The Great Colombian Beer-off
Written by Kyle on Friday, October 17, 2008 in Colombia
Feelin' normal
I like beer. Beer, beer, beer. As we've been passing through different countries, I've been making a conscience effort to try each different type of beer that I can find. And usually, I declare a winner in my mind of the best beer from that country. Unfortunately, my methodology is usually anything but scientific as usually the beers tasted happen many days apart in many different settings. So, I decided to change this. I went out and bought one of each type of Colombian beer that I could find so that I could try a sip of each of them in the same location in roughly the same time period. Here's what I ended up with:Feelin' normal
After taking a few sips of each, here are my completely unbiased scientific findings:
Poker ("Es Cervesa de Verdad" - The true beer)
This one was a little darker than the other pilsners, but that's not saying much. Still a very lite, watery beer.
Pilsen ("El Sabor Original de la Recompensa" - The Orignal Taste of Reward)
This tasted like the other pilsners, but had a terrible aftertaste. I guess their subtitle is right as it was orignal but the reward part was missing.
Aguila ("La Cervesa de Colombia" - Colombia's Beer)
This one didn't have anything repugnant about it. Not much good to write about it either. It's got alchohol, so that's always good.
Club Colombia
This one actually had some flavor to it. Tasted a bit like a really wussy red beer. But, hey, flavor! That's a start. This also seems to be the unofficial favorite of other travelers that passed by to taste the beers.
Costañita
Hello? Where's the beer flavor? Tastes like water with a mild hint of beer.
Wasn't expecting this one. It tastes a bit like what I call Summer Beer (beer, lemonade, some vodka). The British and Irish like to call it "shandy" and I'll take their word on it because I have no idea what that is.
Cola y Pola
This is actually a mixture of soda and beer. It's almost like an alchoholic cream soda. Mmmm...yummy. It's also apparently popular for helping hangovers in the morning.
So, what's my favorite, then? Well, based on just taste, I'll have to go with Club Colombia as it actually tries to taste like beer. It's not like I would recommend it to anyone, but if you're going to drink Colombian beer, this is the best of the lot. Suprisingly, I really like the Cola y Pola as a beer alternative. Who knew that soda + beer = yummy?
The disconcerning reader at this point will wonder if, after opening all of these beers, did I finish them. The answer is, of course, yes. And let me tell you that mixing 6 different types of beer in one sitting makes your stomach grumble a bit when you're trying to sleep. But, I guess that's the price to pay for science.
Comments on "The Great Colombian Beer-off"
This may have been my greatest accomplishment of the week. Gotta fit this one on a resume somehow...
Your future resume could stress your imagination, your eye (and taste buds) for detail, your dedication to task, your documentation skills, and your willingness to sacrifice for the good of your employer. The photos above would only add to your irresistibility as a potential employee. Look out corporate world!
It's a tough job, but someone had to do it.
What a day job!
Well, it was actually the night shift...
You still have me giggling, Kyle. I REALIZE that you were being Entirely Serious in This Quest. And yet, you succeeded in demonstrating your comical side QUITE well! (Or was it The Beers that did it? Don't tell me. Better to keep me guessing! LOL)
Nice sweattttty photos.... Was the beer as warm as you were?.... Beer is BORING!... How about a wine-off in the next town you visit.... Without a cork in the bottle neck, a beverage just isn't civilized.... And try to find white wines as long as you are out to impress me!!! :>}
Thank you for this sacrifice. To science. And fellow beer drinkers.
by Anne at October 18, 2008 12:24 PM