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There were also classes of alcohol that we just don't really bother much with today. For example Small beer and various other low alcohol beers were very common

by bane 10y ago

There were also classes of alcohol that we just don't really bother much with today. For example Small beer and various other low alcohol beers were very common and helped prevent sickness from drinking tainted water. One of my friends is a very dedicated home brewer, and he's recently taken an interest in a lost class of 2-3% beers that have fallen out of fashion. There's also traditional ferments like Kvass or Brottrunk which are made from bread, have <1% alcohol and are very drinkable and can also make the foundation for a soup or other foods which need some quick flavor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_beer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_beer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvass

pavel_lishin 10y ago
I had completely forgotten that kvass is a bit alcoholic on my last trip to visit my family, until I realized that I was having a very good time indeed having started drinking it when I woke up early in the morning. Makes me wonder a bit about just how much of that stuff I drank as a kid, because I certainly don't remember moderating myself then, either.
- rdtsc 10y ago
  Kefir can have a bit of alcohol in it as well. Not sure how much industrially produced kind has. But brewed at home would have some.
  - magic_beans 10y ago
    Kombucha as well.
  - wruza 10y ago
    Both kvass and kefir can save your morning after yesterday's zastolie (and the entire day if otherwise you would start it with more alcoholic drinks).
santaclaus 10y ago
> One of my friends is a very dedicated home brewer, and he's recently taken an interest in a lost class of 2-3% beers that have fallen out of fashion. Isn't that what a session beer is supposed to be?
- TylerE 10y ago
  Sessions are typically 3-5% ABV. Not sure there is anything commercially marketed that is under 3% ABV, really.
  - dpark 10y ago
    I don't think I've ever seen a session beer for sale under 4%. Most seem to be between 4.5 and 4.9, just low enough to be "less than 5".
    - ch4s3 10y ago
      You'll find a handful in the 3-4% range if you look around a nice beer shop.Look for session IPAs, "table beers", and maybe some Goozes.
      - dpark 10y ago
        I've not checked for "table beers" and don't know what that actually is. Goses aren't my style. IPAs are, and I've seen few if any session IPAs in person that hit at or below 4%. Just looking at the top 10 session IPAs that show up when I search for "session" on Untappd, I see only one below 4%, Even Keel at 3.8%. So I guess someone's making them, but no one's making them at 3 and almost no one is making them below 4. Although honestly I don't think I'd want a session IPA at 4 or below. Most (though not all) session IPAs are pretty terrible at ~4.5. They'd probably taste like watery trash at 3.5.
        wahnfrieden 10y ago
        Btw, I think OP meant Gueze / Gueuze lambic which is quite different from Gose though similar in many ways too.
kagamine 10y ago
Not sure if it is still available, but in the UK there was a stout called Sweetheart Stout that was brewed to 2.5% alcohol making it like a very sweet Guinness. It is lovely, used to drink it all the time 20 years ago. Iirc it was in earlier times marketed to ladies and also pregnant women because it is high in Vitamin B12(?) or something. Legend had it you wouldn't get rickets (bendy legs) if you drank sweet stout. In Scandinavia lett øl (low alcohol beer) is in all the supermarkets, this is 2.5% alcohol pilsner.
- Graham24 10y ago
  That sounds a bit like Mackeson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackeson_Stout https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackeson_Stout
- jamesfmilne 10y ago
  My mother claims she used to drink that whilst she was pregnant with me. Would explain a lot :D
- l0b0 10y ago
  Check and mate: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Younger-Alloa-Sweetheart-Stout-500ml/dp/B00XPEQRSM/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Younger-Alloa-Sweetheart-Stout-500m...
  - kagamine 10y ago
    Can't get that sent to me outside the UK and now I am sad and it's all your fault. But now I have another reason to visit the homeland, so I am happy and that's your fault too.
thetwentyone 10y ago
In Colorado, non-liquor stores are capped at selling alcohol at 3.2%. Varieties in many types of beer were sold, some specially made for this type of distribution. We called them "grocery store beers".

by bane 10y ago

pavel_lishin 10y ago

I had completely forgotten that kvass is a bit alcoholic on my last trip to visit my family, until I realized that I was having a very good time indeed having started drinking it when I woke up early in the morning. Makes me wonder a bit about just how much of that stuff I drank as a kid, because I certainly don't remember moderating myself then, either.

rdtsc 10y ago
Kefir can have a bit of alcohol in it as well. Not sure how much industrially produced kind has. But brewed at home would have some.
- magic_beans 10y ago
  Kombucha as well.
- wruza 10y ago
  Both kvass and kefir can save your morning after yesterday's zastolie (and the entire day if otherwise you would start it with more alcoholic drinks).

santaclaus 10y ago

> One of my friends is a very dedicated home brewer, and he's recently taken an interest in a lost class of 2-3% beers that have fallen out of fashion. Isn't that what a session beer is supposed to be?

TylerE 10y ago
Sessions are typically 3-5% ABV. Not sure there is anything commercially marketed that is under 3% ABV, really.
- dpark 10y ago
  I don't think I've ever seen a session beer for sale under 4%. Most seem to be between 4.5 and 4.9, just low enough to be "less than 5".
  - ch4s3 10y ago
    You'll find a handful in the 3-4% range if you look around a nice beer shop.Look for session IPAs, "table beers", and maybe some Goozes.
    - dpark 10y ago
      I've not checked for "table beers" and don't know what that actually is. Goses aren't my style. IPAs are, and I've seen few if any session IPAs in person that hit at or below 4%. Just looking at the top 10 session IPAs that show up when I search for "session" on Untappd, I see only one below 4%, Even Keel at 3.8%. So I guess someone's making them, but no one's making them at 3 and almost no one is making them below 4. Although honestly I don't think I'd want a session IPA at 4 or below. Most (though not all) session IPAs are pretty terrible at ~4.5. They'd probably taste like watery trash at 3.5.
      - wahnfrieden 10y ago
        Btw, I think OP meant Gueze / Gueuze lambic which is quite different from Gose though similar in many ways too.

kagamine 10y ago

Not sure if it is still available, but in the UK there was a stout called Sweetheart Stout that was brewed to 2.5% alcohol making it like a very sweet Guinness. It is lovely, used to drink it all the time 20 years ago. Iirc it was in earlier times marketed to ladies and also pregnant women because it is high in Vitamin B12(?) or something. Legend had it you wouldn't get rickets (bendy legs) if you drank sweet stout. In Scandinavia lett øl (low alcohol beer) is in all the supermarkets, this is 2.5% alcohol pilsner.

Graham24 10y ago
That sounds a bit like Mackeson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackeson_Stout https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackeson_Stout
jamesfmilne 10y ago
My mother claims she used to drink that whilst she was pregnant with me. Would explain a lot :D
l0b0 10y ago
Check and mate: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Younger-Alloa-Sweetheart-Stout-500ml/dp/B00XPEQRSM/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Younger-Alloa-Sweetheart-Stout-500m...
- kagamine 10y ago
  Can't get that sent to me outside the UK and now I am sad and it's all your fault. But now I have another reason to visit the homeland, so I am happy and that's your fault too.

thetwentyone 10y ago

In Colorado, non-liquor stores are capped at selling alcohol at 3.2%. Varieties in many types of beer were sold, some specially made for this type of distribution. We called them "grocery store beers".