How to Know if You're in The Right Bar

[anon`]

In a bar, I ask specifically for three cubes of ice in my scotch. If they can't get that right, I'm in the wrong bar.

You're strange for requesting ice in your Scotch, but I acknowledge that the ability to serve a glass with three cubes (cubes, that is, and not those weird, hollow chips) is as indicative as the ability to serve it neat.

 

[HudsonHawk]

You're strange for requesting ice in your Scotch, but I acknowledge that the ability to serve a glass with three cubes (cubes, that is, and not those weird, hollow chips) is as indicative as the ability to serve it neat.

I like my scotch slighly cooled with a little water to open it up. Three cubes of ice does the trick, and they are melted by the time I'm ready for the my first sip.

 

[GHT]

Some years ago, my wife and I kept a promise to visit a dear friend of mine, way back from schooldays, who is now married to a retired US army general (surgeon.) He was also one of New York's finest cancer specialists. Nowadays, he and his wife, spend their retirement on a golf complex, just outside of Savannah GA.
We chit-chatted about so much that there was little time to cook. So, making a phone call to their favourite eaterie, they managed to secure a table for the four of us. The restaurant wasn't too far from where they lived, but feeling lazy, we shared a cab.
"Nice place," I remarked, as we entered the bar area. "I knew you would like it," she replied, looking pleased that we found the place most agreeable. A waitress appeared and explained that there would be about a fifteen minute wait for our table, and in the meantime, could she get us any drinks? My wife and our friends, ordered a bottle of wine, whilst I excused myself from joining them, asking if anyone minded if I had a beer. I am rather partial to Jack Daniels beer, I have only ever seen it within the proximity of Tennessee and the bordering States.

Our drinks promptly arrived, my beer was in an ice bucket, packed to just below the top with ice. My glass was full of ice. The waitress served my wife and our friends with their wine, she then tipped the ice from the glass into the space at the top of the ice bucket, drew out the bottle, removed the top and poured half of it into my glass, once the froth settled she poured the remainder in.

We chit-chatted away until we were called to our table, once settled, and with our first course served, our waitress asked if we would like our drinks topped up. I hadn't touched mine.
"Do you keep the beers refridgerated?" I enquired, "Of course sir," the waitress politely answered. "That's good," I said, "may I have another, straight from the fridge, and no ice in my glass." "YOU LIKE WARM BEER!" She said, her voice heavy with incredulity. "No, I don't like warm beer, anymore than I like beer so cold that it can anaesthetise your tongue." I felt a kick in the ankle, My wife doesn't like me making a fuss.

My beer duly arrived, cold from the fridge, but not as cold as the one going flat. She brought a fresh glass. "You have probably deduced from accent," I said, "that I am British. But it's a myth that we Brits like warm beer. We like to enjoy the flavour of the beer without ice crystals dulling the taste so much, that it's hard to tell what beer you are drinking."

I didn't continue, the waitress looked perplexed. I did tell our company that my wife and I had been to Chattanooga a week previously, where we enjoyed sampling some of the delights of the brewery there. None of the beer had been served in the way of the ice overkill. Furthermore, there was a list of the beers, explaining what each was, how it was made and it's origins. Nowhere did it say that Brits drink warm beer.

Maybe I should have just kept quiet and kept the peace. I have heard it said that you know you are in the UK when you are served warm beer, the barmaid calls you: 'love' and you get a handful of wet change.

 

[Tomasso]

(But do bring me a small glass of water alongside.)

That's how it's served at the whisky distilleries in Scotland. The water is used to 'open up' the scotch.

 

[jamespowers]

Our drinks promptly arrived, my beer was in an ice bucket, packed to just below the top with ice. My glass was full of ice. The waitress served my wife and our friends with their wine, she then tipped the ice from the glass into the space at the top of the ice bucket, drew out the bottle, removed the top and poured half of it into my glass, once the froth settled she poured the remainder in.

Geez, I have never heard of beer being served over ice. :doh: I have never drank it that way either. That was quite an anomoly there. :eeek:

 

[jamespowers]

That's how it's served at the whisky distilleries in Scotland. The water is used to 'open up' the scotch.

That is fine that they do that in Scotland where it is made. You get the water that it was cut with originally. I am not going to spoil my scotch with some other junk water that doesn't homogenize well or makes it worse by adding all kinds of junk that they add to the water---bottled or otherwise. If they had water from the distillery fine---otherwise? No!

 

[HudsonHawk]

Geez, I have never heard of beer being served over ice. :doh: I have never drank it that way either. That was quite an anomoly there. :eeek:

The beer isn't served over the ice, the ice is simply there to get the glass cold. You dump the ice before pouring the beer. Or at least you're supposed to. I'm sure some of the unwashed infidels don't know any better.

 

[anon`]

That is fine that they do that in Scotland where it is made. You get the water that it was cut with originally. I am not going to spoil my scotch with some other junk water that doesn't homogenize well or makes it worse by adding all kinds of junk that they add to the water---bottled or otherwise. If they had water from the distillery fine---otherwise? No!

I believe you misapprehend: the water is not poured wholesale into the Scotch, but rather only a drop or two is added. The rest is just... there, for whatever purpose you deem fit. The difference in aroma and taste is nothing short of stunning.

As far as beer is concerned, eisbock is the only instance in which it is ever acceptable to allow ice and beer to commingle.

 

[1961MJS]

The beer isn't served over the ice, the ice is simply there to get the glass cold. You dump the ice before pouring the beer. Or at least you're supposed to. I'm sure some of the unwashed infidels don't know any better.

B
Hi Hudson

A friend of mine in Illinois is a little diabetic and drinks his light beer on ice so it gets a little watered down. He only has one or maybe two now. Not even Okies, who can only get 3.2 Budweiser and Miller drink their beer on ice. Ain't never heard of such things.
:eeek:
Later

 

[jamespowers]

The beer isn't served over the ice, the ice is simply there to get the glass cold. You dump the ice before pouring the beer. Or at least you're supposed to. I'm sure some of the unwashed infidels don't know any better.

I doubt they know what they don't know.

 

[jamespowers]

I believe you misapprehend: the water is not poured wholesale into the Scotch, but rather only a drop or two is added. The rest is just... there, for whatever purpose you deem fit. The difference in aroma and taste is nothing short of stunning.

As far as beer is concerned, eisbock is the only instance in which it is ever acceptable to allow ice and beer to commingle.

I don't care if it is a drop or a nasty mixing. I keep water away from my scotch unless it is source water.

 

[jamespowers]

B
Hi Hudson

A friend of mine in Illinois is a little diabetic and drinks his light beer on ice so it gets a little watered down. He only has one or maybe two now. Not even Okies, who can only get 3.2 Budweiser and Miller drink their beer on ice. Ain't never heard of such things.
:eeek:
Later

Yeah ice and beer are just plain nasty together. Neither the twain should meet.

 

[GHT]

The beer isn't served over the ice, the ice is simply there to get the glass cold. You dump the ice before pouring the beer. Or at least you're supposed to. I'm sure some of the unwashed infidels don't know any better.

That's exactly what happened, the ice was just there to pre-chill the glass, the waitress tipped the ice out of the glass into the ice bucket. But the beer was so cold that it was almost impossible to taste. It was the priceless reaction that got me, anyone not liking their lips subjected to a cold-burn must like their beer warm.

Yeah ice and beer are just plain nasty together. Neither the twain should meet.

If only bar staff were taught simple drinks etiquette, wouldn't it make ordering a drink so much more pleasurable?

 

[jamespowers]

That's exactly what happened, the ice was just there to pre-chill the glass, the waitress tipped the ice out of the glass into the ice bucket. But the beer was so cold that it was almost impossible to taste. It was the priceless reaction that got me, anyone not liking their lips subjected to a cold-burn must like their beer warm.

If only bar staff were taught simple drinks etiquette, wouldn't it make ordering a drink so much more pleasurable?

Ok, that makes more sense but still too much ice.
I keep my beer cold in the fridge but geez, I don't ice the glasses. Then again, if I were drinking PBR, Hamm's or Schlitz then I would like it extra cold so I couldn't taste it.

 

[Tomasso]

if I were drinking PBR, Hamm's or Schlitz then I would like it extra cold so I couldn't taste it.

Yeah, you need to anaesthetize those taste buds to drink that swill. One of my neighborhood dives has a happy hour special offer of PBR tall boys for $2 a can. I ordered one with a "how bad could it be" attitude. Well, there a was good reason why I hadn't had a PBR in decades.

 

[jamespowers]

Yeah, you need to anaesthetize those taste buds to drink that swill. One of my neighborhood dives has a happy hour special offer of PBR tall boys for $2 a can. I ordered one with a "how bad could it be" attitude. Well, there a was good reason why I hadn't had a PBR in decades.

PBR, tasting like the can since 1965.

 

[HudsonHawk]

B
Hi Hudson

A friend of mine in Illinois is a little diabetic and drinks his light beer on ice so it gets a little watered down. He only has one or maybe two now. Not even Okies, who can only get 3.2 Budweiser and Miller drink their beer on ice. Ain't never heard of such things.
:eeek:
Later

3.2 beer is a proud Okie tradition!

 

[anon`]

You don't need to anesthetize your taste buds to drink corporate beer...

...it doesn't taste like anything to begin with.

 

[jamespowers]

You don't need to anesthetize your taste buds to drink corporate beer...

...it doesn't taste like anything to begin with.

I dunno. It tastes lousy to me.

 

[1mach1]

How do you know if you are in the right bar?

If they are playing Hank Williams or Bob Wills.