That's Baked, Barbecued and Fried!** What is it? _Tacos_ Where? _Restaurants_ When? _Dinner time!_ Why? _Because they taste great and are full of good stuff!_ How? _These are all made with ground beef (the same stuff that makes up your burger patty), but in different ways. It's really simple to make. What you need are two different kinds of ground beef, a frying pan, some cheese, and a bowl of sauces._ _Puffy tacos have the beef wrapped in flour tortillas, then browned in a special frying pan called a comal, topped with shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream. That's the whole enchilada._ _Baked tacos have the beef baked in a covered skillet with cheese and whatever else you want on top (salsa, sour cream, jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, etc.)._ _Fried tacos have the beef ground up with eggs, then cooked in the same way you would an omelet, and topped with shredded cheese and some salsa._ I LOVE BEER! But you're a grown-up and it's not your beverage of choice. Fine, then. Have a Coke. You won't die or anything. **How do you like your beer?** _I don't care. Whatever._ _I've had better._ _I've had worse._ _"A good beer is like a day in Paris: you look forward to it all day, and when it comes time to drink it, you're so excited you can't sleep."_ —Walt Anderson, quoted in "Brewed Better" by Michael Jackson, _Esquire_ magazine (March 1988 issue) If you want to be like a grown-up, you should have a beer when you are at the bar or at a party, or if you want to keep your man's attention when you're trying to impress him. It's not that you can't have an ice-cold can of Bud in your room and sit on your bed and watch TV. If you're really grown-up, you will have a favorite beer, and a little refrigerator stocked with it in your room. The choice is yours. A beer is just a drink. There are about six kinds of beer out there, and more than a hundred brands to choose from. And just like anything else, there are good ones and bad ones, even within each type. There's some debate over the relative merits of lagers versus ales. Ales are sweeter tasting, so that's why they're often preferred by women who tend to be wine drinkers. Lager is a German word and means "storehouse," which refers to the storage of beer during the cold days of winter in outdoor caves or caves dug into the ground. When you start to investigate the types of beer, you will see it is a completely reasonable choice to make if you want to please your beer drinking friend. You should find out what your pal likes and avoid any beer that has any bad flavors to it. Like everything else, there are some basic rules you should follow to get the beer you want: _Beer is a beverage that is brewed from malted barley, hops, yeast, and water. Beer is classified by the beer's alcohol content. Some beers are very strong, some are light. All beers are brewed by either a brewing company or homebrewers._ _The alcohol content of beers differs considerably, as do the tastes. The alcohol level varies from very light, with about 4% alcohol by volume (abv), to very strong, like up to 17%. (By volume means how much space in the container of beer the beer occupies. The abbreviation "abv" is a combination of "alcohol" and "by volume".) The lightest beers are often called "session beers," the strongest are called "double- and triple-magnums."_ _It is important to recognize that beer has its roots in fermentation and has remained a common drink in almost all societies for many centuries, even though it may be unfamiliar to some. People who choose to drink alcoholic beverages should choose what suits their individual tastes. Do not force someone else to drink what you enjoy._ _Beer can be consumed in two ways: the most common method is the natural method, which is to pour the beer from a bottle into a glass. The second most common way of consuming beer is through drinking a glass or can in one of many different styles of containers. Most beer should be consumed at its optimum temperature. The ideal temperature for beer is 4°C to 8°C (39°F to 46°F), although this varies for each individual. For most beer, this means it should be served cool. A few very special types of beer are served either heated or cold. In this book, cold beer is assumed unless stated otherwise._ _There are three main types of beer: light, lager and dark. Light beer is the least alcoholic and is made from a variety of barley malts with hops and carbonated water. Lager is a German type of beer that is also fairly light, but tends to have less flavor._ _This is an exciting time for beer drinkers because there are more exotic beers to choose from these days than ever before. Not only do you have new flavors from different countries, but you also have more flavor combinations with the new and exotic fruits that are being used to flavor beers. Many of these new beers and flavors cannot be bought, so you have to take advantage of the new variety that exists in your own area or a local restaurant. The selection of beers available today in the United States and Canada is the best it has ever been._ The world's most well-known beer is called Budweiser, and is the second-biggest selling beer in the United States after Coors. It is also brewed by a company owned by one of the world's largest corporations, InBev. That company owns several beer brands including Foster's, Beck's, Stella Artois, Labatt, Leinenkugel, Olympia, Tecate, Old Milwaukee, and BUDWEISER. What this means for the future of beer is that it is one of the last good, independent brands in the United States. As Budweiser is still owned by one company and many of the largest beers were originally owned by one company or another as well, it is very difficult to find a large selection of independent beers. That is why there is a huge selection of different beers on the market today. And because Americans love our beer so much, it is a little bit of a pain trying to get a full selection of what we want, because imports can cost up to twice as much as the domestic stuff. Plus, you can buy them only by the case, instead of single cans, which can be expensive. So just like any product, whether it be food or clothing, it's smart to choose the highest-quality products you can get your hands on. This is especially true with beer, because your selection of beers represents your taste in beer, and beer is more a personal thing than most other things you buy. Choosing good beer is a little bit more difficult than choosing pizza, because everyone has an opinion. If you try to pick up every local beer, it can get confusing. And even worse, if you go online to an Internet site and start looking for local beers and whatnot, the selection can be horrendous. In other words, you have to know what's good and what's not. Some people can't be bothered, but there are many, many choices out there. "Beer drinkers today are willing to think about beer differently and to try different styles. One of the most exciting developments in beer has been the explosion of microbreweries." _A lot of different things have happened to beer over the past few years. For one thing, there are many more choices now. There are also a growing number of brewers who are making beer with new flavors and exotic ingredients. Some of these beers are now becoming available on a larger scale._ _The new range of flavored beers now available is really something else. I think that as time goes on, we will continue to see more unusual beers that provide new and interesting flavors, which will bring beer drinking into even more categories and styles. One of the great things about the internet is the opportunity for so many people to try these unusual beers online or to discover new beers by traveling. That's not just a new idea for beer drinkers, it's a new idea for everyone._ I've got an extra case of Bud or Coors that I could sell or give away. What should I do with it? No. Please don't. **The "Case" of Beer** When you drink beer, you drink from the bottle or can. To drink in any other fashion is not to drink beer. You are a grown-up, so don't get me wrong. If you want to buy, for instance, a crate of Stella Artois, you can do so and take it home. As a matter of fact, if you have a beer cellar and a case of beer that you want to keep around for a while (or to give as a gift), I'd recommend that you do buy it, because you never know when you'll want a beer from your collection.