the "quaff"

[Dragonfly]

OK, so my friend told me his dad's so-called proper method of drinking beer. And it goes a-somethin' like this:

4 Large gulps. (or maybe a couple more.)

He calls it the quaff.

Supposedly this is the most thorough way to get the flavor. Seems a little excessive to me - although I'll be damned if it's not a pretty good way to drink a beer. Anyway, this guy is a big alcohol distributor so I'd assume he knows a thing or two. Anybody else subscribe to this school of thought?

 

[rewster451]

Here's how to drink a good beer. Smell it. Look at the color. Look at it through a light. Smell it again. Take a small sip, about half a mouthful, roll it around, and let it touch every part of your tounge. Then, as you're swallowing, get your schnozz back down into the beer and smell it again. Look at it again. Thank your creator for beer.
Under no circumstances should you gulp.

Unless you're just trying to get drunk. Then go buy some PBR and call it a tuesday.

 

[Catfish]

As an alcohol distributer I'd think his advice would be good for drinking large quantities of beer in a relatively short time. How you drink your beer depends on your goal. If you wish to savor and appreciate your beer, Rewster's advice is good; if you want to knock a couple back, "quaffin'" it works well; if you're trying to impress your frat brothers a funnel and a length of garden hose works. It all depend on why you're drinking (and what, skulling is still the best way to enjoy some beers).

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

Around here we call that chugging. A good way to get drunk quick. My first beer after work goes down like that, the next I try to enjoy in a more leasurely fashion.

 

[david_42]

An Australian told me he could tell the nationality of a drinker by looking at their empty glass and counting the foam rings. Dozens of rings from taking small sips, American probably east coast. 4-6 rings from quaffing, Brit. One ring, Australian. No rings Scottish, they lick the glass.

 

[Orfy]

Gulp until the thurst has gone. If I'm thirtsy then it's the pint in one. Then continue drinking until one of the following happens..

1.Too tired to drink any more.
2. Too drunk to drink any more.
3. No more Beer.

Now I have 200 pints of home brew it's gonna be 1 or 2.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Now I have 200 pints of home brew it's gonna be 1 or 2.

I have to say, you are quite the prolific homebrewer! An example to us all.

 

[Orfy]

Thanks.

I reckon if I want brews to mature for 2 to 6 months then I need at least 3 to 6 months supply.
2 pints a day = 60 pints a month = 360 pints for 6 months.
I can then brew one 40 pint batch every 3 weeks or so. At present I'm doing a couple a week but when I go AG that'll stop. I want to do another two LME to help build up the stocks.

Which means I can make do with one primary and one secondary to save space.

 

[Caplan]

'quaffing' is to 'drink heartly or in one draught' apparently. Depends what you drink as to the bruises it'll leave!

 

[ScottT]

An Australian told me he could tell the nationality of a drinker by looking at their empty glass and counting the foam rings. Dozens of rings from taking small sips, American probably east coast. 4-6 rings from quaffing, Brit. One ring, Australian. No rings Scottish, they lick the glass.

Hello, My name is ScottT and I'm a quaffer. That's why I like low carbonation. If you'll remember my post about 22 oz bottles. I consiter anything smaller a shot. You see, I learned my appreciation for beer while living in the UK. "When in Rome you do as the Romans do" As is the case when living in a country other than your home. Heck, I even adopted their eating style. I still hold the fork in my left hand and a knife in my right.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a bong sucker, or a Yard of Ale pro. I do savor my beer, I just do it a couple of hearty swllows at a time.

First the visual inspection and admiration.

Second, the deep inhalation over the glass that puts the big smile on my face.

Then, the first sip that floods the palate and cools the throat and starts the adjustment to the flavor

Finally, the quaff. The class get tilted to 45 degres and two or three long full draws ad swallows. Ahhhhhhh, smooth as milk, clean, hoppy at first, sweet finish. Mmmmmmmmm.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

OK, I just tried the quaff. I used a Busch light, I'm low on homebrew and didn't want to drink one that quick. Anyway, the first one I tried I poured and let set about 2 minutes so it would warm up and lose some carbonation. It almost made me puke because of the fizz. So, dedicated researcher that I am, I decided to try another. This one I let set for six minutes, went down a lot easier but still hard to get down because of fizz.

Anyway, for what flavor there is in BL I actually think I missed out on it. I don't feel like I had a chance to taste it because I was to focused on getting it down and not choking. So I'm not a fan when it comes to quaffing crap beer. I'll have to wait until the new batch is ready before I quaff a home brew or good commercial beer.

As a dedicated researcher I might just try another BL here in a few minutes.

 

[ScottT]

As a dedicated researcher I might just try another BL here in a few minutes.

Don't do it man, why torture yourself.

Read my previous post. Low carbonation. I should add that it must be at cellar temps of 55-58 (or even 60) degrees.

I'm the guy that orders two beers at a time at a resturant. I sometimes have to explain to the waiter that I like my beer warmer than they serve and this allows the 2nd one to get good. I get some strange looks.

 

[rewster451]

I have been known to quaff good beer. It certainly has its charm when you have already had a few and your taste buds aren't really registering everything. It's a way to experience a beer you already know well. Not for trying a beer for the first time. In this instance I stick to my original post. It's also a good way to put down a few PBR's when you're just looking to find that special warm spot in your belly and you don't have any homebrews, good scotch, or very much money (I find myself in this scenario more times than I'd like to admit). But I agree that the beer should be a little warmer, like a twelver you've been sitting outside fishing with for an hour.
I also agree that a good dark beer is better warm, and if you know it well enough to quaff it, go for it.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

I broke down and quaffed a Bridgeport IPA I had paid for. I've got to say, for one, it went down a lot easier than Bud Light.

That it tasted better shouldn't even have to be mentioned...

Anyway, when I first got it down, I thought it was for the birds. However, it hit me about 20 second after it was down. That strong hoppy flavor that makes me love IPA's. It was actually too strong. Kind of like IPA when you first drink it. What scares me is that it feels like I might could get to like that flavor just like I did IPA's.

I'll probably add the quaff to my repertoire, but will mainly stick with my sipping.

Anyway, thanks for the idea Dragonfly, I had thought about it with good beer but figured it would be a waste. It wasn't too bad.

 

[homebrewer_99]

...let set about 2 minutes so it would warm up and lose some carbonation. It almost made me puke because of the fizz...

Take a straw and put it into your beer then blow bubbles into it...you remember doing this as a kid...that makes carbonated soda's lose their fizz.

 

[Cheesefood]

It's kind of ironic how beer that was meant to be chugged (aka most beer from Milwaukee or St. Louis) makes you burp with gusto and is almost impossible to deep-throat. Good beer (aka most beer made in your basement or fine brewpubs) is easy to chug, but needs to be enjoyed.

(ok, that's a record for me: two gay jokes in one night).

HOMER: NO! NO! Beer bring pain!

 

[rewster451]

You're right though. Good beer can be chugged more easily, but it's just wrong to do it. If you're drunk enough to chug, you shouldn't waste good beer on it. Y'know?

 

[Dragonfly]

Anyway, thanks for the idea Dragonfly, I had thought about it with good beer but figured it would be a waste. It wasn't too bad.

yeah man, it's a useful addition. I agree though, that sipping is still my primary method of consumption

It's a way to experience a beer you already know well.

I like that, it's something that I had subconsciously noted but not actually thought about. Quaffing is probably not the best way to experience a brew for the first time, but for more of an in-depth experience of an old friend.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

an in-depth experience of an old friend.

I thought we were done with the gay jokes.

 

[Spoonta]

you got it right about the ozs mate

 

[Dude]

Unless you're just trying to get drunk. Then go buy some PBR and call it a tuesday.

That's a hoot.

 

[BootYtRappeR]

I'll have to add my 2 cents here.

I haven't had enough experience with my own homebrew yet but as with a beer like Guinness I think the BEST way to drink it is to quaff, chug, gulp (what ever the proper verbage is) a pint of Guinness (this is the important part) AS SOON as you pour it BEFORE the head comes to the top, so that it frothy and creamy from the bottom of the glass to the top.

aahhh! Try it some time, Absolutely the best!

 

[BootYtRappeR]

BEFORE the head comes to the top, so that it frothy and creamy from the bottom of the glass to the top.

aahhh! Try it some time, Absolutely the best!

This is best achieved at a pub with Guinness on tap. And don't let that idiot bartender tell you they have to do the "Perfect Pour"! This is simply a matter of opinion and I'd like my beer poured just the way I want it.

Sorry about the rant here about the bartender. I once ordered a Guinness and the bartender wouldn't give me the glass immediately, she insisted on doing "The Perfect Pour" - whatever that is!

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

This is best achieved at a pub with Guinness on tap. And don't let that idiot bartender tell you they have to do the "Perfect Pour"! This is simply a matter of opinion and I'd like my beer poured just the way I want it.

Sorry about the rant here about the bartender. I once ordered a Guinness and the bartender wouldn't give me the glass immediately, she insisted on doing "The Perfect Pour" - whatever that is!

I'm assuming when you say "Perfect Pour" you mean where they pour it, let it set, repeat, repeat.... It seems like people have read or heard that Guiness is meant to be poured that way. Who am I to argue that the manufacturer recommends or doesn't recommend that? What I do know is that I know how I like my beer and if I'm paying you, you'll pour it the way I want. (hopefully)

Anyway, my point is that people read or listen to someone who "knows" about beer and they decide that whatever that dude or dudette recommends is the way they should be doing it. Whether lemon in your Hefe Weissen, Guiness at room temperature, or whatever. Those of us who really "know" beer know that the best way to drink any beer is the way YOU want to drink it! Personally, I like most of my beer to set at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and that's how I'm going to drink it.

 

[Orfy]

Lightly chilled beer is nice and refreshing but I find that the super cold beer some pubs serve has very little taste.

 

[Truble]

I have always liked my temp inverse to the color/weight- I like my stouts, etc, warmer, but I like lighter beers, ales, and commercials colder.

I like a nice big haul of a quaff when I am drinking....fills your whole mouth with flavor as it hits all the receptors at once.

 

[rewster451]

American domestics are served cold specifically because the cold eliminates much of the flavor. Warm Miller Lite tastes bad. Fuller body beers can be enjoyed at almost any temperature, depending on the tastes of the drinker. I have to agree that I like my beer at about 55-60F. I also like to let it "settle" a little. I love watching the Guinness head come up through the thickness so it looks almost like a cascade. Then I typically like to sip it and enjoy it over a longer period of time.
However, I like what you guys are saying about the right way being whatever way you like it. It's your beer, enjoy it as you are wont to do.

 

[Walker]

American domestics are served cold specifically because the cold eliminates much of the flavor. Warm Miller Lite tastes bad.

Cold ones taste pretty nasty, too.



-walker

 

[Driftwood]

"When in Rome you do as the Romans do" As is the case when living in a country other than your home. Heck, I even adopted their eating style. I still hold the fork in my left hand and a knife in my right.

Ummm... don't we all hold the fork in the left and knife in the right?

 

[Walker]

not consistantly in the USA. People will often hold knife-in-right, fork-in-left while CUTTING something. Then they will transfer the fork to the right hand to actually put the food into their mouths.

I never thought about it until I lived in Germany and my friends poked fun at me. I made it a point to keep the fork in my left hand for the entire meal and still do it today.

-walker