Never Fall For Bad Beers Again

Last updated: 28 April 2023 

[Beer 101 - types & what makes it taste different.]

More often than not, you can never drink just a single can of beer and would very likely go back for seconds, thirds, fourths… you get it. When alcohol is enjoyed in such abundance, one of the most important things that would affect our purchase is its price. Many fall prey to buying cartons of crappy or fake beers just because it’s cheap - that doesn’t have to be you.

Here at Mr.Chow’s Liquor Store, you get real beers at low prices with no regrets. Join the dive into our world of beers and see for yourself!

Discovering Beer

The origin of beer is believed to have originated from the Sumerians of Mesopotamia and most likely began over 10,000 years ago. 

If we were to use evidence of beer brewing from ancient ceramics and jugs, there is no exact number but people were making beers very freaking long ago. 

Mr.Chow would like to believe that the Chow clan contributed to the early stages of beer production. 

When the nurse injects Mr.Chow’s arm to get a sample, the syringe fills up with beer instead of blood. True story.

Types of Beers

Every beer is either an ale or a lager, and every pilsner is a lager, but not all lagers are pilsners. Un-furrow your eyebrows, un-squint your eyes and don’t scratch your head. Let Mr. Chow explain:

Ales

This is the oldest style of beer which dates back centuries ago. Ales are fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer's yeast) for a few days at a warmer temperature as compared to other beer types. This yeast processes quickly under these warm conditions and results in the ale developing more complex flavours than lagers. 

Pale ales in general are usually hoppier, slightly malty, medium-bodied, and easy to drink. Some of these include:

• American pale ale
• English pale ale
• Blonde Ale
• Brown Ale and sour ale

All of these may take on different notes of nuts, citrus, floral, pine or sulphur.

Lagers

Fermented at cooler temperatures for weeks with less alcohol-tolerant yeast, lagers tend to taste lighter and slightly malty, all while being a crisp and thirst-quenching drink. This beer is clean, consistent, and is not a taste many will find hard to acquire, making it a great first choice for beginners.

Encompassing a range of styles, including pale Pilsners and darker American lagers, many famous beer manufacturers produce lagers in the mass market. 

Pilsners

Among the lager beers will comprise pilsners, a style of beer originating from the Czech Republic, popularised by Germany. German pilsners are pale gold and crisp upon tasting, whereas Czech pilsners are darker and more bitter. Pilsners in the U.S., however, like Budweiser or Coors Lite, are usually lighter and less complex than their European counterparts.

What Makes Your Beer Taste Different?

Beer is made through the fermentation of grain—mainly barley—and then heated with water in a large kettle for mashing. 

The resulting sweet liquid solution (wort) is then boiled and rapidly cooled. Yeast is added at the right temperature for the fermentation to take place, and beer is brewed as the end product.  

Ales and Lagers each have their distinctive qualities and traits that are evident through taste. But at what point in production do these beers start to differ from one another?

1. Hops

Beer is made when grains are steeped with water, mashed, drained, boiled, and brewed. Hops are added at varying points of time during the boiling process to act as a bittering, flavouring, and stabilising agent in beer to produce a variety of resulting beers, depending on the recipe and desired outcome. 

2. Yeast

The wort (bittersweet liquid solution before it becomes beer) is then transferred to fermentation vessels where yeast is added to convert the wort sugars into alcohol. Different yeast strains added contribute to the wide variety of beer styles, flavours, and aromas as well. 

3. Maturation

After the fermentation process comes to an end, most beers are then filtered to remove unwanted impurities and may be transferred to brite tanks for further maturation which will also naturally alter the beers’ flavour.

Quality Beers at Mr. Chow Liquor Store

Carlsberg Danish Pilsner

Shop: Out of stock at the time of writing

ABV: 5%

Ingredients: Malt, hop, grains, carbon dioxide, and permitted food conditioner.

Carlsberg’s Danish Pilsner is a premium beer brewed to a harmonious balance of great flavour depth and hoppy aromas. Crisp and refreshing with a malty backbone and just the right amount of bitterness. To experience its smoothness and rounded mouthfeel, this beer is best served chilled at 7-10°C. 

With its well-proportioned flavours of hops, grains, pine needles, sorrel, and Danish summer apples, Carlsberg pairs well with Asian cuisine, lightly seasoned fish dishes, and roasted meat with gravy.

Tiger Beer

Shop: Out of stock at the time of writing

ABV: 5%

Ingredients: Water, Malt (Barley), Maltose and Hops

The Singapore-born Tiger beer wears the title of the number one international premium beer in Asia and is quickly making itself known as one of the fastest-growing beer brands worldwide. 

Tiger strikes the perfect balance between bold and refreshing and becomes a full-bodied wheat beer through a tropical lagering process. This results in the beer gaining a smooth effervescence bubbling throughout its subtle flavours of clove, coriander, and orange peel towards a zesty finish.

One Can is Never Enough

You should probably know what to look out for when shopping for good beers now. Buy your favourite lagers and pilsners in cartons at Mr.Chow’s Liquor Store with promo prices worth celebrating. And what better way to do so than to crack open a cold one with a company you enjoy?