What's your poison?

[tunnanxwd]

Frank, Prickly Pear isn't a fruit, it's a cactus. I had a garden of them and they thrive here in NJ on the south facing rock cliffs. So I climbed up and took a few home and they took over a whole section of garden. The quills or spines are like micro-needles and they are too small for tweezers and will drive you nutz. The best cure that I found to get those spines out is ... DUCT TAPE .... yep, just put a nice sticky piece on a dry ringer and lightly put it on like a band-aid then pull it off. They do have a beautiful translucent almost wax like yellow flower once a year.

They grow low in clusters that are about the size and shape of one of those wooden stirring spoons.

I finally did a nice "napalm" job on them after getting impaled one too many times.

[nordwulf]

Prickly Pear wasn't very sweet or fruity, more like a dry but distinctive taste.

[nordwulf]

Found at the Lidl in Galway in Ireland. Not bad for a discount grocery store.



Might as well repost the Guinness pictures here. Have to try a few more of those as well. Beamish is another Irish Stout that I hadn't heard about before. Also very tasty, little bit different from Guinness. Perhaps even a little better.

You also see Budweiser and Coors in supermarkets in Ireland. I have no idea why you want to drink that with so many other local choices..







I also have been buying Killian's Stout quite often. Remarkable good taste and only $11 for a 12-pack. Not bad at all for a mass market brewer (Coors).

[J Frank Parnell]

Fortunately, or unfortunately for my wallet, my wife got me drinking specialty craft brews when she found a bottle of Stone Imperial Russian Stout when we were on vacation. Since that point, I haven't looked back. Nowadays, even the generic craft brews don't really strike me any more.

[nordwulf]

Third Shift Amber Lager is another new favorite of mine. It's pretty close to the regular Sam Adams but often quite a bit less expensive. Usually sells for about $10.50 for a 12-pack at the local grocery store.

[J Frank Parnell]

If I had to choose my two favorites it would be these:

[Shazam]

I've been cutting back a bit. The waist line doesn't agree with beer. Once I get back into a workout routine, all the good drinks will be back on the menu.

But, around the holidays I was really enjoying my homemade eggnog. Mmmmmm.