Discussion on British culture - our favourite British stuff!

[Tank]

Just to stop any confusion.

Chips



Crisps



French Fries

[Sweetdeath]

So chips are basically potatoe wedges?


Btw, I do love fish and chips.

[Tank]

So chips are basically potatoe wedges?

Not really as that are square in cross section not triangular. They are also plain, with no seasoned coating. The potato is also peeled.

[Sweetdeath]

So chips are basically potatoe wedges?

Not really as that are square in cross section not triangular. They are also plain, with no seasoned coating. The potato is also peeled.

No seasoning? Oh, you plain Brits <3

[Tank]

So chips are basically potatoe wedges?

Not really as that are square in cross section not triangular. They are also plain, with no seasoned coating. The potato is also peeled.

No seasoning? Oh, you plain Brits <3

We add salt and vinegar to taste. Also curry sauce.

[Buddy]

So chips are basically potatoe wedges?

Not really as that are square in cross section not triangular. They are also plain, with no seasoned coating. The potato is also peeled.

No seasoning? Oh, you plain Brits <3

We add salt and vinegar to taste. Also curry sauce.

It must be the American way of making them, but the chips that I've eaten had way too much pepper.

[Tank]

The perfect British chip should be deep fried in beef fat.

[Willow]

I also drink NewCastle beer sometimes, though the Germans and Americans have the British beat in the beer department. Not American cheap beer, but the microbrews mind you.

We call Newcastle Brown Ale "Dog" for a reason.  That's how you will feel in the morning.
I'm a great fan of British beer, but it has to be kept right.  I don't know the technicalities, but the same beer tastes different depending on the pub.  I drink bottled ale too, Spitfire or Bishop's Finger or Tangle Foot or Old Speckled Hen.  Hmm.  Pub.

Don't write British beer off because you've tried it and didn't like it.  You might have been given Boddies, which tastes of dishwater.

I like the weather, and the Beeb, though I can feel a bit cocooned in BBC smugness at times.

[Siz]

So chips are basically potatoe wedges?


Btw, I do love fish and chips.

Do you still have that 'Long John Silver' chain in the States? It's the best approximation I've seen over there but still not quite there. Maybe NYC has more and better of this kinda thing.

BTW fish and chips as we know it was an Italian imigrant invention after WW1.

I also drink NewCastle beer sometimes, though the Germans and Americans have the British beat in the beer department. Not American cheap beer, but the microbrews mind you.

Maybe its just a personal taste thing, but I don't think you can beat a good English ale (and I don't include Newcastle Brown Ale amongst them). For those of you with access to it, Ubu beer from Warwickshire is my most favourite available on-tap, but there are hundreds of good microbrewers aswell as larger high-street names equally quaffable. I know that not many of you are exposed to good English ale (we don't seem to export the good stuff), but don't knock it until you've paid it the attention it deserves.

[ThinkAnarchy]

Maybe its just a personal taste thing, but I don't think you can beat a good English ale (and I don't include Newcastle Brown Ale amongst them). For those of you with access to it, Ubu beer from Warwickshire is my most favourite available on-tap, but there are hundreds of good microbrewers aswell as larger high-street names equally quaffable. I know that not many of you are exposed to good English ale (we don't seem to export the good stuff), but don't knock it until you've paid it the attention it deserves.

You are correct, we do not have a lot options for English beer imports. I had the misconception it was due to a lack of selection, but based on the responses, that isn't the case. Personally, I don't think U.S. microbrews get exported to many countries either. I can find a large selection of German imports, but not British. I will have to keep an eye out for some of the ones mentioned in this thread though.

[Crow]

You are correct, we do not have a lot options for English beer imports. I had the misconception it was due to a lack of selection, but based on the responses, that isn't the case. Personally, I don't think U.S. microbrews get exported to many countries either. I can find a large selection of German imports, but not British. I will have to keep an eye out for some of the ones mentioned in this thread though.

There are a few places near me that sell American microbrews the main place I go too has a ridiculous selection of American craft beers (they stock Anchor, Anderson Valley, Ballast Point, Bear Republic, Brooklyn, Buckbean, Caldera, Cigar City, Coronado, Dark Horse, Dogfish Head, Duck Rabbit, flying dog, Goose Island, Grassroots, Great Divide, Green Flash, Indigo IMP, Jolly Pumpkin, Kona, Left Hand, Lexington, Maui, Odell, Ommegang, Original Sin, Port, Rogue, Sam Adams, Saranac, Sierra Nevada, Stone, Sudwerk, The Bruery, The Lost Abbey, Uinta, Victory. And have pretty much every beer those brewery's' produce) but have only really tried about a quarter of them and not every beer they produce. There are quite a few places that focus on just craft/microbrew beers in the UK but you need to know where they are and can cost an arm and a leg if your not careful.

[ThinkAnarchy]

There are a few places near me that sell American microbrews the main place I go too has a ridiculous selection of American craft beers (they stock Anchor, Anderson Valley, Ballast Point, Bear Republic, Brooklyn, Buckbean, Caldera, Cigar City, Coronado, Dark Horse, Dogfish Head, Duck Rabbit, flying dog, Goose Island, Grassroots, Great Divide, Green Flash, Indigo IMP, Jolly Pumpkin, Kona, Left Hand, Lexington, Maui, Odell, Ommegang, Original Sin, Port, Rogue, Sam Adams, Saranac, Sierra Nevada, Stone, Sudwerk, The Bruery, The Lost Abbey, Uinta, Victory. And have pretty much every beer those brewery's' produce) but have only really tried about a quarter of them and not every beer they produce. There are quite a few places that focus on just craft/microbrew beers in the UK but you need to know where they are and can cost an arm and a leg if your not careful.

I live around 5 German style beer gardens with huge selections, but it's mostly U.S. microbrews and Germen imports. Granted, I hardly ever venture into their bottled beer selection, because like you, it can cost a fortune. I also prefer German beers like Oktoberfests and Spatan Optimator, though I'm positive the British draft selection is lacking. Some of the bottled imports can top $25 USD. I know their selection of draft beers from the U.K. is very limited, but I will have to look for a reasonably priced one.

I also don't personally consider Ommegang to be an American brewer. I think technically they are, but I believe they are simply an American based expansion of a Belgian brewer. I personally love Ommegang though.

Also the places you mention seem to have a larger selection of American microbrews than the beer gardens around me. Abita is the most common in my area, but simply because it's the states best micro.

Also, to get a little side tracked, if you want to try a great Canadian beer, try and find Maudite. I find it absolutely delicious.

Also I just pulled up their menu and for draft they offer NewCastle Brown and Bass Pale Ale.

[Crow]

I live around 5 German style beer gardens with huge selections, but it's mostly U.S. microbrews and Germen imports. Granted, I hardly ever venture into their bottled beer selection, because like you, it can cost a fortune. I also prefer German beers like Oktoberfests and Spatan Optimator, though I'm positive the British draft selection is lacking. Some of the bottled imports can top $25 USD. I know their selection of draft beers from the U.K. is very limited, but I will have to look for a reasonably priced one.

I also don't personally consider Ommegang to be an American brewer. I think technically they are, but I believe they are simply an American based expansion of a Belgian brewer. I personally love Ommegang though.

Also the places you mention seem to have a larger selection of American microbrews than the beer gardens around me. Abita is the most common in my area, but simply because it's the states best micro.

Also, to get a little side tracked, if you want to try a great Canadian beer, try and find Maudite. I find it absolutely delicious.

Also I just pulled up their menu and for draft they offer NewCastle Brown and Bass Pale Ale.

I will have to keep my eyes out for Maudite. Good British microbrews can be stupidly expensive even in the UK so I wouldn't be surprised if they cost close to $40 - $80 in the US for a bottle, but I would say the normal priced US beers seem to be better than the normal priced UK beers.

[Recusant]

On topic: QI. I don't think that it would travel well to the US. I know that there's a version in the Netherlands, and that doesn't surprise me. I've only really had experience with two northern European counties, the UK and the Netherlands, and could see QI working there. I read one American's description of the show as "too precious" to work in the US, and that may be it, but I think that really it's more about the anti-intellectual element in the society of the US.

[Amicale]

On topic: QI. I don't think that it would travel well to the US. I know that there's a version in the Netherlands, and that doesn't surprise me. I've only really had experience with two northern European counties, the UK and the Netherlands, and could see QI working there. I read one American's description of the show as "too precious" to work in the US, and that may be it, but I think that really it's more about the anti-intellectual element in the society of the US.

It sounds like I'd love it. I wish I could see it here in Canada. Stephen Fry is great, and it doesn't surprise me at all that John Lloyd produced it, considering Blackadder and Not the Nine O'Clock News were awesome.