I don't drink beer but it is sometimes living in my refrigerator. I rarely see a domestic brand other than that which comes from local small breweries.
Yes, many times. Most urban pubs have at least one continental beer on tap - could be Amstel (Dutch), Estrella Damm (Spanish), or Staropramen (Czech, and my favourite of the three). I also like German wheat beers. I have drunk Irish stouts when in Ireland, and occasionally Guinness Export over here, but I think the Guinness served in British pubs is brewed under license in London and it's a somewhat inferior product. But I still think England (perhaps jointly with Belgium) leads the world in terms of quality, depth of flavour, and variety of styles.
It was 1969, my then-boyfriend and I were in West Berlin and, after a particularly long, hot day of sightseeing, we came back to the hotel, stopped off at the bar and had whatever beer was on tap. It was one of the most thirst-quenching beverages I'd ever had although I was not (and still am not) a beer drinker. After about 10 minutes, I could no longer lift my arms. :) The only beer I've ever tasted that was as good was Lowenbrau Dark which was sold in the US only during certain times of the year. Unlike other alcoholic beverages, beer makes my arms feel like lead weights.
Everywhere. I haven't met an American beer I can stand (US craft beers aren't available here). English bitter is drinkable if chilled, the problem with British beer in Britain is that they don't. Ireland specialises in Stout. German and Czech beer is at least as good if not better than Australian (the exception being Ötingger), the only Belgian beer I've sampled is Stella Artois (not impressed), ditto Hollandia and Heineken from the Dutch - drinkable but not for the price. Chinese Tsing Tao is very similar to a light German lager, it's okay - I've not met another Asian drop I've liked (Indian Elephant and Japanese Kirin are bland, Vietnamese Hammer and Tongs is awful). Mexican beers (I've tried Dos Equis and Corona) aren't "beer session" beers, they're fire extinguishers for chili. Or to chase tequila, or its ugly little brother mezcal, which I'm sure is obtained by draining car batteries.
Cooper's Pale is the brewery's flagship - make sure you invert or roll the bottle before opening it (I do both). Otherwise the top is tasteless and the bottom turgid, like all bottle conditioned cloudy ales the sediment must be mixed. Personally I prefer Sparkling - same deal but more full-flavoured. Watch your numbers, Cooper's ale sits heavy on the gut - it's a meal. And if anybody offers you "Pacific" Pale, decline. It can be distinguished by the blue label and its the grossest beer produced here, worse than Foster's.
Nitrokeg bitter is vile whether chilled or warm. It has almost disappeared over the last 10-15 years as drinkers have become more discerning and has been replaced by real ales (bitters, pale ales, India pale ales, porters and others) or lagers. Real, or cask-conditioned, ales should be served at cellar temperature (a few degrees below room temperature). I can imagine enjoying an IPA chilled, but other traditional styles, no.
You can drink soup all you like. Beer should never EVER be served at a temperature higher than its maximum density, 4C. Hops loses its aromatics warmer than that - it's still bitter, but flavourless.
Jaimie 