This has got to be the most-enjoyable, tastiest and easiest way to help animals. Who ever heard of saving wildlife while drinking lager and ale?

But that’s exactly what you can do at Wala Wala Cafe Bar.

You see, Wala Wala Cafe Bar is helping ACRES by donating $1 from every ‘cruelty-free’ beer sold to support our wildlife rescue operations. And they have offered to do so for the next six whole months. What a terrific idea— a perfect combination of good taste and a good cause.

But what’s a cruelty-free beer? It’s any beer that does not use animal products in its manufacturing or filtering process. Yes, there are beers that do, and beers that don’t.

The list of cruelty-free, rather enlightened beers at Wala Wala’s include popular brands like Asahi, Budweiser, Carlsberg, Coopers, Corona, Erdinger, Heineken, Hoegaarden, Little Creatures, Sapporo, Stella Artois and Tiger Beer.

So we’d like to invite you to join us at the promotion drive of this wonderful idea on the 17th of July, Saturday, from 9pm – 11pm at Wala Wala Cafe Bar, 31 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village.

Infographics make gaining essential knowledge much easier http://www.chacha.com/content/infographics/why-do-men-drink-beer

Why Do Men Drink Beer?

Why are men drawn to beer?
Have you ever noticed that when men party beer is the first to get an invitation? Have you ever seen a man with a pink drink with a salty rim and an umbrella and thought that was just unnatural? Throughout history scientists, medical doctors, and world governments have thought about these same things. The only problem is they have been as clueless as the rest why men are attracted to beer. Well, here is some great news! The graphic above finally has answers to the age-old question why men drink beer.

Is there a connection between men’s brains and beer?
The human brain is composed of six main hemispheres. These hemispheres correspond to different interests and behaviors people have. In men’s cases, the large frontal lobe is home to their interest in beer and motivates them to find it. Essentially, it is the ‘I love beer’ lobe.

Does TV make men drink more?
Men are drawn to televisions. As a result of this close relationship between man and machine, men gather 57% of their knowledge from what they see on TV. Well, lo and behold, a staggering 50% of the information which men take in from the television comes from beer ads.

Why do men like beer with meat?
It is not simply that men are thirsty with every steak dinner or barbecue which comes their way. An amazing quality of beer is that it makes meat tastier — 20% more flavorful in fact.

Do drinking games impact men drinking beer?
Men and competition go hand-in-hand. Make beer part of the competition and drinking games become a contributing factor. After all, the man-sport beer pong cannot be played without beer.

Are there health benefits for men drinking beer?
Every man wants to be a macho man, and beer can help him on his way to becoming one. Drinking beer, like spinach to Popeye, can increase men’s muscle mass by a huge 75%.

Can beer help men block out unwanted noise?
With a little creativity and a lot of stretching, beer bottles can be used as ear plugs. Note: especially effective against nagging wives and girlfriends.

Does beer affect the way men see?
Though it is sometimes called being impaired, drinking extra beer endows men with ESP, extra-sensory perception, otherwise known as ‘beer goggles.’ It is known for making women appear hotter than they are.

Is there an economical reason to drink beer?
Compared to mixed drinks and whole meals, beer is an affordable alternative on a tight budget.

Is drinking beer a manly thing to do?
Drinking beer is very manly, considering the alternatives! Men would not even consider ordering ‘Froo froo drinks’ with bright colors and little umbrellas, and all the other girly substitutes for beer. Men love beer because real men drink beer.

Credit to: http://www.chacha.com/content/infographics/why-do-men-drink-beer

Yes, you heard us, right! To celebrate their first anniversary, Stereolounge is giving out free beer for an hour from 7pm on weekdays for the entire month of July! If beer’s not your thing, Happy Hour prices at $5 for standard drinks start from 5pm.

Someone sent us this post which featured their ranking of the Top 15 Japanese Beer (Girls) based on the 3B’s – Beers, Bikinis and Beaches. We couldn’t agree more. Check it out here.

With this in mind, we really hope Carlsberg will do well in marketing and pricing when they release their Jacobsen beers here. As romantics, we particularly like the fact that Carlsberg has so much heritage and has a wonderful story to tell with their Jacobsen beers. Their Jacobsen beers are produced by the Jacobsen Brewhouse, named after Carlsberg’s founder JC Jacobsen and located in original historical buildings of the Carlsberg brewery.

Even with a historical background, these beers seem to be targeted at the increasing number of us, beer drinkers, who appreciate niche beer with good food. Check out their website and you’ll see what we mean.

Saaz Blonde - we think it's a sexy blonde disguised in a sexy bottle

We sampled the Jacobsen Saaz Blonde, with an ABV 7.1% – steam! This blonde is brewed according to Belgian traditions for light, top-fermented beers - “Blonde” is the traditional French word for light-coloured beers. When we poured it into a glass, the colour was an interesting orange amber with good head -  blondes and good head – what more could we ask for?

And it continues to be tantalizing with a sweet aroma, very smooth and tastes of sweetness and spices. Very drinkable beer and although we only had Cheezels as snacks, we suspect this with might actually pair well with a Brie, if not just call for a pizza margherita!

If you want to sample this, checkout Beer Fest Asia 2010.

What brings you more joy than a feast of beer and music? Maybe 2 feasts of beer & music?

Singapore’s very own Cannes for beers will make its 2nd appearance this year at Beerfest Asia 2010 with an expanded number of brews taking part – and we can’t wait. Having scored a couple of exclusive passes through our various connections, the intrepid 175proofers will be busy during the five day chug event. Beerfest or Beer Feast, as we prefer to call it, will include not just 300 brews to sample (arrggh! is there even enough time to try them all?) but some of the best tribute bands such as Killer Queen (they mimic Queen, not the Killers, in case you music geniuses were wondering), The U2 Show -Achtung baby – both from Australia. Hmm it seems many tribute bands originate from Down Under. Any theories why? There’ll also be Hell’s Belles from the US who will be ‘playing ALL AC/DC, ALL the time, ALL over the globe, spanning ALL the pure rock brilliance of AC/DC’s career (from “High Voltage” to “Back and Black” and beyond)’. We’ll be sure to report if they’re any good.Now besides beer and music, there’ll be World Cup screenings (but, of course!) since beer and soccer go hand in hand, ole ole ole ole ole, ole OLE! Key matches to be screened here.

What's a beerfest without prizes?

And for those of you who want to win a prize for your cellar microbrew or your imported commercial variety – there’s the de rigeur Asia Beer Awards 2010. Lots of strong contenders this year so it’ll be anybody’s guess. We know who we’re rooting for to win! This is not going to be a Woodstock, folks so check out the do’s & don’t checklist which includes hilarious ones like ‘No un-authorised busking/performances on festival grounds. We would have hired you if you were really good.’ HAHA. But that won’t be stopping some of you, we know.

We’ll post some live field reports up from our mobiles just so u’ll be in on the action with us. Maybe even a few live video streams! Tell us what you want to see! But if you happen to be in Singapore or live here, grab yourself a ticket and a mate or two and let’s meet up at Beerfest Asia 2010.

Facebook & Twitter links here for most recent updates.

BEERFEST ASIA 2010 ON 16 – 20 JUNE 2010 – WORLD CUP SEASON AT THE MARINA PROMENADE

Baird Taproom in Nakameguro, Tokyo

Not only do they serve really good beers, they do have English menus and now, Marco works there! I no longer have to point to the menu to order but just say, “Please,” and a pint appears!

It’s the 2nd anniversary of the Nakameguro Taproom and they had the Temple  Garden Yuzu Ale (ABV 6%) available, a seasonal special. Yuzu is a citrus fruit, very simialr to an orange or lemon. Other than Japan, I’ve only seen this fruit in Korea. But this was the first time I’d tasted yuzu beer. It had a cloudy look with a nice white head and a sweet smell. And the sweetness is also evident in the taste. It’s a wonderful beer and great for any warm evening.

But the highlight for us that night was a special vintage ale which, if I recall correctly, has been kegged for the past 2 years. It’s a really strong beer and not for the faint-hearted. And according to Marco, there was only 1 keg and we managed to drink 2 glasses (not pints), must be an inventory-management practice! Marco, if I’ve got any of these points wrong, shout!

Vintage Ale - served only in small quantities

 Vintage ales seem very hard to come by, other than Baird’s, we’ve also had Fuller’s Vintage from the bottle and Cooper’s vintage on tap. If you’ve sampled anything else, let us know.

Credit: www.geekologie.com

So to celebrate this momentous day, the good folks at 175proof  thought to scour the uncharted universe of the Internet to bring you some imperial goodness in the form of our favourite beverage. And of course it had to be a dark brew. Presenting The New England Imperial Stout Trooper – tyranically brewed by the New England Brewing Co. Not yet available in a pub near you (especially if you reside outside the US). As a Starwars fan, I am disappointed that I have not tried this porter yet but if any one in the US reading this would like to send some our way, I’d be glad as a Wookie’s ass.

According to one lucky Jedi who’s had the pleasure of tasting this: Thick brown creamy and colorful head that mostly lasted. Good display of lacework. Pitch black color. Thick aroma of roasted malt, coffee, dried fruit, smoke, liquorish. Quite complex, thick and smooth at the same time. Medium to full bodied with a soft carbonation. Moderated to heavy sweet flavor with good counter bitterness. Lingering roasted malty sweet finish. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/grovlam/2959999629/)

Credit: www.thefullpint.com 33 year old question answered: Do Stormtroopers go to the loo? Answer: Yes. Trooper on the can.

Well, we need to go kick some Sith butt now so we”ll leave you with another image of this Beer Of The Day (BoTD). I bet Luke never thought he could contain the Dark Side this way.

Credit: www.fortheloveofbeerblog.com

Our buddy, Yuske is the resident bartender at Dry Dock in Tokyo and it’s his birthday today. And we know you’re reading this so happy birthday!

And thanks for giving me Shiga Kogen beers!

Shiga Kogen Ji Biru

Shiga Kogen House IPA

I shared the Shiga Kogen House IPA with Yuske the last time I was at Dry Dock. This is a double-hopped IPA and a strong one with an 8% ABV. Even with the multiple hops, there’s a pleasant sweet organe taste and the bitterness bursts as a lingering aftertaste. One thing about the Shiga Kogen beers I’ve tried, they don’t offer good head and this isn’t any different but it’s a wonderful IPA and probably my favourite Shiga Kogen beer.

Once again, thanks for all the great beers we’ve drunk and Happy Birthday Yuske, this one is for you!

Sid's Pub in Bagsar South, KL - one of three in the Sid's neighbourhood watering hole collection

Last night I had the pleasure of hanging out at a ‘neighbourhood’ pub or local in Kuala Lumpur’s Bangsar South. Sid’s Pub in Bangsar South is a stone’s throw away from Mid Vally Megamall and office complex, so on a regular day you’d spot white collar types having an afterwork pint here, especially the folks from the PR, journalist and media fraternity, so I’m told. This outlet is their biggest, so corporate functions do get hosted here. If you have a hundred friends, you can easily pack them all in here to celebrate something (or nothing) – I’m sure Frank the manager would be very pleased.

Inside Sid's - roomy yet not cold. Definitely feels like your local.

My media mates who brought me to Sid’s were Nigel and Gabey, both local Malaysian journos and pint lovers. Gabey imbibed her poison of Strongbow while Nigel had his regular snakebite which Frank Murray, above-mentioned friendly pub manager with a rude T-shirt, remembered and promptly served up. I had a black & tan as my first pint – nicely chilled but missing a foam shamrock. I wish all pubs that serve Guinness from the tap would do that without a special request, especially when its not peak service times. We also ordered from the food menu which had both quick bites like fried chicken wings, fried pork sausages with onions and chilli, fried pork ribs, papadums (?!?!) and the de rigeur pigs-in-a-blanket. The fare was decent though not outstanding. Nigel tells me the burgers are good – I guess I’ll find out in my next trip.

Frank the attentive pub manager

Not sure if you can read Frank’s rude T-shirt but it says: ‘Cover me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians’. I’m not really sure what that means but I’m pretty sure the lesbians do. Not that I spotted any last night while at Sid’s but the crowd was of a nice size, with all indoor and outdoor tables filled. No unruly boisterous drinking was spotted during the 4 hours we were there but I suspect when a key EPL match is telecast, the environment will be quite different. Apparently the crew from the nearby ESPN local office hangs out there quite a bit too.

Gabey and Nigel debating about the Malaysian media scene

Insider tip – every 3rd Friday of the month Sid’s hosts an after pub hours party, and if you’re a regular, you’ll get to join in to continue drinks or whatever’s the celebration about.

All in – if the other Sid’s outlets are as charming as this outlet, I’d say they’ve hit on a winning formula. There’s another competing chain of English/Craic pubs called Finnegan’s/The George & the Dragon which I was told about. I’ll hit that next time I’m in KL, but not before stopping by Sid’s for a pint with Frank.