Shortly before a guy I knew died of pancreatic cancer, he mentioned that what he thought had done him in was his habit of having coffee and doughnuts every morning. It looks as though he may have been half right. Coffee wasn't the problem. Unless, of course, he added sugar, as he may have done. In that case, he may have been entirely correct. Obviously, genetic predisposition likely enters in, but pushing the pancreas into overdrive may not be a good idea.
Me, I'm giving up the 2 can-a-day soda habit and am going back to straight black coffee.
I went with the bad news first.
The good news is that my beer of choice is India Pale Ale, which means that I should be damn near indestructible.
The Reuters article has an odd assumption:
"... people who drink sweetened sodas regularly often have other poor health habits, ..."
Most of the commenters seem unimpressed.
On the other hand, now I'm convinced. India Pale Ale it is.
Posted by: ZZMike | February 09, 2010 at 02:14 AM
Good choice!
Posted by: Max | February 09, 2010 at 03:58 PM
What kind do you like, Max? I partial to Bridgeport's IPA and Sierra Nevada...
Posted by: Chris McMullen | February 10, 2010 at 09:21 AM
Alaskan IPA.
.
Posted by: OregonGuy | February 10, 2010 at 12:47 PM
LOL! I served Alaskan IPA at the Brewfest one year. It was one popular chock! Never got a chance to taste it though!
Posted by: Chris McMullen | February 10, 2010 at 05:56 PM
I prefer Deschutes Inversion IPA, though Widmer's Broken Halo is pretty good. Alaskan is not bad, but it comes from, well, Alaska. I'm just inclined toward the more local, fresher, Oregon products.
I've never tried Sierra's product. Bridgeport is certainly local, but lacks the body and the hoppiness that marks a truly good IPA. Oregon is one of a select few centers that grow spectacularly good hops, and I suspect that Bridgeport employs less expensive imports. Just a guess, but their product lacks the qualities of Deschutes and Widmer - both of which use primarily Oregon-grown hops.
One mark of an IPA is the enhanced hoppiness - the brew was made to continue its fermentation in-cask, onboard small ships bound for the Idies. Considerably more hops were added to the brew in order to prevent microbial activity from ruining the product before reaching port.
The "pale ale" part is actually somewhat of a misnomer. It was pale in comparison to the darker brews of the Irish, but considerably darker than the actual ales produced in Germany. The Germans specialized in lagers, while the Irish moved stoutly in the other direction.
The IPA was neither lager nor stout, and the characteristics it developed over the course of the voyage set it apart. The Bridgeport product is essentially a hopped-up lager, in my view - and even the hoppiness is muted.
I believe that the Widmer and Deschutes products run truer to the IPA paradigm, and no, I own no stock in either company. I have done a fair amount of home-brewing and experimentation over the years, with fair success - you know it's going right when folks ask to purchase from you.
If you're home-brewing, selling is a huge no-no, but it's nice to know that folks would like to buy.
Posted by: Max | February 10, 2010 at 06:53 PM
Damn Max, you're a virtual encyclopedia of beer and brewing. Another one of my favorites is the Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Delicious.
I guess I'm inclined toward the Bridgeport because I'm not a big fan of really hoppy beer. Seems too bitter for me.
Anyway, thanks for the IPA primer. Very interesting stuff.
Posted by: Chris McMullen | February 11, 2010 at 12:02 PM
I mis-spelled "Indies" earlier, but the origin of IPA is correct other than that - it was meant to last in caravel voyages to India.
The Mirror Pond product is, as you noted, Chris, excellent. It has a mild hop, a nice aroma, and a somewhat fruity aftertaste that for some reason reminds me of ripe pear. Altogether an excellent experience.
The Bridgeport IPA is actually quite hoppy, but it seems like a cross between a lager and true IPA to me. This is why I guessed that they might be using more subtle import hops, as opposed to our world class Oregon-grown material. It's just a guess, but the imports are less expensive, so it seems reasonable.
The Bridgeport product is not at the level of Inversion in terms of the complexity of the brew, just in my view. It certainly isn't a bad product by any means; it just doesn't make my top 3 list. However, taste is very much an individual matter; in that, there is no right nor wrong choice.
My knowledge is far from encyclopedic; but I have brewed beers for a number of years, and I helped build a small commercial microbrewery. Basically, I just know what I like. I do beers with healthy amounts of Oregon hops, though I lack the patience to do an IPA. I tend to do Yorkshire bitters or hopped-up stouts.
OTOH, the hoppy beers like IPA actually seem to confer benefits beyond the taste sensation. I'd have been horribly disappointed to see that Miller Lite was your choice....
Posted by: Max | February 11, 2010 at 07:12 PM
Haaa... Miller lite! Amazing how swill like Budweiser still has a 50% market share. I'll have to do an IPA blind tasting one of these days -- really get an objective view of that style.
Don't hesitate to contact me if you need taste testers for your brewery! ;-)
Posted by: Chris McMullen | February 12, 2010 at 02:57 PM
Chris,
A blind taste-test of several brews is really an excellent way to determine what best suits you. Just remember to wash away with water before the next taste. The Portland brewfest is another way to go - though not blindly. When I've attended, I carry water in a stainless steel bottle. I don't drink until I'm done with the tasting run.
Bud owes its success to a number of factors; among them: good ad placement, comparatively low price-point, and the conversion of a number of their facilities into tourist attractions.
I don't have a brewery, although I've helped to build one. Just a long-time home-brewer.
Posted by: Max | February 12, 2010 at 05:49 PM