Carlsberg, imaged

Some photos from the event, taken by the greatest and most exquisite photographer in the world, Rocky. Posts about the event, below.

Carlsberg Pilsner

Before I forget what I'm supposed to be doing here, some notes on the actual beer.

I enjoy Carlsberg. Not particularly intellectually stimulating, but sometimes your palate needs to take it easy. Light colour, decent head. Carlsberg beer has that smoothness on the palate, finishing with a nutty, bitter edge and slight hoppy flavour.

I must say, I find the new bottle design absolutely hideous. With no label, it reeks of the whole I have nothing to hide schtick. The curvy bottle shape doesn't help either. When I drink from the bottle, I want to look manly. The gentle hips and waist aren't exactly testosterone-y.

This is a good beer for large gatherings. It won't hold up to intense scrutinizing, but it's a decent, albeit simple, beer that won't offend anyone. And of course, the enlightened ones will meet me in the kitchen so we can share a glass or two of riesling, while the hordes who prefer mass-market, industrialized brews make merry outside.

Carlsberg, courtesies

Last Friday, courtesy of Matchstick, I hosted an event, in honour of Carlsberg pilsner. Carlsberg is one of the strongest beer brands internationally, and seem to have a chokehold on anything football (the real football, where you use your feet) related. So, with great excitement, I agreed to have a few friends over, and see if the beer in the bottle matched all the hype promised amidst all the glitz and glamour.

The lure of free beer proved to be strong. To the character that showed up to sign for a case and then promptly scurry away without so much as a thank you............you're welcome. There was a surprisingly huge box of Carlsberg branded items left for us - I'll never have to buy another bottle opener again.

To make this relevant, let's ask ourselves a question. Is a dinner where only beer is served better than a dinner with wine? Can a definitive answer be provided? I don't think so. Depending on context, food served, the season - beer may plausibly be a worthy substitute for wine.

Carlsberg? Sure. As I was discussing with a friend before dinner, beer satisfies a different sensual experience than wine does. You very rarely want a wine to be thirst-quenching, but that's often the case with beer. It seems that the ability of beer to be refreshing and palate-cleansing is often a more valued property than its specific flavour profile. And in this context, Carlsberg excels. Easy-drinking, thirst-quenching, non-offensive light flavours that pair easily with a wide variety of dishes.