The Bride and The Beer

This morning on Twitter I found a beer-related article that shocked me with it's ridiculousness.

In New Zealand, the photo of a woman drinking a beer while wearing a wedding dress has shocked people and caused claims that the photo is 'disgusting'.  The woman photographed, Katrina Hayman was backstage at a Bride of the Year competition and was snapped by the Taranaki Daily News drinking a beer.  The photo was used on the front cover and caused controversy with readers claiming it was disgusting and the organisers of the event asking for a retraction as it showed the competition in a bad light.

The problem I have with this is people's perception of a bride.  Why can't a bride drink a beer?  I'm sure many have and will; why is it considered 'disgusting' for a woman to drink beer on her wedding day?  Why should she have to drink wine?  My mother does not drink alcohol, not for any other reason than she doesn't like the taste.  She never has.  On her wedding day, instead of champagne she had lemonade, but so no one would know they wrapped the lemonade bottle in a towel.  Over 30 years later you would think that we were open-minded enough for a woman to drink whatever she wants on her wedding day!

When I get married, I quite fancy toasting the day with a vintage beer rather than champagne that I'm not too fond of.  And if that's what I want, that is what I will have no matter what anyone thinks!

Here is a very good article by Natasha Burton from the Huffington Post discussing the issue quite nicely:  Why There's Nothing Wrong With A Bride Drinking Beer 

Here is the article about the incident in The Daily Mail with the original photo: Photo of Bride Swigging Beer Branded 'Disgusting'

American Craft Beer Week!

I think I've mentioned that I work on cruise ships and that gives me the opportunity to travel a lot.  Well, I just did a quick fill-in contract that took me to 8 different European countries in 3 weeks.... my beer adventures from there will be blogged soon :-)

While I was away there was an excellent radio programme on BBC Radio 4 about craft brewing in the USA called The New Beer Frontier.  I finally got to listen to it this week (the internet on cruise ships is a bit sketchy) which falls in line quite nicely with American Craft Beer Week.

Here's a summary of what I found interesting in the programme:

Originally, American brewing was influenced by British brewing techniques but this changed in the 1850s when an influence of German and Czech styles took over.  In fact, brewing in American became almost entirely German oriented, with meetings even been held in German.  Prohibition (from 1920-1933) skuppered the industry and when it was revoked, after WW1 a happy eye was not cast against an industry that was German run.

American brewing soon found the innovation of bottom fermentation, which led to the popularisation of lager beers that lasted longer but didn't have very complex taste (I'm looking at you Budweiser!)

The Craft Beer scene that we know and love today really took off in 1979 when home brewing was declared legal practice.  Also around this time air fairs were slashed so more people were taking trips to Europe and experiencing the beers available there.  The Americans came back from their European adventures and wanted to replicate the amazing flavours they had discovered.

In the 1980s, Boston was the place to be to taste new and exciting beers - Harpoon Brewery being one of the main culprits.

The Americans are now experimenting with many different styles and techniques.  New World hops are giving beers bigger, fruiter flavours and aromas and breweries like Cambridge Brewing Co in New York are trying out barrel ageing with wine, spirits and port wine barrels.

There are a few breweries mentioned in the programme that I need to look up the next time I am drinking beer in America.  The programme is still available on iPlayer here if you want to listen for yourself.

What's My Story?

I have only been drinking beer since 2008. I thought you might like to know
how this came about, so here's my story...

I have tried beer at various times throughout my life. My grandad and uncle
would dip our dummies in their pints when we were little. As I got old
enough to drink alcohol myself I didn't really like beer. I was girl, I
drank fruity drinks.

In 2007 I began work on cruise ships and the crew bar only served beer and
wine. I'm not a big wine drinker. I only really like white wine and sweet
ones at that. That left me with Smirnoff Ice.... Which was so sugary it
gave me indigestion. I had to find something else to drink...

I suffered the lack of suitable beverages until the summer of 2008. I was
on a different ship by then and with new people. While in the crew bar one
night one of my male friends went to buy me a drink and the conversation
went something like this:
Him: What do you want?
Me: A Smirnoff
Him: I'm not buying you that, it's basically Sprite, I'm getting you a beer
Me: But I don't like beer!
Him: You've never had a Sam Adams, have you?

He was right, I hadn't... I loved it! To this day Sam Adams is still my
favourite. It opened me up to a whole world of hoppy goodness. From there
I wanted to try more - lagers, ales, stouts, fruit based. I have found a
world of flavours in beers and I want to find more!

Tried Beer List

Here is my continually growing beer list. This post will be updated every time I try a new beer so keep an eye on it!

4-4-2 Shepherd Neame
Alaskan Amber Ale
Alaskan Summer Ale
Alexander Keith’s Dark
Alexander Keith’s Premium White
Alexander Keith’s Red
Badger Tanglefoot
Baltika lager
Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
Bass Pale Ale
Becks
Belkin Lager
BH (Beer House) Premium
Blue Moon Belgian White
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Bohemia
Boulevard Lunar Ale
Brand Up

Brooklyn Lager
Bud Light
Bud Light Lime
Budweiser
Carib
Carling
Carlsberg
Caybrew
Chimay Premier Rouge
Coopers original pale ale
Coors Light
Cornhusker lager
Corona
Corona Light
Dos Equis Amber
Dos Exies
Dunkle (Krombacher)
Dunkles Extra
Florida Beer Florida Lager
Fosters
Franziskaner
Früh Kölsch
Fruli strawberry beer
Fumisterie (Hemp beer)
Garrison Raspberry Wheat
Greenwich Raspberry Wheat
Guinness
Heineken
Hobgoblin Ale
Hoegaarden Original white ale
Indiana Pale Ale
Innocence
Ironshore Bock
Island Summer Ale

John Smith's Extra Smooth
Kalik
Karhu III
Key West Sunset Ale
Kilkenny Irish Ale
Kona Longboard
Konig Ludwig Dunkle
Krombacher
Kronenbourg 1664
La Mondaine Brune
Landshark lager
Lapin Kulta III
Leafpeeper Lager
M&S Belgian Cherry Wheatbeer
Mariestads 3.5%
Marsalkka Vehnä
Märzen Spezial
Meantime London Porter
Medalla light
Medovar Honey
Michlob Light
Miller Light
Modelo Especial
Molson Canadian
Moosehead Lager
Moosehead Light
Newcastle Brown Ale
Newport Storm Hurricane Amber Ale
Newport Storm Oktoberfest
Norfolk Bitter
Old Speckled Hen
Pearl Light
Péché Mortel
Peroni
Pete’s Wicked Ale Strawberry Blonde
Pilsner Gold
Pilsner Urquell
Presidente
Propeller Pumpkin Ale
Pump House Blueberry Ale
Punk IPA
Red Rooster Ale
Red Stripe
Red Stripe Bold
Redbridge Gluten Free Beer
Rickard’s White Ale
Rostocker Pils
Rothaus Hefeweizen Zäpfle
Russell Cream Ale
Russell Honey Blonde
Russell Lager
Sagres
Saku Originaal
Salva Vida
Samuel Adams Backberry Witbeir
Samuel Adams Boston Brick Red
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
Samuel Adams Irish Red
Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA
Samuel Adams Noble Pilsner
Samuel Adams Oktoberfest
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Adams White Ale
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Sandringham Diamond Ale
San Miguel
Sandels
Sands
Sands Light
Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat
Sea Dog India Pale Ale
Shipyard Export Ale
Shock Top Belgian White
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sleeman IPA
Southern Tier Raspberry Wheat
Spendrups Premium Lager 5%
Spitfire Kentish Ale
St-Ambroise The Great Pumpkin Ale (Citrouille)
St David's Light
Stella Artois
Super Bock
Tecate Light
Tiger Beer
Tropical Mango Pale Ale
Tuborg Classic
Tuborg Gron
Unibroue Blonde De Chambly
Vana Viini Lager 
Warsteiner Premium Verum
Wieckse Witte
Wychcraft White Ale
Yeugling traditional lager

Let Me Tell You A Little About Myself...

Hello! Welcome to the first post of my new blog.

My name is Joanne and by profession I am a wardrobe supervisor. Most of the time I work on cruise ships traveling the world and doing arty things. I embroider, watch movies, read books and hang out with my friends. Recently, however, I have realised that I have another hobby. I really like beer.... and I really like tasting beer! Where ever I am I like to try the 'beer of the land'.

I only started to drink beer in 2008 but since then to date (April 2012) I have tried 127 different beers and my list is growing all the time.

On this blog I am going to start writing about the beers I try and the beer adventures I have. I also hope to learn about beer while I'm at it. I'm no expert, I just like drinking beer! I want to learn about types of beer, brewers and all that jazz and hopefully give you my unique perspective on it - as a woman, as a traveler, as an artist and as an amateur.

Follow me on my journey, why don't you and have a few brews with me :-)