Is There A Decent Light Beer Around?

[barls]

the coopers regency light wasnt too bad last time i had it.
other than that there are the 3 mid strengths previously mentioned

 

[Mercs Own]

is a shandy considered a light beer?

 

[dig]

I like Gage Roads Pils, Rogers and Mr Natural (which I believe is 50/50 vienna and munich). Gage Roads are making great beer these days; go out and get a fresh one if you haven't for a while.

 

[dig]

Mind you, I hardly ever drink reduced EtOH beer as I just don't see the point. Would rather sip away at something big and tasty than hoover down biblical quantities of liquid.

 

[Mercs Own]

Mind you, I hardly ever drink reduced EtOH beer as I just don't see the point. Would rather sip away at something big and tasty than hoover down biblical quantities of liquid.

You mean like a shandy?

 

[dig]

Yes, like shandy. Shandy is an abomination and its preparation should be legislated against. Commercial examples, such as Tui IPA, should be be subject to the new alcopop tax.

 

[sinkas]

Gage Roads are making great beer these days; go out and get a fresh one if you haven't for a while.

Dont they make Matso's Smokey Bishop?

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Dont they make Matso's Smokey Bishop?

If that is true , is that good or bad? I hear many differing reports about Matso's.
GB

 

[Mercs Own]

Yes, like shandy. Shandy is an abomination and its preparation should be legislated against. Commercial examples, such as Tui IPA, should be be subject to the new alcopop tax.

Yes, well, I consider light beer close to same - no one goes out looking for light wine, light burbon and cola, light alco pops - light beer is an abomination - when beer was invented they didnt make light beer they made beer - imagine the Trappist Monks coming in for lunch and being given a Chimay Yellow light 2.3% do you reckon they would have gone back out in the fields or moved over to Brewery Duval as common peasants!

As far as I am concerned if you are drinking light beer because you have to drive then the following is the best light beer - have one quality full strength beer and then have two equal amounts of water or mineral water drive home knowing all is well and enjoy a good strong Belgian triple at home sitting in your undies watching the football replay or motorcycling - go Troy and Casey!

Life is too short to drink light beer!

Drinking Light Beer is like watching a football game but seeing only one team playing.

Drinking light beer is like watching the V8's screaming around Phillip Island only on 3 cylinders.

Drinking Light beer is like going to sleep on your wedding night - alone.

Drinking light beer is as fattening as full strength beer but no where near as nice.

Drinking light beer is like eating slow braised lamb shanks with out any slow braised lamb shanks!

See what I mean?

Life is too short to drink light beer.

 

[Tim]

Beer that is 3.5% abv is still considered full strength, and 5% is usually considrered strong. Most bitters are some where between 3.5 and 4% abv and they are definetly not light or mid strength.
I think the Australian mindset of beer has to be 5% to be full strength is a little out of step with the rest of the world. Americans go the other way and try and brew beer that is stronger again with everything being double this and imperial that.

 

[Mercs Own]

Beer that is 3.5% abv is still considered full strength, and 5% is usually considrered strong. Most bitters are some where between 3.5 and 4% abv and they are definetly not light or mid strength.
I think the Australian mindset of beer has to be 5% to be full strength is a little out of step with the rest of the world. Americans go the other way and try and brew beer that is stronger again with everything being double this and imperial that.

Tim I dont know where you got that info from and being a long time beer drinker I have never heard that said before until reading your post. I dont know anyone that considers 3.5% a full strength and I certainly hope that doesnt become a legally recognised fact. As for a 5% being thought of as strong the closest thing I have seen that may suppot that is when you order a beer in Queensland and they ask if you want a 'heavy' which really means a full strength - I think it is in QLD that they do this and it makes sense when you remember that they are one of larger drinkers of mid strength beers.

Lastly the Americans have always made beer weaker than our good old Ozzy piss - around the 4% mark it is only in recent times and only the good old Micro brewing boys over there have started to make big high alcohol beers and double IPA's - well not so recent for high alc Belgian clones but certainly the 2xIPA.

Sorry for kicking your cat but the thought of a mid strength being considered a full strength is a ludicruos idea to me, similar to the alcopop tax being designed to stop binge drinking - yeah right!

 

[DiscoStu]

Regardless of what is considered full strength in other markets, 3.5% is generally seen a mid stength in Australia (eg Carlton Midstrength) and full strength is 4.5% +

As to which is the best light, if you were to put a gun to my head and make me drink light beer it would be Boags Premium Light.

 

[Adamt]

3.5% is full strength for a bitter.
3.5% is mid strength for a macrobrew lager
5% is full strength for a macrobrew lager
5% is mid strength for a stout.

etc.

 

[Tim]

I am only posting from my observations. I have a blog: http://thebeerdiary.blogspot.com and have pretty much only reported 'full strength' beers, and these are from around the world, not just Aussie beer or real ale. In general I have found that the average strength is around 4% abv.
I think Australian marketing relies on differentiation based upon abv, with heavy or full strength beers (~5%) playing on the macho insecurities of most blokes. I think lower alcohol beers such as trad bitter would not sell as well due to the established beliefs of the market.

American macrobrewed lager I think you will find is 4% abw, which is pretty close to 5% abv.
Also WTF is VB midestrength? and Coopers mild. Its just marketing gone mad

 

[Bribie G]

Lastly the Americans have always made beer weaker than our good old Ozzy piss - around the 4% mark it is only in recent times and only the good old Micro brewing boys over there have started to make big high alcohol beers and double IPA's - well not so recent for high alc Belgian clones but certainly the 2xIPA.

Common misconception, and one that gets a lot of Canadian tourists into trouble! In the USA they label beer as alcohol by weight. We (and the Canooks) label beer as alc by volume. Because alcohol is far lighter than water, 4% by weight translates to about 5% by volume.

"seriously, offisher, I thought it was only four percent beer that's why I'm indecently exposing myself in Timesh shquare..."

At the end of prohibition many states only allowed brewing to recommence as long as it was "three two beer" , which is 3.2% ABW and translates to around 4% ABV which is what the poor old Kiwis have to put up with.

Living in the UK until my late twenties I had no problem getting absolutely paralyzed on seven or eight pints of Brains (Cardiff) Special Ale at around 4.2 ABV. When 5% continental beers such as Lamot and Stella became available, five or six pints caused unsuspecting burly Cardiff steelworkers to throw up in the gutter In fact, Stella was advertised widely as "Stella's for the Fella's" because lager was still considered a girl's drink.

 

[wraith]

Over 2 1/2 years after my post i've discovered a mistake, I said Timothy Taylor Landlord was 4.4%, its actually 4.1%

Wraith

 

[brett mccluskey]

Yes, well, I consider light beer close to same - no one goes out looking for light wine, light burbon and cola, light alco pops - light beer is an abomination - when beer was invented they didnt make light beer they made beer - imagine the Trappist Monks coming in for lunch and being given a Chimay Yellow light 2.3% do you reckon they would have gone back out in the fields or moved over to Brewery Duval as common peasants!

As far as I am concerned if you are drinking light beer because you have to drive then the following is the best light beer - have one quality full strength beer and then have two equal amounts of water or mineral water drive home knowing all is well and enjoy a good strong Belgian triple at home sitting in your undies watching the football replay or motorcycling - go Troy and Casey!

Life is too short to drink light beer!

Drinking Light Beer is like watching a football game but seeing only one team playing.

Drinking light beer is like watching the V8's screaming around Phillip Island only on 3 cylinders.

Drinking Light beer is like going to sleep on your wedding night - alone.

Drinking light beer is as fattening as full strength beer but no where near as nice.

Drinking light beer is like eating slow braised lamb shanks with out any slow braised lamb shanks!

See what I mean?

Life is too short to drink light beer.

Is the suggestion that a lower alcohol beer ie:3.5/3.8% abv is some how a lesser beer? Think about British /English Milds. Consider Holgate's Mild,fantastic flavour and taste :drinks: IMO we need MORE beers of this calibre,not less.A good session beer ,several pints ,and you're not falling down or talking in Braille.I'm not talking about the mainstream lager interpretations with bugger all taste + flavour.It is possible to brew a lower abv beer thats tasty and able to be consumed in reasonable amounts without falling over .Simply because a beer isn't 5% or more,doesn't make it a poor /lesser beer ABV snobbery seems to be rearing it's ugly head.Berllinner Weisse anyone? ....

 

[Spartan 117]

A work mate of mine always says that "light beer is like going down on your sister, taste's the same.... but just doesn't feel right"

lulz

Aaron

edit : spelling

 

[Siborg]

Try Rogers

 

[Steve@PMF82]

I have spent a few hours tonight looking around for lower alcohol AG recipes.

I am looking foward to making some lower alc beers that are still tasty at the same time.
I really enjoy the taste of AG home made beer , if i could brew the same thing with half the alc i would every time.
Not everyone needs lots of alc to enjoy themselves.