It seems a little unfair that Belgium, a small country on the north-west European mainland, has been tagged as ‘boring’ by her neighbours. Ok – perhaps compared to nations nearby, it doesn’t have such geological diversity; you won’t find great swathes of forest like in Germany, the hot sandy beaches of Spain or the towering Alpine mountains of France, but who cares about that? Everybody knows the most important thing in life is beer, and when it comes to brewing, Belgium is anything but boring.

Whilst other European countries continue to churn out bland, generic lagers, Belgium has excelled at producing a massive variety of high quality and interesting beers that have made the country synonymous with the amber nectar.

In terms of global popularity, the fairly ordinary, (thought perfectly drinkable) lager – Stella Artois – has dominated pubs around the world and especially in the UK. When first launched it was backed up by the ad campaign which proclaimed it to be “reassuringly expensive”. This lead to it being seen as chic and exotic, but it has since dropped in stature somewhat.

In contrast to Stella Artois, the white beer Hoegaarden, is still held in high regard and is available on tap in many pubs and bars across the UK. It’s cloudy nature and spicy taste (created by adding extracts of coriander and orange peel) is usually served in the huge trademark Hoegaardeen glass, and sometimes comes with a slice of lime – though some beer purists prefer it unadulterated. It’s complex and fruity taste also appeals to the female market, who tend to be less keen on traditional ales and lager. The only downside of Hoegaarden is the cost; due to Hoegaarden being the first white beer widely available in the UK, it cornered the market early and thus tends to be the most expensive beer in the bar, with landlords enjoying a larger than normal markup, for no other reason than that people are willing to pay a premium for something delicious and different.

One of the most well known styles of Belgian beer are the Trappist Ales. Trappist is an order of monks that were (are) noted for their austerity and vow of silence – instead letting their beer do the talking. There are six Trappist breweries in the world and all are in Belgium. They produce brews that are highly regarded in gourmet beer drinking circles such as Orval, Chimay, Rochefort and Achel, which tend to be strong in flavour and in alcohol content.

If you’re thinking about visiting Belgium to taste their beers first hand, the Bruges Beer Festival is a great place to start. There you’ll find forty brewers offering over 100 different firms’ beers, including 5 Trappist Breweries, and you’ll be able to sample the best from Belgium’s beer-y landscape. Hotels in Bruges get booked up quickly during the festival, so get in early if you want to sample Belgium’s finest produce.

So, next time you hear someone say that Belgium is boring, tell them to put down their pint of Stella, and try an Orval, Hoegaarden or Achel, after all, there’s more to Belgium than dull lager.

There are hundreds of different beers available in Canada. Yet, somehow I keep hearing the same beers ordered over and over at local bars. An easy top 5 would look like this:

1. Alexander Keith’s

2. Labatt Blue

3. Molson Canadian

4. Sleeman Etc

5. Moosehead

An honorable mention could go to Heineken, Budweiser or Carling. But do we really know what is going on in Canada’s beer industry? We seem to think it’s still the same old blue vs. red fight going on between Labatt and Molson. But an interesting publication on EuroMonitor reads:

With the buyout of Sleeman’s in 2006, Canada’s beer production is firmly in the hands of foreign multinationals. By the end of 2006, nearly 90% of beer sales was from non-domestic producers. This has resulted in a distinct decline in made-in-Canada products in the mass market, and a stronger emphasis on foreign, world-spanning brands, such as Stella Artois, Heineken, Budweiser, Brahma and Coors Light. Canadians appear to be thoroughly unconcerned about the decline of the home-grown brewing industry, and have even pushed US brews Budweiser and Coors Light to the top of the sales chart. Perhaps as a reaction to this, and due to beneficial legislation, made-in-Canada beers have been rising in sales in the premium segment, and although sales are limited, consumers are growing more appreciative of microbrews and local beers.

In that perspective, Canadian beer buyers are buying a lot beer (8.4 Billions worth in 2005) but mostly from foreign breweries. Sleeman’s alone holds a near 90% market share in Ontario through the province’s LCBO. They say the clear bottles let the sun shine through. It’s obvious beer drinkers love their beer, and get used to their favorites, but it’s also true that variety is the spice of life.

So when was the last time you had an Ice Beer? Salivating no? Did you know Budweiser is made with a little rice? Perhaps we need to give a little helping hand to our local industry by acquiring a little bit more knowledge on the origins and the variety of beers available. Know thy beers. Try local breweries, or make your own brew!

A funny story about a dumb man that doesn’t know how to take hostages. Enjoy. My computer died today and I had to buy a laptop. so I lost all my videos and I have to get a new intro or somehow get my old one. Read the story at: www.qctimes.com

I’ve heard about a new way to play beer pong, and apparently someone has to get under the table and stay under there and they are called the troll. Does anyone know the rules or anything about this?

Koozies are a very essential for people who love to have there beer or any other drink cold. Koozies are made of different kinds of material: usually Neoprene or Foam. Neoprene is the material used in making wetsuits. Containers or cans holding drinks like beer or other liquids are kept inside a koozie. Koozies are wrapped around the cans and act as a jacket. The koozie is used such that the temperature of the cold beer might not come down coming into contact with your hand, which might be warm. Koozies are generally used by people when they go out for some outdoor activities like sports or trekking. Koozies become essential in the cold months for people who love to have there drink cold. After an exhausting game of baseball or football, sportsmen use the koozies for holding their beer, to prevent the beer fro having any negative effect due o hand contact. As this is a very common way in which the koozie is used, some people are of the impression that this is the only use of koozies. Koozies not only help in keeping the beer cold but also it also helps in keeping your hands warm during the cold winters, especially when you are outdoors.

Although koozies are mainly used for holding beer cans, they can be actually be used to keep the temperature of any beverage which comes in a can. The koozies nowadays are also used for holding drinks like the coffee and tea. The koozie acts as an insulator and prevents the outside temperature or the temperatures of your hands affect the temperature of the coffee in any way. People who go out to work in early mornings take there hot coffee inside a koozie. The koozie not only prevents the coffee from getting cold, but it also protects your hands from burns. Koozies due to their ability of keeping beverages warm are nowadays also used for keeping containers having soups such that they can be had after a long time.

Koozies have changed a great deal in there look and design. Earlier koozies used to be designed for their singular use of holding beer cans. As koozies started to be used for multiple purposes, their design and look also changed considerably. A large variety of koozies are available at cheap rates for the customers. The koozie manufacturers by use of there logos on the koozies have found out an innovative way to advertise their products by the word of the mouth. Innovative designs for specific purposes have been launched. Keeping in mind the health concern of the consumers, the koozie manufacturers have made koozies where water bottles can fit in. For people who prefer soda in bottles over cans use the koozies especially designed for 20z bottles of soda. Due to the varied use of koozies they have become a very popular gift item. Companies give away koozies as incentives to there employees. Koozies are thus a popular gift not only among normal consumers but also among corporate.

From beer pong to a beer bong, drinking games are common in college. But do drinking games just get you drunk, or is there a health risk? For more information go to: College.Healthguru.com?yt

Have you noticed the tell-tale signs that you are entering “beer belly” territory? Do you self-consciously try to hide your gut as it hangs over your pants? You are not alone. Worst of all, you don’t even drink, so you ask yourself how can I lose the beer belly?

Well, the answer is that you can develop a “beer” or pot belly without ever drinking a drop of beer. To lose the belly fat, you’ll need to learn how to eat right and give your body what it needs.

Perhaps you think that you already eat healthy. I mean, you always choose products that say “low fat”, so they must be healthy, right? Actually, you can eat a 100% fat free diet and still gain weight! This is because your body can convert any kind of calorie to excess fat. Think of all the low fat products out there that contain tons of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients – a steady diet of these products is bound to lead to weight gain.

So what about high protein diets? You tried Atkins and South Beach before, and they worked, didn’t they? Well, just for a little while. The proof is in the pudding – if you need to lose the beer belly, these approaches obviously didn’t work in the long term. This is because high protein diets cause your body to lose water weight, and soon result in a plateau. You’ll only get so far before your body adjusts its metabolic rate to slow your weight loss. Not to mention all of the associated health risks of these kinds of diets, which may range from bad breath to vitamin deficiencies, and even organ failure!

It seems there’s a catch 22 – low fat diets don’t work, since your body can convert any calories to fat. High protein diets only work temporarily, and carry all kinds of health risks. We haven’t mentioned starvation diets and calorie restriction, but as you might have guessed, this won’t work either in the long term. Your body will just slow its metabolism in an attempt to avoid what it thinks is certain starvation.

So How Can I Lose The Beer Belly?

The key to getting rid of your belly fat once and for all is learning how to eat right. In spite of all of the confusing information you may have gotten in the past, eating right is actually quite simple.

To eat right, you need to feed your body the right amounts of healthy carbohydrates, proteins, and fats at the proper intervals throughout the day.

For one thing, a body starved of nutrients will continue to crave food; this is why nutritional value is so important. For another, ultra-low fat diets leave you feeling unsatisfied. You need the proper amounts of healthy fats to keep your body feeling full. Finally, while the concept of three meals a day has been drummed into most of us from childhood, to lose the beer belly you’ll need to eat several smaller, well-balanced meals daily.

You can lose the beer belly by combining this nutritional approach with a well-designed resistance training routine. You’ll find that your belly fat starts to shrink quickly, and you won’t have to go hungry in the process. Though you might have been disappointed in the past by regimens that promised instant results, take heart in knowing that you can achieve results with a well planned, nutritious diet and exercise program.

If you take this approach, when you ask yourself how can I lose the beer belly, you’ll know the answer!

Beer is drunk just about everywhere in the world while there are many different brands which taste fantastic you may have your own personal favorites. Of these many types and brands you may like the taste of the Blue Moon Beer. This particular beer is an example of a Belgian style white beer. In most instances you should be able to find this brand of beer at your local alcoholic beverages stores, bars, restaurants and sometimes in your local supermarkets.

The Blue Moon Beer is a variety of white beer which is made by Molson Coors Brewing Company. This beer was presented to the public during 1995. The creator of the Blue Moon Beer is an individual named Keith Villa. Originally Blue Moon Beer was called Bellyslide Belgian White. It was created at the Coors Field’s Sandlot Brewery.

This brewery is the Molson Coors onsite brewery. Even though the Blue Moon Beer is an example of Belgian Beers it is made in the US. This labeling of the beer as Belgian in origin has caused the company some problems with Belgium. As the Blue Moon Beer was also called Belgian White it was felt that consumers would think that the beer was produced in the US.

Even though the Molson Coors Company has had to amend the labeling of the name it has kept to the original advertising to get the public to buy the beer. The interesting thing about this Belgian styled beer is the various ingredients which are used to produce the beer. While most beers use ingredients like oats, hops, and malted barley the Blue Moon Beer is made slightly differently.

To make the Blue Moon Beer distinctive from that of other beers you will find that it contains malted oats, barley and white wheat. Additionally you will find that coriander and orange peels have been added to some hops. These final ingredients provide the beer with an interesting orange flavor.

You will find that most places serve this beer with orange slices to enhance the flavor of the beer. This is in contrast to the lemon slices which are served with other types of beer. For those of you who are interested in buying this beer you will find that it is sold in beer kegs and bottles. Another interesting fact about Blue Moon Beer is that it has variations which are known to be a winter and fall time beer.

To let you see just how good this beer is you will discover that various awards have been given to the beer. These medals which were given during the years of 1995 to 1997 all indicate to us that the Blue Moon Beer is an excellent beer to drink at any time of the year.

The history of making alcoholic beverages is essentially the history of home brewing. Historians believe that beer was originally discovered by people of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Barley was a staple grain of this area and it was soon learned that if the barley got wet and was allowed to germinate, it would become sweet and could be used in foods like bread. This process is known as malting.

It didn’t take much time after the discovery of malting to discover beer. Someone probably allowed their malted barley to get wet and remain exposed to the elements. Perhaps wild yeast contaminated the exposed liquid. The yeast then took hold and multiplied generating a bubbly liquid of alcohol and barley that soon became the first beer.

Today, there are many people who enjoy home beer brewing. The main ingredients include malted barley, hops, yeast and water. Like wines, beers have many different flavors. This is caused by differences in the the type of malt, the moisture content, the type of barley used and the temperature used in the kiln.

Malted barley, also known as malt, is barley that has been soaked in water until it starts to sprout. A kiln is then used to dry it out. Barley has a hard husk, is low in protein and high in starch, making it perfect for brewing beer.

The next crucial beer making ingredient is hops. Hops are flowers which provide a natural preservative quality and bitterness to the beer.

The third ingredient is yeast. Yeast may be the most important beer making ingredient. Yeast is a living creature that lives off the ingredients in beer. It is responsible for converting sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide in the fermentation stage.

The final ingredient is water. This is an important ingredient considering that beer is 90% water. For better tasting beer, it’s best to always use quality water.

Beer is made from simple ingredients, but the process of brewing beer can be a little bit more complicated than it seems. If you love beer, you might find home beer making very enjoyable.

Here is an overview of the beer brewing process:

Steep and boil malt and hops
Ferment for one week
Transfer to secondary fermenter for two weeks
Transfer to clarifying keg for one week
Transfer to serving keg
Pressurize beer keg to carbonate for 7 days
Serve!

Many people who decide to make beer at home often choose to buy a beer making kit. This is often the easiest way to get started, so you can begin enjoying the satisfaction of making your own beer at home.

We went to a night club in DC that served it and I want to buy it but forgot the name of it. Also if you are in the DC area where can I buy this beer?