I thought about this on my way in today. I saw that someone found our site by googling the question “Is drinking on the weekend bad for you?” It got me thinking that there are a lot of questions that I sometimes wonder about, and moreover wonder about how you all feel about certain things, so without any further adieu here are my 5 questions for your weekend.
- Which do you like better, Scotch Whiskey or Bourbon Whiskey? Another way to ask this might be which do you like better Scottish Whisky or American Whiskey? More and more Bourbon is being referred to as American Whiskey and Tennessee Whiskey is loosing out on overall market share. What might bring it back is the trend towards microdistilling, but that is another question entirely. So which do you like better? My answer for now it Bourbon Whiskey but I am putting my big toe into the world of Scotch Whisky right now, and who knows? I might be a convert…
- What is your favorite style of beer? Does it change over the seasons? Do you look forward to the seasonal brews coming out? OK, technically that is three questions, but they are all related. As for me, my favorite style of beer (right now) is Barleywine. That was a real shocker to me when I first started thinking about it, particularly because when I first started drinking beer, I really didn’t care for the barleywine style. But more and more I really find myself craving the flavor of a good high ABV barleywine. Can’t hardly wait for Deschutes Mirror Mirror to hit the shelves again for 2010. In the summer I find myself looking forward to Saisons and Farmhouse Ales. And now that I know a lot more about beer, I truly look forward to the change in seasons and the different seasonal brews coming back into the market.
- Do you think about food pairings with your beer or whiskey often? I personally do not. I know that a lot has been made about the different pairings and how flavors complement each other, etc. But to me this adds an entire layer of complexity that I really don’t understand or appreciate. I like to keep it simple and focus on the beer. If I’m having a beer with my meal I think about what type of beer I want to drink, not what goes with the food I am having. I’m probably in the minority here, but that is just how I roll. It doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate a good food pairing, but I don’t think about it when I go to bed or take a shower.
- Do you think drinking on the weekends is bad for you? This is the question that started it all, and I say unequivocally NO! If I gave up drinking on the weekends I would have to give up 90% of my drinking. I don’t really ever get trashed, but if I did it would be on a weekend so I wouldn’t miss work because of it. Weekends were made for drinking and enjoying and rejuvenating yourself and drinking is a part of relaxation. How can that be bad for you?
- Finally, What are you drinking this weekend? I am personally slammed at work right now, and will be working this weekend and next, and maybe the one after too. So I am very limited on what I’ll be partaking in, but I have a couple new whiskeys and a bunch of brews to get to so I will be having a little, but not too much since work is beckoning. How about you?
Now It would be asking a lot to have anyone answer all five questions in detail like I have just done, so take one or two and let us know. It will be nice to get to know you all better. Have a great weekend.
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
-Scotch Whiskey. Hands down. I love the somewhat smokey/peat-like scent and flavor.
– I definitely change my beers with the seasons. Much more into Hefeweizens and such in the summer and darker beers in the winter.
– I also am very conscious of pairing the alcohol with food. However, as I have said before, I am also a wine geek and mostly think about it in connections with wine.
Lennie
Hey Lennie, good to see you here. Wine? What is that? Anyway, I’m sure you aren’t alone. Actually I too think far more about wine when thinking food pairings too. I think it is marketed that way, where beer is not. Scotch? It is good, but I had an incident in college that keeps me away from the peaty stuff. The fruity scotches I love, and have a big new one to try soon.
1. Bourbon
2. Barrel Aged Stouts and Ales
3. No – just the beer and whiskey
4. No
5. See 1 and 2 above
Thank you for your very word efficient answer.
UR Wlcm.
1. Irish Whiskey.
2. Golden Ales.
3. Yes, I try to pair food and drink- although that’s usually beer or wine. I rarely drink spirits with food.
4. Not really as long as it’s not accompanied by drinking all week.
5. I’ll see what guest ales my local pub has on this weekend and get back to you on that.
Ha! +1 on #4, Dve.
Ahhh Pulling out a Bit o’ the Irish on me. I like Irish Whiskey, I don’t love it…At least from my limited exposure.
1. I have yet to be educated on this topic. But being unemployed, and in school full time: I don’t think now’s a good time to take interest in a new thing that costs money.
2. I love me some barrel aged stouts. But my favorite changes from session to session.
3. I love pairing food and beer. I do it as often as I can.
4. Absolutely not
5. That is an excellent question.
That shows great restraint on your part Evan. I recently got into yet another expensive habit..Cigars. Man, just stay away. I’m going broke!
Well, being a beer enthusiast/homebrewer, as well as an addicted steelhead fly fisherman… I don’t know how my wife and I manage to have money left to buy food.
Because you are making and catching food?…perhaps?
99% of what I catch are wild steelhead; which can’t even legally be removed from the water for a quick picture.
Those fish are woosies! Can’t be removed from the water…Wimps! Good to know tho that since you are such a good fisherman, you could fill the freezer if need be.
1. On the rare occasions I drink whiskey, I’m reaching for bourbon.
2. In general I will drink an IPA or pilsner, but on a hot summer day I really enjoy a wit.
3. I don’t much think about pairing my food with beer. Although I have learned the hard way that an IPA does not work well with cheesecake.
4. Not at all.
5. I have a growler of Prima Pils in the fridge. It’s a solid start.
Duly noted….No IPAs with Cheesecake! Blech!
1. I’ve had bourbon more often, and have really started to enjoy it much more lately. I’m pretty happy if I’m sipping some 100+ proof bourbon neat (for that interesting cooling effect) or with Jim Beam with a splash of citrus. That said, the best whiskey I’ve ever had, by far, was some aged Caol Ila Scotch. It was incredibly smooth.
2. My favorites are barleywines and stouts. IPAs are great too, and more appealing in the summer, when it’s tough to feel like drinking a really rich stout.
3. I enjoy having a drink with my food, but I rarely think about the relationships. The exceptions are when there’s an obvious national drink to have with a meal or when I cook with alcohol, in which case I think it’s often fun to have the same thing as a drink.
4. Everything’s fine in moderation, right? And moderation is a subjective term.
5. I’ll be volunteering/enjoying the NOVA Brewfest in Virginia this weekend, which means I’ll be trying out a bunch of beers. Since there will be a handful of German and Belgian breweries present, I’ll have the chance to try a bunch of new things.
Hey Nathanial, thanks for dropping by. I too love bourbon. It is my primary drink. Keep trying to find new things. It’s tough in a control state like Idaho. Glad to have another barleywine guy on the blog, I like a good stout too. Good idea to pair what you are drinking to what you might have used in a maranade or sauce. That sounds like a great weekend plan. Enjoy. Cheers.
1. Canadian…
2. Hefeweizen, Yes and Yes (mostly, Spring and Summer)
3. No… I would rather match my food to the Beer I’m having or not eat something (like Sweets or Breakfast) while I’m drinking.
4. Absolutely NO.
5. Home Brew HEF and if I’m lucky, some Chocolate Porter…
I hate it when a meal like breakfast gets in the way of my drinking! Randy…can we talk…we really need to get you off the Canadians. They’re just so bad. Come over to the american side of things. far better flavor and quality, and if it is too intense add a little water or ice, not Grain Neutral Spirits like the Canadian’s like to load into their whiskies.
Don, can you list your top 3-5 Bourbons (available in California) to try? I’ll definitely give feedback on how the “taste test” goes. Thanks.
Since you are new Randy, you probably haven’t seen this post but I refer people to it often. Take a look and pick a couple. They are all great. Let me know your thoughts. https://beerandwhiskeybros.com/2010/06/25/dons-top-5-whiskeys-for-noobs/
Enjoy.
1, Have taken a liking to Bourbon recently – love the excitement of finding something new and different and Scotch and Irish whisky/whiskey was getting boring.
2. Beer style definitely changes over the seasons but love anything Belgian.
3. Not a lot of thought goes into pairing what I’m drinking with food; I usually just drink and take in all the beer/whiskey has to offer with no distractions
4. Weekends are usually when I do my best work – drinking and enjoying a beer or whiskey at a leisurely pace is what I look forward to the most after a week of “work” work.
5. Oddly enough, I am going to dinner with my wife’s family on Saturday night to celebrate her uncle’s 85th birthday. I usually don’t spend time pairing drink with food, but thought it would be interesting to try to pair a beer with Italian food. So far I’ve come up with 2 choices – Dogfish Head Red & White (aged in pinot noir and oak barrels) and Ommegang Rare Vos.
All sounds good Rob. Maybe you should become a beer sommelier. Those sound like excellent pairings.
Just call it a lucky guess – I hope it works out as I tried to search out some suggestions for beer pairings and came up empty.
1. Bourbon
2. Barrel Aged Stouts and Ales
3. No – just the beer and whiskey
4. No
5. See 1 and 2 above – Old Weller Antique and Victory Storm King both for the first time. They Better not let me down.
From now on Jim can just answer for me.
Hey John, about the Old Weller Antique and Victory Storm King. Both are excellent, but I might not try to back the storm King with the OWA. Even though OWA is 107 proof it will get overwhelmed by the huge maltiness of the Storm King. I might suggest something with a higher rye flavor profile like a Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit or a Knob Creek if you are gong to be backing your beer with the whiskey. Also the Storm king will destroy your palate, so take in moderation with food, or anything you want to taste.
Good to know. I do have a bottle of 13yr old Van Winkle Rye that might do the trick. I’ll probably have a Old Weller and then start on the Storm King. I stay away from the backing with beer as the following morning tends to become difficult and kids don’t care daddys hungover.
Man I hear that! I love the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye! That stuff is stellar and would hold up very well to the Storm King.
It is tasty. If your ever in Chicao I am willing to share. The only thing better than a glass of whiskey is one shared with people who enjoy it.
John, I didn’t know you were in Chicago! Is a matter of fact I will be there next month on Business, and would love to get together. Shoot me an e-mail and we can set something up off line. dcgalligan AT gmail-dot-com (gotta keep the spam bots at bay!)
Thanks!
Both were excellent and I did try to back the OWA with the Storm King (towards the end of my OWA)as an experiment and you were totally corect on your assesment. That doesn’t happen often where the beer negates the whisky. They usually flow in a perfectly harmonious sequence but not this time. Gonna have to try the rye now and further experiment.
Here are my 5 answers:
1: I don’t drink much whiskey…but I would say Bourbon since I have tasted some bourbons that were pretty good and havent had much Scotch.
2. At the moment, my favorite style is IPAs. This will switch between IPAs and standard pale ales depending on what has made me think “wow!” most recently.
3. I do a lot of THINKING about food pairings and cooking with beer (hence the pancakes), but in practice I just drink what sounds good at the time.
4. Yes…only because “drinking on the weekends” implies you are not drinking during the week. I think drinking should be spread evenly over any day to avoid any temptations to over serve yourself when drinking on the weekends.
5. Not sure what I will be drinking this weekend, I think I may throw some wine into the mix, but as far as beer…probably some Saranac beers and some homebrew.
Well Jim would say he was sorry you had to drink the Saranac beers. They aren’t really his thing. Interesting perspective on the weekend thing, but I drink when I want to, just am mindful of greater consequences during the week, hence I slow way down. Sometimes I think about pairings too, but the reality is I just drink what I want.
1. Rye whiskey because I have *thing* for all things rye. But since the question was specific, I tend to like Bourbons more than Scotch.
2. Yes, I’m a very seasonal drinker (and eater) but if I had to pick one favorite style it’d be saison.
3. I love doing food and beer pairings. I even did a multi-course beer and seafood pairing dinner for Christmas last year.
4. Of course not! Weeknights I don’t have more than one beer if at all so weekends are my chance to kick back and enjoy a few.
5. I’m going to the beer store tonight so we’ll see. Hiking in Boulder Sunday and will probably stop by Avery afterward to quench my thirst.
Ahhh, Nicole, that sounds like a great weekend. Going up to Rocky Mountain National, or staying more local? The beer pairing thing sounds interesting, but like a lot of work. I’d love to be your guest. And I have to admire a woman that loves rye! I consider Rye almost the same thing as bourbon, because all the rules are the same for the spirit. It has to be aged a minimum of 2 years in new charred Oak Barrels, it has to go in at no more than 125 proof and has to come out at no more than 165 proof, there cannot be any artificial colors or flavors, etc. The only difference is that it has to have at least 51% rye in the mashbill, just as bourbon must have at least 51% corn in the mashbill. So if not the same, then kissin cousins. Have a great weekend.
1: Haven’t ventured into either one
2: IPA, it doesn’t change all year. I force myself to drink “with the season.” I think part of this is the fact Sacramento doesn’t really have seasons. We have sunny/hot and rainy/mildly cold.
3: I rarely think about beer pairings. An IPA or brown goes with almost anything.
4: Drinking on the weekends is not bad. Drinking LATE on Sunday is bad.
5: This weekend I may chill my Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary stout since it will be cold/rainy. I’ve been hanging on to it since February. I’ll probably hold off thought and drink my homebrew SN Celebration Ale and Moose Drool clones.
Matt! You MUST venture into the SPIRIT world! There is no better time than now! Go here, and choose your elixir of choice. https://beerandwhiskeybros.com/2010/06/25/dons-top-5-whiskeys-for-noobs/
I did learn today, however, that IPA and Cheesecake…not so much.
Sounds like some great selections, and I will take your advice about drinking late on SUNDAY. It is technically the weekend, but could be bad.
I’m almost there. You responded to one of my comments with the Ancient Age 10 Star and I was thoroughly intrigued. I’m afraid for my wallet and my liver if I get into spirits. I’m a huge fan of the Grecian motto “everything, in moderation” and I don’t have an addictive personality so I can probably handle it.
I take it back, it was the Old Weller Antique that piqued my interest.
Either are great. It isn’t that expensive when you consider that a $20 bottle will get you about 12 drinks. Like you say, everything in moderation. Explore over time, and have fun with it.
1. Between the two, probably American (Bourbon) whiskey. I am not ashamed to say I like a little bit of Wild Turkey from time to time. My favorite though is Irish whiskey like Tullamore Dew or Jameson’s.
2. My favorite beers are typically trippels or pale ales these days. I used to be a stout guy but my tastes have changed. I love seasonals, particularly Oktoberfests.
3. Nope. I drink beer with cake and it doesn’t matter the kind of beer or cake.
4. That’s what the weekend is for!
5. Nebraska Brewing Company Cardinal Pale Ale and Nut Brown Ale.
Sounds like those are pretty safe cake beers! Hope you had a great weekend.
1. I don’t drink whiskey. sorry. I’m a schnapps guy when it comes to liquor. not even kidding. however, this is starting to wear on my self esteem so if I were to switch to whiskey where should I start? (answering questions with questions…..that’s nice.)
2. IPA I suppose, overall I like hoppiness. but I do look forward to seasonal offering as it gets me to try things other than IPAs.
3. The only time I think about pairings is if it says it right on a menu.
4. Drinking on the weekends is good for me. I don’t see how there could be an argument for it being bad.
5. This weekend I had the Stone Double Bastard. It gave me a stomach ache. Or maybe that was from cheesesteaks. Unfortunately, it is a rather busy weekend so that is all I had time for.
That is fine Justin. We all went to college once…I think…anyway Schnapps won’t kill you, but you probably don’t ever want to loose it on Fuzzy Navels. Ooof the hangover! Anyway I have created my 5 whiskeys for noobs post just for this question. Take a look here…https://beerandwhiskeybros.com/2010/06/25/dons-top-5-whiskeys-for-noobs/
That should get you a good start.
Nice post about whiskey for noobs and I will definitely check some of those out. But unfortunately the schnapps thing started about a decade after college – which makes it even weirder – not even sure how it originated but I suspect it had something to do with a girl. I can think of no other reason why a shot of schnapps (Blackberry to specify) would ever be ordered. And it really doesn’t even taste good.
Wow Justin! Wow. Not even Peppermint and hot chocolate on a brisk or snowy day? Blackberry? Really? well, take my post and go get a bourbon. It will help you choose something you will probably like, and might get that corner glued back onto your mancard.
1. Bourbon for sure but I still love Scotch, Scotchy Scotch Scotch.
2. I’m about halfway between changing my favorite style of beer from IPA to Quads/Belgian Strong Dark Ales. The thing most responsible for the slow movement is that it’s wet hop ale season and that… is just magical.
3. I haven’t been big into food pairings yet… but the three that I do find work very well for me are 1) Spicy foods with very hoppy IPA’s 2) Smoke beers with Mexican food 3) This one is a no brainer but the Chimay cheese with pretty much any Trappist ale. As for whiskey, I like to keep that separate from my food.
4. Hell no, in fact weekend drinking is my favorite because it means I can engage in the even more satisfying MORNING DRINKING! All hail breakfast stouts!
5. This weekend we are having a Halloween party and I bought a monk’s costume so I can walk around with my chalice filled with Trappist goodness all night.
Sorry for the late entry, I’m a bit behind on my blog reading.
Ans to Q1: i like beer so much tat i took a oath that i would only drink beer and beer only.. lol
Well good, that leaves more coffee for me this morning! Man do I need it today!