Travels With Nate

Well, folks, it’s that time of the year again… Golden Pints time! We all get to share our favourite beers of the year. Some difficult decisions had to be made, but I think I’ve done well… Best UK Keg: Boddingtons Best UK Cask: Greene King IPA Best UK Bottled or Canned: Skol (canned) Best overseas draught beer: Carlsberg Export Best overseas bottled or canned beer: Bud Light (canned) Best collaboration brew: Simon Rimmer & Robinsons. BEER WITH FOOD. Best overall beer: Carling Zest Ginger Best branding: Tennent’s Lager Best UK Brewery: Greene King Best overseas brewery: Anheuser-Busch Best new brewery opening 2013: St Edmund’s Brewhouse Pub/Bar of the year: Carling Pub, Alicante airport New pub/bar opening 2013: Beer festival of the year: Greene King Real Beer & Food Festival Supermarket of the year: Asda. Best independent shop: The one near me that does 8 Carlings for £7 Best online retailer: ...

The Session is a monthly event for the beer blogging community which was started by Stan Hieronymus at  Appellation Beer . On the first Friday of each month, all participating bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blog is chosen to host The Session, choose the topic, and post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session, check out the Brookston Beer Bulletin’s  nice archive page . This week’s session is hosted by Adam of Pints & Pubs , and is essentially about what beer you currently have at home. As the saying goes “A picture paints a thousand words” so this is all I need to offer you: Nate http://www.twitter.com/NateDawg27 http://www.facebook.com/boozebeatsbites

I've been struggling lately. Struggling with life and struggling to write. I've been doing loads of thinking and overthinking and I'm not sure what the fuck is happening. However, today is Sunday. Sunday is the one day I can sit back and not give a fuck. I am really hungover. Last night I drank way too much bourbon and passed out on someone else' sofa whilst watching Ghostbusters. I'm quite fond of this person but that's irrelevant because today I have stopped giving a fuck. Picture this scene. It's Sunday. It's cold. I'm at my computer. I'm smoking lots of cigarettes and tweeting shit. I want a beer, I'm hungry and I'm listening to music.

Now, this may come as a shock to you but I like a few drinks every once in a while. Ok, more than a few and more nights than not. When I first read that the government were considering minimum pricing per unit on alcoho l I was outraged. Then they decided that it was definitely occurring. I was angry for a few reasons: Firstly, I like alcohol a lot. Secondly, the beer duty escalator pushes the price of beer up enough as it is. And thirdly, this gives the government yet another way to sting us each budget. Yes, I’m aware that it’s not actually a tax and apparently doesn’t benefit the government but minimum pricing is set at 40p (50p in Scotland soon) a unit now but what about next year when they decide that 40p isn’t enough and sticks another 3p on, then another 2p the next year and so on whilst at the same time raising beer duty, yet again. What I don’t get and I’ve seen that others don’t get either ( including a beer retailer ) is who actually gets the money ...

It is a little known fact that I like beer. I like a good cask ale or a keg craft beer but I also like what you’d only describe as crap beer. All of the other beer geeks I know tut and shake their heads disapprovingly at me for drinking crap beer. I say screw you. Drinking good beer costs a lot of money and sometimes I don’t have the funds to warrant buying 5 or 6 decent beers at £2-3 a bottle. Sometimes I just want a few ice cold, inoffensive lagers that cost £4.50 for a 4 pack. What? Fair enough, said beers are cheaply made, highly processed and are from faceless corporations who don’t care about the consumer but you know what? I’m cheap, faceless and don’t care about the corporations. There are some cheapies I don’t drink, like Stella Artois for instance. It’s pointless drinking a beer nicknamed “wifebeater” when you’ve got no wife to beat! Absolutely pointless! I also won’t drink Sol or Corona because I’m not in Mexico and I certainly don’t want to have to add a slice of ...