Reviews – Page 4 – Denim Beer Machines & Coffee

Beer

If you’ve ever been to China you know Tsingtao beer

Published on September 2, 2022

If you’ve ever had a beer in China or visited an authentic Chinese restaurant in a densely populated Chinese area in the United States, you’ve probably come across Tsingtao Beer. It is the number-one beer brand in China and is currently the sixth-largest brewer in the world.

Unlike most really big beer brands, it is a good-tasting, respectable beer. Tsingtao starts and finishes cleanly. I can’t think of anything negative to say about it. However, nowadays I do find the price a little higher than it should be. That probably has more to do with the politics of the moment.

In my experience, apart from being a popular drink in mainland China, Tsingtao beer is also an important part of Chinese hospitality and a helpful marketing tool for the country’s businesses. Almost every factory that I have ever visited in China would take me to lunch, dinner, or a bar and would call for a toast that would go around the table. The boss would call for Tsingtao, and everyone would be served a small glass. With each declaration of “cheers”, the beer had to be downed to the last drop, ending with the slamming of the glass on the table. As time passed, the slams became louder and harder. At parties of at least 8 or more, which was about the norm, you couldn’t help but experience (for me in my youth) a healthy buzz within the first half-hour or so. During evening dinners, it was common to see people being helped out of restaurants. You can only imagine the late nights at the bars, and the commonality of vomiting guests being held up by colleagues shortly after inhaling the first bit of fresh night air.

Tsingtao Beer is a premium pale lager beer, pronounced “Qingdao.” The beer is brewed in Qingdao, China, by the Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. One of the first breweries in China, Germania-Brauerei Tsingtao Co., Ltd. was established in 1903 by German and British merchants, combining Chinese and Western influences.

Jack’s Abby Grapefruit Radler and Pineapple, Guava Passion Radler in cans.

Beer

Jack’s Abby Grapefruit & Pineapple, Guava Passion Radler review

Published on July 28, 2022

Strolling through the refrigerated section of the beers I came across Jack’s Abby craft lagers. Jack had a wide selection of tasty-looking fruity beers to choose from. I had never heard of this brand. The cans look like there was something delicious to behold so I decided to go for the Grapefruit Radler and Pineapple, Guava Passion Radler.

I may have mentioned this before, but I’m not really into the light beers but I decided to give these radlers a try. If you are new to this type of beer (like me), they are basically about a 2-to-1 mix of beer and some other juice, soda, tea, etc. They are intended to be light summery, easy-going beers with 2 to 4% alcohol.

I decided to first start with one of my favorite fruit, the Grapefruit Radler. My first impression…light. Very light. I was waiting for the hint of grapefruit, but I never tasted it. Honestly, if you blindfolded me and ask me to choose which was the favored beer, the Grapefruit Radler or a Coors Light, I wouldn’t be able to tell you.

I wasn’t that enthused to try the Pineapple, Guava Passion Radler, so it took a few days to taste test. It did have a little more flavor than the Grapefruit, but I couldn’t place the favor.

My verdict. It’s almost seltzer-like and far too light for my taste. However, very light could be what it is meant to be.

Beer

My favorite beers: Kona Longboard Island Lager

Published on July 9, 2022

The Island Lager by Kona Brewing Co. is currently one of my favorite beers. Since this is the blog’s first beer post, there are no Top 10 or 20 Lists yet. The fact that I chose Longboard Island Lager as one of my first posts, however, should tell you something.

Longboard Island Lager 12-oz. bottle of beer by Kona Brewing Company of Hawaii Kai

If I had to estimate where it would fall, I’d say it makes my Top 15 list. I will also add that one of the Kona Brewing Co.’s beers easily cracks my Top 5. However, that story is for a future post.

I discovered this beer while on vacation in Hawaii in July 2021 because it was everywhere. I’m really picky about beers, so I grew frustrated there were not more beer choices at the hotel bar and all the stores I checked. I was looking for some of my favorite craft beers to stock in my hotel room fridge, but all I saw were Kona Brewing Company selections, the usual mass-market brands, and a few popular Japanese brands, Sapporo, Asahi, and Kirin. I settle for tall cans of Sapporo and Kirin.

Near the end of my trip, I grabbed a local draft from the bar because it was offered at a lower price. I was on the run and didn’t think to remember the name. I told the bartender what I liked (lagers, ales, fruity, not too heavy, not too light) and let him select my beer. I do remember as I walked around at the pool thinking, damn, this beer is kind of good.

A week after my vacation, I was home shopping in the beer section of my nearby grocery store. “Humm, what do I feel like today,” I asked myself.
“A Shiner Strawberry Blonde, Sam Adams Summer Ale, UFO White?” You get the picture of what I was in the mood for. Just then, I noticed on the store shelf for the first time the beer I saw all in Hawaii.

They offered pilsner, lager, and an IPA. I rarely drink pilsners unless I’m in the mood for something light. I drink IPAs even less frequently than pilsners. I don’t dislike them. In general, I feel like the taste is too aggressive. It’s like my tongue is on a date that wants to get right to it! That left the lager as the obvious choice.

I usually have two beers with dinner. And, I prefer to drink beer from a glass (frosted is a plus). I feel like I get a more uninterrupted taste.

All I remember is thinking, My God! What a missed opportunity in Hawaii. This is an incredibly good beer! This was that beer from the bar.

There’s something very clean and clear about the Longboard’s taste. Straight-forward delight, vibrant and charming.

I read other reviews before writing this review to see what beer influencers thought about it. In general, nearly all said the same thing. Clean taste, and without any characteristics to complain about. In other words, a great-tasting beer!