Beer, Wine, Mead, Cider. (no spirits in this debate-thanks)?!
Chose based on your preference but argue on its behalf by the degree of production sophistication!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Beer!.
Versatility in ingredients, processing, and aging!.
More ingredients = more variables in production choices!.
More steps = more variables in ingredient manipulations!.
There are dozens of choices for both grains and hops!. Yeast can vary in there fermentation characteristics but these yeast strain choices are true for each of the choices above!. These then combined with the steps in production makes for incalculable variations in the products outcome that must be sought out and controlled for!.
Beer uses as its main ingredients water, barley malt, hops, and yeast!.
Beer has at its produce a mash and boil phase!. In the mash starches are converted to both fermentable and unfermentable sugars, amino acids, color and flavors!.
Later it is washed by hot water-lautering!.
Then it is boiled!. The boiling is where hops are extracted for their aromas, flavors, and bittering compounds!.
Thes 3 main processing procedures are made more complex by the water chemistry, temperatures, and times employed!.
Of the choices wine and cider are the least complex beverages to make and by far!.
Therefore:
I should add that beer is far more complex in its flavors as well!. A very sophisticated alcoholic beverage by all considerations!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Versatility in ingredients, processing, and aging!.
More ingredients = more variables in production choices!.
More steps = more variables in ingredient manipulations!.
There are dozens of choices for both grains and hops!. Yeast can vary in there fermentation characteristics but these yeast strain choices are true for each of the choices above!. These then combined with the steps in production makes for incalculable variations in the products outcome that must be sought out and controlled for!.
Beer uses as its main ingredients water, barley malt, hops, and yeast!.
Beer has at its produce a mash and boil phase!. In the mash starches are converted to both fermentable and unfermentable sugars, amino acids, color and flavors!.
Later it is washed by hot water-lautering!.
Then it is boiled!. The boiling is where hops are extracted for their aromas, flavors, and bittering compounds!.
Thes 3 main processing procedures are made more complex by the water chemistry, temperatures, and times employed!.
Of the choices wine and cider are the least complex beverages to make and by far!.
Therefore:
I should add that beer is far more complex in its flavors as well!. A very sophisticated alcoholic beverage by all considerations!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
If you want to go strictly on production sophistication, then it would be beer!. There are so many variables in the possible ingredients!. Type of grains, all grain recipe vs!. extract, level of hops, etc, etc!. Yes, there are a lot of wine snobs out there but the beer snobs are a growing population now that people have figured out that Bud Light is not the only beer out there (and thank God for it)
As far as what I like to drink, it depends on what I'm in the mood for!. I probably drink more beer, but I also like a good dry cider!. Even though I brew a lot of mead, I don't drink that much of it!. My husband drinks it or it is given away in a barely legal manner for a small donation!. I also drink wine (usually Riesling or Shiraz), again depending on mood!. In general, I do tend to lean more toward sweeter (but not too sweet) beverages!. I don't care for the really hoppy beers!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
As far as what I like to drink, it depends on what I'm in the mood for!. I probably drink more beer, but I also like a good dry cider!. Even though I brew a lot of mead, I don't drink that much of it!. My husband drinks it or it is given away in a barely legal manner for a small donation!. I also drink wine (usually Riesling or Shiraz), again depending on mood!. In general, I do tend to lean more toward sweeter (but not too sweet) beverages!. I don't care for the really hoppy beers!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Wine is by far the most sophisticated in its production of all those listed!. Vintners go to great lengths to get a superior product that is consistent from batch to batch!.
There's certainly a lot more wine snobs out there than there are beer, mead, and cider snobs!. And, for good reason!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
There's certainly a lot more wine snobs out there than there are beer, mead, and cider snobs!. And, for good reason!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Mead for me matey!.
The old medieval folk knew a thing or two about jollity!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
The old medieval folk knew a thing or two about jollity!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
