The first beer company to use dating on its bottles to indicate shelf life was the Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams beer, back in 1985. The notion of freshness dating didn’t reach its current level of popularity until Anheuser-Busch began promoting freshness dating as a “born on” date in 1996.

There are four things that impact a beer’s shelf life. Sometimes a brewery will combine more than one for maximum shelf life. The first is pasteurization, a process usually associated with milk. Pasteurization means the beer is heated for a little while to kill microbes in the brew. This can make the beer’s taste deteriorate faster.

A second process is sterile filtration, in which the beer passes through a mechanical system that removes any yeast or hops still present in the brew which could continue a chemical reaction. A third process is bottle conditioning, which will let yeast remain in the bottle, and prevent some oxidation that will lower the beer’s quality.

The fourth factor isn’t actually a process, but the recipe for the beer itself. Beers with higher alcohol content or more hops in the recipe will take longer to lose its freshness than beers with lower alcohol or hops. As a result, stouts, porters, barley wines, Belgian Ales, and German Bocks have the longest shelf lives, rarely, if ever, “going skunky.”

Proper purchasing techniques can increase the shelf life of the beer you buy. For starters, never buy beer that isn’t in a cooler section. Beer sitting at room temperature can start to degrade quickly, and you also run the risk of purchasing a beer that was shipped chilled and then allowed to warm to room temperature, always a bad thing. In addition, cold storage slows the oxidation process that takes place in a beer bottle. Oxidation is what gives your beer that flat, cardboard taste after a period of time.

You should also look for freshness dating. Every brewery has its own way of indicating this date, naming it something cute such as “born on date” or “freshness date”. The date may be on the bottle, case packaging, or cap, but this is a sure-fire indicator of how long the beer is going to taste great. If the brewery doesn’t use dating, you may want to steer clear.

Another indicator that beer has been sitting out too long to have much taste left is dust. If the beer has been sitting long enough to get dusty, it just isn’t worth the risk. Leave it behind and move on. In similar fashion, avoid any beer that’s been sitting in direct sunlight, which spoils the hops and creates that “skunky” flavor.

Avoid sales. While the price may look great, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and a sale is there for a reason: to move the beer fast. Any beer that needs to be moved fast is past its prime, and should be avoided.

To help your beer achieve it’s maximum shelf life, respect your beer. Common beer has a short shelf life of approximately six weeks. You can increase that a bit by storing it at a temperature between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit and keeping it out of any form of light. You can also find longer shelf lives by purchasing a bottle-conditioned beer. These beers contain living yeast, and can be stored at room temperature out of direct sunlight for up to five years.

Avoid purchasing beers from microbreweries that aren’t intended for immediate consumption. Since microbreweries lack the pasteurization and filtering facilities that the large breweries have, these beers have a much shorter shelf life, and will “turn” much faster than beers from larger breweries. Purchase microbrews on an as-need basis only.

A general rule of thumb is that beers from large breweries will have a shelf life of approximately 8 to 12 months if refrigerated properly and kept from direct light, or 4 to 6 months at room temperature. Keep in mind that these shelf lives are from time of bottling, not time of purchase, and plan accordingly to ensure that you have the best-tasting beer available.

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Water is the main ingredient in beer. You might not think of water as being an important ingredient, but if you’ve ever made beer out of tap water or hard water then you know it makes the beer taste terrible. The purer the water, the better the beer.

Barley is the most common grain used in making beer, although any grain will work. Barley is made into Malt Extract by a process called malting. This means letting the barley get ready to grow, including sprouting roots, then heating the barley enough to stop the growth process without killing certain enzymes in the plant. This is then made into Malt Extract. The degree of darkness in the beer is determined by the degree of roasting done to the barley in the Malt Extract (light, dark or stout).

The flowering vine humulous lupus is what gives us hops. The dried flowers are what we use as hops in beer. Hops are added during the boiling process, and there are many different kinds of hops to choose from to give different flavors and aromas to your beer. Some Malt Extract comes with hops added (called pre-hopped malt extract).

The last ingredient in basic beer is Brewer’s Yeast. This kind of yeast activates the beer fermentation process along with the sugars in the barley malt extract. Using different temperatures to ferment your beer affects the yeast in different ways, and gives you different beers.

To get an “ale” flavor, ferment at 65 to 75 degrees F for about 8 days. For a “lager” you want your beer fermenting at 34 degrees F for 30 days. For a stout you want to ferment at 68 degrees F for about 6 to 10 days, and also use dark Malt Extract and no sugar in your brewing process.

You can add a variety of ingredients to alter the flavor, aroma and texture of your beer. It is best top add them in small quantities during the boil part of the brewing process. If you have cheesecloth, wrapping the added ingredients in cheesecloth and suspending them in the liquid during the boil will add the flavor without the need for straining the beer.

Just about any spice can be added to beer: all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and others make a nice compliment to the dark roasts. Adding molasses instead of sugar can also give you a richer, sweeter beer with a nice amber color. Almost any fruit can be used, although cheesecloth sacks are essential for using fruit as the boil causes it to disintegrate into pulp.

You can even determine the flavor of your beer by the container it ferments in. Some people see the container type as another ingredient. Metal or plastic containers wont add or take away from the taste, but wood casks can have a big impact on the beer. Some people seek out old oak barrels and kegs to reuse for their beer to give it a rich, meaty, oak flavor. Using wood like apple, hickory or cherry can also change the taste of the beer being brewed. The fermenting beer soaks up the natural flavors of the wood during the fermenting process. This is much more subtle than adding flavors during the boil.

You can also change your beers flavor by adding a subtle ingredient like sugar. Different types of sugar, including honey and molasses, can change the flavor of your beer dramatically. Adding honey or molasses can also give your beer a richer, more interesting color. Honeys give the beer a deep amber glow, while molasses creates a deep, dark nutty brown.

Whatever flavor you are looking for, there is an ingredient that will infuse it into your beer. The key to great beer is fresh, quality ingredients. Take your time and experiment with different flavors. You’ll be amazed at the endless variety of beers there are and how soon you learn to crack the code behind your favorite brew.

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The best way to figure out what brands are most popular are to look at two groups: international beers and American beers. Most countries don’t place the taboos on alcohol consumption that American does, and so America keeps the most comprehensive statistics. These statistics are often broken up into “import beers” versus “local beers”.

International Beers

Gaining ground since 2000 in the international category is Corona Extra, made in Mexico. Corona is a lighter, sweeter beer, and is the number one import beer in America. They introduced Corona Light, and that only increased their share of the beer market.

Not surprisingly, Heineken takes a place in the top five import beers, coming in a close second to Corona. They also introduced a light beer to their line, but it hasn’t helped their share of the market like Corona Light did for Corona. Heineken is a slightly more bitter beer brewed in Germany originally. Heineken now has a brewing plant in the United States.

Following these are Labatt Blue and Tecate. Labatt is a Canadian beer that is not as bitter as Heineken, and Tecate is another Mexican beer, slightly harsher than Corona in flavor. Technically Labatt is in third place and Tecate is fourth, but they have such a close share of the market it is nearly a tie.

Guinness, from Ireland, holds fifth place in market share. It has had trouble gaining ground in the American market, even though it is hugely popular in Europe, because of its heavy, dark, robust flavor and weighty texture. It is one of the most nutritious beers available, and requires a nitrous distribution process that is completely different from the CO2 required by most American beers and imports.

Bringing up the rear of the top ten international beers we have Foster’s Lager from Australia, Beck’s from Germany, Amstel Light (from the makers of Heineken), Bass Ale (part of the Guinness family of brewers), and Modelo Especial (from Mexico). Recently, Amstel Light has been moving up in popularity as people become more aware of their weight and seek out more robust light beers.

American Beers

The number one seller in America is Bud Light, by Anheuser-Busch, with Budweiser trailing behind in second place. Most of the American beers have a similar light texture, pale color and unrefined, slightly bitter taste. People tend to drink American beer according to location, job or social standing more than any other reason.

Third on the list is Coors Light. This beer has remained strong thanks to a sharp marketing department that finds ways to overcome it’s lack of taste by idealizing its brewing location, but the ability of Bud Light’s marketing department to make Americans laugh keeps it on top.

For a while Miller Lite had the lion’s share of the American Beer market thanks to a catchy slogan in the 70s and 80s (Tastes Great! Less Filling!). It hasn’t been able to compete with Bud Light’s campaigns for a while, and the Budweiser Superbowl commercial juggernaut has become incredibly hard to beat, keeping Miller Lite in the number 4 spot.

The fifth position on the list is held by Natural Light. This is another in the long list of Anheuser-Busch beers. It is also one of their most reasonably priced beers. This price break keeps it in its higher position on the list ore than anything else.

The American beers bringing up the end of the line are Busch, Busch Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller High Life and Michelob Light. Two of those are also Anheuser-Busch creations, giving Anheuser-Busch a massive share of the American beer market. Every other beer on the list except for Coors Light is made by Miller Brewing Company.

As Anheuser-Busch and Miller continue to up the ante in their battle for total beer domination, sending more and better commercials our way, improving packaging and making minor changes to their beer line, Americans are making a sea change in their buying habits. As international beers get more popular, American beer companies are being forced to become more interesting (witness the introduction of Miller Amber and Budweiser E). Only time will tell if American beer makers can hold on to their massive market share.

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We put up with the thin, watery beer for several decades, but then, in the early 1980s, something wonderful happened. Small breweries, often called ‘Micro-Breweries’, began to market their special brews to the country at-large, instead of just a few lucky locals. It mushroomed into what is now known as, The Great Craft Beer Revolution. Now, it is possible to enjoy some of the finest beers in the world, available even at your local super-market. No matter what your tastes, chances are there is a craft beer somewhere that can satisfy them.

Before I go into talking about these beers, you need to know some things about beer to understand what I am taking about. So, the first part of this article will be about the history of beer, types, and common terminology.

The actual invention of beer is shrouded in antiquity. We do know that beer was made as far back as 6000BC. It actually seemed to come about very soon after cereal grains were cultivated. Beer is the 2nd oldest alcoholic beverage, right after wine. The difference between them is that wine is simply fermented fruit juice. Beers are fermented mash from cereal grains. Lots of different grains have been, and still are, used to make beers, but malted (sprouted) barley is the undisputed king of beer grains. To a lesser extent, wheat is used, and even lesser, oat groats, rye, and even rice and corn (mostly in cheap mass-production beers).

The beer-making process is not complicated. First, barley is allowed to sprout. Then it is roasted to varying degrees, depending on what tastes the brewer is trying for. The darker the roast, the darker the beer. Then the grain is mashed, or crushed up very fine, and flushed with water to form the wort, which is a thick, sweet, sticky fluid. The wort is then boiled with different varieties of hops to add more flavors. The next step is to cool the wort, and add more water to make the desired amount of beer (there really is a formula for this’.). The beer is then allowed to ferment for a few weeks. The last step is to prime the beer with a little more wort (cheap mass produced beers use sugar to prime, but good beers are all-malt), bottle it in individual bottles or kegs, let it age, and naturally carbonate for a few months. Mass-produced beers are often simply shot full of Co2 for rapid carbonation. After that, all that’s left is to ship it to it’s final destination.

So, what makes a good beer? Certainly, taste is a big factor, but not the only one:

• The foam head can tell you a lot about how the beer was made and treated during it’s infancy. A pearly-white head with big bubbles, like from soda-pop, is a sign that the beer was sugared, and shot with CO2. These cheap beers also often have egg-whites added to attempt to mimic the appearance of a natural head, but it doesn’t work. These heads will be thin, and dissipate rapidly. This will most likely be an unsatisfying beer. Also, natural heads are not white, but almost a light tan color. The head on a good Stout, or Porter will actually be light-brown in color.
• Bouquet-a good beer will announce it’s presence with wonderful aromas that can range from citrusy, and woody in a good Pilsner, to chocolatey and smoky in a good Stout. The bouquet of a beer is like a promise of things to come. Cheap beers will only have an aroma of sourness, and fermentation. They do not promise,they threaten.
• Color-for the most part, a good beer will be crystal clear, with obvious carbonation. A little sediment in the bottom of the bottle or glass is proof that it was naturally carbonated and properly aged. The sediment will not hurt you. It is, in fact, quite healthy to consume, and not unpleasant to the taste. It is part of the beer.
• Hops-there are many, many varieties of hops, each with it’s own aroma and flavor characteristics. Hops are female plants of the Humulus lupulus family. Some varieties are floral, fruity, and tart, while others are bitter, and astringent. It is the combination of these hops that give a beer a lot of it’s characteristics. Some of the better-known varieties of hops are Pilsner, Cascade, Tettanger, Hallertau, Saatz, and Spalt. These are known for their lack of bitterness, wonderful aromas, and are used extensively in lagers. The famous Pilsner, and Lowenbrau beers are lagers. Other hops, like Goldings, East Kent Goldings and Fuggle are renowned for their bitterness, and are the hops-of-choice for fine ales. Like wine grapes, the areas where the hops are grown also have a significant impact on the final product.
• Yeasts are the microorganisms that are responsible for fermentation. They convert sugars into alcohol.
• Body, or mouthfeel gives the beer it’s characteristic impressions. Light beers should have a light mouthfeel, and dark lagers and ales should have a heavier, robust feel to them.
• Alcohol content also adds to the flavor, but it can be over done. Most beers will average between 5%-7%. Some ales can go as high as 17%. As a rule, anything over 14% is considered a Barley Wine, or Malt Liquor.
• Bitterness is imparted by different hops varieties, and is used to accent, or offset other flavors and aromas in the brew. Bitterness is measured in International Bitterness Units, or IBUs.

Beers can be broken down into two main types, Lagers, and Ales. A Lager uses bottom-fermenting yeasts that work best at low temperatures (less than 500F), and are fermented for extra-long times, maybe even a year or longer in some cases. This produces a remarkably well-balanced, smooth brew. Ales use top-fermenting yeasts at room temperatures. This produces a beverage with very complex tastes, sometimes pleasantly bitter, and very satisfying. Of course, there is a multitude of sub-styles within these two, such as West Coast lagers and Ales, Bohemian Lagers, Belgian Lagers, and such. Most Wheat-Beers are lagers.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the beer-world, we can move on to the brews. When I said, ‘best’ earlier, I meant that in a relative manner. People have different tastes, and one persons treasure can be another’s garbage. However, I have selected the craft beers that I feel are very good examples of the types of beer they make claim to. I also did not rank them numerically, because again, it is all relative, and few would probably agree with my rankings. Bear in mind that I am sure I have not sampled every brew out there. Feel free to chime in with your favorite craft brew.

So, here they are. My picks for some of the best craft beers made in the good old U. S. of A.:

• Anchor Steam Beer: One of my all-time favorites, until recently, very hard to get outside of California. Not exactly an ale, and not exactly a lager, but possibly the best of both worlds. It is brewed with lager yeast, but at ale temperatures, producing a remarkably full-bodied, well-rounded beverage, with a light, super-clean, crisp finish that leaves you wanting more. The aroma is enticingly herbal, and woodsy, and the taste is not exactly tart, but not sweet either, with light citrusy overtones, very refreshing.
• Dale’s Pale Ale: This is the ale that started the can revolution. It was the first craft beer to be offered in a can, and believe it or not, it is absolutely wonderful, with just enough citrus, and a little bitterness to offset the wonderful malty, almost biscuit-like backbone. One of the best brews I have ever had with outdoor BBQ.
• Brooklyn Brewery Lager: An amber Vienna-style lager. It has an outstanding malty taste, and perfect medium body, but not so much in-your-face. It is mellow, subtle, and has more depth to it’s character than any other lager I have ever consumed.
• New Belgium Fat Tire Ale: One of the characteristics of a Belgian-style beer or ale is that they use a wider assortment of ingredients, and unique yeast strains. Fat Tire is true to this style. A golden copper colored ale with a nice creamy head, and a medium-malty body with just enough bitterness to offset the citrusy, fruity overtones. Definitely worth a try.
• Sam Adams Boston Lager: One of the oldest craft beer companies in the US, and for a while, often the only craft beer widely available. Boston Lager is a great example of an old-style (pre WW-II) American Lager. The use of 2-row barleys really makes this brew shine, with a wonderful malty smooth body and flavor. This is matched perfectly with the bitterness of a melange of different hops. I could recognize Hallertau, Mittelfru, and Tettanger, which makes for a citrusy, piney aroma and finish. I am certain that a Time Traveler from the 19th century, thrown forward in time to our era, would instantly recognize this brew. It’s a fine example of the way things used to be, a true classic.
• Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA: This is the 500-pound gorilla of IPAs. It is a big beer, with big taste, and big kick. This brew is continuously hopped for 90-minutes (hence the name), then dry-hopped once again, just to be sure. There is nothing subtle about this ale. It has a wonderful full malty body, a slightly sweet taste with caramel overtones, and tones of bitter citrusy, piney hops everywhere, and lots of tropical fruity overtones. At 90 IBUs and 9% alcohol, this is not for the faint-hearted, but when you want a good, stiff brewski, with tons of flavor and depth, this is the go-to brew.
• Westbrook Gose: Gose (pronounced Gose-uh) is a very old German-style of sour wheat beer that uses salt and coriander to create a light-bodied, slightly lemony, very refreshing brew. Gose-style beers became almost extinct during the 20th century, and that would’ve been a true tragedy. Kudos to Westbrook for reviving, and saving this wonderful liquid. Their version is true to the original, with an aroma that I can only describe as deliciously crisp, salty, and very tart, like homemade sauerkraut. This is light-bodied without being watery and has exquisite tastes of salt, sour, and an orchard-fresh fruitiness. Extremely satisfying.
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: Bold, but balanced, this is the textbook example of a West Coast pale ale. Wonderfully crisp, with overtones of citrus and pine, and a nice medium-malty finish. SN Pale should be on everyone’s list as a brew to try someday. This is maybe one of the best beers I have ever had with a nice, thick, juicy cheeseburger. Total decadence!
• Allagash White: The Belgian Witbier style is vastly under-rated in the beer world, which is a shame. The style is a tart, crisp and refreshing brew with plenty of hops, and Allagash has done a fine job in representing the style. Their offering is very complex, and very drinkable, especially as an outside Garden-Beer. This brew has an outstanding floral, citrusy aroma, and a light, crisp palate with all kinds of herbal and spicy overtones. Try one with a nice, fresh deli-sandwich, or various cheeses. Magnifique!
• Stone IPA: Another fine example of a West Coast IPA with a slightly different flavor profile from Sierra Nevada IPA. Very complex, and very drinkable, this ale has tons of different citrusy-like flavors, with a great astringent hoppy finish. Maybe not quite as smooth as SN, but in it’s own way, every bit as good.
• Terrapin Wake N Bake: From the mysterious Deep-South breweries near Athens, Ga (my neck of the woods) comes this robust oatmeal stout with all the attitude you would expect in a hillbilly brew. Aromas of fresh coffee, caramel and cinnamon rolls are blended with great full body, sweet/spicy tastes, and lots of crisp carbonation. But don’t let the breakfast flavors fool you. I would not recommend drinking this in the morning if you plan on getting any work done. At a hefty 9.7% alcohol, you wont be doing a lot after a few of these. This brew is definitely in a class by itself.
• Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Ale: Another winner from the South, this time from the great state of Mississippi. This is the world’s first beer to use pecans like grain, creating a unique and wonderful nutty brew with tons of depth and character. This is a dark ale, but with a light character, and is very lightly-hopped unusual for this stye. It will absolutely make your taste-buds sit up and take notice. Pecan Ale won a Bronze Medal in the 2006 World Beer Cup Finals in the Specialty category. Saaaalute!
• Sweetwater Low RYEder IPA: The South has never been known for producing great brews. This has changed. Another offering from the southern Appalachian foothills of Atlanta, Ga., this is an IPA that really bounces. The rye grain makes this a very dry, crisp brew that is very refreshing. Aromas of light rye and pine are followed by flavors of mildly sweet caramel, citrus and pine, and a great floral finish. In recent years, southern craft breweries have created a new style of beverage that is taking the beer world by storm.
• Shiner Bock: I was born and raised in Texas, and I remember in my younger years that Shiner Beer was legendary, and for good reason. They have been brewing since 1909, and their original brews are still unchanged. Even though it is available to the rest of the country, now, all of their brews are still produced by a crew of only 85 people, still in only one brewery, in Shiner, Texas (which is still just a wide spot in the road on Hwy 90, in Lavaca County). Shiner Beers are faithful to the traditional german-style, and would be at home in any Munich or Bavarian Beer Garden. Shiner Bock is their flagship beer, and is an amber, wonderfully malty brew that is not too hoppy. It is super smooth, maybe a little sweet, with a great creamy, malty finish. Shiner Bock is best enjoyed in a large, heavy glass, frosted mug. One of the best brews I know to go with bratwurst and beans, or sauerkraut. A few of these, and you will become an instant Polka fan. One of my all-time favorite brews.
• Deschutes Black Butte Porter: A West Coast-style porter, and also one of my all-time favorite porters, even comparing it to European offerings. To get the full enjoyment of this brew, it needs to be in a heavy glass, frosted mug. It is coffee-dark, with a beautiful tan head. The aromas are of chocolate, coffee, and what I can only describe as Grape-Nuts cereal with walnuts and dates, It is slightly sweet, with just enough hops bitterness, some tannins, and a creamy, malty, nutty taste. This beer is full-bodied enough to be a meal all on it’s own. If you like porters, you will love Black Butte.
• Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro: Normally, I would take off points for any beer that uses artificial carbonation, but this is the exception, because it is done for effect, rather than an attempt to deceive. This brew is shot full of nitrogen, rather than CO2, which creates a velvety-smooth creaminess unobtainable by any other means. Like most stouts, it is coffee-black with a superb creamy tan head. The aromas are of milk-chocolate, strong coffee and toasted malt. The flavors are complex, with notes of coconut, dark fruits, vanilla, cocoa, spice, and smooth malt everywhere, with very little hops bitterness. The finish is unbelievably creamy, with some soft carbonation, and a lingering coffee-like aftertaste that makes you want to take another sip. This is one of the more unique brews available.

As I said, this list is by no means all-inclusive, nor are these necessarily the absolute best in their categories, but I feel that they are good representatives of their styles, and great places to start your journey into the wonderful world of craft beers.

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The idea of putting beer in bottles was developed by a monk several centuries ago. He had put beer into a wine bottle to take on a picnic and left the beer in the bottle for quite some time. He came across it again much later in the beer was still fresh. That was beginning of bottled beer.

Sealing the beer bottle was the next big issue. Beer makers tried everything from wax to cork. The cork solution lasted hundreds of years, until wire loop closure was developed many years later. For a long time beer bottles were short, bell shaped and clothed with wires like mason jars.

Most beer makers embossed the name of their beer right into the bottle. This was before the days of labels, and embossing was the only way to let people know what kind of beer they were drinking. Embossing was used to label beer bottles well into this century, before the paper label was developed.

Over time, the shape of the bottle changed, becoming thinner and taller, looking more like the beer bottles we know today. Beer bottles stayed brown or green until the present-day. This was mainly because refrigeration was not invented for quite some time. With out away to keep the beer at a steady temperature, keeping direct light out of the bottles was important to keep the beer fresh.

After refrigeration was invented, it wasn’t important to keep the bottles opaque any more but many beer makers continue to make dark bottles out of tradition. Only recently have companies started to buck tradition by making clear beer bottles. Most of the clear bottles are import beers such as Corona and wine coolers and blended beverages such as Zima.

Another theory about why beer bottles are brown has to do with the glass making process itself. This one has never been proven, but many people say that in past centuries it was much harder to make clear glass but it was to make colored glass. Apparently, crystal clear glass requires processes that were not developed until the industrial age.

Regardless of which reason you think is most accurate for why beer bottles are brown, the fact remains that the tradition is hard to shake. People are used to seeing brown bottles of beer, and new beers that are marketed in bottles that are any color besides green or brown have a hard time being successful.

It is a fact that modern-day beers made in America do taste fresher and more flavorful in brown bottles. Many American beers still lose their texture and flavor if exposed to direct sunlight. One good thing about everyone using the same brown bottle glass is that it makes it easier to recycle the glass.

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Don’t be fooled into thinking that “Lite” beer is all that much better. While it is true that the “Lite” version has scaled down a calorie or two and that they might shed off a couple grams of carbs during the processing, but few beers put the time and effort and expense learning how to make a beer lighter in caloric content and carbohydrates and all the nasty sugars and whatnot that pack on the pounds adding to the beer gut without making the whole thing taste like watery pee.

The lowest beer on the calorie counter (the calorie counted beers include those that are readily available in North America and Canada and most European countries. There are a vast number of beers that did not make the counter at all simply for their near inexistence. You really can’t put a beer on the list if it only has a dozen or so local fans who stop in every evening to the local watering hole that crafts its own brew) would go to Pabst Extra Light Low Alcohol. The name alone will turn off more beer drinkers than A round of AA held at the bar. It is one of the lowest selling beers on the regular market.

Sierra Nevada Stout holds the honorable place of first (meaning the most caloric content) with a whopping 210 calories. These figures are taken at a twelve ounce scale. It is not a very popular beer. Of course, the most popular beer runs along the midline somewhere between 140 and 180 calories for every 12 ounce serving. In some cases, this is more than a Hershey Bar. On average, most men consume between 4 and 8 beers every time they partake. Very few men choose to have just one with dinner or after work. This means that an evening of beer drinking often costs men between 560 calories (that’s a Big Mac and a soda) and 960 calories (that’s an entire pizza plus a Big Mac, with a little room left over for that Hershey Bar.) This is a significant amount of calories for anyone, but especially for men who do not have the time to work out. Daily.

Women average between 2 and 12 beers when they drink. Women who drink daily tend to drink two or three beers while women who drink weekly or randomly tend to drink rather heavily, topping off at half a case. The drinking patterns of women are such a mystery, but women who top half a case per week are in significant danger of developing a drinking problem.

The Calories in Beer Range Depending on the Brand of Beer

Obviously, the calories in beer have a huge impact the beer drinker’s waistline. So, what about the top selling Beer in the United States? Well Busch Beer, Busch Lite, and Busch Ice all come in at 133, 110, and 169, respectively. Coors is pretty costly at 142 while the lighter version spares you 40 calories, coming in at 102 per 12 ounce serving. Keystone Premium and Keystone Light are only separated by 4 little calories, the Premium version measuring 108 while Light takes you down to 104. However, Keystone Ice brings it back up to about 143. It would be reasonable to feel a tad bit cheated after digesting this sort of information.

Michelob brings a wide variety of beer to the table, but not a terribly wide variety of calories. Michelob manufactures Michelob, Light, Amber, Golden Draft and Golden Draft Light, Honey Lager, and of course Ultra. In that order, the calorie counter reports that these beers offer 155, 113,166,152,110, 175, and 95. This is nearly false labeling if you really look at the caloric differences.

Pete’s Wicked Ale, which is called so for a very poignant reason, comes in on the higher end of the scale at 174 calories per 12 ounce serving. The calories in beer can sneak up on a person. Based on a 2,000 calorie diet (which few people adhere to) one 12 ounce serving of beer daily wouldn’t seem so harmful. Few people can limit themselves as such, and thus the calories begin to accumulate.

The Miller Line runs almost parallel to the Michelob line, starting with the Genuine Draft and going straight to the Genuine Draft Light, High Life, High Life Light, and of course, Miller Lite. The final word on the calories involved runs 143, 110, 143, 110, and the little guy with only 96.

The entire Sam Adams line runs right around 160—166, except of course for the Cream Stout which winds up, and I mean up at 195.

In most cases, having just one or two beers throughout the evening can add up to the same caloric content as chowing down an additional half of a meal. Most people wouldn’t sit down to a second meal every night. Yet even with this information and a rapidly growing waist line, many people consistently toss back three or four beers every night just to “unwind.” While unwinding may be a necessary part of the day and a fabulous routine that helps an individual reconnect with life and family. This routine can be accomplished without the assistance of alcohol. In fact, those who reconnect through some form of physical activity feel more connected and drawn into their family life than those who drink beer after work. The calories in beer are happier when they are worked off rather than clung to around the mid section, creating of course, the ever faithful beer gut.

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Gradually, beer in cans spread in popularity to Europe. Unfortunately, production of canned beer was stopped everywhere during World War II due to rationing. Production of beer in cans resumed after the war, and quickly reached no levels of popularity with the introduction of the flat top can.

The main reason for the success of canned beer was convenience. Because they were smaller than bottles, stackable and didn’t break as easily they were easier to sell. The invention of the liner that made canned beer possible also allowed beer to be sold in metal kegs instead of wooden casks. This made it easier to transport to bars and easier to keep for longer periods of time.

Every one knows cans are more convenient and easier to transport, but what about the taste? This has been a decades long debate. It really comes down to personal preference. Some people think that the can gives beer after taste, especially since we switched to using aluminum cans instead of tin. Other beer drinkers think that the bottle does a better job of preserving the flavor and carbonation used in the beer.

One thing that is without dispute is beer temperature. In Europe, where beer is preferred warm, the fact that cans don’t keep the beer cold isn’t an issue. Here in America and other places where we prefer our beverages cold, this is a big deal. Once you open they can of beer the container has trouble keeping the liquid cold. Many Americans solve this problem by using beer cozies. Because of the nature of glass, beer in bottles stays cold longer even after its open.

What about the impact on the environment? Hands down, bottles win in the debate on environmental impact. In fact the best thing you can do for the environment is to buy bottle beer from local brewery that is known to recycle glass for its bottles. This saves gas used in transportation, and avoids using aluminum.

Aluminum itself is not the problem. The problem is in the process. Aluminum is the third most common element in the world. There’s no danger of running out of aluminum anytime soon. The environmental impact comes from how aluminum is made. To make aluminum usable it takes a great deal of Energy. Using Energy uses oil, and oil is a resource that is running out.

So long story short, if you are someone who believes in recycling, likes your beer cold, and believes glass improves the flavor then you want to drink bottled beer. If you are someone those things convenience is more important, doesn’t mind using a beer cozy, and drinks beer at any temperature then canned beer is the solution for you. If you’re like most people, you drink canned beer and bottle beer depending on the occasion. You might take canned beer when you tailgate and drink bottled beer at home. It’s a win-win situation for everybody.

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The Japanese started brewing their own version of beer shortly after the Meiji Era. A lot of Japanese people brew their own beer, and Japan also has three major breweries. The three breweries are Sapporo, Asahi and Kirin. The main product of all three companies is a lager beer.

The Japanese also have their own version of a wine cooler. They called this happoshu, and it is it low malt sparkling alcoholic beverage. Because of the low malt content, they can avoid paying the high tax rate of beer. This means they can sell it in places more easily accessible to the public.

The three main breweries in Japan are nationally recognized as beer. Even though many towns make their own beer, most establishments are restricted to serving the nationally recognized brands. To become nationally recognized as a beer in Japan, your beverage has to have at least 67 percent malt.

Japan is well-known for its liberal laws on where alcohol can be sold. The fact that you can find beer in kiosks and vending machines is much talked about by tourists who visit. What is overlooked are the stricter laws about conduct after alcohol consumption. Even though you can buy your beer from a vending machine in Japan, you don’t want to drive or even ride a bike after drinking. The punishment for such an offense is severe.

There are two new breweries there up and coming in the Japanese market is well. One is Orion, and one is Suntory. The increasing popularity of sushi and Japanese restaurant and culture in general all over the world has increased the availability of Japanese beer world-wide. Now you can get most brands of Japanese beer any place beer is sold.

The available brands of Japanese beer include: Asahi Super Dry, Asahi Black, Asahi Hon-nama (happoshu), Kirin Lager Beer, Kirin Ichiban Shibori, Kirin Tanrei (happoshu), Sapporo Black Label, Sapporo Yebisu, Hokkaido Nama-shibori (happoshu), Suntory Malt’s, Suntory Super Magnum Dry (happoshu), Orion Draft Beer and Orion Special. It may be harder to find Orion and Suntory, because they are new. Most restaurants in the United States offer Kirin or Asahi.

Just like in America, people in Japan enjoy salty snacks with their beer. The most popular of these salty snacks is salted edamame beans. Edamame beans are soybeans, and are recently available in the United States. You might want to try them the next time you have Japanese beer. Most grocery stores carry them in the International food aisle.

Japan is the country of custom. Beer is no exception. If you find yourself fortunate enough to have a Japanese beer while visiting Japan, be sure to follow custom. For example, it is considered customary when drinking with a friend or colleague to pour some of your beer for them first. It is also customary to socialize with friends or colleagues in one of Japan’s many outdoor beer gardens.  Throughout the spring and summer these beer gardens  are the place to be in Japan.

Another custom in Japan has to do with the beer itself. All of Japan’s breweries traditionally brew seasonal beers. In fall, for example, they brew a heavier beer with higher alcohol content and advertise it as going well with one pot meals. The summer beers are lighter. They take great pride in pairing beer with food.

One thing that’s nice about Japanese beer is it’s light texture and great flavor. If you enjoy light beer you might find some of the Japanese beers to be a good substitute for the less flavorful American beers like Bud Light. Many of them even win taste tests against such heavy hitters as Amstel Light and Heineken.

No matter what your preference in American beer, you shouldn’t overlook Japanese beer when you decide to try something new. You might be pleasantly surprised that the light flavorful taste. You will also be happy to know that many Japanese beers are less expensive than other imported beers.

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• The first consumer protection law ever written was enacted over beer by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria in 1516. It was a purity law limiting the ingredients of beer to barley, hops and water.
• Tegestology is what collecting beer mats is called.
• Beer is the second most popular beverage in the world, coming in behind tea.
• Pabst Beer is now called Pabst Blue Ribbon beer because it was the first beer to win a blue ribbon at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.
• To get rid of the foam at the top of beer (the head), stick your fingers in it.
• Monks brewing beer in the Middle Ages were allowed to drink five quarts of beer a day.
• Bavaria still defines beer as a staple food.
• To keep your beer glass or mug from sticking to your bar napkin, sprinkle a little salt on the napkin before you set your glass down.
• The oldest known written recipe is for beer.
• The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock because of beer. They had planned to sail further south to a warm climate, but had run out of beer on the journey.
• Anheuser-Busch is the largest brewery in the US.
• The longest bar in the world is the 684 foot long New Bulldog in Rock Island, IL.
• The powers that be at Guinness say that a pint of beer is lifted about ten times, and each time about 0.56 ml is lost in a beer drinker’s facial hair. That’s a lot of wasted beer!
• As of 2001, 62% of Americans reported using a designated driver at least once.
• Molson, Inc. is the oldest brewery in North America.
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was elected in 1932 because of his promise to end Prohibition.
• The first United States Marine Recruiting Station was in a bar.
• The first brewery in America was built in Hoboken, NJ in 1642.
• In 1935 the canned beer industry was revolutionized by a vinyl plastic liner developed for cans made out of tin.
• The movie The Shawshank Redemption got their period beer containers wrong. The prisoners on the roof drank beer out of bottles in the 1930s, when beer was canned until many years later.
• Tossing salted peanuts in a glass of beer makes the peanuts dance.
• Samuel Adams Triple Bock is the strongest beer in the world with 17% alcohol by volume. The strength is achieved by using champagne yeast.
• In Japan, beer is sold in vending machines, by street vendors and in the train stations.
• Bourbon is the official alcohol of the United States, by an act of Congress. Many people have attempted to have that overturned in favor of beer instead throughout the years.
• Many actors started out as bartenders: Sandra Bullock, Bruce Willis, Tom Arnold, Chevy Chase, Kris Kristofferson and Bill Cosby are a few of these.
• American beer is made mostly by rice, unlike the beers of other countries. This was invented to give American beer a lighter taste and tap into the market of women buyers.
• Michelob was invented during a brewer’s strike in the 1930s from a recipe tossed together by the untrained workers left behind to run the brewery. It was so bad local taverns tossed their delivered barrels in the gutter until the streets ran with beer. When the strike was over, the brewery didn’t want to lose all that beer, no matter how bad, so they repackaged it and sold it as Michelob.
• Beer is a source of B- complex vitamins.
• If you collect beer bottles your are a labeorphilist.
• The portable beer cooler was invented in Australia in the 1950s.
• The ‘33’ on a bottle of Rolling Rock was originally a printer’s error. It refers to the 33 words in the original slogan. It has generated enough mystery over the years that the company left it in the label.

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To have a first-class bar, which is the reason to have one in the first place, the wines and beers need to be at the proper serving temperatures. In public bars, this is seldom the case, with most believing that beer and white wine should be ice cold, and red wine at room temperature, which is what ever they decide, instead of the standard 60ºF. Many a fine beverage has been destroyed by this type of thinking. In reality, no beverage should ever be served ice cold, which is considered near 32ºF. Beverages served too cold, or too hot cannot develop their full character and flavors. And anything over 62ºF will cause many components in beverages to begin to break down, ruining the nuances.

As a rule, on beer and ale, the lighter the color, the colder it needs to be. Pale lagers and pilsners need to be between 42º to 45º. Wheat beers and heavier lagers should be 47º-48º. Stouts, lambecs, dark beers, British Ales, and IPAs need to be served at 55º-60º. Wines are a bit different. Sparkling wines and champagnes should be 48º. Rosès should be 53º. White wines need to be served at 51º, and red wines should be near 62º.

As you can see from the guidelines, a good bar will need a refrigeration system that can hold beverages at many different temperatures, or maybe several systems. There are many types of beer and wine refrigeration systems available. There are Wine Refrigerators, Draft Beer Refrigerators, Kegerators, and Beverage Centers. The type, or types you choose will depend on many factors, such as how much room is available, and what types of beverages you wish to stock. For keeping beer, wine, and soda, a single unit called a “Back Bar Refrigerator” may be all you need.

Another consideration is whether you want the coolers to be free-standing, or built-in to the bar. If you want them built-in, you need to be sure that you get the types with the compressor vents in the front, and it is rated for being built-in. Otherwise, the hot air from the compressor will have nowhere to go, and will burn out the compressor motor. When this happens, the entire unit will have to be replaced.

There is one major piece of advice you should heed. Get all the large items, like sinks, refrigeration, and coolers, before you begin building the bar. In many cases, it will be necessary to build around the equipment.

There are several models of wine refrigerators on the market, ranging from small 16 bottle ones that sit on the back bar refrigerator, to large reach-ins that hold 100 bottles or more. Select the model for your bar based on the type of wine you drink the most of, and use that temperature.

Installing a draft beer system, or kegerator, is not all that hard to do. But it is much easier to install it as the bar is being built, than afterward. Remember, beer must be kept at the right temperature, or it can become “skunky” and all foam. For this reason, you will want you draft beer system on the same side of the bar as your tap station to avoid long tubing, that will allow the beer to warm up from friction while shooting through. There is an excellent single keg system that is designed to be built into a bar, or cabinet system, with the taps right on top. There are also under the counter keg coolers that can be built into the front, or back bar. They are easy to install, and can be pulled out and used as stand-alone units when needed. Another good option is the stand-alone draft beer refrigerator. These can be set to the side of the bar. They are usually several hundred dollars cheaper than the other systems, and unless you are dead-set on having commercial-grade equipment, these are ideal for home bars. If you really want to save money, and don’t care about looks, you can find an old working kitchen refrigerator, remove all the shelves from inside, and install a tap system in it. All you have to do is plug it in, put in a keg and hook the taps system up to it, and you’re good to go. It’s a good idea to have a drip tray underneath the tap, because sometimes it can dribble a bit. These are very popular here in the South.

If you are planning on stocking canned, or bottled beer, bottled or canned ales, wines, malt beverages, sodas or juices, you will need a Beverage Center. These are just small to medium reach-in coolers built into the back bar, with glass doors so you can see what’s inside. You can also keep things like lemon and lime wedges, and garnishes in them.

Unless you plan on having mixed drinks as well, you probably won’t need an ice machine, but they can come in handy. There are those that drink wine “on the rocks”, and I have seen with my own eyes, individuals that actually drop ice cubes in perfectly good beer. It was all I could  do to keep from crying openly….

Beer and wine refrigeration systems will require periodic maintenance, cleaning and upkeep, so be sure to make allowances. Wipe everything down, inside and out, with a commercial-grade sanitizer, or a solution of 10% chlorine bleach and water at least once a week. When properly maintained, home refrigerator systems can last a very long time.

One last tip: Before purchasing any refrigeration system, find out what kind of warranty, and Customer Service the company offers. Prompt service is vital should anything go wrong. Otherwise, you could loose a lot of fine brew-craft. You should also probably check with your home owners insurance, and be sure the refrigeration system is covered by your policy. Make sure you have any and all required building permits, and that the work is done by authorized individuals and contractors.

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