Beer vs. Soda: Which is Worse for Your Health?

[dyosa]

there was a time in my life when i'd drink soda as if it were water and i believe i had been addicted to it until it made my stomach so sore when i drink it. that's the time i stopped and just drink water. until now beer or soda would still make my tummy sore like hell.

 

[Red Rum]

Anybody visiting Amsterdam must call into this place. Have a Kwak from the tap and if you get hungry try the cheese board with olives. It will be a night to remember as long as you keep the Kwak count below 4.

http://www.cafegollem.nl/default_EN.asp

 

[Red Rum]

http://www.cafe-belgique.nl/html/index.html

This one is also interesting although lately every time I pass by they seem to be holding private parties. Is it me?

Then there's also this unusual one near Central station. The name translates as The eleventh commandment (don't get caught, I believe). The amount of religious statuary in this establishment unnerves some people. But it's an interesting bar with friendly and eccentric owners.
http://www.hetelfdegebod.com/page4.html

 

[Red Rum]

Since I've advertised Belgian bars in Amsterdam, it's only fair to provide a link to this excellent establishment much closer to home for me in Leiden. http://www.cafe-olivier.be/

The bar is located in an old hospital and has an interesting museum. You can learn all about the more intimate aspects of human anatomy while using the toilet facilities. The cuisine is pretty good as well.

 

[xxChrisxx]

Boddingtons best for me.

http://www.beers-portugal.com/boddingtons.jpg

 

[Moonbear]

I'm currently enjoying a Wacko beer from Magic Hat. It's their summer seasonal beer. The only issue I have with them is it's impossible to figure out from anything on the label what kind of beer you're going to be trying. This one is described only as "a beer with beet juice color," which means NOTHING. It turns out, it's an English Ale...Cyrus wouldn't like it since it's bitter. But to figure out just what it was required checking out their website.

 

[nismaratwork]

I've had some good experiences with Dogfish Head's raisin brew, which offsets the sweetness with a rather high alcohol content. This 4th was a mixture of Chimay, Whale's Tale IPA, and Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter. I was not the one drinking the IPA, since apparently like Cyrus, I'm not a huge fan of bitter. I like beer that's like rich drinkable bread, malty. The exception would be a bitter stout with strong coffee notes; that works well with bitter flavors.

 

[VeeEight]

Boddingtons best for me.

[PLAIN]http://www.beers-portugal.com/boddingtons.jpg[/QUOTE]

Yes! I have that glass but sadly, ran out of ale

 

[Galteeth]

Ok, in all seriousness, I am finding this discussion a bit hard to believe. Personally I am a diet soda addict. It's not good for me, I know, etc. etc. However, as of yet, it has not produced any noticeable health problems other then likely caffeine dependence.
If I drank the same quantity of beer that i did soda, I can't imagine that I could be remotely functional.

 

[Loren Booda]

Try chugging a soda.

 

[nismaratwork]

Ok, in all seriousness, I am finding this discussion a bit hard to believe. Personally I am a diet soda addict. It's not good for me, I know, etc. etc. However, as of yet, it has not produced any noticeable health problems other then likely caffeine dependence.
If I drank the same quantity of beer that i did soda, I can't imagine that I could be remotely functional.

People have been drinking booze of one type or another as a primary beverage for a very long time, perhaps not to their health or state of mind, but... it was better than fouled waters. Now we have all the water we could wish for, and we turn it into acidic crapola.

 

[Danger]

I have, just today, discovered a new favourite beverage: Scotch and Dr. Pepper.
I'm about 1/2 way through a 26er of the good stuff and almost completely through a 2-litre bottle of pop. My regret is that I dulled my tastebuds with a half-sack of Lucky before that.
I won't begin to burden you with details of that kind of **** that I was into before I quit drinking...

 

[nismaratwork]

Scotch and Dr. Pepper... I love Dr. Pepper, but I had a bad experience with scotch the first time I ever drank and I cannot stand the stuff, the smell, or anything about it. I suppose it's no less vile than red bull and vodka. I have to ask, what is "a half-sack of Lucky"?

 

[VeeEight]

I have, just today, discovered a new favourite beverage: Scotch and Dr. Pepper.

Yes! (In my best Marv Albert voice). I normally don't drink Dr. Pepper by itself, even though it is a good tasting drink, but it's great with scotch - even the cheap stuff.

I have to ask, what is "a half-sack of Lucky"?

I'm guessing he means http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Lager" (the spelling of 'favourite' makes me think he is Canadian)

 

[Danger]

You are correct about the reference to Lucky, V8. It quite surprised me a couple of years ago to learn that it's considered a 'premium' beer in some parts of the US. I drink it because it and Brewhouse are absolutely the cheapest brews that you can get in my area ($7.50 for a half-sack at my local store), and Lucky tastes far better than the alternative. (There are actually a couple of cheaper ones such as Big Bear and Colt .45, but they're available only in 1.14 litre bottles and taste like they've been filtered through a moose, so they don't count.) A half-sack is what Yanks would refer to as a 6-pack.
I had to Google Marve Albert. Now I know who he is, but still have no idea of what he sounds like.
My first choice in scotches is Ballantine's, but Famous Grouse, Queen Anne's and Claymore are pretty much identical to it. Last week I bought a 1/2 litre bottle of Dr. Pepper along with my usual stockpile of Coke Zero just to satisfy my curiosity as to what the hell it tastes like, fully expecting to hate it. Surprise! The taste is quite similar to Cream Soda. Pepper and scotch together taste like amaretto.

 

[nismaratwork]

Hmmmm, I love amaretto, especially a good amaretto sour. Maybe I should suck it up and try this. Thanks for the info on Lucky too, I was completely clueless on that one. If you want another interesting experience, try (in VERY SMALL QUANTITIES) chocolate cake shots. It is simply about 85-90% vodka in a shot glass, with some Frangelico. You slug it down in one go, and then bite into a lemon slice that has been coated in sugar. Don't ask me how a flavorless liquor, hazelnut and lemon taste like chocolate cake, but by god it does.

I haven't done a shot in ages, but when it comes to alcohol tasting like things it isn't, this leaped to mind.

 

[alt]

Serious question. I drink a beer once a day, usually in the afternoon. Sometimes two. I know that most people drink at least one soda a day. Which is worse for you? I think drinking a soda a day is has got to be much worse for you considering it has lots of acid, and sugar.

Also, beer doesn't have nasty chemicals in it like soda does. I've tried many different beers (probably over 50, and going up), but I like a simple Budweiser in a bottle. I'm drinking on right now and boy does it hit the spot.

I used to be a hugeeeeeeeeeee soda addict. But I got tired of all that sugar. I really enjoy a good cold pepsi with ice cubes. But now I find myself wanting beer more than soda. I don't like the way soda is so harsh on my teeth. The acid destroys the enamel.


Which one is worse?

I'm with you - word for word !

Wife, who is a natural therapist, also tell me the hops in beer are good for you. Haven't done me any harm at all.

OTOH, soda - a disaster for teeth, waistline, etc.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

You are correct about the reference to Lucky, V8. It quite surprised me a couple of years ago to learn that it's considered a 'premium' beer in some parts of the US. I drink it because it and Brewhouse are absolutely the cheapest brews that you can get in my area ($7.50 for a half-sack at my local store), and Lucky tastes far better than the alternative. (There are actually a couple of cheaper ones such as Big Bear and Colt .45, but they're available only in 1.14 litre bottles and taste like they've been filtered through a moose, so they don't count.) A half-sack is what Yanks would refer to as a 6-pack.

Major brand beer in the states is utter piss. Just about anything imported is pretty much considered 'premium' as well as anything other than the typical watered down urine that Budweiser et al put out. When the major brand breweries come out with some 'special' seasonal brew of stinky cat piss ale they call that 'premium' too.

 

[turbo]

Major brand beer in the states is utter piss. Just about anything imported is pretty much considered 'premium' as well as anything other than the typical watered down urine that Budweiser et al put out. When the major brand breweries come out with some 'special' seasonal brew of stinky cat piss ale they call that 'premium' too.

Yep. Mostly watery crap. For low-end beer, Molson Golden is OK bang for the buck. Becks and Heineken are pretty good imports, as is Guiness (not the draft kind), but the real good beers come out of micro-breweries. We have a local brewery (Oak Pond) that comes out with some really nice ales, lagers, etc.

 

[dlgoff]

Yep. Mostly watery crap. For low-end beer, Molson Golden is OK bang for the buck. Becks and Heineken are pretty good imports, as is Guiness (not the draft kind), but the real good beers come out of micro-breweries. We have a local brewery (Oak Pond) that comes out with some really nice ales, lagers, etc.

You know? I still have found any Molson Golden yet.

Here's the brews from my local brewery; http://freestatebrewing.com/beer" .

I like the Wheat State Golden.

 

[turbo]

You know? I still have found any Molson Golden yet.

Here's the brews from my local brewery; http://freestatebrewing.com/beer" .

I like the Wheat State Golden.

That's the way it gets done here. Growlers are the best option. Decent ales don't last long enough to go flat anyway.