So I've decided that what I really need to do is lose some friends by making a BEER VERSUS WINE post. Because as most of you know, I feed on discord like some horrible little Grecian sprite.
On the other hand, most people already know my stance because of what I write about. I like wine. What I want is for people to tell me what they prefer and why, and I can do a happy little write-up about the ensuing arguments. So please, if you read this blog at all, let me know whether you prefer beer, wine, or spirits and why you think it's the best!
Definitely beer - I like wine, but I get bored with the fact that it always tastes of fruit (duh). Beer can taste of fruit, nuts, coffee, chocolate, oak, spices, and many other things. Essentially, beer has a better overall diversity than wine.
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to use some of my knowledge of culinary nonsense to weigh in on this.
ReplyDeleteSpirits rank number 3 on the list without much thought because while good spirits have lots of flavor and potential, they can just be lumped into the category of "party drink." To be able to match a spirit or a cocktail to a meal is much more difficult to do and to drink them alone can be delicious however I find them not nearly as refreshing as beer or wine.
Wine and beer are neck and neck for the top spot in my opinion however I must say that wine is the 2nd best to beer. Wine's complexity compliments any meal and can be drank anytime food or no food. The downside to wine is that when it comes to drinking it alone, the refreshment factor is not as strong as beer. The wines that are perceived as stand alone from food tend to be so fruity and sugary that I feel like I am drinking juice.
Beer wins the number one spot because of its versatility. There is a beer for everything and I feel because many brewers these days are not limiting themselves to the four traditional ingredients (water, hops, barley, and yeast) they can pair better with food. Wine is still only made with two ingredients (grapes and yeast). Because of the versatility of the new beer (microbrews), beer can rival even the finest French wines and is even starting to be aged like wine is. Soon you will be able to got to the liquor store and pick up a 2006 World Wide stout (dogfish head brewery) along with your chardonnays and merlots.
**side note** this lengthy post does not take into consideration funding. With unlimited funds, any of the three can win because of the variety of all the products.
I have to say that, while I do not dislike wine, beer still holds a special place in my heart for the same versatility to which the chef aludes. If I'm looking to have a drink, by itself, a beer is tasty, refreshing, and even filling.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm looking to pair something with food, the beer is still my choice because of the variety of flavors I like in my beer and in the food I eat.
If I'm being cheap, I know cheap beers that I like, and if I'm being snooty I know expensive beers that I like.
I just don't find that complexity in wine simply because there are so many wines I don't like. There are probably many out there I would enjoy, and don't have the inclination to hack and slash my way through the morase of craptastic bottles.
Both are delicious but wine has a higher alcohol content.
ReplyDeleteWine with a meal, but beer for serious drinking. Whisky [single malt: the Macallan] for even more serious drinking. Russian vodka [straight from the freezer] for oblivion.
ReplyDelete