Tag Archives: Beer World Cup 2014

Brazil 2014 World Cup Preview

2014 World Cup in Brazil should be a cracker. So many exciting games and duels to look forward to. Spain V Netherlands, Messi V Ronaldo, England V Uruguay, France V The World. Brilliant.

So here at ThisDrinkingLife we have written a short piece on all 32 participating nations and giving the lowdown on how they will do. So if you follow our advice you are bound to get a winner or two down the bookies, no doubt about it!

We are going for Spain to win the overall thing. They easily have the best squad, and have actually improved it slightly since the last world cup. The last four should contain Spain, Portugal, Germany and England. What? No Brazil or Argentina yet England!? Yes! Brazil wont win anything, they don’t have the squad to do it, while Argentina rely too heavily on Messi and Aguerro in a very rigid setup. And England? I expect Sturridge to fire them to the Semi’s

So that’s my alcohol dazed two bobs worth, lets see how many of my predictions and calls I get wrong! Roll on the 12th of June.

Group A

Brazil: Clear favourites for the world cup?

Brazil: Under Pressure?

Croatia: Solid without earth shattering

Mexico: On a downward spiral

Cameroon: Let the spirit of 1990 shine through

Group B

Spain: Two in a row?

Spain: Again?

Netherlands: A different approach?

Chile: The time is now

Australia: Australia, nul point

Group C

Colombia: the short trip to Brazil

Greece: Another Trojan horse

Ivory Coast: An African Powerhouse

Japan: Not this year.

Group D

Uruguay: Uruguay, a dark horse for the world cup, or not?

Uruguay: Suarez’s recovery the key

Costa Rica: An Unfortunate Grouping

England: Quietly Optimistic?

Italy: Italy, a turnaround?

Italy: An Outsider?

Group E

Switzerland:

Quietly efficient

France: The Luck of the draw!

France: The great pretenders

Ecuador: How did you qualify again?

Honduras: In search of their first win

Group F

Argentina: Can Messi inspire Argentina to victory?

Iran: Asia’s highest ranking team

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Welcome

Nigeria: Keshi and his Super Eagles

Group G

Germany: Germany, and their lone striker

Portugal: All about CR7

USA: Can Klinsmann’s team surprise us?

Ghana: Can they put the 2010 heartbreak to bed?

Group H

Belgium: Everyone’s favourite dark horse

Russia: Hurt pride

South Korea: Another world cup tryout

Algeria:

No firepower

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The World Cup Of Drink 2014

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The World Cup is on this summer in case you didn’t know. So for the months of June and July I will be on lockdown with pizza, alcohol, total control of the TV remote and many hours of quality football. One way to enjoy the feast of football is to incorporate drinks into your routine from the nations that are playing. When the country is playing you simply guzzle down their respective national booze. Every nation has their favourite tipple, even nations which are meant to be “dry”.

For each team pick a half and for 45 minutes enjoy their drink. One can also include a pre game warm up as well, of course! But remember there can be three games on some days.

Can rate on taste, texture, how easy it is to drink, or just how phished it might get you, and when the game is over you can decide who won, drew or lost. Of course one would have to cater for alcohol content and mark accordingly. Would be ideal to play amongst a few of your mates. Might be a good idea to ask the wife/girl friend to not be around – for the entire two months, if possible!

So using the qualified nations I have chosen each country’s respective alcohol beverage. One would imagine that nations like Russia, Mexico, USA, England, Germany and Belgium would be favourites? Of course nations that would be top dogs – Ireland, Poland, and Czech Rep. didn’t qualify but that’s life. But who knows who would win as there are always underrated beers, plucky little unheard of wines that are tasty, or some spirit you never tasted before that might blow your mind or get you nicely smashed.

I have included a top rankings system compiled from the WHO of top nations listed by alcohol consumption (2011), which shows varieties in beers, spirits, and wine, and total alcohol consumption per year per adult (over 15!). Our very own drinking rankings! (Christ I am desperate!) I have shown top nations and nations that have qualified for this year’s world cup. With a nice map if can’t be arsed to read!

I have given the groups with nations and a list of their respective bevvies for you to choose from. If nothing else, it might work as a general guide to booze in these countries!

Also, if any reader has anything to add, or any comments they want to give then please fell free to go to the contact area and email us with your opinions, we more than look forward to any feedback – good and bad- and will try and address your views.

Roll on June 2014!

List of countries by alcohol consumption

Pure alcohol consumption among adults (age 15+) in litres per capita per year
country	total	beer	wine	spirits	other
Moldova 1	18.22	4.57	4.67	4.42	0.00
Czech Republic 2	16.45	8.51	2.33	3.59	0.39
Hungary 3	16.27	4.42	4.94	3.02	0.14
Russia 4	15.76	3.65	0.10	6.88	0.34
Ukraine 5	15.60	2.69	0.58	5.21	0.02
Estonia 6	15.57	5.53	1.09	9.19	0.43
Andorra 7	15.48	3.93	5.69	3.14	0.00
Romania 8	15.30	4.07	2.33	4.14	0.00
Slovenia 9	15.19	4.10	5.10	1.33	0.00
Belarus 10	15.13	1.84	0.80	4.08	2.67
Croatia 11	15.11	4.66	5.80	1.91	0.14
Lithuania 12	15.03	5.60	1.80	4.50	0.60
South Korea 13	14.80	2.14	0.06	9.57	0.04
Portugal 14	14.55	3.75	6.65	1.27	0.51
Ireland 15	14.41	7.04	2.75	2.51	1.09
France 16	13.66	2.31	8.14	2.62	0.17
United Kingdom 17	13.37	4.93	3.53	2.41	0.67
Poland 20	13.25	5.27	1.23	2.97	0.00
Germany 23	12.81	6.22	3.15	2.30	0.00
Nigeria 27	12.28	0.54	0.01	0.02	9.17
Uganda 28	11.93	0.51	0.00	0.18	14.52
Spain 30	11.62	4.52	3.59	1.31	0.61
Switzerland 33	11.06	3.10	5.10	1.80	0.10
Belgium 35	10.77	5.49	3.55	0.62	0.03
Greece 36	10.75	2.20	4.51	2.38	0.13
Italy 37	10.68	1.73	6.38	0.42	0.00
Grenada 40	10.35	3.16	0.42	7.15	0.04
Netherlands 43	10.05	4.72	3.26	1.56	0.00
Australia 44	10.02	4.56	3.12	1.16	1.02
Argentina 45	10.00	2.49	4.62	0.52	0.20
Canada 48	9.77	4.10	1.50	2.10	0.00
Bosnia and Herzegovina 50	9.63	2.22	0.34	7.08	0.00
New Zealand 51	9.62	4.09	3.04	1.37	0.81
South Africa 56	9.46	3.93	1.17	1.15	0.75
United States 57	9.44	4.47	1.36	2.65	0.00
Ecuador 59	9.38	2.30	0.07	1.69	0.00
Brazil 62	9.16	3.36	0.33	2.49	0.03
Chile 65	8.55	2.03	2.59	2.16	0.04
Mexico 67	8.42	3.96	0.02	1.09	0.03
Uruguay 69	8.14	1.33	3.95	1.21	0.06
Japan 70	8.03	1.72	0.29	3.37	2.61
Cameroon 75	7.57	2.05	0.05	0.00	2.60
Thailand 77	7.08	1.75	0.02	4.69	0.00
Ivory Coast 86	6.48	0.61	0.33	0.05	3.55
Colombia 92	6.17	2.71	0.08	1.44	0.02
China 96	5.91	1.50	0.15	2.51	0.23
Costa Rica 99	5.55	2.29	0.18	1.71	0.02
Jamaica 110	5.00	1.49	0.11	1.80	0.10
Honduras 116	4.48	1.29	0.04	1.87	0.00
Ghana 139	2.97	0.40	0.07	0.03	0.97
Iran 162	1.02	0.02	0.00	0.00	0.00
Algeria 163	0.96	0.09	0.07	0.00	0.50
India 170	0.75	0.06	0.02	0.05	0.00
Libya 183	0.11	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00

GROUP A: (From first viewing, I would expect Brazil and Mexico to come out of this group (much like the football))
Brazil Brazil, a nation famous for partying and having a good time. But does its alcohol match the good mood of its people. According to the Barthhaas group (whoever the hell they are) Brazil has the world’s third largest market for beer, which, if true, is pretty amazing. There is a strong German influence with their beers which goes back to early immigration. Bohemia is the oldest Brazilian beer which is still under production. Two important brands, Antarctica and Brahma, started production in the 1880s, and are still popular. I have no idea how strong or good Brazilian beer is but it would be fun to try them. Alternatively one could try Cachaça which is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice. It is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil. It is typically between 38% and 48% alcohol by volume. Meant to be good for a cocktail mix, but again I have never tried this Brazilian drink.
Croatia Croatia, a nation that I am not aware of in terms of alcohol beverages, but they have supporters who look like they like a sip of the hard stuff. Most of the domestic market in beer is Croatian beer, a patriotic bunch the Croats, and that is dominated by a few main beers. Osječko is the first Croatian beer ever produced, produced since 1697 which Is pretty damn old. Karlovačko is the second most popular beer in Croatia. It is also the national beer. Ožujsko is the most popular beer in Croatia, apparently with 10 bottles being consumed every second. I will write that again – ten bottles consumed a second, wow! It has been produced since 1893. Gricka Vjestica has the strongest alcohol content with 7,5%. All that sounds very appetising, but you might also want to try Croatia’s wine. The majority (67%) of wine produced is white and produced in the interior, while 32% is red and produced mainly along the coast. But if you want to try the national beverage then Rakia is the one to opt for. Rakia is a popular alcoholic beverage in southeast Europe produced by distillation of fermented fruit. The alcohol content of Rakia is normally 40% ABV.
Mexico Now before we jump straight into the obvious, Mexico has a lot to offer than THAT drink! Let’s have a look so. Beer in Mexico has a long history long before the Spanish conquest. Globally, one of the best known Mexican beers is Corona, which is the flagship beer of Grupo Modelo. Corona is the best-selling beer produced by Mexico. It is one of the five most-consumed beers in the world. Corona, is a nice drink, but not what I would look for if I wanted to have a good time. There are a lot of other Mexican brands, too – Tecate, Sol, Dos Equis, Carta Blanca, Superior, Indio, Bohemia, Noche Buena, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial Victoria, Estrella, Léon, Montejo and Pacifico. Apart from beer, one could try Pulque, an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant. It is traditional to central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the colour of milk and a sour yeast-like taste.It is not as popular as before due to the increase of beer drinking in Mexico but is making a slow comeback .If looking for wine, Mexico is the oldest wine-making region in the Americas, as of the 2013, about 90% of Mexican wine is produced in the north-western state of Bajz California, neighbouring the wine producing region of California in the U.S.. Which makes you think if Californian wines are so popular these days then why not Mexican wines? To be honest if you were trying a drink from Mexico then it would be none other than tequila. I have to admit I love Tequila, neat and no messing with lime or salt (fuck off!). Love the drink and don’t find it as hard to drink as some find it, I guess its one of my poisons! The Consejo Regulador del Tequila (Tequila Regulatory Council) reported 1377 registered domestically bottled brands from 150 producers as of November 2013, so good with all that if searching for a strong recommendation from me!. Of course there are differing levels of tequila, but any bottle of the decent tequila is good enough for any party in my opinion.
Cameroon The most popular beers in Cameroon are foreign beers, and, much life a lot of Africa, Guinness. There are some millet beers called ‘bil-bil’ in the north, but good luck if you can source that beer. Palm wine is popular, created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. The sap is extracted and collected by a tapper. Typically the sap is collected from the cut flower of the palm tree. A container is fastened to the flower stump to collect the sap. The white liquid that initially collects tends to be very sweet and non-alcoholic before it is fermented. Palm sap begins fermenting immediately after collection, due to natural yeasts in the pores of pot and air. Within two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, mildly intoxicating and sweet. The wine may be allowed to ferment longer, up to a day, to yield a stronger, more sour and acidic taste. Palm wine may be distilled to create a stronger drink, which goes by different names depending on the region, but in Cameroon its called mimbo, matango, mbuh. Again, good luck with sourcing that.

GROUP A:

(From first viewing, I would expect Brazil and Mexico to come out of this group (much like the football))

Team

Brazil

Brazil, a nation famous for partying and having a good time. But does its alcohol match the good mood of its people. According to the Barthhaas group (whoever the hell they are) Brazil has the world’s third largest market for beer, which, if true, is pretty amazing. There is a strong German influence with their beers which goes back to early immigration. Bohemia is the oldest Brazilian beer which is still under production. Two important brands, Antarctica and Brahma, started production in the 1880s, and are still popular. I have no idea how strong or good Brazilian beer is but it would be fun to try them. Alternatively one could try Cachaça which is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice. It is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil. It is typically between 38% and 48% alcohol by volume. Meant to be good for a cocktail mix, but again I have never tried this Brazilian drink.

Croatia

Croatia, a nation that I am not aware of in terms of alcohol beverages, but they have supporters who look like they like a sip of the hard stuff. Most of the domestic market in beer is Croatian beer, a patriotic bunch the Croats, and that is dominated by a few main beers. Osječko is the first Croatian beer ever produced, produced since 1697 which Is pretty damn old. Karlovačko is the second most popular beer in Croatia. It is also the national beer. Ožujsko is the most popular beer in Croatia, apparently with 10 bottles being consumed every second. I will write that again – ten bottles consumed a second, wow! It has been produced since 1893. Gricka Vjestica has the strongest alcohol content with 7,5%. All that sounds very appetising, but you might also want to try Croatia’s wine. The majority (67%) of wine produced is white and produced in the interior, while 32% is red and produced mainly along the coast. But if you want to try the national beverage then Rakia is the one to opt for. Rakia is a popular alcoholic beverage in southeast Europe produced by distillation of fermented fruit. The alcohol content of Rakia is normally 40% ABV.

Mexico

Now before we jump straight into the obvious, Mexico has a lot to offer than THAT drink!

Let’s have a look so. Beer in Mexico has a long history long before the Spanish conquest. Globally, one of the best known Mexican beers is Corona, which is the flagship beer of Grupo Modelo. Corona is the best-selling beer produced by Mexico. It is one of the five most-consumed beers in the world. Corona, is a nice drink, but not what I would look for if I wanted to have a good time. There are a lot of other Mexican brands, too – Tecate, Sol, Dos Equis, Carta Blanca, Superior, Indio, Bohemia, Noche Buena, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial Victoria, Estrella, Léon, Montejo and Pacifico. Apart from beer, one could try Pulque, an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant. It is traditional to central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the colour of milk and a sour yeast-like taste.It is not as popular as before due to the increase of beer drinking in Mexico but is making a slow comeback .If looking for wine, Mexico is the oldest wine-making region in the Americas, as of the 2013, about 90% of Mexican wine is produced in the north-western state of Bajz California, neighbouring the wine producing region of California in the U.S.. Which makes you think if Californian wines are so popular these days then why not Mexican wines?

To be honest if you were trying a drink from Mexico then it would be none other than tequila. I have to admit I love Tequila, neat and no messing with lime or salt (fuck off!). Love the drink and don’t find it as hard to drink as some find it, I guess its one of my poisons! The Consejo Regulador del Tequila (Tequila Regulatory Council) reported 1377 registered domestically bottled brands from 150 producers as of November 2013, so good with all that if searching for a strong recommendation from me!. Of course there are differing levels of tequila, but any bottle of the decent tequila is good enough for any party in my opinion.

Cameroon

The most popular beers in Cameroon are foreign beers, and, much life a lot of Africa, Guinness. There are some millet beers called ‘bil-bil’ in the north, but good luck if you can source that beer.

Palm wine is popular, created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. The sap is extracted and collected by a tapper. Typically the sap is collected from the cut flower of the palm tree. A container is fastened to the flower stump to collect the sap. The white liquid that initially collects tends to be very sweet and non-alcoholic before it is fermented. Palm sap begins fermenting immediately after collection, due to natural yeasts in the pores of pot and air. Within two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, mildly intoxicating and sweet. The wine may be allowed to ferment longer, up to a day, to yield a stronger, more sour and acidic taste. Palm wine may be distilled to create a stronger drink, which goes by different names depending on the region, but in Cameroon its called mimbo, matango, mbuh. Again, good luck with sourcing that.

GROUP B: (From first viewing, a tough group to call as i do like my Heini, and know that wines from Chile and Australia are meant to be good, and then there is sangria! the group of death perhaps)
Spain The land of all the “S”’s; sun, sea, sand, sex and sangria. World champs in football but how would they fare in our drinking world cup? Spain has some nice beers alright but we really must talk about the wine and sangria. Sangria normally consists of wine, chopped fruit, a sweetener, and a small amount of added brandy. Chopped fruit can include orange, lemon, lime, apple, peach, melon, berries, pineapple, grape, kiwifruit and mango. A sweetener such as honey, sugar, syrup, or orange juice is added. Because of the variation in recipes and in regions, sangria’s alcoholic content can vary greatly, usually from 4 percent up to about 11 percent. Sangria is served throughout Spain during summer. It is a popular drink among tourists at bars, pubs and restaurants where it is often served in 1-litre pitchers or other containers large enough to hold a bottle of wine plus the added ingredients. Bottled sangria can be bought in some countries. Sangria has become popular in the UK and the U.S., with many supermarkets stocking it during summer months. Spain has also a big reputation in wine, is the worlds third largest producer of wine, and with hot weather most of the year round a good place to be a wine producer. Spanish wines are wines produced in the south-western European country of Spain. Spain’s reputation is that of a serious wine producing country that can compete with other producers in the world wine market, and definitely worth a try. Then we move onto Shakespeare favourite tipple, sherry which is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. In Europe, “Sherry” has protected designation of origin status, and under Spanish law, all wine labelled as “Sherry” must legallycome from the Sherry Triangle, an area in the province of Cadiz between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. Wines classified as suitable for aging are fortified until they reach a total alcohol content of 15.5 per cent by volume. As they age in barrel, they develop a layer of flor—a yeast-like growth that helps protect the wine from excessive oxidation. Those wines that are classified to undergo aging are fortified to reach an alcohol content of at least 17 per cent.
Netherlands Heineken, Amstel, Grolsch, and Irish students favourite, Dutch Gold. The Netherlands exports the largest proportion of beer of any country in the world – approximately 50% of production, according to The Brewers of Europe. Great beers from a top class beer producing nation. Having lived in the Netherlands I can definitely say it’s a great place for the drink connoisseur, with 24 hour bars, easy going atmosphere and with very cheap prices and if including some sweet space cakes a great place to get smashed! Love the Heineken, one of my favourite beers, but there is of course much more to the Netherlands’ than the big three (H,A,G), and one should definitely try out some of the smaller producers dotted all over the Netherlands with each town having their own special brew. Apart from its beer, one might like to try Jenever (also known as Dutch gin), is the juniper-flavored national and traditional liquor of the Netherlands, from which gin evolved. Jenever was originally produced by distilling malt wine to 50% ABV. Because the resulting spirit was not palatable due to the lack of refined distilling techniques (only the pot still was available), herbs were added to mask the flavour. The juniper berry was chosen for its alleged medicinal effects, hence the name jenever (and the English name gin). Believed to have been invented by a Dutch chemist named Sylvius de Bouve, it was first sold as a medicine in the late 16th century. There are two types: Oude jenever must contain ‘at least’ 15% malt wine, but no more than 20 g of sugar per litre. Korenwijn (grain wine) is a drink very similar to the 18th century style jenever, and is often matured for a few years in an oak cask; it contains from 51% to 70% malt wine and up to 20 g/l of sugar. Jonge jenever has a neutral taste, like vodka, with a slight aroma of juniper and malt wine. Oude jenever has a smoother, very aromatic taste with malty flavours. Oude jenever is sometimes aged in wood; its malty, woody and smoky flavours lend a resemblance to whisky. Different grains used in the production process make cause for different flavoured jenevers.
Chile Not really a beer drinking nation Chile has made leaps and bounds in the world of wine, and that’s where we will concentrate. Chile is now the fifth largest exporter of wines in the world, and the ninth largest producer. The climate has been described as midway between that of California and France, making it an ideal place to produce great wines. Chilean wines have ranked very highly in international competitions. In the Tokyo Wine Tasting of 2006, Chilean wines won four of the top five rankings. Why is Chilean wine so good? Well it probably is due to a strong collaboration with France and Spanish brands and producers, learning and improving on old techniques and the Chilean climate of the Andes and the fertile land that gives great growing conditions. Something that might be worth and try and looks interesting is Pisco, a good drink for mixing cocktails. Pisco is a colourless or yellowish-to-amber coloured grape brandy produced in winemaking regions of Chile. Pisco was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain.
Australia Well there are hundreds of beers one could try, from Carlton, Castlemaine, XXXX, Coopers, Tooheys, and even Fosters. Like most people this side of the world I have only ever tried Fosters. I like it but am well aware it’s not what most Aussies drink and is looked down upon. It’s a good beer, light but nice taste, a good starter. The Australian wine industry is the world’s fourth largest exporter of wine, and generally considered cheap but of decent quality, a better buy than that expensive and maybe overrated French wine you were thinking of buying! Could try the famous Bundaberg Rum, a dark rum produced in Bundaberg, Australia. It is often referred to as “Bundy”. Has a bit of a reputation with violence and dodgy drinlking but in my book that’s good! If desperate could try an Australian whiskey, but then maybe not!

GROUP B:

(From first viewing, a tough group to call as i do like my Heini, and know that wines from Chile and Australia are meant to be good, and then there is sangria! the group of death perhaps)

Team

Spain

The land of all the “S”’s; sun, sea, sand, sex and sangria. World champs in football but how would they fare in our drinking world cup? Spain has some nice beers alright but we really must talk about the wine and sangria. Sangria normally consists of wine, chopped fruit, a sweetener, and a small amount of added brandy. Chopped fruit can include orange, lemon, lime, apple, peach, melon, berries, pineapple, grape, kiwifruit and mango. A sweetener such as honey, sugar, syrup, or orange juice is added. Because of the variation in recipes and in regions, sangria’s alcoholic content can vary greatly, usually from 4 percent up to about 11 percent. Sangria is served throughout Spain during summer. It is a popular drink among tourists at bars, pubs and restaurants where it is often served in 1-litre pitchers or other containers large enough to hold a bottle of wine plus the added ingredients. Bottled sangria can be bought in some countries. Sangria has become popular in the UK and the U.S., with many supermarkets stocking it during summer months.

Spain has also a big reputation in wine, is the worlds third largest producer of wine, and with hot weather most of the year round a good place to be a wine producer. Spanish wines are wines produced in the south-western European country of Spain. Spain’s reputation is that of a serious wine producing country that can compete with other producers in the world wine market, and definitely worth a try.

Then we move onto Shakespeare favourite tipple, sherry which is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. In Europe, “Sherry” has protected designation of origin status, and under Spanish law, all wine labelled as “Sherry” must legallycome from the Sherry Triangle, an area in the province of Cadiz between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. Wines classified as suitable for aging are fortified until they reach a total alcohol content of 15.5 per cent by volume. As they age in barrel, they develop a layer of flor—a yeast-like growth that helps protect the wine from excessive oxidation. Those wines that are classified to undergo aging are fortified to reach an alcohol content of at least 17 per cent.

Netherlands

Heineken, Amstel, Grolsch, and Irish students favourite, Dutch Gold. The Netherlands exports the largest proportion of beer of any country in the world – approximately 50% of production, according to The Brewers of Europe. Great beers from a top class beer producing nation. Having lived in the Netherlands I can definitely say it’s a great place for the drink connoisseur, with 24 hour bars, easy going atmosphere and with very cheap prices and if including some sweet space cakes a great place to get smashed! Love the Heineken, one of my favourite beers, but there is of course much more to the Netherlands’ than the big three (H,A,G), and one should definitely try out some of the smaller producers dotted all over the Netherlands with each town having their own special brew.

Apart from its beer, one might like to try Jenever (also known as Dutch gin), is the juniper-flavored national and traditional liquor of the Netherlands, from which gin evolved. Jenever was originally produced by distilling malt wine to 50% ABV. Because the resulting spirit was not palatable due to the lack of refined distilling techniques (only the pot still was available), herbs were added to mask the flavour. The juniper berry was chosen for its alleged medicinal effects, hence the name jenever (and the English name gin).

Believed to have been invented by a Dutch chemist named Sylvius de Bouve, it was first sold as a medicine in the late 16th century. There are two types: Oude jenever must contain ‘at least’ 15% malt wine, but no more than 20 g of sugar per litre. Korenwijn (grain wine) is a drink very similar to the 18th century style jenever, and is often matured for a few years in an oak cask; it contains from 51% to 70% malt wine and up to 20 g/l of sugar. Jonge jenever has a neutral taste, like vodka, with a slight aroma of juniper and malt wine. Oude jenever has a smoother, very aromatic taste with malty flavours. Oude jenever is sometimes aged in wood; its malty, woody and smoky flavours lend a resemblance to whisky. Different grains used in the production process make cause for different flavoured jenevers.

Chile

Not really a beer drinking nation Chile has made leaps and bounds in the world of wine, and that’s where we will concentrate. Chile is now the fifth largest exporter of wines in the world, and the ninth largest producer. The climate has been described as midway between that of California and France, making it an ideal place to produce great wines. Chilean wines have ranked very highly in international competitions. In the Tokyo Wine Tasting of 2006, Chilean wines won four of the top five rankings. Why is Chilean wine so good? Well it probably is due to a strong collaboration with France and Spanish brands and producers, learning and improving on old techniques and the Chilean climate of the Andes and the fertile land that gives great growing conditions.

Something that might be worth and try and looks interesting is Pisco, a good drink for mixing cocktails. Pisco is a colourless or yellowish-to-amber coloured grape brandy produced in winemaking regions of Chile. Pisco was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain.

Australia

Well there are hundreds of beers one could try, from Carlton, Castlemaine, XXXX, Coopers, Tooheys, and even Fosters. Like most people this side of the world I have only ever tried Fosters. I like it but am well aware it’s not what most Aussies drink and is looked down upon. It’s a good beer, light but nice taste, a good starter.

The Australian wine industry is the world’s fourth largest exporter of wine, and generally considered cheap but of decent quality, a better buy than that expensive and maybe overrated French wine you were thinking of buying!

Could try the famous Bundaberg Rum, a dark rum produced in Bundaberg, Australia. It is often referred to as “Bundy”. Has a bit of a reputation with violence and dodgy drinlking but in my book that’s good!

If desperate could try an Australian whiskey, but then maybe not!

GROUP C: (From first viewing, go with japan (saki) and Greece (ouzi))
Colombia Well Colombia is a place that can get you easily off your head but we are not talking about alcoholic beverages. But having said that there is a bourgeoning beer industry ranging from small local micro-brews to large scale productions of popular brands. It is estimated that Colombia has more than 15 large national brands but dozens of small/local microbrewery boutique beers are growing beyond regional demand. They do like their spirits though, and Aguardiente is their drink, drank neat as well. Aguardiente is a generic term for alcoholic beverages that contain between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume. In Colombia, aguardiente known as guaro, is an anise-flavoured liqueur derived from sugarcane, vastly popular in the country. By adding different amounts of aniseed, different flavours are obtained, leading to extensive marketing and fierce competition between brands. Aguardiente has 24%–29% alcohol content.
Greece Ouzo, my mother’s favourite drink! I have tried it once or twice and it isn’t bad, but it’s definitely an acquired taste. It seems to be a hugely popular drink and usually drank in the long hot months of summer. Ouzo is an anise flavoured aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece and Cyprus. Can be mixed with water but who the fuck would do that, neat is always better. Ouzo is traditionally served with a small plate of a variety of appetizers called mezes. Ouzo can be described to have a similar taste to absinthe which is liquorice-like, but smoother. On October 25, 2006, Greece won the right to label ouzo as an exclusively Greek product. After all the stages of fermentation and distilling the final ABV is usually between 40 and 50 percent; the minimum allowed is 37.5 percent. Of course you could try some Greek wine, from one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world. The earliest evidence of Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago, a good age for a wine then!
Côte d’Ivoire Could find very little on IC drinking habits. All I found was that they like to drink a lot of Palm wine, an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. A drink that is popular in certain parts of Africa.
Japan Sake or saké is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin that is made from fermented rice. Sake is sometimes called “rice wine” but the brewing process is more akin to beer, converting starch to sugar for the fermentation process. Sake is sometimes referred to in English-speaking countries as rice wine. However, unlike wine, in which alcohol is produced by fermenting sugar that is naturally present in grapes and other fruits, sake is produced by means of a brewing process more like that of beer. To make beer or sake, the sugar needed to produce alcohol must first be converted from starch. The brewing process for sake differs from the process for beer, in that for beer, the conversion from starch to sugar and from sugar to alcohol occurs in two discrete steps. But when sake is brewed, these conversions occur simultaneously. Furthermore, the alcohol content differs between sake, wine, and beer. Wine generally contains 9%–16% ABV, while most beer contains 3%–9%, and undiluted sake contains 18%–20% Or if Sake isn’t strong enough for you then you might want to try some Shōchū, which is a Japanese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or rice, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as brown sugar, chestnut, sesame seeds, or even carrots. Typically shōchū contains approximately 25% ABV, which is weaker than whisky or standard-strength vodka but stronger than wine and sake. The style of Japanese whisky is more similar to that of Scotch whisky than Irish, American or Canadian styles. There are several companies producing whisky in Japan, but the two best-known and most widely available are Suntory and Nikka. Both of these produce blended as well as single malt whiskies and blended malt whiskies. Having mentioned all that, beer is still king in Japan and is the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan, accounting for nearly two thirds of the 9 billion litres of alcohol consumed in 2006. Major makers are Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory while small local breweries supply distinct tasting beers.

GROUP C:

(From first viewing, go with japan (saki) and Greece (ouzi))

Team

Colombia

Well Colombia is a place that can get you easily off your head but we are not talking about alcoholic beverages. But having said that there is a bourgeoning beer industry ranging from small local micro-brews to large scale productions of popular brands. It is estimated that Colombia has more than 15 large national brands but dozens of small/local microbrewery boutique beers are growing beyond regional demand.

They do like their spirits though, and Aguardiente is their drink, drank neat as well. Aguardiente is a generic term for alcoholic beverages that contain between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume. In Colombia, aguardiente known as guaro, is an anise-flavoured liqueur derived from sugarcane, vastly popular in the country. By adding different amounts of aniseed, different flavours are obtained, leading to extensive marketing and fierce competition between brands. Aguardiente has 24%–29% alcohol content.

Greece

Ouzo, my mother’s favourite drink! I have tried it once or twice and it isn’t bad, but it’s definitely an acquired taste. It seems to be a hugely popular drink and usually drank in the long hot months of summer. Ouzo is an anise flavoured aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece and Cyprus. Can be mixed with water but who the fuck would do that, neat is always better. Ouzo is traditionally served with a small plate of a variety of appetizers called mezes. Ouzo can be described to have a similar taste to absinthe which is liquorice-like, but smoother. On October 25, 2006, Greece won the right to label ouzo as an exclusively Greek product. After all the stages of fermentation and distilling the final ABV is usually between 40 and 50 percent; the minimum allowed is 37.5 percent.

Of course you could try some Greek wine, from one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world. The earliest evidence of Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago, a good age for a wine then!

Côte d’Ivoire

Could find very little on IC drinking habits. All I found was that they like to drink a lot of Palm wine, an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. A drink that is popular in certain parts of Africa.

Japan

Sake or saké is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin that is made from fermented rice. Sake is sometimes called “rice wine” but the brewing process is more akin to beer, converting starch to sugar for the fermentation process. Sake is sometimes referred to in English-speaking countries as rice wine. However, unlike wine, in which alcohol is produced by fermenting sugar that is naturally present in grapes and other fruits, sake is produced by means of a brewing process more like that of beer. To make beer or sake, the sugar needed to produce alcohol must first be converted from starch. The brewing process for sake differs from the process for beer, in that for beer, the conversion from starch to sugar and from sugar to alcohol occurs in two discrete steps. But when sake is brewed, these conversions occur simultaneously. Furthermore, the alcohol content differs between sake, wine, and beer. Wine generally contains 9%–16% ABV, while most beer contains 3%–9%, and undiluted sake contains 18%–20%

Or if Sake isn’t strong enough for you then you might want to try some Shōchū, which is a Japanese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or rice, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as brown sugar, chestnut, sesame seeds, or even carrots. Typically shōchū contains approximately 25% ABV, which is weaker than whisky or standard-strength vodka but stronger than wine and sake.

The style of Japanese whisky is more similar to that of Scotch whisky than Irish, American or Canadian styles. There are several companies producing whisky in Japan, but the two best-known and most widely available are Suntory and Nikka. Both of these produce blended as well as single malt whiskies and blended malt whiskies.

Having mentioned all that, beer is still king in Japan and is the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan, accounting for nearly two thirds of the 9 billion litres of alcohol consumed in 2006. Major makers are Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory while small local breweries supply distinct tasting beers.

GROUP D: (From first viewing, How could you not go with England, a strong favourite for the whole competition and the home of fine ales, and Italy, a place of good wines)
Uruguay Couldn’t find a whole lot on Uruguay, big on cannabis but so much on alcohol. Mate is a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused drink, in Uruguay. It is prepared from steeping dried leaves of yerba mate in hot water. The yerba may be brewed, but not so sure if it’s a big alcoholic drink at all, but why not just add some liquor anyway. In Uruguay it is common to see people walking around the streets toting a mate and a thermos with hot water.
Costa Rica Beer in CR include Imperial, Imperial Light, Imperial Silver, Pilsen, Pilsen 6.0, Bavaria Gold, Bavaria Light, Bavaria Dark, Rock Ice and Rock Ice Limón. With the exception of Bavaria Negra, all are light-coloured, light-bodied lagers. Not sure if any of them are home produced, doesn’t look like it, maybe.
England You have bitters, ales, lagers, stouts, porter, shandys; just don’t ask me to go in detail about them all, just that there is a shit lot of good beer in England! Beer in England pre-dates other alcoholic drinks produced in England, and have been brewed continuously since prehistoric times. As a beer brewing country, England is known for its real ale which finishes maturing in the cellar of the pub rather than at the brewery and is served with only natural carbonation. English beer styles include bitter, mild, brown ale and old ale. Stout was also originally brewed in London. Lager style beer has increased considerably in popularity since the mid 20th century. Other modern developments include consolidation of large brewers into multinational corporations; growth of beer consumerism; expansion of microbreweries and increased interest in bottle conditioned beers. Cider is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from fruit juice, most commonly and traditionally apple juice but also the juice of peaches, pears or other fruit. Cider varies in alcohol content from 1.2% ABV to 8.5% or more in traditional English ciders. Cider is popular in the United Kingdom and has the highest per capita consumption of cider, as well as the largest cider-producing companies in the world, including H. P. Bulmer, the largest. Much cider today is made from apple pulp rather than fresh apples and may contain added sweeteners or flavours. Cider is available in sweet, medium and dry varieties. Recent years have seen a significant increase in cider sales in the UK. A key market segment exists in the UK for strong white mass-produced cider at 7.5% alcohol by volume. Typical brands include White Lightning, Diamond White, Frosty Jack, and White Strike, shit cheap and a great way to get completely smashed! Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries From its earliest beginnings in the Middle Ages, gin has evolved over the course of a millennium from a herbal medicine to an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Today, the gin category is one of the most popular and widely distributed range of spirits, and is represented by products of various origins, styles, and flavour profiles that all revolve around juniper as a common ingredient Beefeater, first produced in 1820, and Gordon’s are two well known brands from England.
Italy Italy is considered to be part of the wine belt of Europe. Nevertheless, beer is common in the country. It is traditionally considered to be an ideal accompaniment to pizza; since the 1970s, beer has spread from pizzerias and has become much more popular for drinking in other situations. One of the oldest and most widespread breweries in Italy is Peroni. Since the beginning of the 2000s, there has been a rise in the number of new microbreweries opening. The success of this phenomenon is due to the excellent quality of their products. The local materials are of good quality and much of the experience derived from wine-making applies to brewing. When I was in Italy I got to love and really appreciate their beers. I was taken aback as Italy doesn’t really have a reputation for good beer, and yet here I was drinking excellent quality produced beer. It was lovely to drink and easy to drink, and best of all it was damn cheap. I think Italy will continue to make a strong name for itself in the future with its excellently produced beers. Grappa is another alcoholic beverage that is around in Italy. It’s a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35%–60% volume. The flavour of grappa, like that of wine, depends on the type and quality of the grapes used, as well as the specifics of the distillation process. Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It was originally made to prevent waste by using these leftovers. Italy is home of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world and Italian wines are known worldwide for their broad variety. Italy shares with France the title of largest wine producer in the world, its contribution representing about 1/3 of world production. Italian wine is exported around the world and is also extremely popular in Italy: Italians rank fifth on the world wine consumption list by volume with 42 litres per capita consumption. Grapes are grown in almost every region of the country and there are more than one million vineyards under cultivation. Italy is home to good quality affordable wine.

GROUP D:

(From first viewing, How could you not go with England, a strong favourite for the whole competition and the home of fine ales, and Italy, a place of good wines)

Team

Uruguay

Couldn’t find a whole lot on Uruguay, big on cannabis but so much on alcohol. Mate is a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused drink, in Uruguay. It is prepared from steeping dried leaves of yerba mate in hot water. The yerba may be brewed, but not so sure if it’s a big alcoholic drink at all, but why not just add some liquor anyway. In Uruguay it is common to see people walking around the streets toting a mate and a thermos with hot water.

Costa Rica

Beer in CR include Imperial, Imperial Light, Imperial Silver, Pilsen, Pilsen 6.0, Bavaria Gold, Bavaria Light, Bavaria Dark, Rock Ice and Rock Ice Limón. With the exception of Bavaria Negra, all are light-coloured, light-bodied lagers. Not sure if any of them are home produced, doesn’t look like it, maybe.

England

You have bitters, ales, lagers, stouts, porter, shandys; just don’t ask me to go in detail about them all, just that there is a shit lot of good beer in England! Beer in England pre-dates other alcoholic drinks produced in England, and have been brewed continuously since prehistoric times. As a beer brewing country, England is known for its real ale which finishes maturing in the cellar of the pub rather than at the brewery and is served with only natural carbonation.

English beer styles include bitter, mild, brown ale and old ale. Stout was also originally brewed in London. Lager style beer has increased considerably in popularity since the mid 20th century. Other modern developments include consolidation of large brewers into multinational corporations; growth of beer consumerism; expansion of microbreweries and increased interest in bottle conditioned beers.

Cider is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from fruit juice, most commonly and traditionally apple juice but also the juice of peaches, pears or other fruit. Cider varies in alcohol content from 1.2% ABV to 8.5% or more in traditional English ciders. Cider is popular in the United Kingdom and has the highest per capita consumption of cider, as well as the largest cider-producing companies in the world, including H. P. Bulmer, the largest. Much cider today is made from apple pulp rather than fresh apples and may contain added sweeteners or flavours. Cider is available in sweet, medium and dry varieties. Recent years have seen a significant increase in cider sales in the UK. A key market segment exists in the UK for strong white mass-produced cider at 7.5% alcohol by volume. Typical brands include White Lightning, Diamond White, Frosty Jack, and White Strike, shit cheap and a great way to get completely smashed!

Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries From its earliest beginnings in the Middle Ages, gin has evolved over the course of a millennium from a herbal medicine to an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Today, the gin category is one of the most popular and widely distributed range of spirits, and is represented by products of various origins, styles, and flavour profiles that all revolve around juniper as a common ingredient Beefeater, first produced in 1820, and Gordon’s are two well known brands from England.

Italy

Italy is considered to be part of the wine belt of Europe. Nevertheless, beer is common in the country. It is traditionally considered to be an ideal accompaniment to pizza; since the 1970s, beer has spread from pizzerias and has become much more popular for drinking in other situations. One of the oldest and most widespread breweries in Italy is Peroni. Since the beginning of the 2000s, there has been a rise in the number of new microbreweries opening. The success of this phenomenon is due to the excellent quality of their products. The local materials are of good quality and much of the experience derived from wine-making applies to brewing. When I was in Italy I got to love and really appreciate their beers. I was taken aback as Italy doesn’t really have a reputation for good beer, and yet here I was drinking excellent quality produced beer. It was lovely to drink and easy to drink, and best of all it was damn cheap. I think Italy will continue to make a strong name for itself in the future with its excellently produced beers.

Grappa is another alcoholic beverage that is around in Italy. It’s a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35%–60% volume. The flavour of grappa, like that of wine, depends on the type and quality of the grapes used, as well as the specifics of the distillation process. Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It was originally made to prevent waste by using these leftovers.

Italy is home of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world and Italian wines are known worldwide for their broad variety. Italy shares with France the title of largest wine producer in the world, its contribution representing about 1/3 of world production. Italian wine is exported around the world and is also extremely popular in Italy: Italians rank fifth on the world wine consumption list by volume with 42 litres per capita consumption. Grapes are grown in almost every region of the country and there are more than one million vineyards under cultivation. Italy is home to good quality affordable wine.

GROUP E: (From first viewing, would have to be the two Euro sides and Absinthe sides! Legal or otherwise!)
Switzerland The Swiss do have some beers, whiskeys and wines, but unlike their neighbours Germany, they are not so famous for their alcoholic beverages. They would much rather concentrate on their cheeses and chocolate. Some say that the mysterious drink of Absinthe originated from Switzerland but I am not so sure.
Ecuador Not a whole lot on Ecuador but found they like Aguardiente. Aguardiente is a generic term for alcoholic beverages that contain between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume.. In Ecuador, aguardiente is derived from sugarcane, but unlike Colombia, it is left largely unflavoured. It is then taken straight as shots, mulled with cinnamon and fruit juices to make the hot cocktail canelazo, or mixed with the juice of agavemasts and Grenadine syrup for the hot cocktail draquita. Locally or artisanally made aguardiente is commonly called punta, and alcohol content can vary widely, from “mild” puntas of about 10% to “strong” of about 40% or higher. The traditional distillation process produces aguardiente as strong as 60GL. Every Ecuadorian province has a slightly different flavour to the aguardiente produced there, and equally each province has a different recipe for canelazo. In Ecuador, aguardiente is the most commonly consumed strong alcohol. Aguardiente Astillero is one of the newest brands, which is becoming very popular due to its symbolic title especially around Guayas.
France Most beer sold in France is mass-produced, with major breweries having control of over 90% of the market and pilsner lagers predominating. There are also distinctive traditional beer styles, such as the top-fermented Bière de Garde In recent years; France has also seen a proliferation of microbreweries. Overall alcohol consumption is down 25% since 1960 and beer currently represents 16% of the total. Imagine it’s down, what the hell are they doing in France! Similar data is shown by the World Health Organization Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004, which indicates a huge decline in total alcohol consumption by adults (15+) in France between 1961 and 2005 but beer consumption was relatively stable, wine being impacted the most. In 2005 beer represented 17% of the total alcohol consumption (compared to 62% for wine and 20% for spirits). Brandy I find is a tough one to drink, not my poison at all, even if I went through a period of the Remys. Cognac, named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name. For a distilled brandy to bear the name Cognac, an Appellation d’origine contrôlée, its production methods must meet certain legal requirements. In particular, it must be made from specified grapes of which Ugni blanc, known locally as Saint-Emilion, is the one most widely used.The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. Cognac matures in the same way as whiskies and wine when aged in barrels, and most cognacs are aged considerably longer than the minimum legal requirement. While there are close to 200 cognac producers, a large percentage of cognac comes from only four producers: Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin. France is really all about its wines and French wine is produced all throughout France and the country is the largest wine producer in the world. French wine traces its history to the 6th century BC, with many of France’s regions dating their wine-making history to Roman times. The wines produced range from expensive high-end wines sold internationally to more modest wines usually only seen within France. France is the source of many grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah) that are now planted throughout the world, as well as wine-making practices and styles of wine that have been adopted in other producing countries. If you are feeling really flush with some cash then why not shell out of some Champagne, a sparkling wine produced from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France following rules that demand secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to create carbonation. Some use the term champagne as a generic term for sparkling wine, but the majority of countries reserve the term exclusively for sparkling wines that come from Champagne and are produced under the rules of the appellation. The primary grapes used in the production of Champagne are Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.
Honduras The big Honduran beers are Salva Vida, Imperial, Port Royal and Barena. Salva Vida is a lager, Imperial is a dark pilsner, Port Royal is pilsner and Barena is a light pilsner.

GROUP E:

(From first viewing, would have to be the two Euro sides and Absinthe sides! Legal or otherwise!)

Team

Switzerland

The Swiss do have some beers, whiskeys and wines, but unlike their neighbours Germany, they are not so famous for their alcoholic beverages. They would much rather concentrate on their cheeses and chocolate. Some say that the mysterious drink of Absinthe originated from Switzerland but I am not so sure.

Ecuador

Not a whole lot on Ecuador but found they like Aguardiente. Aguardiente is a generic term for alcoholic beverages that contain between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume.. In Ecuador, aguardiente is derived from sugarcane, but unlike Colombia, it is left largely unflavoured. It is then taken straight as shots, mulled with cinnamon and fruit juices to make the hot cocktail canelazo, or mixed with the juice of agavemasts and Grenadine syrup for the hot cocktail draquita. Locally or artisanally made aguardiente is commonly called punta, and alcohol content can vary widely, from “mild” puntas of about 10% to “strong” of about 40% or higher. The traditional distillation process produces aguardiente as strong as 60GL. Every Ecuadorian province has a slightly different flavour to the aguardiente produced there, and equally each province has a different recipe for canelazo. In Ecuador, aguardiente is the most commonly consumed strong alcohol. Aguardiente Astillero is one of the newest brands, which is becoming very popular due to its symbolic title especially around Guayas.

France

Most beer sold in France is mass-produced, with major breweries having control of over 90% of the market and pilsner lagers predominating. There are also distinctive traditional beer styles, such as the top-fermented Bière de Garde In recent years; France has also seen a proliferation of microbreweries. Overall alcohol consumption is down 25% since 1960 and beer currently represents 16% of the total. Imagine it’s down, what the hell are they doing in France! Similar data is shown by the World Health Organization Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004, which indicates a huge decline in total alcohol consumption by adults (15+) in France between 1961 and 2005 but beer consumption was relatively stable, wine being impacted the most. In 2005 beer represented 17% of the total alcohol consumption (compared to 62% for wine and 20% for spirits).

Brandy I find is a tough one to drink, not my poison at all, even if I went through a period of the Remys. Cognac, named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name. For a distilled brandy to bear the name Cognac, an Appellation d’origine contrôlée, its production methods must meet certain legal requirements. In particular, it must be made from specified grapes of which Ugni blanc, known locally as Saint-Emilion, is the one most widely used.The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. Cognac matures in the same way as whiskies and wine when aged in barrels, and most cognacs are aged considerably longer than the minimum legal requirement. While there are close to 200 cognac producers, a large percentage of cognac comes from only four producers: Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin.

France is really all about its wines and French wine is produced all throughout France and the country is the largest wine producer in the world. French wine traces its history to the 6th century BC, with many of France’s regions dating their wine-making history to Roman times. The wines produced range from expensive high-end wines sold internationally to more modest wines usually only seen within France. France is the source of many grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah) that are now planted throughout the world, as well as wine-making practices and styles of wine that have been adopted in other producing countries.

If you are feeling really flush with some cash then why not shell out of some Champagne, a sparkling wine produced from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France following rules that demand secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to create carbonation. Some use the term champagne as a generic term for sparkling wine, but the majority of countries reserve the term exclusively for sparkling wines that come from Champagne and are produced under the rules of the appellation. The primary grapes used in the production of Champagne are Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

Honduras

The big Honduran beers are Salva Vida, Imperial, Port Royal and Barena. Salva Vida is a lager, Imperial is a dark pilsner, Port Royal is pilsner and Barena is a light pilsner.

GROUP F: (From first viewing, I am guessing that Argentina have good wines, and then Nigeria surely has a decent beer that would trump the two muslims nations?)
Argentina The Argentine wine industry is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighbouring regions, and then to other parts of the country. Historically, Argentine winemakers were traditionally more interested in quantity than quality with the country consuming 90% of the wine it produces. Until the early 1990s, Argentina produced more wine than any other country outside Europe, though the majority of it was considered unexportable. However, the desire to increase exports fueled significant advances in quality. Argentine wines started being exported during the 1990s, and are currently growing in popularity, making it now the largest wine exporter in South America. In November 2010, the Argentine government declared wine as Argentina’s national liquor
Bosnia and Herzegovina Even though it might be considered a Muslim nation, B n H is a European nation that likes to drink beer. Bosnia and Herzegovina have several beer brands. They are: Tuzlanski pilsner, Sarajevsko pivo, Nektar, Preminger. There are several minor breweries in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Iran The alcoholic drinks market in Iran consist of only non-alcoholic beer, as the law bans alcohol for Muslim citizens. Non-Muslim citizens (namely Christian and Jewish citizens) are allowed to produce alcoholic beverages for their consumption. However, despite complete prohibition for Muslim citizens, there is still widespread alcohol use across Iran. Under the law, it is forbidden for Iran’s Muslim citizens to have alcoholic drink. However there is open violation of the law. Alcohol drinking is so widespread that Iranians are the third highest consumers of alcohol in Muslim-majority Middle Eastern countries, behind Lebanon and Turkey (in both of which it is legal to drink), with an annual per capita consumption of 1.02 Litres. Beer in Iran has had a long history. The earliest known chemical evidence of beer dates to circa 3500–3100 BC from the site of Godin Tepe in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, and there is evidence of beer-drinking over a long period in the Persian empire. Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, production, possession or distribution of any alcoholic beverages is illegal and punishable under the Islamic law. While non-alcoholic beers are the only ones available from legal outlets, illegal alcoholic beers are smuggled into the country and consumed. So that’s that then no alcohol from Iran, bloody Mullahs!
Nigeria Nigeria produces a version of Guinness that one can not get anywhere else in the world, And is meant to be quite strong. But does it have its own unique beers? Yes it does. Nigerian Breweries Plc is the pioneer and largest brewing company in Nigeria. Its first bottle of beer, STAR Lager, rolled off the bottling lines of its Lagos Brewery in June 1949. To the Palm Wine again, they like so much in parts of Africa, the alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. Palm wine may be distilled to create a stronger drink, which goes by different names depending on the region. Throughout Nigeria, this is commonly called ogogoro. Palm wine plays an important role in many ceremonies in parts of Nigeria. Guests at weddings, birth celebrations, and funeral wakes are served generous quantities.

GROUP F:

(From first viewing, I am guessing that Argentina have good wines, and then Nigeria surely has a decent beer that would trump the two muslims nations?)

Team

Argentina

The Argentine wine industry is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighbouring regions, and then to other parts of the country. Historically, Argentine winemakers were traditionally more interested in quantity than quality with the country consuming 90% of the wine it produces. Until the early 1990s, Argentina produced more wine than any other country outside Europe, though the majority of it was considered unexportable. However, the desire to increase exports fueled significant advances in quality. Argentine wines started being exported during the 1990s, and are currently growing in popularity, making it now the largest wine exporter in South America. In November 2010, the Argentine government declared wine as Argentina’s national liquor

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Even though it might be considered a Muslim nation, B n H is a European nation that likes to drink beer. Bosnia and Herzegovina have several beer brands. They are: Tuzlanski pilsner, Sarajevsko pivo, Nektar, Preminger. There are several minor breweries in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Iran

The alcoholic drinks market in Iran consist of only non-alcoholic beer, as the law bans alcohol for Muslim citizens. Non-Muslim citizens (namely Christian and Jewish citizens) are allowed to produce alcoholic beverages for their consumption. However, despite complete prohibition for Muslim citizens, there is still widespread alcohol use across Iran. Under the law, it is forbidden for Iran’s Muslim citizens to have alcoholic drink. However there is open violation of the law. Alcohol drinking is so widespread that Iranians are the third highest consumers of alcohol in Muslim-majority Middle Eastern countries, behind Lebanon and Turkey (in both of which it is legal to drink), with an annual per capita consumption of 1.02 Litres. Beer in Iran has had a long history. The earliest known chemical evidence of beer dates to circa 3500–3100 BC from the site of Godin Tepe in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, and there is evidence of beer-drinking over a long period in the Persian empire. Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, production, possession or distribution of any alcoholic beverages is illegal and punishable under the Islamic law. While non-alcoholic beers are the only ones available from legal outlets, illegal alcoholic beers are smuggled into the country and consumed. So that’s that then no alcohol from Iran, bloody Mullahs!

Nigeria

Nigeria produces a version of Guinness that one can not get anywhere else in the world, And is meant to be quite strong. But does it have its own unique beers? Yes it does. Nigerian Breweries Plc is the pioneer and largest brewing company in Nigeria. Its first bottle of beer, STAR Lager, rolled off the bottling lines of its Lagos Brewery in June 1949.

To the Palm Wine again, they like so much in parts of Africa, the alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. Palm wine may be distilled to create a stronger drink, which goes by different names depending on the region. Throughout Nigeria, this is commonly called ogogoro. Palm wine plays an important role in many ceremonies in parts of Nigeria. Guests at weddings, birth celebrations, and funeral wakes are served generous quantities.

GROUP G: (From first viewing, Germany all the way with the beers, and would expect the USA despite it’s over rated alcohol beverages but maybe Portugal could cause a shock?)
Germany Beer is a major part of German culture, and they are proud of their beers I am as of yet still to have had a great German beer. I might not drank the correct German beers but to date I am not convinced of how “great” German beers are meant to be. Almost half of all German breweries are in Bavaria. In total, there are approximately 1300 breweries in Germany producing over 5000 brands of beer. The highest density of breweries in the world is found in Aufseß near the city of Bamberg, in the Franconia region of Bavaria with four breweries and only 1352 citizens. The Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan brewery (established in 725) is reputedly the oldest existing brewery in the world (brewing since 1040). The alcohol-by-volume, or ABV, content of beers in Germany is usually between 4.7% and 5.4% for most traditional brews. Bockbier or Doppelbock can have an alcohol content of up to 16%, making it stronger than many wines. German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries. Germany has about 102,000 hectares of vineyard, which is around one tenth of the vineyard surface in Spain, France or Italy. The total wine production is usually around 9 million hectoliters annually which places Germany as the eighth largest wine-producing country in the world.White wine accounts for almost two thirds of the total production. As a wine country, Germany has a mixed reputation internationally, with some consumers on the export markets associating Germany with the world’s most elegant and aromatically pure white wines while other see the country mainly as the source of cheap, mass-market semi-sweet wines. German whisky is a distilled beverage produced in Germany made from grains traditionally associated with the production of whisky. The distillation of German-made whisky is a relatively recent phenomenon having only started in the last 30 years. The styles produced resemble those made in Ireland, Scotland and the United States: single malts, blends, and bourbon styles. There are currently 23 distilleries in Germany producing whisky.
Portugal Beer in Portugal has a long history, going as far back as the time of the ancient Roman province of Lusitania, where beer was commonly made and drunk. Sagres is a leading brand. Ginjinha or simply Ginja, is a liqueur made by infusing ginja berries in alcohol and adding sugar together with other ingredients. Ginjinha is served in a shot form with a piece of the fruit in the bottom of the cup. It is a favourite liqueur of many Portuguese and a typical drink in Lisbon, and other Portuguese cities. Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. Portugal has a large variety of native breeds, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality. Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine though it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. Port wine is typically richer, sweeter, heavier, and possesses higher alcohol content than unfortified wines. This is caused by the addition of distilled grape spirits to fortify the wine and halt fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol and results in a wine that is usually 18 to 20% alcohol.
Ghana Ghana’s most famous brands are Star beer and Club Premium Lager, not sure if both are home produced. We are back to that Palm Wine they like so much in parts of Africa, the alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. In parts of southern Ghana distilled palm wine is called akpeteshi or burukutu.
USA I like American wine but I am not so convinced by its beers and whiskeys, both a bit weak to be perfectly frank, nice enough to taste but not enough of a kick for me, but then again I might not have drank the right brands. American wine has been produced for over 300 years. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 89 percent of all US wine. The United States is the fourth largest wine producing country in the world after France, Italy, and Spain. American whiskey is a distilled beverage produced in the United States from a fermented mash of cereal grain. Outside of the United States, various other countries recognize certain types of American whiskey, such as Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, as indigenous products of the United States that must be produced in the United States. Famous well known whiskeys are Jack Daniels and Jim beam Beer in the United States is manufactured by more than 2,100 breweries, which range in size from industry giants to brew pubs and microbreweries. In 2008, the United States was ranked sixteenth in the world in per capita consumption, while total consumption was second only to China. The most common style of beer produced by the big breweries is American lager. Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in America and accounts for about 85% of the volume of alcoholic beverages sold in the United States each year. The top beer brands by market share were Bud Light (28.3%), Budweiser (11.9%) and Coors Light (9.9%). 2009 figures show an overall decline in beer consumption from previous years. By the way is Bud Light not an oxymoron?

GROUP G:

(From first viewing, Germany all the way with the beers, and would expect the USA despite it’s over rated alcohol beverages but maybe Portugal could cause a shock?)

Team

Germany

Beer is a major part of German culture, and they are proud of their beers I am as of yet still to have had a great German beer. I might not drank the correct German beers but to date I am not convinced of how “great” German beers are meant to be. Almost half of all German breweries are in Bavaria. In total, there are approximately 1300 breweries in Germany producing over 5000 brands of beer. The highest density of breweries in the world is found in Aufseß near the city of Bamberg, in the Franconia region of Bavaria with four breweries and only 1352 citizens. The Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan brewery (established in 725) is reputedly the oldest existing brewery in the world (brewing since 1040). The alcohol-by-volume, or ABV, content of beers in Germany is usually between 4.7% and 5.4% for most traditional brews. Bockbier or Doppelbock can have an alcohol content of up to 16%, making it stronger than many wines.

German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries. Germany has about 102,000 hectares of vineyard, which is around one tenth of the vineyard surface in Spain, France or Italy. The total wine production is usually around 9 million hectoliters annually which places Germany as the eighth largest wine-producing country in the world.White wine accounts for almost two thirds of the total production. As a wine country, Germany has a mixed reputation internationally, with some consumers on the export markets associating Germany with the world’s most elegant and aromatically pure white wines while other see the country mainly as the source of cheap, mass-market semi-sweet wines.

German whisky is a distilled beverage produced in Germany made from grains traditionally associated with the production of whisky. The distillation of German-made whisky is a relatively recent phenomenon having only started in the last 30 years. The styles produced resemble those made in Ireland, Scotland and the United States: single malts, blends, and bourbon styles. There are currently 23 distilleries in Germany producing whisky.

Portugal

Beer in Portugal has a long history, going as far back as the time of the ancient Roman province of Lusitania, where beer was commonly made and drunk. Sagres is a leading brand.

Ginjinha or simply Ginja, is a liqueur made by infusing ginja berries in alcohol and adding sugar together with other ingredients. Ginjinha is served in a shot form with a piece of the fruit in the bottom of the cup. It is a favourite liqueur of many Portuguese and a typical drink in Lisbon, and other Portuguese cities.

Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. Portugal has a large variety of native breeds, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality.

Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine though it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. Port wine is typically richer, sweeter, heavier, and possesses higher alcohol content than unfortified wines. This is caused by the addition of distilled grape spirits to fortify the wine and halt fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol and results in a wine that is usually 18 to 20% alcohol.

Ghana

Ghana’s most famous brands are Star beer and Club Premium Lager, not sure if both are home produced.

We are back to that Palm Wine they like so much in parts of Africa, the alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. In parts of southern Ghana distilled palm wine is called akpeteshi or burukutu.

USA

I like American wine but I am not so convinced by its beers and whiskeys, both a bit weak to be perfectly frank, nice enough to taste but not enough of a kick for me, but then again I might not have drank the right brands.

American wine has been produced for over 300 years. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 89 percent of all US wine. The United States is the fourth largest wine producing country in the world after France, Italy, and Spain.

American whiskey is a distilled beverage produced in the United States from a fermented mash of cereal grain. Outside of the United States, various other countries recognize certain types of American whiskey, such as Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, as indigenous products of the United States that must be produced in the United States. Famous well known whiskeys are Jack Daniels and Jim beam

Beer in the United States is manufactured by more than 2,100 breweries, which range in size from industry giants to brew pubs and microbreweries. In 2008, the United States was ranked sixteenth in the world in per capita consumption, while total consumption was second only to China. The most common style of beer produced by the big breweries is American lager. Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in America and accounts for about 85% of the volume of alcoholic beverages sold in the United States each year. The top beer brands by market share were Bud Light (28.3%), Budweiser (11.9%) and Coors Light (9.9%). 2009 figures show an overall decline in beer consumption from previous years. By the way is Bud Light not an oxymoron?

GROUP H: (From first viewing, Belgian beer is damn good, and I love Russian vodka but maybe South Korea has something that could change that order?)
Belgium There are approximately 180 breweries in the country, ranging from international giants to microbreweries. Belgium exports 60% of its beer. Some draught-beer brands produced by InBev – Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe – are available in several European countries. Aside from these, mostly bottled beer is exported across Europe. Belgium is like a Disney dreamland for beer lovers, lovely quaint towns where very bar seems to have its own brew, brilliant. Like the Netherlands, the Belgians like the taste of Jenever , the juniper flavoured national and traditional liquor of the Belgium, from which gin evolved. Jenever was originally produced by distilling malt wine to 50% ABV. Because the resulting spirit was not palatable due to the lack of refined distilling techniques (only the pot still was available), herbs were added to mask the flavour. The juniper berry was chosen for its alleged medicinal effects, hence the name jenever (and the English name gin). There are two types: Oude jenever must contain ‘at least’ 15% malt wine, but no more than 20 g of sugar per litre. Korenwijn (grain wine) is a drink very similar to the 18th century style jenever, and is often matured for a few years in an oak cask; it contains from 51% to 70% malt wine and up to 20 g/l of sugar. Jonge jenever has a neutral taste, like vodka, with a slight aroma of juniper and malt wine. Oude jenever has a smoother, very aromatic taste with malty flavours. Oude jenever is sometimes aged in wood; its malty, woody and smoky flavours lend a resemblance to whisky. Different grains used in the production process make cause for different flavoured jenevers.
Algeria Algerian wine is wine made from the North African country of Algeria. While not a significant force on the world’s wine market today, Algeria has played an important role in the history of wine. Algeria’s viticulture history dates back to its settlement by the Phoenicians and continued under Algeria’s rule by the Roman empire. Just prior to the Algerian War of Independence, Algerian wine (along with the production of Morocco and Tunisia) accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total international wine trade. With as much land under vine as the countries of Germany and South Africa, Algeria continues to maintain a wine industry with over 70 wineries in operation. Algerian wines are characterized by their overripe fruit, high alcohol and low acidity. The grapes often go through a short fermentation process and are bottled after little to no oak aging. Not sure how much was continued or affected by the recent war but I bet many didn’t know that Algeria had a long history of wine production. Again the Palm Wine that is loved in parts of Africa, the alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. Called lāgmi in Algeria.
Russia Love my vodka, it is my poison, so hence I love Russian vodka, quality stuff. Russia and vodka. The two words are synonymous with each other. Until the mid-18th century, the drink remained relatively low on alcohol content, not exceeding 40% abv. Multiple terms for the drink are recorded, sometimes reflecting different levels of quality, alcohol concentration, filtering, and the number of distillations; most commonly, it was referred to as “burning wine”, “bread wine”, or even in some locations simply “wine. Burning wine was usually diluted with water to 24% ABV or less before drinking. It was mostly sold in taverns and was quite expensive. By 1911, vodka comprised 89% of all alcohol consumed in Russia. This level has fluctuated somewhat during the 20th century, but remained quite high at all times. The most recent estimates put it at 70% (2001). Today, some popular Russian vodka producers or brands are (amongst others) Stolichnaya and Russian Standard Russian beer is quite good too, strong and nice to drink, the only pity is how to pronounce the names of the beers as must start with a Z and after a few beers are hard to remember. In Russia, beer is the second most popular alcoholic drink after vodka, seen by many as a healthier alternative. Until 2011, there were no regulations on beer in Russia. Previously, the government declared any beverage with less than 10% alcohol content to be a foodstuff which sounds fucking hilarious. Therefore, it was sold all hours of the day and consumed heavily in public. The beverage is now regulated in an effort to curtail heavy drinking In 2011, there were 561 beer producers operating in Russia.
Korea Republic Beer was introduced into Korea in early 20th century. Seoul’s first beer brewery opened in 1908. The Korean beer market is dominated by two major companies, Hite-Jinro, and OB, and which each sell several brands on the local market. Unfortunately in a very tightly regulated market where micro breweries are not encouraged, SK beer is meant to be a little bland and boring. So that’s maybe why the South Koreans’ tend to drink Soju which is a distilled beverage native to Korea. Jinro and Lotte soju are the first and third top selling alcohol brands in the world. It is usually consumed neat. It is traditionally made from rice, wheat, barley, but modern producers of soju use supplements or even replace rice with other starches, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or tapioca. Soju is clear and colourless. Its alcohol content varies from about 16.7%, to about 45% alcohol by volume (ABV) for traditional Andong soju, with 20% ABV being most common. However, by using freeze distillation, ABV can be increased to desired percentage. Distilled Soju usually has a higher ABV of 30~35% than diluted Soju with ABV of 21~30%. As distilled Soju tends to have a higher ABV, it has stronger smell than diluted Soju. It is widely consumed, in part, because of its relatively low price in Korea. Although beer, whiskey, and wine have been gaining popularity in recent years, soju remains one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in Korea because of its ready availability and relatively low price. More than 3 billion bottles were consumed in South Korea in 2004. In 2006, it was estimated that the average adult Korean (older than 20) had consumed 90 bottles of soju during that year.

GROUP H:

(From first viewing, Belgian beer is damn good, and I love Russian vodka but maybe South Korea has something that could change that order?)

Team

Belgium

There are approximately 180 breweries in the country, ranging from international giants to microbreweries. Belgium exports 60% of its beer. Some draught-beer brands produced by InBev – Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe – are available in several European countries. Aside from these, mostly bottled beer is exported across Europe. Belgium is like a Disney dreamland for beer lovers, lovely quaint towns where very bar seems to have its own brew, brilliant.

Like the Netherlands, the Belgians like the taste of Jenever , the juniper flavoured national and traditional liquor of the Belgium, from which gin evolved. Jenever was originally produced by distilling malt wine to 50% ABV. Because the resulting spirit was not palatable due to the lack of refined distilling techniques (only the pot still was available), herbs were added to mask the flavour. The juniper berry was chosen for its alleged medicinal effects, hence the name jenever (and the English name gin).

There are two types: Oude jenever must contain ‘at least’ 15% malt wine, but no more than 20 g of sugar per litre. Korenwijn (grain wine) is a drink very similar to the 18th century style jenever, and is often matured for a few years in an oak cask; it contains from 51% to 70% malt wine and up to 20 g/l of sugar. Jonge jenever has a neutral taste, like vodka, with a slight aroma of juniper and malt wine. Oude jenever has a smoother, very aromatic taste with malty flavours. Oude jenever is sometimes aged in wood; its malty, woody and smoky flavours lend a resemblance to whisky. Different grains used in the production process make cause for different flavoured jenevers.

Algeria

Algerian wine is wine made from the North African country of Algeria. While not a significant force on the world’s wine market today, Algeria has played an important role in the history of wine. Algeria’s viticulture history dates back to its settlement by the Phoenicians and continued under Algeria’s rule by the Roman empire. Just prior to the Algerian War of Independence, Algerian wine (along with the production of Morocco and Tunisia) accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total international wine trade. With as much land under vine as the countries of Germany and South Africa, Algeria continues to maintain a wine industry with over 70 wineries in operation. Algerian wines are characterized by their overripe fruit, high alcohol and low acidity. The grapes often go through a short fermentation process and are bottled after little to no oak aging. Not sure how much was continued or affected by the recent war but I bet many didn’t know that Algeria had a long history of wine production.

Again the Palm Wine that is loved in parts of Africa, the alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms and coconut palms. Called lāgmi in Algeria.

Russia

Love my vodka, it is my poison, so hence I love Russian vodka, quality stuff. Russia and vodka. The two words are synonymous with each other. Until the mid-18th century, the drink remained relatively low on alcohol content, not exceeding 40% abv. Multiple terms for the drink are recorded, sometimes reflecting different levels of quality, alcohol concentration, filtering, and the number of distillations; most commonly, it was referred to as “burning wine”, “bread wine”, or even in some locations simply “wine. Burning wine was usually diluted with water to 24% ABV or less before drinking. It was mostly sold in taverns and was quite expensive.

By 1911, vodka comprised 89% of all alcohol consumed in Russia. This level has fluctuated somewhat during the 20th century, but remained quite high at all times. The most recent estimates put it at 70% (2001). Today, some popular Russian vodka producers or brands are (amongst others) Stolichnaya and Russian Standard

Russian beer is quite good too, strong and nice to drink, the only pity is how to pronounce the names of the beers as must start with a Z and after a few beers are hard to remember. In Russia, beer is the second most popular alcoholic drink after vodka, seen by many as a healthier alternative. Until 2011, there were no regulations on beer in Russia. Previously, the government declared any beverage with less than 10% alcohol content to be a foodstuff which sounds fucking hilarious. Therefore, it was sold all hours of the day and consumed heavily in public. The beverage is now regulated in an effort to curtail heavy drinking In 2011, there were 561 beer producers operating in Russia.

Korea Republic

Beer was introduced into Korea in early 20th century. Seoul’s first beer brewery opened in 1908. The Korean beer market is dominated by two major companies, Hite-Jinro, and OB, and which each sell several brands on the local market. Unfortunately in a very tightly regulated market where micro breweries are not encouraged, SK beer is meant to be a little bland and boring.

So that’s maybe why the South Koreans’ tend to drink Soju which is a distilled beverage native to Korea. Jinro and Lotte soju are the first and third top selling alcohol brands in the world. It is usually consumed neat. It is traditionally made from rice, wheat, barley, but modern producers of soju use supplements or even replace rice with other starches, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or tapioca. Soju is clear and colourless. Its alcohol content varies from about 16.7%, to about 45% alcohol by volume (ABV) for traditional Andong soju, with 20% ABV being most common. However, by using freeze distillation, ABV can be increased to desired percentage. Distilled Soju usually has a higher ABV of 30~35% than diluted Soju with ABV of 21~30%. As distilled Soju tends to have a higher ABV, it has stronger smell than diluted Soju. It is widely consumed, in part, because of its relatively low price in Korea. Although beer, whiskey, and wine have been gaining popularity in recent years, soju remains one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in Korea because of its ready availability and relatively low price. More than 3 billion bottles were consumed in South Korea in 2004. In 2006, it was estimated that the average adult Korean (older than 20) had consumed 90 bottles of soju during that year.

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World Cup of Beer Group Stages

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The Beer World Cup gets under way. Click on pictures and links to get a general review and info on the beers we will be a drinking during the Football World Cup

Group A Results and Final Placings

Skol Lager (Brazil) V Karlovacko (Croatia): 1-0
Corona (Mexico) V ? (Cameroon): 1-0
Skol Lager (Brazil) V Corona (Mexico) 1-0
Karlovacko (Croatia) V ? (Cameroon): 1-0
Skol Lager (Brazil) V ? (Cameroon): 1-0
Corona (Mexico) V Karlovacko (Croatia): 1-0

BRAZIL: 9 Qualify

MEXICO 6 Qualify

…………………………………………..

CROATIA: 3

CAMEROON: 0

Skol, Brazil’s most popular beer

Corona, the laid back Mexican beer

Karlovacko Pivo Beer, a Croatian Lager

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-group/

Group B Results and Final Placings

San Miguel (Spain) V Heineken (Netherlands): 0-1
Victoria Bitter (Australia) V Nomade Scotch Ale (Chile): 0-1
Victoria Bitter (Australia) V Mongozo Fruit Beer (Netherlands): 2-0
San Miguel (Spain) V Nomade Blonde Ale (Chile): 0-2
Heineken (Netherlands) V Nomade Scotch Ale (Chile): 1-0
San Miguel (Spain) V Victoria Bitter (Australia): 0-2

AUSTRALIA: 6 (+3) Qualify

CHILE: 6 (+2) Qualify

……………………………………………………..

NETHERLANDS: 6 (0)

SPAIN: 0

Heineken, the Dutch Brewing Giant

Mongozo, The Exotic Beer

Nomade Beer, An Up and Coming Player

San Miguel, On Your Holidays.

VB Beer, for the Working Man

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-group-b/

Group C Results and Final Placings

Kirin Ichiban (Japan) V Club Colombia (Colombia): 1-0
Mythos (Greece) V ? (Ivory Coast): 1-0
Kirin Ichiban (Japan) V Mythos (Greece) 1-0
Club Colombia (Colombia) V ? (Ivory Coast): 1-0
Kirin Ichiban (Japan) V ? (Ivory Coast): 1-0
Club Colombia (Colombia) V Mythos (Greece): 1-0

JAPAN: 9 Qualify

COLOMBIA: 6 Qualify

…………………………………………………

GREECE: 3

IVORY COAST: 0

Mythos Beer, Famous Hellenic Beer

Kirin Ichiban, Beer at its Purest

Club Colombia, a Bogota Special

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-group-c/

Group D Results and Final Placings

Imperial Beer (CR) V London Pride (England): 0-1
Birra Moretti (Italy) V ? (Uruguay): 1-0
Imperial Beer (CR) V Birra Moretti (Italy): 1-0
London Pride (England) V ? (Uruguay): 1-0
London Pride (England) V Birra Moretti (Italy): 1-0
Imperial Beer (CR) V ? (Uruguay): 1-0

ENGLAND: 9 Qualify

COSTA RICA: 6 Qualify

…………………………………………………

ITALY: 3

URUGUAY: 0

Birra Moretti, Stylish Italian Beer

London Pride, Taste Some History

Imperial Beer, Little Eagle

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-group-d/

Group E Results and Final Placings

? (Honduras) V Feldschlösschen Stark Lager (Switzerland): 0-1
Kronenbourg 1664 (France) V ? (Ecuador): 1-0
? (Ecuador) V ? (Honduras): 0-0
Kronenbourg 1664 (France) V Feldschlösschen Stark Lager (Switzerland): 2-0
Kronenbourg 1664 (France) V ? (Honduras): 1-0
Feldschlösschen Original (Switzerland) V ? (Ecuador): 1-0

FRANCE 9 Qualify

SWITZERLAND: 6 Qualify

…………………………………………….

ECUADOR: 1

HONDURAS: 1

Feldschlösschen Stark, 7%

Feldschlösschen, Swiss Brewing Expertise

Kronenbourg 1664, the date says it all!

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-group-e/

Group F Results and Final Placings

Guinness Export (Nigeria) V Quilmes (Argentina): 2-0
? (Iran) V ? (Bosnia): 0-0
Guinness Export (Nigeria) V ? (Iran): 1-0
Quilmes (Argentina) V ? (Iran): 1-0
? (Bosnia) V ? (Nigeria): 0-0
Quilmes (Argentina) V ? (Bosnia): 1-0

NIGERIA: 7 Qualify

ARGENTINA: 6 Qualify

…………………………………………

IRAN: 2

BOSNIA N HERTZ: 1

Quilmes Export Beer, Argentina’s Light Blue and White.

Guinness Export, Nigeria’s Favourite Drink

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-group-f/

Group G Results and Final Placings

Lowenbrau (Germany) V Samuel Adams (USA): 1-1
Super Bock (Portugal) V ? (Ghana): 1-0
Super Bock (Portugal) V Samuel Adams (USA): 1-1
Karlskrone Lager (Germany) V ? (Ghana): 1-0
Samuel Adams (USA) V ? (Ghana): 1-0
Super Bock (Portugal) V Friedenfelser Pil Leicht (Germany): 0-1

GERMANY: 7 Qualify

USA: 5 Qualify

………………………………………..

PORTUGAL: 4

GHANA: 0

Super Bock, High Quality Portuguese Lager

Löwenbräu, an Oktoberfest Regular

karlskrone Lager, Aldi Specials

Friedenfelser, Naturally Great Beer

Samuel Adams, Boston Lager

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-group-g/

Group H Results and Final Placings

Hite Lager (Korea) V Stella Artois (Belgium): 1-1
Baltika 7 (Russia) V ? (Algeria): 1-0
Hite Lager (Korea) V ? (Algeria): 1-0
Baltika 7 (Russia) V Stella Artois (Belgium): 1-0
Baltika 7 (Russia) V Hite Lager (Korea): 1-1
Stella Artois (Belgium) V ? (Algeria): 1-0

RUSSIA: 7 Qualify

SOUTH KOREA: 5 Qualify

……………………………………………..

BELGIUM: 4

ALGERIA: 0

Stella Artois, A Belgian Star

Baltika 7 Eksportnoe (Export)

Hite Beer, Korean Lager

http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-group-h/

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World Cup Daily: Game Previews, Reviews and Reports

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Daily updates on each game (before and after), beer reviews, betting opportunities and general chit chat

World Cup Final

Full game synopsis. Read here

3RD/4TH PLAY-OFFS

Full game synopsis. Read here

Argentina V Netherlands

Full game synopsis. Read here

Brazil v Germany

Full game synopsis. Read here

Argentina V Belgium

Full game synopsis. Read here

Netherlands V Costa Rica

Full game synopsis. Read here

Brazil V Colombia

Full game synopsis. Read here

Germany V France

Full game synopsis. Read here

Switzerland V Argentina

Full game synopsis. Read here

USA V Belgium

Full game preview. Read here

Germany V Algeria

Full game synopsis: Read here

France V Nigeria

Full game synopsis. Read here

Costa Rica V Greece

Full game synopsis. Read here

Netherlands V Mexico

Full game synopsis. Read here

Colombia V Uruguay

Full game synopsis. Read here

Brazil V Chile

Full game synopsis. Read here

Algeria V Russia

Full game synopsis. Read here

South Korea V Belgium

Full game synopsis. Read here

Portugal V Ghana

Full game synopsis. Read here

USA V Germany

Full game synopsis. Read here

Bosnia And Hertz V Iran

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Argentina V Nigeria

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Switzerland V Honduras

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France V Ecuador

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Costa Rica V England

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Italy V Uruguay

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Greece V Ivory Coast

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Japan V Colombia

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Brazil V Cameroon

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Mexico V Croatia

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Netherlands V Chile

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Spain V Australia

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USA V Portugal

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South Korea V Algeria

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Belgium V Russia

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Nigeria v Bosnia and Hertz

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Germany V Ghana

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Argentina V Iran

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Honduras V Ecuador

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Switzerland V France

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Italy V Costa Rica

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Japan V Greece

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England V Uruguay

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Colombia V Ivory Coast

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Croatia V Cameroon

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Spain V Chile

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Australia V Netherlands

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Russia V South Korea

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Brazil V Mexico

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Belgium V Algeria

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USA V Ghana

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Nigeria V Iran

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Germany V Portugal

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Argentina V Bosnia and Hertz

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France V Honduras

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Ecuador V Switzerland

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Ivory Coast V Japan

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England V Italy

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Uruguay V Costa Rica

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Colombia V Greece

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Chile V Australia

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Spain V Netherlands

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Mexico V Cameroon

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Opening Ceremony

Pit Bull

The Open Ceremony, Brazil 2014? Nah, will pass. The football should be more than enough to get me in the mood. But if I did miss something be sure to tell me!

Brazil V Croatia

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World Cup of Beer 2014 FINAL n 3RD/4TH PLAY-OFFS

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The Beer World Cup Final and 3rd/4th play off game kick off soon. Click on pictures and links to get a general review and info on the beers we will be a drinking to round off a month of boozing during our beer World Cup.

World Cup of Beer 2014 FINAL

England V Germany

London Pride V Friedenfelser/Lowenbrau/Karlskrone

4-3 To the German beers, but just about. London Pride was up against three tough German competitors but did well considering the amount of beers that were sampled!

London Pride is a very enjoyable British pale ale, with it distinctive 330ml bottle. On pour you get a lovely amber reddish colour with a small head. The aroma is of some biscuit malts and earthy hops with hints of caramel sweetness. Nice. A lovely refreshing flavour which hits the taste buds immediately. It tastes of light caramel, some earthy hops with a mild bitter aftertaste. It has a different, subtle, complex taste to it than what you can expect from a lot of beers, which has to be appreciated. I also found it a bit strong in the taste which I enjoyed, more of a kick to it than other ales. Overall, London Pride is a solid pale ale, with lots of flavour, and was fairly easy to drink, a good session beer. Enjoyable and was good to sample a few of them on a long football might.

As I had a variety of beers to sample from Germany lets go through each one by one. Friedenfelser Pils Leicht was a good introduction to the German beers, light, easy to drink, solid taste and looked good. The appearance was a clear pale yellow body with a smallish white head on top with fair lacing. As soon as the bottle was opened you get hit with a rustic sweet smell of malts and grains. Very enticing. The taste is sour and sweet with pale malts and some hay, and with a fine bitterness in the end. A quite dry and refreshing beer and, as it a low alcohol Pils, it does a good job. Lots of flavor, easy to drink, with a nice hoppy finish.

Friedenfelser Urtyp Hell was ok, good for a session. The appearance was of a lovely golden yellow colour, with a good frothy head. It had good moderate smells of malts and grains with notes of grassy hops. The flavours, the best part of the beer, are of a light sweetness, a grainy malt taste and a light hop note. It tasted very nice and smooth with no real strong overpowering flavours, that makes this drink an excellent session beer.

The problem I have with Friedenfelser Hefe-Weizen (Hell) is that no matter what I do it keeps blowing on opening, showing the high amount of carbonation within the beer. The colour was of a very clear orange beer with a nice frothy head, that looked very appealing. The aroma was quite strong with notes of sweet banana, yeast and wheat. I thought the taste was fantastic, very nice, very easy to drink. It tasted very sweet, and contained flavours of yeast and wheat, with a strong fruity banana aroma, and the aftertaste, was very manageable. Overall it was a good, pure and clear well balanced drink with a nice strong feel to it. I liked it but it is annoying that it seems it cant be opened without it fizzing everywhere

For the Friedenfelser Pils, it smelt good. Its aroma has notes of bread, grain, malt and grass with some citric hop notes. The appearance had a good frothy head with a golden yellow colour on pour with a thin white head. The taste was nice and balanced, a very easy and pleasant drink to quench the thirst. The flavours have a light sweetness and notes of malt, bread, straw, with a hint of citric hops and the bitter finish is moderate. It’s a very good Pilsener, with a light body, that was enjoyable to drink on the night.

Friedenfelser Urtyp Alkoholfrei. To be honest this beer wasn’t worth the effort. I hated it. Really don’t know why anyone would want to drink non alcoholic beer, whats the point. It tasted rubbish, and was way too fizzy. Struggled to finish it.

Tried Friedenfelser’s Radler, a light fruit drink that is a bit fizzy but lovely on taste. The appearance is of a light clear yellow colour with a small white head. If honest, it didn’t look very appealing. The aroma has strong notes of citric lemon, and malts. Again it wasn’t very appealing, kind of smelt like deodorant! But all that is overridden by the very good sweet flavours within the beer itself. The taste was of strong citrus flavours but also contained some artificial sweetener. Fruity, sweet, smooth, and a good taste. Not a beer taste but a light soft drink taste, but enjoyable all the same. Recommended if looking for a light beer to quickly quench the thirst. Not bad.

For Löwenbräu the appearance was of a gorgeous golden yellow colour that had a very good head and great lacing. Looked good. Found a faint aroma, smelt mostly of what a normal smelling lager should be like, malty and refreshing. Was a lovely tasting drink that had no strong flavours or bitter aftertaste to it, just an awfully good session drink. A clean, crisp, smooth and well balanced beer, Löwenbräu was really easy to enjoy. A good pure Deutsche lager. Refreshing.

To be honest I found Karlskrone one of the better beers of the night. I really cant get my head round how affordable this lager is and that Aldi, of all places, sells top quality beer. Had all the qualities you expect from a good lager: Good clear colour, nice head, smooth nice aftertaste, does the job, perfect. Pours a nice clear golden coloured beer, and a decent sized head formed with quite good retention. There was a clear strong aroma of grainy malt and stale hops that smelled of straw/rice. The smell was very sweet. The taste was also very sweet and left a sickly bitter aftertaste that I enjoyed. The flavour was of sweet grain and malt. A beer that I like a lot!

Overall London Pride is a decent ale, tops. And was more than equal to the Germans, but I just give the victory to Germany for the Karlskrone and Friedenfelser Hefe-Weizen which slightly put them ahead. Needless to say the next morning I had a raging hangover, thank god the World Cup of football and beer is over as I need to return to normality and reintroduce myself to the wife!

3RD/4TH PLAY-OFFS

Chile V USA

Nomade V Samuel Adams, 2-1 to Nomade: I went with the Nomade Blonde Ale this time around and boy I wasn’t disappointed. It was tasty and sweet, very sweet. On pour there was quite a large head that settled very nicely with some lacing. The colour was golden and the aroma had a very strong sweetly smell of yeast and some fruit, particular orange. The ale had a very balanced taste that included grains, yeast, citrus and fruit flavours. Quite an interesting mix for an ale but it was damn easy to drink and overall a very enjoyable ale experience. Recommended. Samuel Adams Lager, was also a great drink that scored well on taste, smell and appearance. The appearance was great, a brilliant dark golden colour with a good sized frothy head that hangs around a while leaving decent lacing. It has the look of a real beer. I got faint smells of malts and a bit of floral hops. The smell was pleasant and not overbearing. The Samuel Adams taste had a variety of strong flavours from the hops and malt which were well balanced, all tingling away at my taste buds. Caramel was one taste that stood out. The finish is strong with a long lasting heavy aftertaste. Overall a nice solid beer and a great delicious taste. Samuel Adams is a beer that you will remember. Two beers, both recommended, but I give the victory, just slightly mind, to Nomade for having really good fruit flavours that stuck out in an ale that surprised.

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World Cup of Beer 2014 Quarter Finals

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The Beer World Cup quarter finals now gets under way. Click on pictures and links to get a general review and info on the beers we will be a drinking during the later stages of the Football World Cup

Chile V Japan

Kirin Ichiban V Nomade Scotch Ale: 0-1 to Nomade. Looked good, nice fruity and malty aroma, with a taste that was of a sweet malty flavor with notes of grapes and smoked malts. The expected aftertaste wasn’t overwhelming, and the flavours kicked in near the end. It wins out as it was a stronger drink with stronger tastes. Kirin is a nice light pale lager that goes down easy and smooth. On pouring, the appearance was of a pale yellow colour with a very big creamy head that lingers for some time, and leaves a bit of lacing on the glass. Had a nice look to it. Kirin also had a sweet smell of a light grain and malt aroma. The taste also had some initial sweetness followed by a very enjoyable bitter aftertaste of hops, kind of creamy. Tastes of hay, wheat, and light floral hops. A good clean, crisp beer, smooth, I liked it. Nice but its the quarter finals and I go for the ale this time around, the stronger the drink and alcohol content the better chance of progression at this stage of my competition!

Germany V Argentina

Quilmes V Friedenfelser Hefe-Weizen. 0-2 Win for Friedenfelser as its taste was delicious and left me wanting more! A lot of carbonation but that’s normal for a German wheat beer. Once it settled the colour was of a very clear orange beer with a nice frothy head, that looked very appealing.The aroma was quite strong with notes of sweet banana, yeast and wheat.But it pulled way ahead of Quilmes due to its fantastic taste and was very nice, very easy to drink. It tasted very sweet, and contained flavours of yeast and wheat, with a strong fruity banana aroma, and the aftertaste, was very manageable. Overall it was a good, pure and clear well balanced drink with a nice strong feel to it. Quilmes was also a decent beer, drinkable and does the business, i.e quenches the thirst. It has a very interesting taste of a little corn and grain sweetness to open it up, a kind of sickly sweet, with a bitter aftertaste in the end. A nice beer, enjoyable, but no match for a Bavarian master brew. Again Freidenfelser pull out a winning beer from their vast collection.

Australia V England

VB Bitter V London Pride. 1-2 Win for London Pride. The Ale from England’s capital city gets victory in a very close battle with VB of Australia. London Pride pours an amber reddish colour with a very good sized head. The aroma of some biscuit malts and earthy hops with hints of caramel sweetness, is all pretty great on the nose. While the taste is of light caramel, some earthy hops with a mild bitter aftertaste. I also found it a bit strong in the taste which I enjoyed, more of a kick to it than other ales. Australia’s famous VB with its iconic brown stubby, and the famous aftertaste, pours a dark golden color, clear, topped with a thin white head with good retention.The aroma is mostly of faint grains, sweet malts and low hops. It has a sweet malty taste, and the expected creamy aftertaste hits you pretty quickly. I have gotten to appreciate VB over the course of these few weeks, and its now a beer I can definitely say I have developed a taste for, but London Pride gets this victory as its taste is more subtle and complex, having a lot of interesting flavours that make the beer easy to enjoy and strong enough to give me a good alcohol buzz.

Nigeria V USA

Guinness Export V Samuel Adams. 1-2 Win for Samuel Adams in a close battle, that both beers held up well in. Guinness Extra Stout has its unique taste, with its famous black colour and tan whitish head, that smells of, well, Guinness! The smell is very strong on the nose, and is of dark cocoa, coffee and roasted malts. The taste is also quite strong, with a long bitter aftertaste, that had a bite to it. Overall a good strong stout, tasting of roasted malt with traces of coffee. Samuel Adams, on the other hand, had a great appearance, of a nice dark golden colour with a good sized frothy head that hangs around. The look of a decent beer. The smell was pleasant and not overbearing, of malts and a bit of floral hops. The Samuel Adams taste had a variety of strong flavours from the hops and malt which were well balanced, all tingling away at my taste buds. Caramel was one taste that stood out. The finish is strong with a long lasting heavy aftertaste. Overall a nice solid beer and a great delicious taste. I gave the victory to Samuel Adams for two reasons. One it had better flavouring, and the other factor was that it was much smoother, so hence more enjoyable than the strong stout.

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World Cup of Beer 2014 Semi Finals

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The Beer World Cup semi finals now gets under way. Click on pictures and links to get a general review and info on the beers we will be a drinking during the later stages of the Football World Cup.

Chile V Germany

Nomade Scotch Ale V Friedenfelser Pils 1-2 to the German Pils. The Bavarian beer wins in this close contest. The pils isn’t much to look at but more than makes up for that with its good aroma and great smooth taste. An appearance of a golden yellow colour on pour with a thin white head that doesn’t last, but the aroma, on the other hand, is lovely and it smells like a true German style Pils that you can’t wait to start on. The aroma has notes of bread, grain, malt and grass with some citric hop notes. A good smell. The taste was nice and balanced, with flavours which had a light sweetness and notes of malt, bread, straw, with a hint of citric hops and the bitter finish is moderate. It’s a very good Pilsener, with a light body and one that I could drink all night. Another top beer from the Friedenfelser collection. In opposition, Nomade Scotch Ale, was good and had a gorgeous aroma that smelt of fruit and malts, and a taste that was also very smooth and full of great flavours. The taste was a sweet malty flavour with notes of grapes and smoked malts. It also had a small bitter aftertaste that wasn’t overwhelming. One disappointment was that the colour didn’t appeal, looked a little flat, but overall a solid ale that I found quite strong to drink, with a kick in the end of each mouthful that did the business. Both brews I enjoyed, the ale was more flavourful, while the Pils was smoother, so I just gave the victory to the Pils for the fact that it was the brew I wanted to continue watching the game in extra time with, but only just. A tight victory.

England V USA

London Pride V Samuel Adams: 2-1 to London Pride in this battle between two famous beers that represent their respective cities, London and Boston, very well. Samuel Adams, is a very good looking beer, that pours a dark golden colour with a nice sized frothy head that hangs around a while, leaving a good amount of lacing left on the glass. The smell was also top quality. I got a good earthy smell of malts and some floral hops. The Samuel Adams taste had a variety of strong flavours from the hops and malt which were well balanced, all tingling away at my taste buds. The finish is very strong with a long lasting heavy aftertaste. Overall a nice solid beer and a great delicious taste that is both memorable and enjoyable. I like this beer! But London Pride gets the win, just about. As I really do enjoy the complexities of flavours that it has going on inside the bottle. It pours a lovely amber reddish colour with some white head that doesn’t last too long. Unlike Samuel Adams, London Pride isn’t much of a looker. The aroma, though, has a nice sweet smell to it of some biscuit malts and earthy hops with hints of caramel. Nice. Its the taste that is the most important factor to this drink. A lovely refreshing flavour which hits the taste buds immediately. It tastes of light caramel, some earthy hops with a mild bitter aftertaste. It has a different, subtle, complex taste to it than what you can expect from a lot of beers, which has to be appreciated. I also found it a bit strong in the taste which I enjoyed, more of a kick to it than other ales and regular beers. It was also a better session drink so I gave the victory to London Pride and into the final they go.

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World Cup of Beer Last 16

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The Beer World Cup last 16 now gets under way. Click on pictures and links to get a general review and info on the beers we will be a drinking during the Football World Cup

Brazil V Chile

Skol Lager V Nomade Scotch Ale: 0-2. Gave the win to Nomade as an ale it is always going to come out victorious over a light lager, no contest really. Sorry Skol, nice and all that you are, but its sweetness versus an ale tasting of traditional and smoked malts. Skol is a lovely beer that goes down very well, nice taste not bitter, and very very sweet. A nice looking beer too, decent head and appearance, with an lovely aroma of sweet corns, grain and hay. All very nice but I as said against a good ale it wont win. Nomade with its interesting fruity and malty aromas, a taste of sweet malts with hints of grapes and smoked malts. And a small bitter aftertaste that wasn’t overwhelming. And by the end Nomade was the alcohol that was strongest in terms of power for your buck. Victory to the plucky Chileans.

Japan V Costa Rica

Kirin Ichiban V Imperial Beer. 1-0 to Kirin Ichiban. The Japanese beer was pretty nice and quite drinkable with a lovely pale yellow colour appearance that had a very good sized creamy head that lasted. A good look. Imperial also looked the part. Crystal clear, pale golden straw colour, and, on pour, a small frothy white appeared. Both beers about equal on appearance. Both beers also about equal on smell, both having sweet aromas of toasted malt and a not overpowering smell, faint but nice. But it was the taste that separates the two similar beers. Both sweet, yes. Both smooth, refreshing and light, yes. But I felt that Kirin just edged it with its flavouring. Had more flavours that you could taste, of hay, wheat, and light floral hops, with what tasted like a subtle creamy aftertaste that was enjoyable. Imperial also had a creamy aftertaste of its own, but for some reason it left a dryer feeling in the mouth. Close, but Kirin wins this battle.

France V Argentina

Kronenbourg V Quilmes: 0-1 to Quilmes, who just shaded it in a very tight contest between two beers who match each other very well. Kronenbourg is a nicer looking beer, with an appearance that is hard to beat, a lovely clear amber colour, with a nice frothy white head. Quilmes, although decent, cant beat the French beer here. Both beers smelt sweet. Quilmes probably more obvious than Kronenbourg, with a malty aroma. For taste which is, of course, the most important factor, Quilmes just edged it. Kronenbourg has a lot of very interesting and complex flavouring going on: from fruit, sweet caramel malts, honey, to a sweet malt taste at the start followed up with a mild hop bitterness. All in all a good variety of flavours. Quilmes had also an interesting mix. There’s a little corn and grain sweetness to open it up, a kind of sickly sweet. It does eventually settle down into a nice decent drink and there is a bitter aftertaste which grows on you. It’s this aftertaste that gets the victory for Quilmes, a more lingering memory.

Germany V Russia

Baltika 6 Porter V Friedenfelser Urtyp Hell: 1-2 to Friedenfelser in a very very close contest, that went to extra time. I really enjoyed both beers, both different but with their own unique good tastes and quality’s. The final decision was which beer I would drink in extra time, and I went with the German beer, just. Baltika Porter, surprised me, I wasn’t expecting a porter from Russia to be so delicious. Appearance good, black and decent creamy head, its a porter after all. Strong aroma of chocolate and roasted malts, enticing. For a porter it didn’t have a very bitter taste, it was more sweet than bitter, and this meant it was very easy to drink. The taste was of dark chocolate, coffee and roasted malt, not overwhelming and not strong. But despite how smooth it was, there was a kick to it, that 7%ABV is there and you will notice it! Friedenfelser’s Urtyp Hell, on the other hand, was a lovely tasting beer that I could have drank all night. Good appearance of a lovely golden yellow colour, with a decent frothy head. Good aromas of malts and grains with notes of grassy hops. But it has a winnable taste that I loved. The flavours were of a light sweetness, a grainy malt taste and a light hop note. It tasted very nice and smooth and the flavours were not overbearing, making this beer an excellent session beer, and one of the best that I have had in this Beer World Cup. The beer that I wanted to drink more of in extra time was Friedenfelser Urtyp Hell

Australia V Mexico

VB Bitter V Corona: 3-0 to VB Bitter. Not really a whole lot to say. A strong “bitter” is not going to lose to a light beer, not in my World Cup anyway. Corona is a light beer that has a great refreshing taste, with flavours that are not overwhelming making the beer go down smooth and easily, but I want to actually taste something in my beer and VB does that for me, especially with its famous sour aftertaste.

England V Colombia

London Pride V Club Colombia: 2-1 to London Pride. Club Colombia, much like its football team, have surprised me in this beer World Cup. I have found it to be a very tasty refreshingly good beer, with a nice looking body that was enjoyable to drink. It pours a lovely clear gold body, with a decent frothy head that lasts and has a smell that is not overpowering but sweet and corn like. The taste was of sweet toasted malts with no real aftertaste. A decent light tasting beer that I would recommend for a good session. But up against a strong ale in London Pride a lager will have to be much more than just nice. It would have to be seriously amazing to beat London Pride’s taste extravaganza! London Pride with its famous amber reddish colour, aromas of some biscuit malts and earthy hops with hints of caramel sweetness, and tastes of light caramel, some earthy hops with a mild bitter aftertaste. Its taste is unique to London Pride, lots of flavours, subtle and complex. I also enjoyed the strong aftertaste, which made you feel in no doubt that you were drinking a strong ale. A win for the English ale.

Nigeria V Switzerland

Feldschlösschen Original Pale Lager V Guinness Export: 2-0 to Guinness Export as the stout beats the light tasting lager. Feldschlösschen is a good beer, with a nice taste and easy to drink. The appearance is of a pure clear yellow colour, bright and clean with a good big frothy head on top that stays. Looks refreshing and tantalisingly good. The aroma is light and malty, on the grainy side but with a little sweetness. The taste is of a classic lager style, nice crisp and a smooth refreshing drink. Grain dominates the taste with very little bitterness. Not complex, well balanced, and very easy to drink. Could drink these all day long. Could, but up against Guinness Export it wont win. Simply because of the flavouring, or lack of it in the Feldschlösschen lager. Guinness Export is the complete opposite, full of exciting and interesting flavours, that had a very powerful aftertaste. It pours the expected pitch black colour with a tan whitish head. A very strong aroma of dark cocoa, coffee and roasted malts. The smell is quite strong on the nose. It was a very strong tasting stout, with a long bitter aftertaste, that had a bite to it. Overall a good strong stout, tasting of roasted malt with traces of coffee. As you would expect with a Guinness stout the flavours are complex and well balanced, making it one of the worlds richest tasting beers, and no contest for a nice, very nice, but bland Swiss lager.

USA V South Korea

Samuel Adams V Hite Lager: 2-0 to Samuel Adams. The American craft beer classic beats the Korean lager comfortably enough. Strong flavours, from the hops and malt, well balanced, with hints of caramel that lingers in the tongue. This is a delicious beer that looks great, golden with a good sized frothy head. Smell of malts and a bit of floral hops. This is a good all round package, good taste, smell and, of course, taste. Easy to like and enjoy. Hite lager is a nice, pleasant tasting beer, but I am looking for more than session beers at this stage of my beer world cup. Sweet, clear and crisp is all good but it will need a bit more to beat Samuel Adams. Hite is perfect as a session beer, as it goes down well, is pleasant and refreshing, and I would recommend it as a beer when having a nice meal.

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Top Bets of the World Cup

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Brazil V Netherlands

One pound left!
W Sneijder to score direct from a free kick in 90mins play @ 20/1

Odds with PP

Got some money back from one of my anti posts, so I can have a gamble on tonight game, yeah!

Germany to reach the final are 5/2. Germany in my opinion have the second best squad in the competition, albeit with only one out and out forward. Their midfield is quite strong in attack, and can physically outmanoeuvre whats thrown at them. They have also an easier route to the final than say Brazil or Spain, so they definitely will be there or thereabouts.

Argentina V Netherlands

If the Dutch play it right tonight they can do to Argentina what the Germans did to the Brazilians, albeit with fewer goals. Argentina are a very poor team, and with di Maria out of action and Messi their only player of true class, I cant see how they can get to the final. I hope they do but I cant see it.

Messi to score a/t and Holland to win 12/1
Robben a/t scorer 13/5
Holland to win 9/4
and a cheeky bet Holland to win 4-1 80/1

All odds with PP

Nearly a wipe out at this stage, only Germany and Switzerland left for me now!

Today’s bets

Argentina V Switzerland

Messi V Shaqiri, two great players in two woeful teams. Both teams have no real idea how to defend, at least going on the performances so far, with only Zabaleta and Romero the only plus points in that regard for Argentina. Swiss goalie has had a shocking World Cup so far and appears very nervous in between the sticks, can see Messi testing him with frees all over the park today.

All four teams to score today 7/2
Messi a/t scorer 8/13
Shaqiri a/t scorer 4/1 and 60/1 to score two or more.
Messi to score from a free kick is 9/1

Hopefully claw back some money

All odds with PP

Got some money back from one of my anti posts, so it keeps my alive for another day, yeah!

Greece are a team that have over performed before. They always surprise at tournaments. They have a decent group this time round and at 6/1 to top a group containing Japan, Ivory Coast and Colombia is a great price for the former European Champions. At the very least they should get out of the group, and to be eliminated in the second round is 3/1

Nigeria V France

Nigeria showed in the last game that they will be no easy pushovers for France today. They are a team that scores goals, are physically imposing and have a top class goal keeper at the ready. I think France can still get through but maybe it might take till extra time to knock out a strong Nigeria team.

2-2 17/1
Benzema 10/11 a/t scorer
Giroud a/t scorer 13/10

All odds with PP

Germany V Algeria

Really reckon we will see a top performance from Germany today. Cant see how Algeria will get anything from this game, will be doing well if they can even score a goal. Sadly, I predict that they might get a right old hammering.

T Muller a/t scorer 8/13
M Klose a/t scorer 11/10
B Schweinsteiger a/t 11/4

All odds with PP

Got me money back, so for today’s games

Draw and Costa Rica win double 8.92/1

Netherlands V Mexico

Netherlands to play in the heat for the first time might be a factor. Mexico a good attacking team, not great at the back, but they will give it all til the end. Can see this game going all the way, right up to penos.

Game to be decided by peno’s 9/2
Rafael Marquez a/t scorer 10/1
A Robben a/t scorer 9/5
R van Persie a/t scorer 7/5
2-2 draw at 13/1

All odds with PP

Costa Rica V Greece

Time for Greece to go home, as the serious part of the competition starts for them. Cant do much without an out and out striker. Step up J Campbell to score again.

J Campbell a/t scorer 11/4

Yeah, two of my big anti post bets came off, would have got twice as much if Iran had not only gone and scored a goal with 10 minutes left, which tied one of the bets. Anyhow rather than banking the money just did a few bets for today.

IRAN are going to get a right doing over in this world cup. Up against Argentina and Messi, and attack minded Nigerian and Bosnian teams they will struggle to keep a clean sheet and score goals. They are 9/2 to score the least goals in this years tournament and 8/15 to finish bottom of their group. Two bets that I would lump a lot of money on.

Brazil V Chile and Colombia V Uruguay

Yes I am going to stick my neck out and go for Chile today. They definitely have the strikers to cause serious damage to a very slow minded Brazilian defence. Why can’t they get the win? They have already come out of a very tough group, knocking out the World Champions, and scoring freely and playing good football. Brazil, on the other hand, left it until the last game to top their group, despite playing very a weak Croatian and Cameroon team, and just about surviving a scare against the plucky Mexicans. They havent looked good at all. Only Neymar can safe it for them today, and the ref.

For the other game Uruguay will come out huffing and puffing with something to prove, and it might work for a while, but I reckon Colombia with the brilliant Rodriguez in the centre might just beat them in the end. Hopefully anyway.

Four South American teams with dodgy defences equals a lot of goals, get on that for a double!

Sneaky pound on Chile to win Wcup at 25/1.
Chile/Colombia win double 12.3/1
Colombia to win 3-1 18/1
A Sanchez to score a/t 16/5
James Rodriguez to score a/t 12/5
Neymar to score a/t 8/13
And over 4 plus goals in both games 10.5/1
All odds with PP

Honduras V Ecuador

Last bet maybe? ha need this one!

2-2 draw 14/1

Switzerland V France

Lets get another shock going today, come on Switzerland Switzerland to win 15/4 And a nice bet for Switz to win 3-2 is 40/1

Italy V Costa Rica

Watch the Balotelli show this evening, should be a cracker. Italy will do England a big favour tonight and will steamroll CR. Suarez has made himself even more unpopular in England, well tonight Balotelli is trying to do the opposite, in-lieu of a future arsenal mover, perhaps?

Bets 365 odds

Italy race to 5 corners 4/6
Balotelli to score a/t 1/1 (top bet)
over 2.5 goals 19/20
Italy to win 8/15 (top bet)

Was badly wrong about Suarez, wow did he score some crackers. Take my hat off to him. Why didn’t England just play for the draw in the end. Silly! Last game got my money back for the day, always rely on Greece for a few cynical cards.

So so day yesterday, Spain let me down, but the other two games made me some money

Today’s bets are

Colombia V Ivory Coast

An interesting game first up, and a little difficult to call really. I think Drogba might be the difference in the game. If he can click then IC have a chance of winning. He will be a huge problem for Colombia in the air, considering their defence, so I will choose IC for a win and a small bet on a 2-1 victory.

Bets 365 odds

IC to win 27/10
IC to win 2-1 11/1

Uruguay V England

I don’t think England will be as adventurous as they were in the first game against Italy. Uruguay also will be panicky. Lose and you are more than likely out of the World Cup. For this reason I would go for a draw. Will Suarez make a difference? I dont think so, not against players who know him inside out, i.e his Liverpool teammates

Bets 365 odds

Draw 5/2

Japan V Greece

I still am going to stick with this Greek team. I think they got the shock in the first game that might get them going now. I really like the bet of Greece and a draw, surely they cant lose to a limited Japanese team? In a game with few brilliant creative players, Honda might get on the score-sheet. Who else would score for Japan? But he is the only player they really have. So its Greece again for me.

Bets 365 odds

Greece over 1.5 yellow cards 8/15 (top bet)
Greece to win and both teams to score 6/1
Honda to score a/t 12/5
Over 2.5 goals 23/20
Draw or Greece 7/10 (top bet)

Terrible day yesterday, damn it, but still up a little.

Treble Holland, Spain, Croatia at about 3.29/1

Croatia V Cameroon

A game there for Croatia to win. Play it smart and win it comfortably. Will they get some favourable decisions tonight as compensation for the Brazilian fiasco?

Bets 365 odds

Croatia to win 4/6
Red card in game 12/5
Croatia to score a peno 6/1

Spain V Chile

Has Vicente del Bosque made the changes required? Probably not, but I am guessing Spain will be much more attack minded playing with maybe two strikers. If not at the start, definitely by the second half if things are not going their way. Spain and Chile both have leaky defences and both can score = goals galore! For no reason in particular I fancy Iniesta to get a goal tonight, and bet of the game is Chile to get more than 2.5 yellow cards at 1/1

Bets 365 odds

Really like the look of Chile over 2.5 yellow cards at 1/1,
Spain to win and both teams to score 2/1
Over 2.5 goals 3/5
Iniesta at 11/4 a/t scorer

Netherlands V Australia

Surely the Dutch will continue into the second game full force ahead. If they do as expected then it will be another goal fest. If they can score for fun against the Spanish,albeit a Spanish team that cant defend, then they should more than likely give the Aussies problems. if Australia do score it will be Cahill, brilliant in the air.

Bets 365 odds

Holland -2 8/5
Tim Cahill 9/2
Robben to score a/t 11/10
Holland h/t and f/t 4/6
Over 2.5 goals 8/15

Still motoring along with the odd winner here and there, still up overall by about 50 points. Today’s bets, where I am quietly confident and looking forward to seeing what Belgium are all about.

Treble of Russia, Belgium and Brazil is a decent bet at roughly 3.64/1. Probably Russia is the weak link there but I’d rather go for them than Korea. I expect that Brazil and Belgium with their striking ability can easily beat Algeria and Mexico.

Belgium V Algeria

With a very lively Romelu Lukaku up front spearheading the attack I cant see anything other than a Belgium win. Now I Know Belgium, when they do get to a world cup, have a slow start, esp in the first game, but Algeria have not much attacking threat. Good defence and some decent midfielders, but who will get their goals? Hope it wont be like the Iran and Nigeria game, frustrating.

Bets 365 odds

Belgium to score in both halves 11/10
Belgium win race to 5 corners 4/9
over 2.5 goals 8/11
Outside bet of Belgium 3-0 17/2

Brazil V Mexico

Scolari says he was more worried about playing Mexico than anyone else in the world cup, even Spain. But then he always has a bad habit of talking bollox. Mexico are not that good, and if Brazil do struggle then its due to their limitations and nothing else. Brazil in front of their fanatical support should easily win this game. Falcao can score again, and I expect another goal fest, maybe even another dodgy peno?

Bets 365 odds

Brazil -1 at 20/21
over 2.5 goals 8/13
Sneaky bet of Brazil 4-1 18/1

Russia V Korea

The difference with Russia now and in the past is the manager. Fabio Capello has instilled a more disciplined approach to the Russian team. Didnt work with England, but I guess Capello isn’t used to working with monkey nuts, play-dough and crayons. Only worry is the lack of star quality in the Russian team and I wonder will they have the legs to defend against what should be a pacy Korean team. But watching Japan the other day, who wilted under the sun due to their high temp passing game, I feel Korea will also get stuffed in the second half. Not that the Russians would be good in the sun either!

Bets 365 odds

Russia first to 5 corners 21/20
Russia 19/20 to win game
Sneaky bet on Russia 3-1 is 16/1

USA V Ghana

With all the criticism that Klinsmann got for leaving Landon Donovan home (and rightly so) and the fact its a very tough group I feel the USA will come out all guns ablazing. Klinsmann will have them set up to attack attack attack. The USA will play with a lot of skill, be clever on the ball and take advantage of playing Ghana first rather than Germany or Portugal. USA to win.

Bets 365 odds

3-1 to USA 25/1
USA 21/10 to win game
11/10 over 2.5 goals
M Bradley to score any time 5/1
USA -1 is 5/1
and Bradley to score any time and 3-1 is 60/1

Nigeria V Iran

Nigeria have a real chance of making the second round. First off, all they have to do is beat Iran. Surely they can do the number on that team. Attack with pace down the wings, physical in the middle of the pitch, your forwards powering in the goals. Simples, or at least it is in my head, ha.

Bets 365 odds

Nigeria to score a peno 7/1
Race to 5 corners 6/5 Nigeria (great bet imho)
Nigeria to score in both halves 9/4
Nigeria -3 is 14/1
Nigeria to win and both teams not to score 15/8

Germany V Portugal

All the stars in this years world cup have shined so far so there is no reason Ronaldo cant get on the score sheet today, especially since his rival Messi had such a cracking second half yesterday.

Tight to call a winner in this game so went with the safe option of a draw which might suit both teams in the first game of a tough group

Bets 365 odds

Draw and both teams to score is 10/3
Bastian Schweinsteiger to score anytime 9/2 Injured Bet Refunded
Ronaldo to score anytime is 11/10
over 2.5 goals 4/6
Draw at 13.5
2-2 is 11/1

Great day of gambling yesterday seen me getting good betting wins in all of the three games. Happy days. Will post today’s tips soon, stayed tuned.

Winning bets from yesterday, happy days

Treble: Switzerland, France and Argentina at about 4.6/1
Switzerland to win and both teams to score 4/1
Switzerland to win 11/8
Over 2.5 goals 5/4
France to score in both halves 1/1
France to win both halves 7/4
over 2.5 goals 3/4
Argentina to win and both teams to score 2/1
Over 2.5 goals 8/13
Messi to score 8/13

(Yesterday)

Form so far is 50-50, sure to hit a good streak soon

Today’s bets in the world cup.

Treble: Switzerland, France and Argentina at about 4.6/1

Switzerland V Ecuador

I fancy the Swiss team today.They have a decent team and I would expect them to be fairly solid and have enough to beat an Ecuadorian team that I’d presume will be rubbish at corners and set pieces.

Bets 365 odds

Switzerland to score in both halves 3/1
Switzerland to win and both teams to score 4/1
Switzerland to win 11/8
Over 2.5 goals 5/4

France V Honduras

People are talking up this French team, well today is there chance to hit the ground running. Even without Ribery they have Benzema and Giroud in attack. Honduras were awful in the last world cup, but Costa Rica winning yesterday might give the smaller teams today some hope. But I still reckon a decent French team will easily beat Honduras.

Bets 365 odds

France to score in both halves 1/1
France to win both halves 7/4
over 2.5 goals 3/4

Argentina V Bosnia and Hertz

Will be a tough game for Argentina but once they score one they could get a few.

All eyes will be on Messi who is bound to be closely marked. But this might free up the rest of the attack, and if Argentina come out all guns a blazing they could win this game without too much effort. I feel Bosnia will be overwhelmed by the occasion. They do have a good team, and with Edin Džeko up front they will always be a danger, but its a South American world cup, and with Brazil winning the other day, Argentina have to show off their skills and match winning ability, or their fans wont be too happy!

Bets 365 odds

Argentina to score a peno 9/2
Argentina to win and both teams to score 2/1
Over 2.5 goals 8/13
Messi to score 8/13

Ivory Coast V Japan

Some very important stats to digest.

Ivory Coast – in their previous seven games have seen both sides score, and it is virtually a whole year since they last kept a clean sheet. The Japanese have conceded 33 goals in their last 17 games, with only two clean sheets.If that doesn’t add up to a lot of goals then I might as well give up!

Fancy Ivory Coast to out muscle and out power Japan to victory.

Bets 365 odds

Ivory Coast to win and both teams to score is 9/2
Honda to score is 11/4
IC to win -1 is 4/1

Fancy IC, they have a strong team, but hope they turn up, unlike Cameroon.

Italy V England

The pitch in Manaus is meant to be awful, rock hard and bumpy. First game will be cagey from these two traditional slow starters. Hope no player gets a bad injury tonight.

Bets 365 odds

Draw and both teams to score is 7/2
Balotelli to score 12/5
Draw is 2/1

Uruguay V Costa Rica

Should be plenty of goals in this game even if Suarez is not likely to play. Forlan and Cavani can do a job on Costa Rica without too much bother.

Bets 365 odds

Uruguay -2 is 10/3
Over 2.5 goals 23/20

Colombia V Greece

Greece kept the most clean sheets in European qualifying, and with Samaras they have a player who is expert at holding the ball up while the rest of his team go forward. They have a real chance against Colombia who are without a few key players missing with injuries.

Greece have beaten better teams than this over the years so I fancy Greece to win and keep a clean sheet.

Bets 365 odds

Greece to win to nil 11/2
Greece to score a peno 14/1
Greece to win 17/4

Chile V Australia

This group is getting interesting now after the Netherlands amazing win against Spain. Still in shock with that game. So Chile have to step up to the plate now, in a game this simply have to win now.

Going for over 2.5 goals which is 1/1

And a small bet on Chile to win 3-1 12/1

Need a win!!!

Spain V Netherlands

Should be a close game, and maybe a piece of magic might win it. What about a nice free kick perhaps? Cesc Fabregas is 3/1 to score a goal. Decent bet me thinks, get on it.

Mexico V Cameroon

Mexico had a tough time in trying to qualify for this years world cup, and from the last world cup, their squad doesn’t seem to have added anything new to that team. Santos and Hernandez are back for another world adventure, but other than that I don’t see any new exciting talent in the Mexican team.

Cameroon are no great shakes themselves, but with their pace and strength they might be worth a look in the betting market today.

A nice little known fact is that Mexico have never beaten an African team in the World Cup in three attempts. Will that be four after today?

With Bet365 odds,

Cameroon to win and both teams to score 8/1
Over 2.5 goals at 8/5
Cameroon to win at 14/5

Brazil V Croatia

World Cup Openers are generally tight affairs, most of the time anyway. Very few host nations will be under as much pressure as this Brazilian team. Not only are they expected to win, but they have to win playing the Brazilian way. Tonight’s game will be all about nerves.

For this reason I am very reluctant to go with a Brazil win, which has no value. Instead I think the draw at 4/1 is worth a small punt. It has happened in the past where teams messed up in the opener – Argentina losing to Cameroon in 1990 springs to mind.

Either way it will be a close game as Croatia are not a bad team. They have the players that will cause Brazil problems. Modric will be busy in the middle of the park doing his thing. Croatia+2.0, with a two goal start, at 8/11, is worth a shout

Brazil will be gunning from the start, one would imagine, so 10 corners or more at 10/11 is promising. These bets can be difficult to get but I can see Brazil putting the game to the Croatians from the start.

If things are not going to plan, the pressure is on, the crowd are whistling, then I can see the referee making some favourable decisions for the home team. Neymar, Alves and the rest like to fall around the park a lot, and the Croatians have a few tough defenders on their team, so dodgy decisions are very possible. Could there be a red card in this game? At 10/3 I’d get on it at that price.

If all that goes tit over arse, then a saviour bet is over 2.5 goals at 21/20

All odds from Bet365

Happy punting

Pre Tournament Bets

After having a nice pint of the black stuff and going through the world cup groups and permutations , we, at ThisDrinkingLife, have come up with the best value bets of this years World Cup. We looked for value and odds better than 1/1 to give our readers a good chance of winning some money.

We will also be writing about the best betting opportunities for each game, so stay tuned for our daily updates.

All prices are a rounded up figure from most of the high street bookies. I also didn’t want to name any bookies as it would be free advertising, but I guess some online bookmakers would offer better odds

So lets kick it off.

SPAIN

I am going with Spain to win the World Cup outright at 13/2 which is decent value for a team that knows how to win major championships.

They have the most complete squad, from back to front they have the players who can do the business. Added to the team is Costa who gives the team some bite, and at a whopping 40/1 isn’t bad value to be player of the tournament. What a story that would be for the Brazilian in the Spanish team!

If Spain do reach the final (16/5) they need firepower. The last few World Cups the golden boot has been won by very few goals. Its very conceivable that Torres (50/1) or Villa (66/1) could be top scorer. A Spain / Fernando Torres winner & top goalscorer double is 100/1. Big prices I grant you, but stranger things have happened.

GERMANY

Germany to reach the final are 5/2 and a Spain v Germany final is a pretty decent 20/1

Germany in my opinion have the second best squad in the competition, albeit with only one out and out forward. Their midfield is quite strong in attack, and can physically outmanoeuvre whats thrown at them. They have also an easier route to the final than say Brazil or Spain, so they definitely will be there or thereabouts.
A straight forecast of Spain first and Germany second is 33/1

ENGLAND

England are always hit and miss. But this World Cup squad is young, mostly untested (untainted) and has good attacking options. It will be very interesting to see how they do get on. Hopefully Hodgson will give the team more freedom that he did during the Euros. If allowed to actually play football I think D Sturridge at 50/1 to be top scorer is a good price. That final game against Costa Rica England could easily win 3 or 4 nil. And as previously mentioned, perhaps 4/5 goals would be enough to get top boot.

Dare I say it, but England to be eliminated on penalties is a decent 8/1, which going by how many times in previous competitions England have bowed out of tournaments by this method that is a good price.

PORTUGAL

Portugal I feel are bang on to make the Semi’s. Ronaldo is hot on form and their route isn’t as difficult as other teams. They might have to beat Argentina along the way, but that’s very doable. I feel Argentina will crumble in this tournament. Portugal are a good 4/1 to reach the Semi-Finals, and a very good 7/1 to be knocked out at the semi final stage. Portugal have to do it sometime, so let it be this year.

SWITZERLAND

I think Switzerland are a bit of a dark horse in this years World Cup. They have Hitzfield as manager, and a decent compact squad, well drilled and a team that don’t give away many goals. It all depends on the French game, win that and they could get to the last eight, lose and I’m not so sure. To win the group, that is beat France, they are 13/5, which is worth a punt.To get to the last eighth they are 3/1 and to be eliminated at the same stage, they’re 9/2.

GREECE

Greece are a team that have over performed before. They always surprise at tournaments. They have a decent group this time round and at 6/1 to top a group containing Japan, Ivory Coast and Colombia is a great price for the former European Champions. At the very least they should get out of the group, and to be eliminated in the second round is 3/1

IVORY COAST in the same group are 25/1 to receive the most red cards in the tournament. In a fairly even group where games will be tight and close, with a very physical Ivory Coast team, that’s worth a small bet.

IRAN are going to get a right doing over in this world cup. Up against Argentina and Messi, and attack minded Nigerian and Bosnian teams they will struggle to keep a clean sheet and score goals. They are 9/2 to score the least goals in this years tournament and 8/15 to finish bottom of their group. Two bets that I would lump a lot of money on.

Some Dual forecasts for both teams to qualify. Can put any of the following into accums

Belgium & Russia @ 10/11 Group H
Germany & Portugal @ 4/6 Group G
Argentina & Nigeria @ 6/4 Group F
Switzerland & France @ 6/5 Group E
Spain & Holland @ 10/11 Group B
Brazil & Croatia @ 5/4 Group A
England & Italy @ 2/1 Group D
Greece & Ivory Coast @ 11/1 Group C

In terms of a straight forecast, who wins and who comes second, these bets stand out for me
1st = Belgium, 2nd = Russia @ 2/1 Group H
1st = Switzerland, 2nd = France @ 4/1 Group E
1st = Italy, 2nd = England @ 9/2 Group D
1st = Greece, 2nd = Ivory Coast @ 22/1 Group C

And a tricky tricast
1st Germany, 2nd Portugal, 3rd USA @ 7/2 Group G
1st Italy, 2nd England, 3rd Uruguay @ 5/1 Group D 1st Switzerland, 2nd France, 3rd Ecuador @ 6/1 Group E

One last bet to look at is for 10 or more European nations to reach the last 16 at 11/4. 10 plus the South American teams with the odd African team, I think the European teams have the numbers for that bet to come up.

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Panini World Cup 2014 Sticker Pack Openings

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Panini World Cup 2014 Sticker Pack Opening

Part one with Plenty of duds

Part Two with Some great Italian players and M Carrick!

Part Three, got Jozy Altidore, Cheating Neymar, Ozil

Part Four, got Spain, Sergio Ramos and Bruno Alves!

Part Five, got Switzerland and Bruno Alves again!

Part Six, got Pirlo and Nuer!

Part Seven, got Fabregas and Alves!

Part Eight, got Brazil, USA, Mexico and Greece!

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

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GROUP A:

Brazil

Croatia

Mexico

Cameroon

GROUP B:

Spain

Netherlands

Chile

Australia

GROUP C:

Colombia

Greece

Côte d’Ivoire

Japan

GROUP D:

Uruguay

Costa Rica

England

Italy

GROUP E:

Switzerland

Ecuador

France

Honduras

GROUP F:

Argentina

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Iran

Nigeria

GROUP G:

Germany

Portugal

Ghana

USA

GROUP H:

Belgium

Algeria

Russia

Korea Republic

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Group A Results and Final Placings

Group B Results and Final Placings

Group C Results and Final Placings

Group D Results and Final Placings

Group E Results and Final Placings

Group F Results and Final Placings

Group G Results and Final Placings

Group H Results and Final Placings

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World Cup Final

3RD/4TH PLAY-OFFS

Argentina V Netherlands

Brazil v Germany

Argentina V Belgium

Netherlands V Costa Rica

Brazil V Colombia

Germany V France

Switzerland V Argentina

USA V Belgium

Germany V Algeria

France V Nigeria

Costa Rica V Greece

Netherlands V Mexico

Colombia V Uruguay