Matters of beer...

[skybolt_1]

Here's a question for all of you who drink beer...

What are the differences between a so-called "regular" beer (A.K.A. Bass Ale) vrs. a so-called "malt beverage" (A.K.A. Smirnoff Ice Triple Black)???

What, exactly, is malt? Is it more potent than the stuff (hops? barley?) in normal beer? Is it medically worse for you than other types of intoxicants?

Just curious because there has been an explosion of different brands in the malt 'flavored beer' market and I was just wondering about it.

skybolt_1

[willy_ph]

I would consider Smirnoff Ice Triple Black, just another cooler because it is made using vodka, rather than brewed like a traditional beer.

[skybolt_1]

True, but only outside of the US.

For reasons that are not clear, Smirnoff is not allowed to use vodka in its US line. So in Canada, you guys have the vodka version.

[Quidam]

Malt provides the sugar in beer that ferments into alcohol. I make beer (ales) and most of the malt I see is a dark brown thick syrup. Lagers and pilsners beers obviously must use a lighter malt.

I'm not really sure how the Smirnoffs, Zimas, and such fit into the malt category.

[Theophylact]

Advertising, mainly. Although stuff sold as "malt liquor" in the US tends to have a higher alcoholic content than stuff sold as beer, it's still fairly thin stuff compared to wine.

The Canadians sell stuff called "extra stock" and "double stock"; these are also slightly higher in alcohol. But they're all made by fermentation using malted barley.

Under Germany's Reinheitsgebot, beer requires four (and only four) ingredients: malt, hops, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and water. Americans tend to allow rice, wheat, and all sorts of other stuff, as well as adding carbon dioxide, preservatives and other junk. But it's beerish, anyway...

[Pexster]

Both beer and malt liquor are made from malted barley, which is barley that has been moistened and heated. This produces enzymes that convert some of it's starches to sugars. Therefore, the malted barley can ferment.

The distinction in terms, I believe, is purely for legal reasons in the U.S.-- make a beer over a certain strength, you have to label it malt liquor. These newer "malt beverages" simply de-emphasize the hops element (my best guess, never having tasted one), which is what gives beer it's bitterness. Hops were originally added because they act as a preservative.

[skybolt_1]

So is this form of malt any more detrimental to your health?

I keep seeing these beers being promoted as lower in everything and better for you...

[osprey4]

I think all "malt liquors" have alcohol added to them.

No, malted barley is malted barley. Strictly verboten if you're on Atkins.

[Pexster]

I don't know about these new clear malt thingies, but your regular old "malt liquor", say Carlsberg Elephant Malt, or any of a number of others, are brewed just as beer is, but with more malt. They may include a variety of specialty malts; e.g., crystal malt, chocolate malt, black malt, etc., depending on the desired style. Typically, they'll also have more hops in order to balance the flavor. The yeast strain must also be a variety that can tolerate high alcohol levels before dying.

German doppelbock can be over 12% alcohol.

[John Prophet]

I used to drink Heineken (well, that is, drank heinys before the kamikazi's kicked in) when I was overseas...My girl drank Amstel (we were in greece)

seems the beer there was stronger....cuz when I came home I had to drink all nite to get a buzz, lol.

I visited Italy....the beer there was all darkkkkkkkkkkk thick stuff....weird.

(ps, havent drank anything in 8 years..so these are ancient memories)