Online video game reviews: Democracy 2
January 25, 2010 by rum lounge
Filed under Drinking Games
The genius of Democracy 2 is in it’s simplicity. Any game attempting to simulate government has to face two major hurdles. First, it must represent an entire nation’s attitude, motives, and actions in a clear and convincing manner. Then it must provide the player with the means to affect government in an engaging way. Democracy 2 has hit the ball out of the park on every pitch. The colored faction bars in the center of the main screen are a simple but elegant solution to displaying the attitude of your nation’s citizens. At a glance you can instantly see how your people feel about you, and with a simple mouseover, you can discover why. Factions act just like you would expect them. Patriots will rage at stricter handgun laws, religious fanatics will foam at the mouth for taking creationism out of the schools, war hawks will balk at decreased defense spending.
Affecting policy couldn’t be easier. Just click a policy icon and you can drop the drinking age to sixteen or legalize gambling, prostitution or drugs. Congratulations, you’ve just turned your country into party central, decreased organized crime, and made a whole bunch of angry vigilante mobs. You’ll probably get reelected, but only if there isn’t a fundamentalist revolt first. The policy you want isn’t on the main screen? No worries, chances are it’s available via the new policy screen. Put in place an import tariff and a carbon tax and you can do away with those pesky tobacco and income taxes. The menus are attractive and easy to navigate. The turn-based gameplay also ensures that you have to plenty of time to make the right decisions for your burgeoning empire… I mean nation.
Now, having tried my hand at a few political simulators before, I have to say I was a little skeptical when first clicking the Democracy 2 icon. Most political sims are windowed nightmares only accessible to the most hardcore politics and economics geeks. Spreadsheets and graphs of all flavors abound. Democracy 2 has none of these drawbacks. Graphs are available, but only if you choose to view them.
Now, you won’t get any eye-popping Halo 3-esque 3d graphics here. But were you really expecting them from a politics sim? What you will get is sharp, attractive images worked into a clean and user-friendly interface. An interface that, by the way, reminded me more of Sims 2 than the spreadsheet I was conditioned to expect from past Pavlovian experience. Now, the lack of a larger number of sound effects may be a draw back. One way to fix this may have been having the advisors speak, or a running narration of how certain elements of your game are going. As it is however, the sound effects that are there are quality. When I first heard the sound of a disgruntled public I think I shivered, picturing pitchforks and torches. Over all Democracy 2 gets 4/5 from this dictator. Now, to get the full version…
A beginners guide to pairing beer with food
January 17, 2010 by rum lounge
Filed under Ale and Beers
It’s another Saturday or Sunday night and you’re looking forward to another nice dinner. Maybe you’re having friends or family over to share the meal. Now you’ve got the meal planned and you just need some drinks to go with your meal. If you don’t mind a radical suggestion I’d like you to put that wine bottle down and go look at the beer aisle.
Yes, I said the beer aisle. Believe me when I say beer can match up with food as well as wine, if not better. Although wine can be good with foods like roast lamb, chicken or beef, beer can match these meals with equal aplomb. But what about Asian, Mexican or barbecue? Any honest sommelier will tell you wine only goes so far with these foods but beer will match up with these and other foods with an ease that would make the best wines blush.
Our first rule for matching beer and food is for red wine think ale and for white wine think lager. Ales commonly have flavors of fruit, malt, caramel and a full, rounded body that blend well with red meat and roasted dishes. German and Czech lagers have a lighter body and more floral aroma that pairs up better with more delicate dishes. Personally, I love to have a floral, slightly bitter Czech pilsner with calamari or crabs. Yum.
The next thing you should remember is hoppiness in beer equals acidity in wine. Acidic wines are often paired with foods that are rich, salty, oily, fatty or mildly spicy. The tartness of those wines cut right through cream based dishes, salty or fried foods and the oiliness of some kinds of fish. The bitterness of some styles of ale and lager will cut through oil, fat, salt and spice without compromising food’s flavor. That’s why a bitter India pale ale or German lager go so well with barbecue, Mexican food and cream based dishes.
The third rule is decide if you want your beer to complement or contrast your meal. Beer goes best with food when you try to complement a dish. Brown ale pairs with the caramelized flavors of beef stew or roast like a marriage made in heaven. A lightly hopped Belgian witbier or German weissbier marry perfectly, for example, with whitefish or shrimp.
Now cutting, or contrasting, your meal with your choice of beer can be more of a challenge. The whole notion is to accentuate the flavors of the meal by serving beer that cuts through those flavors. When in doubt, decide what kind of wine you’d use to go with the meal and refer back to my first two tips. Unfortunately, this is the one area where trial and error might be the
Oh the Joy of Sparkling Wines
July 9, 2009 by rum lounge
Filed under Wines And Spirits
Sparkling wine is called sparkling because of those sweet, delightful little effervescence bubbles which are created by trapping carbon dioxide. Sparkling wine is usually the preferred one for special occasions and celebrations. This is probably attributed to the fact that those tiny little bubbles appear to be having their own fun dancing merrily around in your fluted glass. It is difficult to describe the flavor and texture to someone who has never had the pleasure of tasting and feeling it as it is a complete and delightful amazing mystery to most.
When you first open a bottle, the carbon dioxide aroma instantly fills the air is an experience that you have to both smell and see to believe. Sparkling wine is a true feast for all of your senses, and can instantly make any occasion a special celebration. Drinking it is pleasurable which brings several different nutty flavors to your taste buds. Similar to the beauty and elegance of the finest diamonds, it emits a truly splendid aura and romance that makes it immediately distinguishable.
Champagne is indeed a sparkling wine made from the highest quality of grapes, using the highest quality of processing method created hundreds of years ago. Sparkling wines that are labeled champagne can only come from Champagne a small region in northern France. There is a definite and distinct difference between many sparkling wines and champagne because of both the quality and the processing method used to make champagne is extremely complicated. Today there are many wonderful and nice tasting sparkling wines made by several different reputable wineries from quality grapes using the traditional, champagne-like method.
However, there are some also a wide variety of sparkling wines that are made from poor quality grapes and fermented though quick, bulk processing methods and distributed around the world for quick profits. They tend to be sweeter with additional sugars added in to offset the poor quality in grapes and processing. They are pretty easy to spot as they usually are sold at a much lesser price. They do not reflect the original quality because they are not made using the classic champagne-making process. Some people have commented that champagne gives them headaches; but this could be caused by drinking a cheap bottle of sparkling wine that has been made with poor processing standards.
Sparkling wine was first discovered in France by Dom Perignon, who was a monk in the Champagne region. There are many variations of this story, but it appears true that he actually stumbled upon champagne while performing his duties in the Benedictine Abbey. Initially Dom Perignon’s sparkling wine wasn’t popular at first, but it grew to become very popular over the years and today has grown into a multi-billion dollar business. Dom eventually became the chief wine-maker at the abbey and over the many years, perfected the champagne fermenting process until his death in 1715. Once the French people and others tried this amazing sparkling wine, they became immediate and lasting fans. From then on, it didn’t take long for Dom Perignon to become an important legend to come from the rich and cherished wine-making history of France.
The formula and techniques that Dom used to produce sparkling wine eventually become known as the traditional way of making Champagne, called (Methode Champenoise) which includes a second in-bottle fermentation process. The process is still used throughout the world today, producing some of the best sparkling wines. Even though they may be made in various locations, many are in agreement that the best place remains the Champagne region of France, the original birthplace and the first beginning and introduction to the world. There are many, fabulous sparkling wines that come from this region at surprisingly affordable prices. If you have never tasted a sparkling wine or have never experienced one that you enjoy, try a higher quality or even sample the original Dom Perignon. Buy to a higher standard at a price that you can afford, as the quality varies greatly.
These days, bubbly wine is an essential ingredient for celebrations and events. With most celebrations it is the only one of choice for special occasions. There are many wineries that can manufacture high quality sparkling wines, although many prefer the original and still the best, Dom Perignon. No matter what the future of wine will be sparkling wines will always be a popular choice. It remains the wine that marks celebrations, and helps memorable events come to life. From its truly unique and breathtaking taste to its amazing look and splendid aroma, sparkling wine has the appeal and the flavor to keep people celebrating and enjoying life today and for future generations.
Like Wine the Right Beer Can Complement Any Meal
June 3, 2009 by rum lounge
Filed under Ale and Beers
Perfect Pairings
March 7, 2007 – as published in the Beacon News and Naperville Sun
By Bill Garlough
This month, my wine column switches gears from wine to beer. With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, many of us become a wee bit Irish and celebrate the occasion with a pint or two.
Beer and wine share many similarities. Both were made and refined by monks. Also, both are influenced by the fermentation process. Wine can be broadly segregated by white and red; beer is divided between ales and lagers.
The type of yeast selected and the temperature of the brewing process determine if the brew will become an ale or a lager.
Ales are brewed with top fermenting yeast (yeast remains at the top of the barrel during fermentation) at approximately 70 degrees, resulting in a more fruity taste. Examples of ales include porters, stouts, wheat beers and pale ales. These are best served at 45 to 50 degrees.
Lagers are brewed at a colder temperature of 50 to 55 degrees with bottom fermenting yeast, which produces a more round, clean and crisp beverage. Examples of lagers include pilsners, bocks and Oktoberfest beers. These are best served at a cooler 35 to 45 degrees.
The Irish typically prefer beer served at a warmer temperature. Cold beer in a warm stomach releases more carbonation, creating an uncomfortable bloated feeling.
To evaluate a beer, it is best to smell the aroma while the head is present. A head that quickly disappears suggests a lower malt level and excessive carbonation. A quality beer has flavors of hops and barley-malt. Evaluate a beer like you would a wine – should swish the beer in your mouth to determine its balance, sweetness level, body and finish (aftertaste). Good beer begins with an aromatic hoppiness, offers flavor (like malty sweetness) and has a long aftertaste.
Food pairings
Given its international popularity, beer plays a significant role in meals, social outings and celebrations around the world. Around St. Patrick’s Day, every tavern becomes Irish. They offer beers with Irish inspired dishes, including the traditional corned beef and cabbage. With this fare, a good match is an Irish ale such as Bass Pale Ale, Goose Island Red Ale, Caffrey’s Irish Ale or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Though the Irish may protest, Germany is synonymous with beer, with approximately 1,200 breweries and a per capita consumption of 39 gallons. Germany’s annual three-week Oktoberfest celebration in Munich centers on beer. In our area, Oktoberfest celebrations offer a good opportunity to experience quality beers from local microbreweries.
Other cultures also feature beer with their everyday cuisine. As an example, at Kiku’s Japanese Steakhouse in Naperville, the proprietor Steve Shorin pairs full-bodied Sapporo Beer with teriyaki-glazed chicken skewers (Yaki Tori) and also recommends Kobe beef barbecue – a wonderful combination!
As with wine, beer can be paired with food. Ales are best with red meat and lagers work well with white meat. A beer’s hoppiness level is similar to wine’s acidity level. A higher level (within balance) tends to be more food friendly. Local microbreweries and imports tend to have more hops in their product than America’s national brands.
More intense hoppy flavor profiles range from Guinness’ rich creamy texture with a roasted flavor (and surprisingly has fewer calories per ounce than skim milk) to Bass Ale’s smooth notes with a bitter aftertaste to Sierra Nevada’s malty profile to Harp’s strong but not overpowering beer flavor (ideal summer beer as it is best served chilled).
Most popular pubs offer 10 to 15 draft beers to choose from, so exploring new flavors is readily available. Next time, try matching a recommended pairing of an ale or lager with your meal, to see how they complement each other.
As Quigley’s Irish Pub reminds us, a great Irish pub offers fun, good conversation, good music and food and great people. Sounds like a great recipe for a perfect pairing. Happy St. Pat’s Day!
Beer Basics
Match Game
Matching a beer type with the various dishes or courses, the following generalizations apply:
Ales: Salads, corned beef, beef, lamb and dessert
Lagers: Pizza, fish and German sausages
Bill’s Picks
Two Brother’s: Domaine DuPage Ale
Walter Payton’s: Payton Pilsner
Guinness: Extra Stout
Harp: Lager
Caffrey’s: Irish Ale
Bass: Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada: Pale Ale
For more from Bill Garlough’s Perfect Pairings visit My Chef.
