Beer Basics from BeerBitch12

Ales vs. Lagers

The word Ale may come from the Old English "ealu," or even further, "alut," which holds connotations of "sorcery, magic, possession, intoxication."






Lager, comes from "lagern," which
means "to store."






An Ale is a type of beer using top-fermented yeast, fermented at higher temps so they ferment faster than lagers. These higher temps produce significant amount of esters, which give the beer a fruity quality, whether it be pineapple, apple, banana, etc., so they have a sweeter, fuller body than lagers.




A Lager is a type of beer that uses bottom-fermented yeast that ferments at lower temperatures at the bottom of the vessel. They are usually light in color and usually fall into one of the three following categories: helles, pale lager or Pilsner. Because of the type of yeast and temperatures used, lagers are more mild than ales and have less fruitiness and spiciness to them, as the lower temps don't release as many esters as in a lager.




That was Beer Lesson #1

Next up: Beer Laws of Oklahoma!

Beginner's Sake 101

Just a few facts, a little information for anyone interested in Sake...


--Sake is often called the "Drink of the Gods" by the Japanese and is produced from rice, water, koji spores and specially selected yeasts.

--Sake is brewed like beer but drinks like a wine, and has 15-16% alcohol per volume (apv).

--Premium sake is to regular sake what Single Malt Scotch is to the blends.

--Premium sake is brewed by family craftsman rather than large industrial manufacturers, and is made by hand rather than machine.

--Premium sake is gluten-free, sulfite free and kosher.

--Sake can be served chilled or warm, at body temperature, and not piping hot, as heat destroys the flavor.



Levels of Sake

Junmai-shu --highest grade of sake made with pure rice and uses less than 70% polished rice. It ends up heavier and tasting fuller than other sake.

Honjozo-shu--has a small amount of ethyl alcohol added during the final stages. Water is added later to keep the alcohol content the same. It's lighter and drier than others and can be served warm.

Ginjo-shu--uses 60% polished rice and is fermented even longer than Junmai, which results in a complex and delicate flavor.

Daiginjo-shu--like Ginjo but the rice is polished to 50% of the original size and takes even longer to make.

Futsuu-shu is any sake that doesn't fit into one of the other categories.

Oklahoma gets a good deal of Futsuu, but the Premium Ginjo is rising in popularity, and is starting to be made available.

Class dismissed!




Info comes from Vine Connections, wineintro.com, and The Sake Handbook.

There's no clever title today.

I will straight up admit it.

I do not like to see other people happy.

I am fucking irate today.

I am not sure why, exactly.

It's like the PMS/PMDD is extending itself beyond its time, but is EXTREMELY bad RIGHT NOW.


It's August 11, 2009.

So what, right? It's Danyel and Jon Jon's wedding anniversary. It's Turner's birthday. It's Dave Bewley's birthday...It's Derek Bewley's birthday.

Aha.

Wonderful.

So I am in a rage because of THAT? AGAIN? REALLY?

I am really hoping not.

But, yes, as one of my facebook statuses(stati?) I said something about the 4th or 5th worst day of my life being 8/11/02...Right after May 25, 2005, July 1, 2002, and graduation day 2003, or May 3, 2003.

Yes, I know the dates.

Each one is engraved on my mind and soul for all time.

Not to be overly dramatic, or anything.

I am seriously pissed off.

I guess.

I am not entirely sure WHAT I am feeling.

Let's dissect.

I am completely broke. I have no money for gas and I have no idea how I am getting home and back to work tomorrow. Every literal penny I have is gone. I cannot get out of the ghetto that I call home. I can't eat this week.

I am stuck in fucking limbo.

I can't even explain myself well enough, can't get my ideas across, about something I am passionate about...and when I try, I end up losing.

Quitters never win, yes? Well, I wish I had never started.

Why do you have a fake id?/So I can vote.

My childhood is dying, right before my eyes.

Michael Jackson, dead at the age of 50, due to a dr. who couldn't say "No" to the King of Pop, and instead enabled his disease, thereby killing him with a drug that should ONLY be used in ORs, under the careful watch and guidance of an anestheologist.

Not that I had his posters up and was totally enamored of him...I didn't realize how big of a fan I was til I found out he was gone. Sounds about right, for my life.

John Hughes, founder of Shermer, Illinois, director of all 80s movies that really mattered, died today of a heart attack while walking down the street with his family in NYC. "The city claims another victim," so sayeth Jenn Turner.

WTF?

Creator of Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club...Mr. Mom, even. I grew up on this stuff. THIS is what has made me [partially] the smart ass I am today. As sophomoric as "they" say the humor was, it seemed real. It seemed that every Samantha would get her Jake(ha!) and that all misfits had a place. It gave us hope.

Now what do we have? Vampires that sparkle in the sun?

THAT's not hopeful.

THAT's faggy.

RIP John Hughes.

A moment of Zen...or someone is getting Hate Crimed.

I am irate. But I am not showing it. I am being calm.

I am being downright Zen.

But I am pissed.

And Miss Mary is fluttering about, like there is absolutely nothing wrong.

Well, let me tell you
1) Telling people what is wrong with them in a list form via text message is INCORRECT. 2) Especially when you claim to be FRIENDS with them. 3.) You're a fucking douche.

Seriously, out of all the people that know me, not many KNOW me, and not many LIKE me.

And guess how much I care?

Not much. Or else I would be crying for Annie's forgiveness for saying something stupid. I'm sorry you don't like the truth, sweetie, but regardless of the fact that it's FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, I lived through it, so I can call it like I see it. For instance, I am the Original Gangsta Fag Hag(who is on Fag Sabbatical) and I can call a Fag a Fag. See what I mean?

Anyway, I may be looking for a new job....I can't work under the current gay administration, if you get me...

Don' t Look

First of all, before I get started, fuck Wikipedia.


Secondly, why do I ALWAYS want what I'm not willing to ask for? What I know I can' t have, don't deserve? Shouldn't ever have?

And why do I want it so bad? Well, I guess I know the answer to that question...but WHY does it have to happen the exact same way everytime?

I hate feeling heartsick over something I can't change. I am who I am, I look like what I do...On the outside of me, it's not that bad, but having all of the knowledge that I possess on this particular subject....it's not enough. I am not enough. Not for anyone else. And that sucks. Because it used to be ok. Now it's not.

It actually hurts...like it did with Derek...only now, it's torture b/c I don't have the choice to run away. I just have to see it, live it, every day.

I know it's more trouble than it's worth, but I don't have any sort of intimate relationship with anyone...Not sex, intimacy, inner knowledge shared with another.

Birthday Hugs are one thing....This is on a different level.

I don't like showing weakness, but that's what I do.


PS On the other side, I keep thinking about the hot bathroom sex I had about 5 or 6 years ago....wish it would have ended differently, or not happened so I could remember it. And weird turtle sex...You don't even understand what is being done to me.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

This is a day I never thought I would see. Very much like the O.J. Simpson white Bronco situation, I am glued to watching the hearse carrying Michael Jackson's body to the Staples Center.

When Elvis died, it was major.

When Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, it was major.

When Kurt Cobain took his own life, it was major.

Michael Jackson died, under slightly suspicious circumstances. That is major.

The King of Pop is dead. And it's possible his death could have been avoided. That is a tragedy.

There are some people wondering why I am so upset about this death. Well, 99% of the entire world is upset; this man made a huge impact on my young life, without me evening knowing it. That's one reason. Another is...It's a death. It's another funeral. If you had gone through as much death and been to as many funerals as I have in the past 5 years, you would understand completely.

I don't think I'm a Death Hag, necessarily. I think that I am inches away from Death at any moment of any day, so the Reaper and I are very close.

This is a loss EVERYONE feels. Dancers, singers, actors, black folk, white folk, London Town, Asians, Koreans, Canadians...EVERYONE is feeling, and celebrating and hurting.

How is it possible that we now live in a world without Michael Jackson? When he's been a fixture in our lives and in our hearts for forty years? Now, all of a sudden, he's gone.

How do you even reconcile that?