Be Excellent To Each Other

Oh deary me.

An 18.2% abv beer from Tokyo Scotland has been banned in the UK.

Apparently it would encourage binge drinking. Because, of course, normal 3% cans of Asda Piss beer that you can buy for less than you'd pay for own brand Asda coke doesn't.

How very silly.

Are they banning all alcoholic beverages with an abv of 18% and above, then?

No.

Still, I'm sure we can all rest more easily in our beds knowing that this far more expensive method of getting drunk, which would be beyond the meagre means of most dangerous and violent drinkers, is off our streets and we remain threatened only by chavs off their faces on good, wholesome, and, above all, British* beverages.

*Cue strains of Land of Hope and Glory*

Apparently it’s mostly to do with the message on the label, which says that it is a beer for ‘times when people need excess.’ I personally consider this awesome. Literally a good, honest beer.

It's also healthier than drinking three regular pints of Stella, as you consume one third of the calories. Frankly, I think it's shockingly irresponsible of the government to be banning this sort of healthy drink in the midst of an obesity epidemic. It’s reactionary silliness like this that lost us the Empire, you know.


*Or Belgian. Or Dutch. Or German. Or Scandinavian. Or, hell. You know.

I think it's more that the label encourages you to binge drink, allegedly. Still stupid, though.

I got the impression they just had to change the label and all would be well.

So all they have to do is put a UK-specific sticker over that bit that says "Fuck you, Britain. Fuck. You." and it'll be allowed?

I wonder what they'll do about Tactical Nuclear Penguin at 32% then.

It's not from Tokyo it's called Tokyo it's from a small Scottish Brewery.

Nothing, because it doesn't have a label that allegedly encourages binge drinking. It's not the strength of the beer that's the crux of the matter, here.

I think they ought to ban the import of all drinks that aren't made in the sovereign state of Cornwall.

I know. Can't you read, guy?

They have a sense of humour, though, as they brought out a low-alcohol beer called 'Nanny State'.

Brilliant.

TBF, all the beers I have had made by that company have tasted rank, so it isn't much of a loss.

Apparently, British drinkers are all about quantity, not quality. This is why stuff like Heineken was 3.5% up until recently. So that Brits could drink vast amounts of it before they got pissed. Quite what happens in the Czech Republic, then, where they drink a third again as much as the UK, I don't know, especially given their beers are all quite strong (and delicious).

I can't imagine a beer of that strength being especially pleasant, as the sheer strength of the alcohol would overwhelm the taste.

Don't ever drink whiskey, then Poiks. It's even more alcoholic!

I have no problem drinking neat booze, I just think that a beer of that strength won't taste much like a beer, and remember, people drink Duff for its cool, crisp flavour!

Seriously, though, if you want a strong drink, drink some liquor. But if I'm going to drink a beer, I want it to taste nice.

Oh yeah I knew there was something to report, Asda are doing boxes of Hobgoblin for £10. Not sure if they're 10, 12 bottles per box though.

Do you like swell booze too.

Well gee willickers, I sure do!

Having even the smell of beer make me wretch, I can only count that as a Good Thing™.

There have been a couple of times in my life when I have absolutely needed a damn good drink. Something like that would conceivably been perfect.

That's the observations of Foreigns. That and that we drink purely to drink and get violently drunk, not drink as in consume alcohol as a liquid accompaniment for meals. It's terribles and uncivilised, I tells you.

So, beer. This here is a superb beer, which I recommend to everyone...

Surely that's one of those 'scotch. Leave the bottle' moments? But then! The bartender produces TOKYO DEATH BEER or whatever it's called.

"Ready to drink yourself into oblivion? Wish it didn't involve burny burny spirits? Neck a ONE BEER OVER TOKYO and your problems will continue, only you won't care until later! Ask your bartender for TOKYO ROSE today! That's TOKYO LONG ENOUGH by ROBDOG BREWERS. Impossible to enjoy responsibly."

Sorry, but if I go around asking for a Duuel in each pub I go to I'd soon be beaten to a pulp.

So, how can I get hold of some of this, then?

I've had some other BrewDog stuff - they're a very American microbrew style of brewery; they tend towards more experimental beer, and less "traditional" ales, and they're always interesting drinks, if not always things I'd choose to drink regularly. Their IPA is good, though, and incredibly hoppy.

I could live with that, for a while. There are some most excellent Cornish Beers that are available.

They had Tribute on in the KA earlier this week. I made my yankee friend drink it.

But I really like a good pint of Doom.

Nicest tasting strong beer I have ever had.

Ask for Duvel then.

Is that a or a ?

Doom 3 is where it's at.

Them had Darkstar Expresso on in the Madding the other day. I love that.

Tribute i prefer to Doom, but Cornish Blonde I think is one of my favourites. I've found that a few pints of Stoggs gives me the shits the next morning.

There are nicer. Go to Bruges.

Fuckin' Bruges!