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Mix equal parts apple cider, ale, and white wine in a large sauce pan. Heat until just simmering. Remove from heat and serve in a punch bowl garnished with apple slices, and cinnamon sticks. Or place an apple slice and a cinnamon stick in a large heat proof individual cup.

If you’re stuffed with stuffing and your turkey has trotted its last, you might be in the mood for a few weight loss tips. Instead of eating — drink instead.

Take the time to use the good dishes, silverware and glasses. Seltzer water straight from the bottle is fine for slaking your thirst after a workout, but it is so much more elegant when served in a crystal glass and garnished with a mint sprig. And that’s another trick. Use herbs to flavor the water without adding calories. Don’t stick with just mint. Lavender adds a floral note, basil and tarragon add a taste of licorice. A cucumber slice with a bit of dill is a refreshing change from sweet beverages.

You’ve heard of wine tastings? Well this is a twist on beer tastings. Select a number of different beers. Arrange small juice size glasses on the bar and an assortment of condiments such as lime wedges, raspberries, apricots and peaches. Include fresh herb leaves such as basil, rosemary, cilantro, and sliced vegetables such as cucumber, hot peppers, and cherry tomatoes. Guests can select the beer they would like pour into the small glass and add the condiment of their choice.

The over consumption of alcohol can lead to serious mental and health problems. Responsible drinking is a must. But there are health benefits to drinking moderately. Drinking in moderation means no more than one to two 12 ounce bottles of beer per day. And no, you can’t save up your allotment for a big weekend and still expect to reap the health benefits.

Studies have shown that women who drink a glass of beer a day have sharper and clearer minds in their senior years than women who don’t drink at all.

Drinking a glass of beer with dinner can help you lose weight.

Men who drink up to two glasses of beer a day and women who drink one beer daily can cut their risk of strokes by 20% and heart and vascular disease by 30% to 40%.
Beer contains a similar amount of antioxidants or polyphenols as red wine. And more than four times as much than white wine.

Beer is fat free and cholesterol free. It has some nutritional value depending on the beer you drink, including vitamins B, B2, and B6.

Some doctors recommend that nursing mothers drink a glass of beer in the evening to increase milk production, replace body fluids and relax.

Alcohol has also been attributed to increasing the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the bloodstream, as well as helping to decrease blood clots. Beer has 5% to 7% alcohol content.

Is beer by any other name called lager, ale, malt, or stout? There are just two types of beer: lager and ale.

Lager is brewed from bottom yeast and at a colder temperature than ale about 50- 65 degrees Farenheit or 12 – 18 degrees Celsius. This allows the fermentation process to derive more flavor from the hops and malt. Lagers are usually paler, drier and less alcoholic than ales. This cooler brewing process either requires cool caves or refrigeration which means it’s more difficult to make lager at home. Pils beer or Pilsener originated in Bohemia when brewers found that beer over wintered in caves or kept on ice improved. Lagers can be aged for several months resulting in a cleaner crisper taste.
Lager is invariably served cold to enhance the taste. Lager goes with a large variety of foods and, as you probably already know is served by itself as a beverage.

Lagers include Bock, Dunkel, Oktoberfest/Maerzen, Pilsner

Ale is brewed from top yeast and requires warmer temperatures, 65 to 70 degrees and a shorter brewing time. Ale includes a much wider range of beers than lagers from porters and stouts to pale ales and wheat beer. Generally ale is more complex and robust than lagers and have a higher alcohol content. Ales can range from the typical golden color to dark and black beers. Ales are usually aged no more than a few weeks. Most ales are served closer to room temperature. Because ales are more complex in flavor than lagers pairing with food is more of a challenge.

Ales include Bitter, Brown Ale, India Pale Al, Pale Ale, Porte, Stout, Wheat Beer.

The first beers were no more than grain and water that was exposed to yeast cells floating in the air. The yeast fermented the mixture into a frothy alcoholic drink and the first beer was born. In other words the first beer was probably produced as an accident. You do have to wonder why anyone would drink the ‘spoiled’ grain mixture, rather than just chuck it, but it’s a good thing they didn’t. It’s probable that these early prehistoric guys learned to brew beer before they learned to bake bread. Beer at this point is considered a food source as much as a drink.

The ark, Noah’s ark contained beer. In 4300 BC a Babylonian clay tablet was found with a detailed recipe for beer. Beer was an important part of ancient civilizations including besides the Babylonian culture, also Assyrian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Chinese, and Inca cultures.

The ancient Egyptians used beer as a drink, food, and for medicinal purposes. Over 100 medicines on an ancient tablet included beer as an ingredient. The Egyptians taught the Greeks how to brew beer. It’s thought the Greek wine god Dionysus was actually named Dionysis, the beer god. The Greeks brought beer to the Romans. The Romans taught the tribes in Britain the art of brewing, and from their it spread through the rest of Europe.

Central American beer makers discovered a product that is still immensely popular today: chocolate. It seems they used the pulp of cacao seed pods as an ingredient to their beer. Traces of the pods were found on fragments of pottery form 1100 B. C. Cacao beans are the basis for cocoa which makes chocolate.

So for the next few days I’ll be posting about beer.

What is Beer?

Beer, just the name is refreshing isn’t it? It brings to mind warm summer nights sitting around the pool with a frosty mug of amber hued liquid. What would a football game be without a tailgating party and cold bottles of your favorite brew. But what exactly is beer?

It’s an alcoholic beverage made of grain, hops, yeast and water. Pretty simple, until it gets complicated. Beer can be made from malted or unmalted barley. It may require a cooling process such as ale does, or include additional ingredients such as fruit, herbs, even hot peppers. The grain can be wheat or barley, although occasionally corn or rice is used. Hops weren’t always part of the beer recipe.

Malted grain is grain that has been germinated, or sprouted, and then dried before the plant has a chance to develop. Malting gives a flavor to the beer and adds sugar by changing some of the starches in the grain to maltose, a sugar. The sugar is important for the development of the yeast, it acts as a food source.

Yeast is the catalyst for the beer making process. Yeast is a one celled fungus. It exists in nature and can be found on the skins of grapes and other fruits. Yeast is used for baking bread. It is responsible for the bread to rise. Brewer’s yeast is used in brewing beer and making wine for the alcoholic content.

The little yeast cells consume the sugar and convert it to alcohol as a by product. The bubbles in beer are a result of the yeast also emitting carbon dioxide. This process is called fermentation.

Water is an important ingredient in beer, the purity of the water used effects the taste of the final product.

Hops, the female flower of the hop plant (Humulus lupulus) are used in the brewing process to add the characteristic “beer” taste and as a stabilizer.

Champagne, sparkling wine, bubbly whatever you call it drink it in champagne flutes for a touch of elegance while you cook. Use champagne or sparkling wine anytime you would use wine. Pour ice cold champagne over strawberries and raspberries for quick dessert. Substitute champagne for vinegar in salad dressings and add a squeeze of lemon for tartness. Lamb chops marinating in sparkling wine, rosemary and lemon slices is heavenly.

Thinly slice one orange, one lime, one lemon, and one grapefruit into a large pitcher. Fill with ice cold beer and stir gently. Serve over ice in tall glasses garnished with a slice of citrus fruit. Add equal amounts lemon – lime soda and beer if you’d like a lighter drink.

Ginger Beer
One of the simplest drinks around, half ginger ale, half beer.

Select lime or lemon jell-o. Make according to package directions but use only ½ cup of hot water in a one quart cup with a pouring lip. When the jell-o is completely dissolved add a 12 ounce bottle of beer slowly down the side of the cup. Stir gently keeping as much of the bubbles in the mixture. Carefully pour into small glasses on a tray and refrigerate until jell-o sets.