It is obvious you have never been to Portugal, if you can try to have a taste of our national brands if you can contact a Portuguese Imigrant Comunity, they will have some bottles for you and your friends to have a try. Regards, Paulo Gonçalves
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Originally posted by CMDunbar
David, No one else has replied - is this because they don’t drink wine or that they agree?!?!?
I see you are a wine fan, for you posts in this forum i can see that you already tasted some Portuguese wine, hope you where well advised about what brands or Certified Regions to try. Anyway , if you use to read wine related news , you would be awere that wines from Portugal are winning or beeing 2nd, 3rd on the major contests in Europe. When you visit Portugal again, if you give me a notice i will gladly give you some links for what and where to buy very good wine. Best regards, Paulo Gonçalves
Paulo, If you let me know what are your favourite Portugese wines are, I’ll make sure I keep an eye out and try them. [;)] I have only tasted one bottle before, at a wedding at the weekend but can’t remember what it was called. It was a red and it was tasty! [:)]
German beer - because there is nothing better than a bavarian “Weissbier” 
In every little town in southern germany there is a different brewery. And most of them are still independent - not owned by one of the big players, that serve beer in cans (uhhhäää) and all taste the same. Something like Heineken you only can use for cooking.
quote:
Originally posted by CMDunbar
Paulo, If you let me know what are your favourite Portugese wines are, I’ll make sure I keep an eye out and try them. [;)] I have only tasted one bottle before, at a wedding at the weekend but can’t remember what it was called. It was a red and it was tasty! [:)]
Well Dumbar, each man as its own preferences, my self i’m not a true specialist , anyway , i’ m pointing some references just bellow, that make a part of my choices. Mi prefered wines vary with the kind of meal, season, location or mood. For instance in the summer and with fresh fish or sea food i would have a very light and fresh ( 7º ) green young wine from “Alvarinho” or “Loureiro” grapes. Enjoing a soft cheese wiht a vintage 20 years Oporto wine like “Taylors” or simply take a small glass of sweet “Carcavelos” wine. A meat dinner goes well with strong and very large taninos red Alentejo wines like “Tapada de Coelheiros” or “Tinto da Anfora” or any “touriga” grape wines from Borba, Esporão or Reguengos regions. You can have some information about main certified regions and only best brands/labels at http://www.spiritdivino.com where you can find an english version of the site. More information on followig posts, I have very good memories of sharing good meals and wines in Lisbon with foreigner coleagues, who knows we can meet some day. Best Regards Paulo Gonçalves
Moin: Are there any beers around the world except german ones??? All I´ve drunk when abroad where “beer-alikes”. :o) The best brand at all is the “Jever” from northern germany. It has this bitter taste I prefer. Nothing for our silk-friends. Regards Alarich
Sorry folks, but there’s only one country that makes real beer, and that’s the UK. Every other country in the world only makes ‘pretend’ beer, otherwise known as ‘lager’ which as you might know is derived from the Latin word ‘lagerestnastyus’ which means ‘three week old fizzy dishwater’. There are many beers of note, but John Smiths, Samuel Smiths, Theakstons are all particularly good. [:D]
I agree with Justin that the UK make the best Real Ales i.e. Hobgoblin, Tanglefoot,Black Sheep, Old Speckled hen etc. No one makes Cider like the west country folk, allegedly it’s not even real scrumpy unless there is a dead rat in the bottom of the barrel. But for the best beer it has to be Belguim. With over 130 different breweries the choice is endless. Hoegaarden witbier Duvel Grimbergen Dubbel Grimbergen Optimo Bruno being some of my favourites
I think it is wonderfull that there is such variety, not just the beers, but the drinkers. I put the Countries up in the order that I think they should go, (1=Belgium, 2=Czech, 3=British, 4= German, Ireland was 5, but I needed an “Other category also”. Belgian wins because of variety, the main thing, is just how different each of their beers are. Czech on quality and taste. I prefer Czech beer to Belgian, it definitely tastes better, but there is not as much variety as Belgian. Interestingly, I could not find a favorite Belgian beer, there are just too many, but I guess being comercial I would have to pick Duvel, Problem is it tastes so different in bottles to the stuff you get in Belgium also Cinq Cents I think survives the bottle torture well. Czech beer has got to be Kozel, and Peagus comes in a close 2nd. British beer is … well … BEER. The real stuff. I suppose that creates an issue doesn’t is, since really Beer is an Egyptian invention, and Lager is a Czech invention. Still, I guess 5,000 years ago the Egyptians probably brewed a pretty good pint. I have to go with Justin on Theakston’s, and XXXXXX. And we all know that German beer is good, consistantly good, they have rules in Germany that demand good beer. I love Erdinger Wiess Bier, but really only for the cool glasses. And Irish, well its just the whole “pub” concept they have, and nothing wrong with a good old pint of Murphy’s.
David, I will definately need to visit Czech & Belgium to taste these beers that you talk about! As for Irish alcohol - Murphy’s is very nice, btu what about Caffrey’s and of course, Guiness?!?!?!?! The Irish pub thing as you call it, is fantastic and well worth a trip too!
Its a bit late now, but anyway … a great St. Patrick’s Day joke. An Irishman walks out of a pub. think about it…
Anyone care to comment on whether real Irish Guinness is better than the Guinness we get over here in England? I had a few pints of the black stuff last time I was in Dublin, and I didn’t notice a lot of difference. But then I’ve never compared the two side by side?
Justin The Irish Guiness is different from what you get over here. The head on Irish Guiness is slightly darker in Colour and the taste is not quite as bitter as what you buy here.
My better half has just been to Dublin (2 weeks ago), and she had never tasted Guinness until visiting the factory in Dublin. She ended up having a number of pints in the factory and enjoyed the taste. Last weekend we went to our local, and she thought she’d try a pint here. She complained that it tasted different (not as good) and refused to finish the pint after only taking a couple of sips!! Don’t worry though, I wasn’t going to let a good pint go to waste. [;)] Not that I can comment myself, but I have heard a lot of people that adhere to this notion.
Hmmm, we all know what beer is made of right? The only real difference between all beer is the water used to make it, so there is no way that beer brewed at two different locations can ever taste the same. Even thought the label may try to convince us otherwise. And as for which is better, … well always the original.
I am very sad to see just 1 vote for Czech [:(] Czech beer is the best… Everyone knows… OK Guiness is fantastic as well. David, our best beer is called PILSNER, could you correct it? Connull, I am ready to pay few beer for you on your visit here!
Martin, I may have to take you up on that offer! [:D]
Sorry Martin, Plzensky Prazroj is a great beer, and probably the beer I drink the most[:o)], since you can buy it just about anywhere now, but it’s not the best[V]. Kozel, Bernard, Budvar, Hanusovice Serak (jednacka), Peagus, Radegast, Krusovice, even Cerna Hora Kern and Staro Brno’s Cerveny Drak, (in that order) are all better. in my opinion of course. Some will even say that Gambrinus is now better than its big brother. As for the votes for Czech Beer, I was also quite surprised. But then, at last count 1133 people read this topic, and only 43 voted. I think this is because once you have read the poll anonymously, it is impossible to go back and then vote. PS… don’t forget U Fleku. PPS … I heard a rumor that it is possible to get Kozel in the NY area, any one know about this?
Belgium. No contest. In which other country can you ask for a ‘mazout’ (Belgian for diesel) and you get lager mixed with coke? Looks like diesel but doesn’t taste like it (I think…)
If they honestly server beer mixed with Coke in Belgium, then I am taking them off the list[;)].