Wandering the World of Beer and Other Libations Quiz

Answer: Savannah, Georgia

One of the more familiar statements made by the character John Berendt in the novel (1994) and movie (1997) "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is, "If you go to Atlanta, the first question people ask you is, "What's your business?" In Macon they ask, "Where do you go to church?" In Augusta, they ask your grandmother's maiden name. But in Savannah the first question people ask you is, "What would you like to drink?"

Some of the more popular and exotic Savannah drinks and recipes are listed below:

Jäger Egg: Use a pickled egg and Jägermeister. Cut the top off a pickled egg and take out the inside yolk. Pour half a shot of Jager in a shot glass, place the egg inside, and then fill the egg with more Jager.

Sweet Tea Vodka: gin, rum, triple sec, tequila, lemon juice, cola, lemon lime soda - no directions given for this concoction - I imagine you mix all, drink and then SIT down!

Peach Mint Julep (How could I write about drinking in the South and not include a recipe about peaches and/or mint juleps?!)
Ingredients: Mint, Bourbon, Peach Simple Syrup
Directions: Muddle (a muddle is a long pestle used to combine ingredients in the bottom of a mixing glass by pressing them before adding the majority of the liquid ingredients) the mint in a large mason jar, squeeze in some homemade peach simple syrup, and then add bourbon and ice.

Question crafted by Blindlady-27.

Answer: Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire was, of course, the iconic fighter aircraft used by the R.A.F. (Royal Air Force) and many other allied air forces during World War II. Spitfire is also a Kentish ale brewed by Shepherd Neame to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Whirlwind is crafted by Victory Brewing of Downington, Pennsylvania. Hurricane is distilled by Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, Missouri. And Defiant is manufactured by the Defiant Brewing Company of Pearl River, New York.

Question created by Smudge111.

Answer: London, England

Surprisingly, the main factory for Guinness is based in London, England, and has been there since 1932. It features a burnt flavor with infused roasted barley. The beer was created by Arthur Guinness in Dublin, Ireland, and today is used not only for drinking, but also in many different recipes. It has long been the best-selling beer in Ireland.

Question prepared by Skyflyerjen.

Answer: Abita

Falstaff was originally a St. Louis, Missouri marque that was also was brewed for a time in New Orleans. The Falstaff sign stands proud above the former brewery as part of the skyline and was a great comfort to us all as we migrated back into town after Katrina. Dixie beer had a resurgence in the early 1990s, but after extreme damage to the facility in Mid-City during the same storm, it became contract brewed and is a little harder to find. Jax beer has not been brewed at all since the 1970s, but the beautiful 19th century brewery building was rebuilt and announces "home of JAX beer" to all who visit the French Quarter. It is from the spire above it that the New Year's Eve Fleur-de-lis "ball" is dropped.

Question fashioned by sazk.

Answer: The Jesuits

Yes, the Jesuits did it! This occurred in 1646 at Quebec City, Quebec. According to Allen Winn Sneath in his book "Brewed in Canada" (2001), Father LeJeune of the Jesuits had twelve years earlier informed his superiors in France, "As for drinks, we shall have to make some beer; but we shall wait until a brewery is erected". Bless his heart! The difficulty for the population of New France was that the Jesuits made it only for THEIR consumption. La Brasserie de l'Abitation was established in 1646 in Quebec City but burned down two years later. Then a fellow by the name of Louis Prud'Homme constructed a commercial brewery in 1650 at Ville Marie (present day Montreal). Thus beer production was established in Canada, and such illustrious families as the Molsons, Labatts and Olands have continued the tradition along with craft breweries and brew pubs.

Question made by TimTamMan.

Answer: Pennying

"Pennying" is thought to have begun at Cambridge University in England during the 13th or 14th centuries. It involves slipping a penny into a fellow student's drink without him noticing and announcing "God save the Queen". The "pennied" person must then drink the contents of his glass or cup in order to save the queen from drowning. The phrase "God save the queen" used in the game derives from the queen's head which appears on the coin.

Crewdate is a traditional drinking challenge, thought to have originated at Oxford University, which involves a male sports team challenging a female sports team to a drinking contest. The participants would invariably wear fancy dress. Sconcing, also thought to have originated at Oxford University, is a drinking challenge issued by a student to a fellow student for a breach of etiquette.

Question built by Smudge111.

Answer: Syrup of almonds and sugar with either rose or orange water

The Absinthe Suissette is one New Orleans cocktail that uses orgeat syrup. Many absinthe cocktails have made an appearance since the re-introduction of absinthe into the market. One of the most popular bars in New Orleans' French Quarter (on Bourbon Street) is the Old Absinthe House, oddly a favourite of the locals, regardless its location. Other cocktails from around the world that use orgeat syrup include the Mai Tai and the Fog Cutter.

Question fashioned by sazk.

Answer: Weihenstephaner Germany

In 725, a Benedictine monastery was established at Weihenstephen and started brewing at the monastery. There is a record in the year of 768 of a local farmer who was growing hops and paying a tax to the monastery. A monastery plus hops looks like a good logical combination for beer production. In 955, the Hungarians swooped in and destroyed the monastery but those monks rebuilt it.

The official historical record of brewing at the monastery was in 1040 when Abbot Arnold received from the city of Freising his license to not just brew the beer but also to sell it. Between 1336 to 1648, the monastery was destroyed several times during various wars in those centuries; however those Benedictines were made of sterner stuff and they always returned, rebuilt and continued brewing. The year 1516 was a landmark year for brewing in Bavaria as Wilhelm IV of Bavaria enacted the Purity Laws for Brewing. From then on, only barley, hops and water were to be used for beer production in Bavaria and of course in Weihenstephener. In 1803 secularization occurred with the Bavarian state government taking over the monastery and the beer production.

According to the "Total Beverage Solution" website, the Bavarian State Brewery, Weihenstephan, has become a site for brewing science and education. In 2014 they had at least 13 different offerings which to my mind is more than enough to satisfy any beer connoisseur. My favourite is the Heffe Weissbier, which is their regular Wheat Beer.

Question produced by TimTamMan.

Answer: Pottsville, Pennsylvania

David Gottlob Jungling, a German immigrant, arrived in the coal mining town of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. After anglicizing his name to Yuengling, he purchased the Eagle Brewery in 1829. The name was changed from Eagle to D.G. Yuengling and Son in 1878 when David's son, Frederick, became a partner. When Prohibition came into effect in 1919, Yuengling switched to "near beer" liquids and also erected a dairy nearby its brewery. Near beer and ice cream - what an unusual combination! Then in 1976, Yuengling Brewery was placed on the national register as America's Oldest Brewery. Demand for its products increased in the 1990s to such a degree that in 1998 a second brewery was constructed at Mill Creek, three miles from its first brewery which began production in 2001. Yuengling also went south to Tampa, Florida, and purchased the Stroh Brewery in 1999. The above information is primarily from their website.

I have toured the Pottsville brewery and, besides the free offerings at the end of the tour, a major highlight is the vast cavernous cave in which the beer was stored in the early years and during Prohibition. The tour guide claimed that in 1933 when Prohibition was repealed, the first recipient of Yuengling product was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who received a truckload of "Winner Beer". My favourite is the Yuengling Traditional Lager; however, their other offerings, such as the Premium, Black and Tan, Porter, Light Lager, Chesterfield Ale and Yuengling Light, each have a strong following. If you are in the Pottsville area, northwest of Philadelphia, take the tour, even if you are not a beer drinker. It's a hoot and a half!

Question constructed by TimTamMan.

Answer: Stomach

John Molson was only 22 years old when he started his first brewery in 1786 along the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, Canada. Today Molsons has breweries not just in Canada but also in the United States, England and even in the Czech Republic. That being said, when an individual who does not exercise much consumes a goodly quantity of beer and has a large protruding stomach, the protrusion is generally referred to as a "Molson Muscle". Some males have been known to refer to their own protrusion in an affectionate manner, patting their stomachs and saying how proud they are of their "Molson Muscles". This Canadianism goes along with a "Two Four", which for Canadians is a case of 24 bottles/cans of beer. This is not to be confused with a "Double Double" from Tim Horton's which would be a cup of coffee with double cream and double sugar. Only in Canada, you say!

Question generated by TimTamMan.

Answer: Pecan

Strawberries are also a popular addition to a few of our seasonal beers, because of the famous Ponchatoula strawberries grown just north of Lake Pontchartrain. Alas, the strawberry is not a nut, and thus did not make the grade for this question.

Question designed by sazk.

Answer: Coors

Up until the 1980s, Coors only distributed its beer throughout the western United States, making a demand for it in the eastern portions of the country. The company was founded in 1873 by Adolph Coors and Jacob Schueler. The brewery, located in Golden, Colorado, has become one of the largest in the world.

Question conceived by Blindlady-27.

Answer: Gin

Gin or "Mother's Ruin", traditionally thought of as the national drink of England, was first introduced by soldiers returning from the Thirty Years War. It was also known during this time as Dutch Courage, which was distributed to soldiers to warm them during cold winters. Gin was originally sold in England, especially London, as a medicine and was rumoured to cure gout and indigestion.

Question originated by Smudge111.

Answer: Rum

Those who are not born in Newfoundland Labrador are said to "come from away". Frequently when these folks visit Newfoundland, they are put through an initiation which usually involves three steps known as "The Screech In". The first challenge is to repeat a Newfie saying, trying to use a Newfie accent which is usually incomprehensible. Next, one must kiss a cod fish on the lips. The last task involves drinking a shot of Screech, which originally was rot gut rum of high alcoholic content. Having taken those three steps, you are now an Honorary Newfoundlander, or "all right dere b'ye" as they would say. Today, the Screech, which is sold across Canada, is somewhat more agreeable than the colonial 18th and 19th centuries' product. There are variations to the initiation, depending on which local pub or home you are visiting. Hopefully, when you visit Newfoundland Labrador, you will be able to experience a "Screech In".

Question formulated by TimTamMan.

Answer: Dalmatian

Budweiser introduced the Dalmatian to its wagon teams as the Clydesdale horses' mascot in 1950, but the breed has long been associated with brewing. In the earlier days of modern brewing (before motorized transport), the dogs were left with beer coaches to guard the horses while deliveries were being made. They are swift enough to keep up, and their temperaments make them wonderful companions for the Clydesdales.

Question composed by sazk.