone line and, to add insult to injury, no call waiting. When I called them to get a case, I had to try a staggering 159 times before I didn't get the busy signal and got through.

(For a while, there was talk of the monastery commercializing their beer and making it available in one of Belgium's biggest grocery store chains. The monks were in dire need of money for the renovation of several of their buildings. Unfortunately the deal fell through.)

No wonder then that Westvleteren beers are a hot commodity on eBay. I've seen people ask as much as $200 for a 6-pack. Insanity. Especially in light of what I'm about to tell you about the next beer in the list.

Saint Bernardus

Shortly after WWII ended, the monks at the Saint Sixtus monastery decided to outsource the brewing of their Westvleteren beer to another brewery down the road. For nearly 46 years, the Saint Bernardus brewery brewed what was then known as St Sixtus beer, following the original Westvleteren recipe. In 1992 this agreement ended because of the decision by the trappist breweries that a beer could only be sold as a "trappist" if it was brewed within the walls of the monastery.

Since the agreement ended, the St Bernardus brewery has continued to make their own beer, which is virtually identical to Westvleteren. Both breweries use a different strand of yeast, which results in a subtle taste difference, only noticeable to the most trained of palates.

The good news? This beer is available in stores all over the country. That is, if you're lucky enough to live in Belgium.

Lambic

Lambic is a type of beer with an old tradition, going back to the 16th century. Unlike most other beers which are fermented by adding yeast, lambic is the product of natural fermentation. It is exposed to a type of bacteria that is only found in a particular area around Brussels. Lambic has a very distinctive flavor and aftertaste, which can be quite sour.

Lambic comes in many types: the unblended kind, Geuze and Faro (which is much sweeter because of the added brown sugar). It is also used as the base for many fruit-flavored beers such as Kriek (with cherries), Framboise (with raspberries), Peche (with peach) and many others. Often, these fruit-flavored beers are referred to as "girly beers".

Duvel

Duvel is Flemish slang for the Dutch word "duivel", meaning devil. Make no mistake about it, this ale is definitely worthy of its name. I've seen grown men cry after consuming 4 of these.

The trouble with Duvel is that it's deceptively easy to drink. It goes down the hatch like water but with an alcohol content of 8.5%, this beer isn't to be taken lightly. Don't let that be a reason not to try this intense, aromatic beer though, as it's quite delightful. (Just don't say I didn't warn you.)

Kwak

I've added this beer to the list mainly because of its original glass, rather than its taste. Legend has it that the glass and its holder were designed back in the 19th century by Paulus Kwak, the brewer and owner of a tavern, called De Hoorn (The Horn). The tavern was frequented by coach men who weren't allowed to leave coach and horse behind, so Kwak designed the holder so it could be hung from the coach.

If you ask me, the real story behind the name of this beer and glass is the sound the beer makes when someone, who is not carefully drinking from the glass when it's nearly empty, gets the last of the beer in his face. Just my two cents.

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Wine and Spirits Talk - Get Into The World Of Original German Beers!

Throughout Germany, beer is very popular with the culture. German beer is highly diverse and an important part of Germany's culture. Beer is so pervasive amongst the populace; Germany has become synonymous with beer consumption in the world's mind. The Germans are behind only the Czechs and the Irish in their per capita consumption of beer.

In total, there are approximately 1300 breweries in Germany producing over 5000 brands of beer, which is more than any other location in the world. Touring Germany's breweries is as much of a cultural experience as a scientific expedition. Family owned breweries are common, with a lot of pride mixed in with the basic ingredients!

The German beer market is somewhat sheltered from the rest of the world beer market by the German brewers' adherence to the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot (purity requirement) dating from 1516 (and most recently updated in the Vorläufiges Biergesetz of 1993), according to which the only allowed ingredients of beer are water, hops and barley-malt. This law also requires that beers not using only barley-malt (such as wheat and rye) must be top-fermented. All beer that is manufactured in Germany must follow the purity law, which lets manufacturers know what ingredients can and cannot be used.

Due to the strict purity requirements, you can easily notice German beers by their overall level of quality. They have a distinct taste, with little to no aftertaste.

Some styles of German ale include Koelsch, Weizen, and Altbier. There is a variety of different types of German beer, such as: Altbier - a dark amber, hoppy beer brewed around Düsseldorf and Lower Rhine. Kölsch - pale, light-bodied, beer which can only legally be brewed in the Cologne region. Leipziger Gose - an amber, very sour, wheat beer brewed around Leipzig. While the beer market is weaker but more centralized in northern Germany (the biggest brands being Beck's, Krombacher, Veltins, Warsteiner, and Bitburger), the south has many very small, local breweries.

The German beer Altbier is a very common dark ale that is top fermented in the lower regions of Germany. The beer proposes a yellow color, with a taste that is rich in hops. Another ale, Rauchbier, is known to have a smoky flavor with a smoked color. These beers taste great, and happen to be very popular throughout the regions of Germany.

German lagers are also very popular, and happen to be popular in other areas of the world as well. Pilsner is one of the most popular and most familiar of all German beers, providing you with more hops and less malt. Pilsner can be found for sale all over the world, and happens to be very popular throughout North America as well. Numerous bars serve it as well, as it happens to be one of the most popular dark lagers out there.

Throughout Germany, there are several different companies, producing over 5,000 different brands of beers. Some of the more well known and larger companies of north Germany are Beck, St. Pauli, Warsteiner, and Krombach. In the southern region of Germany, there are more breweries, although most of them are smaller, as they are locally owned and operated. Southern Germany also contains the Benedictine Abbey, which is one of the oldest breweries in the world. This brewery started producing beer in 1040 - very impressive indeed!

Germany is also home to Oktoberfest, which is held every year in Munich. The Munich Oktoberfest is well known for the quantity of beer drunk as well as the friendly, social atmosphere created by the massive marqees with long tables and bench seating. Almost 6,000,000 liters of beer are served every year at the festival. Oktoberfest starts in late September and carries on for two weeks, ending in early October. During Oktoberfest, beer drinkers from all over the world will travel to Germany and celebrate German beers. Each and every year, over 5 million people attend the event, making it one of the biggest beer celebrations in the world.

During Oktoberfest, local breweries in Munich are the only breweries allowed to serve beer in the bigger tents. There are six breweries in total, producing a variety of different beers. By attending this yearly event, you can learn more about German beer, sample the different varieties, and enjoy the rich bold flavors that make German beer so very popular.

Due to the success Oktoberfest gets each and every year, other cities around the world try and mimic this event. Even though they have success, their level of success isn't near as much as the original Oktoberfest - Germany.

German beers are very popular around the world, with Oktoberfest helping to prove that very claim.

If you drink beer but have never experienced what beers from Germany have to offer, you really should give them a try. Once you do, you'll quickly realize why German beers are so very popular - and why the taste simply can't be duplicated with any other beer.

Chip Morgan offers an exquisite website featuring information on premium beers, fine wines and good whiskey. Click Here for the Wine and Spirits Blog [http://www.wineandspiritstalk.com] or check it out at [http://www.wineandspiritstalk.com] today!

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Top 10 Most Memorable Beers of the Year - 2010

As a contributor to Butter's Fine Food and Wine's food blog, I can't help but think that writing about beer for a well-known, high-end, gourmet food store can't be a bad gig. I get to try all kinds of beer from all over the world and hope that someday, the beers I enjoy the most, will pass the NH liquor bureaucrat's sniff test and that those bureaucrats will bless those beers onto the shelves of fine NH craft beer outlets. There is a bottle-neck bringing new beer labels into the state right now because of an immense cost to the brewery per label, but let's not go there today. Today, I'd like to focus on my Top 10 Most Memorable Beers of 2010.

Most brews that I am about to describe made the list because there was something memorable about the beer. It might have been a special moment that surrounded the beer or a flavor that left me wanting more. Regardless, there is something special to me about each of the beers on this list. I started cataloging each beer that I tasted this year by snapping a picture using Blackberry Smartphone and then uploading that picture to Facebook. Prior to that, I just used my memory. And well, after 40 years and hundreds of varieties of beer later, I just don't trust the old method as much as I used to.

There were several brews that deserved an honorable mention, like one of my old favorites- Pig's Ear Brown Ale from the Woodstock Brewery. I love that beer. I decided to cut it out only because I've tried it before and, for no other reason than familiarity, I removed it from the list. I decided to focus on the task and come up with my top 10 most memorable beers of 2010. If something is too familiar, it's just not that memorable.

Now why a top 10 list? Well that easy. You have 2 choices when the New Year comes around... you can either make a New Year's resolution or create a top 10 list. Seems that like this is what most people do. And since my resolutions usually don't work out, I decided that a making list would be a far better and more achievable choice than a making another resolution.

So, counting backwards, of the 87 some odd beers that I sampled in 2010, here are my Top 10 Most Memorable brews:

#10- San Miguel Pale Pilsner *** San Miguel brings back fond memories of pub crawling (aka cave hoping) around Madrid, Spain in the late 80s. I remember my father bringing back a case of San Miguel while on active duty Spain and I managed to sneak a sip or three when dad wasn't looking (not that he really cared, it was just fun to think that I was sneaking a beer). A year after his return, I managed to get myself onto the Spanish class travel club roster and luckily found a grocery store near my hotel in Madrid selling none other than the same San Miguel beer that my father had brought home a year earlier. The flavor isn't quite as good as the memory of Spain, but it's still pretty darn close. It won 3 gold medals at some European beer tasting, so I guess I'm not the only one that thinks it's good. It has been a favorite of the military stationed in Europe for years, as I learned after offering a San Miguel to one of my ex-military buddies. Come to find out, it's a product of the Philippines and not a product of Spain (something I thought to be true for 24 years). Oh well. It was great to get reacquainted.

#9- New Belgium Skinny Dip *** The name is as good as the beer. Skinny Dip has officially become one of my all time favorite Summer beers. It's impossible to buy it in New Hampshire at the moment but new distributors like the Craft Beer Guild are working hard to make it happen and soon all New Belgium beers will be in the state. So hopefully we'll see the likes of Fat Tire by the end of 2011. As for Skinny Dip, I can't wait for Summer! I picked up a case of this at a Brew Thru in the Outer Banks, North Carolina while RVing through the South this summer. A big cheers to Skinny Dipping in ice-cold waters (buckets of ice that is)! -

#8 Sierra Nevada Summerfest ** I bought this beer at a regular old grocery store thinking I'd try it, only because it was on my list of beers that I've never tried, but thinking it was just another silly summer beer. My theory on summer beers is that every brewery has one. Well, this wasn't any normal summer beer! It was excellent. It was light on the malt and lightly hopped and every bit as crisp as the label claimed. There's nothing better than a cold crisp drinkable brew on a hot summer evening after a hard day's work. Forget the fruity beers and the wheat beers... try this one next summer instead. -

#7- Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour *** Now this one was truly interesting. I picked this up at The Cheese Shop in downtown Williamsburg, VA. I've tried a few sour ales in my day and I wasn't particularly fond of any of them, mostly because they were all sour and nothing more. They had no balance. But this one was different. I put this beer on ice soon after the purchase and a couple of hours later, this beer couldn't have tasted better. It was sour and tart and finished a little sweet and the tiny bubbles (like champagne) made all those icy balanced flavors dance. It was delicious and oh so thirst quenching.

#6 White Birch Brewing Barrel Aged Tripel M1 * I've been a fan of Bill Herlicka's beer for a while now. I recently found a bottle of Bill's stout in my fridge from before he became White Birch Brewing (it's easy for a beer bottle to get lost in my fridge). I remember tasting this lost stout many years ago (and I'm angry that I missed one). That stout, as I remember it, was awesome! Well, Mr. Herlicka has outdone himself this time. While other breweries are racing to age their beer in Bourbon Casks, White Birch is mixing it up. This Belgium Style Tripel was aged in a Merlot Barrel (hence the M1 on the label), and if ever there were a beer that belongs at Butter's Fine Food and Wine, it's this one. It smells like a wine initially, but transforms into a nose of a Tripel (and a nice Tripel at that). The taste is the same way! Try this with chicken or a steak! It could possibly pair with more foods than any other beer know to man. It's extremely complex and versatile. Great stuff! Keep up the great work Bill!

#5- Berkshire Brewing Steel Rail Pale Ale * This is one of my favorite beer finds of 2010. When you walk into a golf course clubhouse in the early morning, about and hour before the charity tournament is about to tee off, and you see 2 of your old pals sitting at the end of the bar enjoying some suds for breakfast, you know you're in for a good day. Beer always tastes better for breakfast anyway. After having consumed my share of Steel Rail Pale Ale, and after enjoying a bunch of laughs with a group of great friends while hitting a golf balls all over the course, I knew that this day's consumption would lead me to a long time relationship with Berkshire Brewing. Two weeks later, after a few emails back and forth with Berkshire Brewing, I learned that NH Distributors had just filled their truck with a few pallets of Berkshire Ale bound for Concord, NH, and, shortly there after, four of the Berkshire Brewing brews made their way to Butter's Fine Food and Wine. I call that Beer Karma.

#4- Dogfish Head Punkin Ale * In a world filled with pumpkin style ale wannabees, this one sets the standard. For quite a while I thought that Shipyard's Smashed Pumpkin was at the head of the class, until I sipped this one. Dogfish Head Punkin Ale isn't head and shoulders above Shipyard, but it's clearly a better beer. And, everyone who has accepted my challenge to a taste test of pumpkin ales agrees with me. There's nothing too sweet or over done or over done about this beer. It's a perfect balance of everything you think a pumpkin-harvest-October-Halloween beer should be. And, you'll keep wanting another and another. I cannot say that about any other pumpkin beer. Most pumpkin beers, I'd rather not drink at all. Some, I'm one and done, but this beer... is perfect. -

#3- Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Island Creek Oyster Stout * This stout is a very rare and specialized beer. We may never see it again, being that it is part of the 100 Barrel Series. I can only hope that it somehow gets incorporated into the standard Harpoon line of beers. But, assuming that it won't, this beer was one of a kind. It's a really good stout, great roasted flavors, a little bitter finish but completely balanced, with a perfect body. Sounds pretty darn good doesn't it? But wait, there's more! (RIP Billy Mays). Harpoon added OYSTERS to the beer! Now that sounds a little funky, but, if you are an oyster lover, it's heavenly. You won't get a chunk of oyster as you sip, just a hint of oyster flavor. I can't think of much else better than sipping on an Island Creek Oyster Stout and downing about two dozen oysters at Jumpin' Jays Fish Cafe in Portsmouth. It's just a great beer!

#2 Samuel Adams/Weihenstephan Infinium ** I have to admit it. I had to sneak across town to get a bottle of this. It's fairly new and I did what I had to do to experience this beer. It was all worth the guilt of buying from a competitor. The very sight of the bottle is impressive- it looks like a fancy corked champagne bottle. The goal for this beer from Sam Adams was to join with Weihenstephan Brewery in Germany (a company with which they have formed an alliance in recent months) and combine 100 years of beer knowledge and brewing experience into this... "Infinium". I sat down with my friend AJ to sample this beer, and at first, I couldn't wrap my head around it. It was so complex and the layers of flavors kept coming and coming... I was dazed. I didn't know what to do. But I recovered and poured another glass to dissect it further. I finally came to the conclusion: this was perhaps the most complex beer that I've ever tried. WARNING: if you don't like complex beers, don't try this... you might pass out (not from the alcohol, but from the confusion). It's a near perfect beer that defines a new category, but don't try this alone. You're going to need someone to talk to in order to figure out the flavor puzzle. Clearly, this is one of my most memorable brews of 2010.

#1- Guinness Foreign Extra Stout * NUMBER ONE! OK, it's no secret. I'm a Guinness guy through and through. Anyone who truly appreciates beer usually is. If someone tells you that they like Guinness, that usually means that they have a love for beer, which means that they don't love beer for its alcohol or the buzz, but they love beer as a whole. I thought I had the world of Guinness all figured out. The Extra or the Draught... all were welcome in my beer fridge. Until I met Guinness Foreign Extra. What the hell just happened??!? Perfect just got more perfect?! It isn't right. But, it is! I sat down with Bruce, my long time friend and fellow purveyor of anything labeled "beer" (or Scotch for that matter), on New Year's Eve to try this new addition to the Guinness family (new to the US). We couldn't help but think that the taste was going to be nothing more than familiar. We poured it, and sniffed it, initially trying to figure out what exactly this "Foreign" label meant. The sniff, we thought was "sweet" like an imperial (and we're not big fans of Imperial- so we were a little apprehensive). But then, the moment of truth...the taste... it wasn't sweet at all. It was celestial- perfectly bitter and balanced and, as hard as it was to believe, it was better than the other Guinness' that we'd come to know and love. Perhaps the only thing better would be a pull from a fresh batch of Guinness at an authentic Irish pub in Ireland, but other than that, I don't think it gets much better. (Except for when my wife walked in with a case of Guinness Foreign Stout (true story) just as Bruce an I polished off the 4 pack). What a way to finish off a great year in beer!

Cheers! And Happy New Year everyone! -Butter's Fine Food and Wine Roving Food Reporter

P.S.- Please give "Beer Cataloging" a try for yourself in 2011... you'll be amazed at what you remember when you look back at 87 beers... not only about the beer itself, but about the people you were with, the places, the smells, even the weather. But most importantly you'll chuckle as you remember the good times, the abundant smiles shared with your friends and family, and the overall kindred spirits that were around as you poured that unfamiliar brew.

P.P.S- If you would like to become a beer blog contributor to the Butter's Fine Food and Wine blog, please email beerblog@buttersfinefood.com and let's us know what you'd like to do.

*- Denotes Beer that is currently sold or was sold at Butter's Fine Food and Wine

**- Denotes Beer that is available in the State of NH, but not yet sold at Butter's Fine Food and Wine

***- Denotes Beer that is not available in the State of NH (not yet anyway)

Kristy Stephens Ammann, is the chef/proprietor of Butter's Fine Food and Wine in Concord, New Hampshire. Butter's Fine Food and Wine, established in 2006, is a specialty cheese, wine, gourmet grocery, award winning cakery, and craft beer destination. Kristy's talents have been recognized recently and awarded NH Magazine's top honors for Best Old Fashioned Cake in 2009 and, best Gourmet Sandwiches in 2010. For more information on Butter's Fine Food and Wine, please visit http://www.ButtersFineFood.com

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