SLOTerp wrote:My local beer store doesn't carry much Australian but here's what they got:

Foster's Lager (the one I remember)
Foster's Special Bitter
James Boag's Premium Lager
Coopers Sparkling Ale

Any recommendation of these slim pickings?

Neal Anderth wrote:It's like debating the difference between sliced bread in the grocery store compared to an artisan bakery. Of course sliced bread in the store will always be popular, affordable, and convenient, but that's about where it ends.

danivon wrote:

Neal Anderth wrote:It's like debating the difference between sliced bread in the grocery store compared to an artisan bakery. Of course sliced bread in the store will always be popular, affordable, and convenient, but that's about where it ends.

And artisan bread will always vary and can be inconsistent.

The results of a new study indicate that the passage of medical marijuana laws is associated with a decrease in the public’s consumption of alcohol and fewer alcohol-related traffic fatalities.

Investigators at Montana State University, the University of Oregon and the University of Colorado looked at data on alcohol consumption and traffic fatality rates for the years 1990 to 2010. Their findings were published in the Journal of Law and Economics, NORML reported.

“Using individual-level data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System [BRFSS] … we find that MMLs [medical marijuana laws] are associated with decreases in the probability of [an individual] having consumed alcohol in the past month, binge drinking and the number of drinks consumed,” wrote the autors of the study.

The researches reached the conclusion that since the public was drinking less alcohol, it was logical that there would be a decrease in the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities.

“Using data from FARS [federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System] for the period 1990-2010, we find that traffic fatalities fall by 8-11 percent the first full year after legalization … Why does legalizing medical marijuana reduce traffic fatalities?" they wrote. "Alcohol consumption appears to play a key role. The legalization of medical marijuana is associated with a 7.2 percent decrease in traffic fatalities in which there was no reported alcohol involvement, but this estimate is not statistically significant at conventional levels.

In comparison, the legalization of medical marijuana is associated with a 13.2 percent decrease in fatalities in which at least one driver involved had a positive BAC level. The negative relationship between the legalization of medical marijuana and traffic fatalities involving alcohol lends support to the hypothesis that marijuana and alcohol are substitutes.”

Samuel Adams Boston Lager helped lead the American beer revolution, reviving a passion for full-bodied brews that are robust and rich with character. Since 1984, Samuel Adams Boston Lager has used only the finest hand-selected ingredients to create this perfectly balanced, complex and full-bodied original brew

Samuel Adams Boston Lager uses only the finest ingredients, including two-row malted barley and Bavarian Noble hops. The sole use of two-row barley not only imparts a full, smooth body but also gives the beer a wide spectrum of flavor ranging from toffee to toasted. We also take great pride in the Noble hops we use – they’re hand selected by Jim Koch and our brewers from the world’s oldest hop growing areas. The Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Tettnanger Noble hops add a wide range of floral, piney and citrus notes, which are present from the aroma, through the taste, and all the way to the lingering smooth finish.

The brew is also dry hopped using the Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops for an enhanced hop signature in the aroma and finish.

Introducing a point we will elaborate on in upcoming publications, I’d like to state simply that good beer is not necessarily craft beer, and vice versa, and that the debate is veering dangerously towards emphasizing “craft” over “good”.