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Top 10 Reasons Beer is Good for your Health

Everyone is looking for a reason to drink beer. Right? It turns out that a lot of people are. So here are 10 great reasons to drink more beer. Not only that, but they’re all true. Beer really is good for your health, so drink up!
1. Beer Reduces Stress

Alcohol in general has been shown to reduce stress. This one is obvious, and may be the best reason beer is good for your health.

2. Beer is Good for the Heart

A study was conducted from 1982 - 1996 on the elderly. It was found that those who drank at least 1.5 per day had a 20-50 percent less chance of having heart failure.

3. Beer Improves Blood Circulation

Beer increases your “good” cholesterol, or HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Its basically a kind of blood fat, so it reduces blood’s tendency to clot.

4. Beer is Chock Full o’ Fiber

The fiber comes from the cell walls of the malted barley. A liter of beer can have as much as 60% of your daily recommended fiber. The extra fiber will keep you regular and can also lower the risk of heart disease.

5. Beer as a Multi-vitamin

Beer is a significant source of magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12

6. Beer can Prevent Strokes

A study published in Stroke magazine in 2001 showed that alcohol drinkers have fewer strokes. Because it thins the blood, it increases the circulation in the brain, thereby protecting from silent strokes which are cause by tiny blood clots.

7. Beer keeps your Brain Young

A large study, published in the December 2001 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, was conducted on elderly italian men and women. It showed that moderate drinkers had a 40% lower risk of mental impairment.

8. Beer is Good for your Liver

Alcohol expands the small blood vessels in the liver. This speeds up metabolism so it can help clean all the toxins out of the liver. This is from Beer Net Publication, April 2001 Biological Institute.

9. Beer Cures Insomnia

Lactoflavin and nicotinic acid, both present in beer, can promote sleep. Also hops are a natural sedative.

10. Beer Fends off Gallstones

According to Professor Oliver James at the University of Newcastle, beer protects against gallstones and kidney stones.

October 11th, 2008 | Tags: Beer is Good | Category: Beer is Good | Comments (1)

The Worlds Most Expensive Beers

Craft beers are all the rage in the states. Beers that are meant to be savored, enjoyed, maybe even stored in the cellar for a while. This new phenominon may be due to diminishing beer sales, or maybe it’s just a new niche market to exploit. Either way, craft beers have surfaced which offer a new sophistication to the beer lover… as well as a much larger price tag. Some examples:

• Michelob brews “Celebrate” which goes for $10 per bottle and comes in at 10% alcohol by volume.
• The “Stone Imperial Russian Stout” from Stone Brewing is $9 per bottle at 10.8% alcohol by volume.
• Dogfish Head makes “Fort” for $16 per bottle which contains 18.5% alcohol by volume.

The name of the article however is “The Worlds Most Expensive Beers”. There are only two beers that fit into that category.

“Tutankhamun Ale” holds the record for the most expensive single bottle of beer ever sold. The first bottle of this brew went for $7,686. It was developed by archaeologists from Cambridge University’s Egypt Exploration, and Scottish and Newcastle Breweries. They uncovered an ancient kitchen in the Sun Temple of Queen Nefertiti, a relation by marriage of King Tut. They examined the dregs in the ancient brewing jars, deciphered hieroglyphics, and excavated at least 10 brewing rooms. They only produced enough ingredients to make 1,000 bottles of “Tutankhamun Ale”. The first bottle went for an outrageous price of $7,686, but the rest were sold for about $76, although at an auction at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, some were willing to pay more than $500.

“Utopias” is brewed by Sam Adams Brewery. Its not only the most expensive beer, it is also the strongest commercially available beer. It is 25% alcohol by volume and is made from the finest Bavarian hops of Saaz, Spalt Spalter, Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnang Tettnanger. It is aged in oak barrels and it comes in antique copper-colored bottles. The price tag is $100 for a 24 oz bottle and it’s brewed for 2 oz servings. It has not only garnered recognition from the Guinness Book of World Records as the strongest and the most expensive beer. It has also been appreciated by International beer tasting competitions. They only made 8,000 bottles, so you better hurry over to eBay if you want one.

October 11th, 2008 | Tags: Expensive Beers | Category: Expensive Beers | Leave a comment

The Beer Bong will Destroy our Society

The Beer Bong is loosely defined as a device used to consume large amounts of alcohol in a very short period of time. Historically, this was a funnel with about 3 feet of hose attached to it. It’s a simple device and easily adaptable to all situations. For instance, if 3 feet of beer isn’t enough, get more tubing and fill the funnel from the balcony. If storage is an issue, they make inflatable beer funnels. What if you don’t have that much beer? Well, we have beer bong attachments for beer bottles. Or you can shotgun a can of beer. The trend here is speed. Get the beer down as fast as possible.

The history of beer shows us the importance of beer in society, as early as the Gilgamesh Epic; “Drink also beer, as it is the custom of the land…” Why is it so important? Why has beer remained the beverage of choice for so long? Is it purely the alcohol, beer was the first alcoholic beverage, but there are plenty of choices with more alcohol then beer.

The reason beer has persevered through the years is the amount of alcohol it contains. Beer contains from 3% to about 12% alcohol by volume. Compare this with liquor which is at least twice that.

It’s all about the speed at which the imbiber will become intoxicated. With liquor, one could fall on their face in 5 minutes. It takes restraint to drink liquor, you must restrict yourself. Beer does this for you. You drink at the standard drinking rate and the intoxication happens slowly. This is why beer is the social lubricant. You don’t have to think, you just enjoy the delicious beverage. It slowly calms you, and puts you at ease. With more alcohol content it would just put you in bed, with less it wouldn’t do anything.

Now bring the Beer Bong into the picture. This is a device that allows one to consume beer at an enormous rate. Within 5 minutes you could be as snookered as if you were drinking liquor. Beer can no longer be relied upon to have a slow, intoxicating effect.

The everyday gradual change of the bar scene will no longer be gradual, it will be instant. The social interactions that relied so heavily upon beer will cease. Business meetings happen over beer. First meetings of husband and wife happen over beer. Partnerships, friendships, and acquaintances are formed over beer. All social relationships can potentially begin and end over beer.

The beer bong is changing the very nature of beer. It could thereby change the very nature of our social structure. Fortunately, the use of the beer bong is generally limited to college campuses and restricted to the 18 to 24 age group. So we probably don’t have anything to worry about. But the potential is there, and it’s frightening.

October 11th, 2008 | Tags: Beer Bong | Category: Beer Bong | Leave a comment

Top 10 Beer Myths

It seems like there is always that guy in the bar that has a crazy story about the beer he’s drinking. The worst part, sometimes its believable, so you tell someone, then they tell someone, and thats a beer myth. Here are ten of the more outrageous myths about beer and what you need to know to set that guy in the bar straight.

Beer Myth 1: Beat the Beer Belly with Light Beer

OK, light beers have maybe 90-100 calories, regular beers generally have less than 200 calories. A beer lover would say the difference is comparable to the difference between McDonalds and a 5 star restaurant. A dietician would tell you the difference is negligible. So unless you are drinking 300 beers a week, I would drink the good stuff.

Beer Myth 2: The darker the beer, the more alcohol it contains

Not even close. Guinness is black, and has 4.2% alcohol. The color of a beer comes from the toasted malts, which has no effect on alcohol content. Ingredients like rice syrup, honey, and corn syrup add alcohol to beer, but do not influence the color.

Beer Myth 3: Beer is ruined if warmed and then refrigerated

This can be true, if you do it many, many times, and it will happen gradually. People think re-chilling beer will cause it to be “skunked”. Beer can be ruined by air, light and time. Temperature won’t ruin a beer unless it’s extreme. Get fresh beer and store it in dark place, and it will be fine.

Beer Myth 4: Imported beers have more alcohol than domestic beers

This comes from the way US beers reported their beers’ alcohol content. The rest of the world uses “Alcohol by Volume”, here is the US they used “Alcohol By Weight”. Since beer weighs less than water, US beers had smaller numbers, but not less alcohol.

Beer Myth 5: The Guinness they serve in Ireland is better

It seems widely accepted that beer in “the old country” is better than what they export to the rest of the world. The brewing process is cheap, so why would a brewery risk their reputation by brewing a different beer for export? It doesn’t make sense, and it’s not true. With few exceptions, the beer that is exported is the exact same beer that they serve in the bar across the street from the brewery. The difference is purely freshness. It takes two weeks for a keg of Guinness to get from Dublin to your favorite bar in the states. Some beers, like Fosters, is brewed in Canada under a license for sale in the US. But it is clearly stated on the bottle when this is the case.

Beer Myth 6: Beer shouldn’t be Bitter

The bitterness of a beer comes from the hops. Hops are in all beers to balance the sweet malts and to act as a preservative. Some beers have a lot of hops, like India Pale Ales (IPAs) and some beers have less hops, like Wheat Beers. Hops can give a beer complexity and add all sorts of flavors and aromas, like pine, citrus, and earthiness. Hops are why people say beer is an acquired taste, but they also make beer delicious.

Beer Myth 7: The best beers are in green bottles.

As it turns out, brown bottles protect the beer from the light much better than green bottles or clear bottles. This myth comes from when there was a shortage of brown glass in Europe after WWII. The European beers were bottled in green instead, so green bottles came to represent imports. This certainly isn’t the case anymore.

Beer Myth 8: The Thai beer Singha has formaldehyde in it

It seems widely believed that Singha is brewed with formaldehyde, as is Chang beer, San Miguel, Vietnamese 33, and Singapore’s Tiger Beer. The most believable explanation for this one is that Singha is much more bitter and contains more alcohol than most lagers. When American or British expatriots and soldiers were drinking beer in Thailand, they got drunk much more quickly then they were used to, and it was much more bitter flavor then they were used to. To explain this it was suggested that it contained formaldehyde. Crazy.

Beer Myth 9: Corona is Mexican Piss

In the 1980s there was a rumor that Mexican workers were peeing in the Corona tanks that were destined for the US. Certainly alarmingly disgusting… if true. As it turns out this myth was started as a result of Corona’s rising popularity in the US market, and who was jealous? Heineken. This was nothing more than a rumor started by a Heineken wholesaler in Reno. It all worked out, the guy from Heineken admitted his wrongdoing, and Corona continued it’s rise to popularity. But the rumor can still be heard today in bars across the country.

Beer Myth 10: Women don’t like beer

Thats crazy! My wife loves beer almost as much as I do. Women have brewed more beer than men in the History of Beer. Sister Doris in Bavaria brews Mallersdorf lager. Fortunately, this myth is far from true.

October 11th, 2008 | Tags: Top 10 Beer Myths | Category: Top 10 Beer Myths | Leave a comment

WineMaking Technology is part of the Amazon.com Wine Affiliation Program.

Although the basic winemaking process is the same for most wines there are variations in it depending on the type of wine that is being made. Let’s firstly take a look at the basic steps of winemaking in general:

1. The first thing you need for standard wine production is the grape! So, the first stage of the winemaking process is to crush your grapes to release the juices and to allow them to ferment. The crushing can still be done by foot although many larger wine producers will now use machinery that will crush the grapes and remove the stems at the same time. In some cases the grapes will also be pressed to make sure that all of the juice is extracted. This fermentation process can take a couple of weeks - here yeast will start to change the grape juice sugar into alcohol.

2. Once this first fermentation process is done most wines will undergo another fermentation (usually after a filtration process) - usually in casks or other containers. This process allows the sugars that are left to change into alcohol more slowly and the wine will also change from cloudy to clear.

3. In some cases the wine will now be bottled and ready for drinking (early aged wines are often known as ‘green’ wines) and in others it will be left to age in barrels to help the flavour develop over a period of months. Some winemakers will mix wines at this stage to make a specific ‘taste’ or to improve on deficiencies in the taste of a wine.

Although this winemaking process applies in general terms for most wines there are variations during the process to make specific types of wine. For example:

• Red wines are made from red/black grapes and their skins.
• White wines are made from white grapes or from red grapes (although here the skins are removed early to avoid colouration).
• Rose wines are made from red grapes and are given just enough contact with the grape skins for the wine to turn a rose colour.
• Sparking wines such as champagnes are made by giving the wine another fermentation process when the wine is bottled. This extra process traps carbon dioxide in the wine which gives it the fizz!

October 7th, 2008 | Tags: A Guide to Winemaking | Category: A Guide to Winemaking | Leave a comment

Wine is made and marketed all over the world nowadays. It used to be that only ‘Old World’ regions such as the wine-making areas of France were perceived to be the best producers here but, nowadays, ‘New World’ regions such as America are producing great quality wines as well. Some of the most famous wine regions include:

* Alsace - the French region of Alsace borders with Germany and is the home to many famous and highly regarded wines.

* Andalucia - this region of Spain is famous for its sherry and its selection of wines.

* Bordeaux - this French region is primarily known for its classic red wines.

* Burgundy - France’s Burgundy region produces some of the best known wines in the world.

* California/Napa Valley - California is held to be one of the brightest stars in the ‘New World’ firmament.

* Cape Winelands - based near Cape Town in South Africa this is now held to be the 7th top ranked wine production region in the world in terms of quantity.

* Champagne - Champagne is the home to the French classic sparkling wine of the same name.

* Hunter Valley - Australia’s Hunter Valley produces all kinds of wines and some highly regarded vintages.

* Loire Valley - this French region is one of the most famous wine-making regions in the world. It is perhaps best known for the white wines it produces but also produces high quality red wines as well.

* Mendoza - based in Argentina, Mendoza has a range of vineyards located by the Andes.

* Oregon - Oregon in the USA has a range of vineyards that produce over 40 different types of highly regarded wines.

* Piedmont - Italy’s Piedmont region produces various highly regarded wines including Barolos and Barbarescos.

* Porto - this Portuguese region is best known for its production of port.

* Rheinhessen - this is the largest wine producing region of Germany. It was once known simply as the home of Liebfraumilch but now produces a variety of highly regarded wines.

* Tuscany - Italy’s Tuscany is probably best known for its Chianti.

October 6th, 2008 | Tags: Famous Wine Regions | Category: Famous Wine Regions | Leave a comment

Wine Domains for Sale:

June 19th, 2008 | Tags: Wine Domains for Sale | Category: Wine Domains for Sale | Leave a comment

Wine Buying Tip

This is the only Wine Buying Tip you ever need to know!!!

1. Know your store

Every wine shop is different. Different focus, different selections, different pricing structures. Choose the one that works best for you. If you are new to the wine game and every bottle on the shelf is over $50 then you are probably in the wrong place. Look for stores that have either organized wine tastings or have wine available by the glass. What better way to know if you like a wine before buying than to taste it?

2. Have a plan

Have in mind what the wine is for before you are bogged down by numerous regions, prices, etc. Are you looking for a simple wine to serve with dinner or planning a party for twenty? Knowing what you are looking for before you are in the store will help you to make better selections than just walking in and browsing until something strikes your fancy.

3. Don’t be afraid to bring resources

There is a myriad of different sources of information on wine out there and bringing some with you to the store can only help in making an informed decision. Books, magazines, brochures and even, ahem, websites provide valuable information on producers and vintages that it is impossible to keep track of. The difference between a good vintage and a so-so vintage can be the difference in a wonderful wine and a so-so one. Resources such as The Wine Spectator and The Wine Advocate and even yours truly at winegeeks.com offer ratings of individual wines that can be extremely useful when selecting a wine, but remember: just because a wine isn’t rated or has a mediocre score doesn’t mean it is a bad wine. These are guidelines and someone else’s opinion.

4. Survey the land

Don’t get caught in one section of the wine store. While some locales are very well organized, many are not, and the best bargain of the day may be just around the aisle. A quick trip around the shop to gain your bearings might be a good way to make sure that nothing is missed.

5. Develop a relationship with the owner/salesperson

Never be afraid to ask for help or a recommendation. Running into the pushy salesperson may be inevitable, but usually anyone working in the store will share your enthusiasm for the grape and asking what they like may get you a great bottle of wine. Also any salesperson worth their salt can get a feel for what you enjoy after a few trips to the store or even after answering just a few well-placed questions. Return trips and evaluations of what you tried last week can help the salesperson to judge your tastes.

6. Price does not equal quality

While a monstrous price tag may be well deserved for that bottle of 20-year-old Bordeaux, wines today are increasingly priced according to start-up costs for the winery or even the level of investment from outside sources instead of quality or reputation. In fact, wines from the traditional wine growing regions are sure to be higher in price than something from a less known vineyard area regardless of how good the wine is. Use your resources!

7. Look for value regions and 2nd labels

Many wine regions are known for their ability to produce very nice wines at still reasonable prices. Spain, Australia, Argentina and Chile are just a few countries to try. Another option is to try wine from areas just outside of more well known wine growing regions. Instead of the pricey Pomerol in Bordeaux, try Lalande-de-Pomerol. Same grape (Merlot) from just down the road at a much lower price. Also, look for the 2nd labels of more established wineries. These are wines sold under a different label from a quality winery sold at a lower price, a practice quite common in Bordeaux and gaining steam in California.

8. Be willing to experiment

Trying something new can be a great way to learn about new wines and new countries. Try a recommendation from someone at the shop, sample a new region, or even go with the advice of the shelf talking card pinned next to a wine. It may be the best wine that you have ever had!

9. Buy discounted wine

Most shops offer a 10% discount on wine sold by the case, mixed or not. Look for any close-out specials or wines on sale. Because it is half-off doesn’t mean it is terrible. Wines are often sold at what the state dictates, and it may be more than what the market will bear. These may be marked down significantly before the next vintage arrives, and can offer significant savings to the consumer.

10. Buy wine online

My Wines Direct - Holiday Gift Baskets
There are numerous sites that offer online sales of wine. These sites can offer wines at considerably less than your local store or have hard to find rarities. Be forewarned: Many states do not allow point-to-point sales of wine or alcohol. Most sites will list which states they can ship to. This is a contentious issue soon to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, but until then make sure you read the fine print.

Well, there you have it. This is by no means all you need to know when buying wine but it will certainly help you along your way. Use these ten points and the trepidation of wine buying should fade to the bottom of your stomach like the tannins of an old port. It should be loved and looked forward to like shopping for any thing of beauty, like going to the car parts store for your ‘67 Chevy or to the jewelry store on Valentine’s Day. The best part is how much do they have at the jewelry store for less than ten dollars?

June 17th, 2008 | Tags: Wine Buying Tip | Category: Wine Buying Tip | Leave a comment

Storing Wine

Many people think that if they’re going to store wine at home then they need a cellar. But the word “cellar” conjures up images of dark, cavernous chambers cut out of bedrock, or slick, temperature and humidity-controlled rooms lined with mahogany wine racks. All very nice, but not at all necessary. We recommend you interpret “cellar” somewhat loosely.

There are four main things to consider when storing wine: temperature, light, vibration and keeping the cork wet.

Temperature: Both red and white wine likes to be kept cool. 55°F is ideal, but more important than this magic number is that the temperature doesn’t fluctuate. Better a constant 65°F than 40° one day and 80° the next.

Light: Bright light and sunlight can damage wine as it ages in bottle, so the darker the room, the better. Total darkness is easily achieved by simply closing the lid of the case or the closet door.

Vibration: Areas subject to heavy foot traffic (or vacuum cleaners) should be avoided as wine, unlike martinis, should be neither shaken nor stirred.

Keep the cork wet: Laying your bottles down on their sides keeps the wine in contact with the cork, which in turn prevents the cork from drying out. Dry corks contract, allowing air to pass into the wine and wine to leak out. If air gets in, it renders the wine dull and lifeless and it will taste more like old sherry than wine.

If you keep these basic requirements in mind, you’ll find it remarkably easy to find a place to store your wine, and you won’t need a cellar at all. A corner of the basement, a closet in a spare bedroom, your shipping box or the cupboard under the stairs will all do nicely. And remember, the longer you plan to store your wine, the more important these factors become. If a newly-purchased wine is to be drunk in a day or two, it really doesn’t matter too much where you keep it, but if the wine is to be kept for weeks or months then find it a nice cool, dark spot.

Now, some wines require not months but many years, even decades, of bottle aging before they’re ready to drink. This is a small percentage of all the wines made, but nonetheless, it is an important one. Where you store these high quality (and often expensive) wines designed for long aging takes on a special importance if your investment is to be protected. In this case you may want to consider one of the commercially available wine storage units, which come in a variety of sizes and finishes. Another alternative is off-site storage, where you rent a locker in a temperature and humidity-controlled wine storage facility. This option is great for wines that you don’t plan to drink for some years and has the added advantage of being out of reach; a real bonus during those weak moments.

As your collection of wine grows you’ll need to keep track of it. An old-fashioned cellar book where you record each new wine that goes into your cellar and cross them off as you take them out, works just fine. These days, however, there are also numerous cellar software programs that make it easy and fun to manage your wine collection.

June 17th, 2008 | Tags: Wine Guide: Storing Wine | Category: Wine Guide: Storing Wine | Comments (1)