To start, there are seven main varieties of beer:

Ale- a type of beer brewed from malted barley and hops, using a type of yeast that is top-fermented. This type of beer is fermented quickly to give it a full-bodied, mildly sweet, and fruity taste.

Pale ale or Bitter- is a type of beer where the malt is dried with a fuel called coke. Is crisply carbonated and varies in strength and appearance.

Stout or Port- is a dark beer made of roasted malt or barley, hops, water, and yeast. Stouts tend to be stronger beers and come in many varieties.

Irish or Dry Stout- a black ale that is very dark in color and has the flavor of coffee. Guinness stout is an example.

Imperial stout- a brew invented for Catherine II of Russia in the 1700’s, it has a high alcohol content.

Baltic port- a port with a higher alcohol content, made for the Baltic region.

Milk Stout- is a brew with a small amount of lactose added to add sweetness and body to the beer. An example is Mackeson Stout.

Oatmeal stout- is a very bitter beer in which oats are added during the brewing process. This is a rare and hard to find drink.

Chocolate stout- is named for its dark color and chocolate flavor; some of these beers are brewed with small amounts of chocolate.

Coffee stout- is a dark malt brew with the flavor of coffee; some of these beers are brewed with coffee grounds.

Oyster stout- a stout made for drinking with oysters; some of these drinks are even made with a handful of oysters in the brew.

Lager-is a beer that is brewed and stored cold. Lager is also produced with a different yeast and fermenting method than ale. Lagers tend to be light in color, mild in taste, and highly alcoholic.

Wheat beer- is made from mostly wheat and some barely. Flavor is based on brewing method and style of beer.

Hybrid beers- are beers that don’t fit into other categories, like bottom fermented and steam beers.

Lambic- is a Belgian beer that is fermented with wild yeasts; this is an aromatic, cloudy, acidic beer. It comes in pure, gueuze, marz, faro, kriek, and fruit (raspberry, blackcurrant, peach, apple, pineapple, plum, banana, apricot, strawberry, grape, lemon, blueberry, and cloudberry) varieties.

An important part of beer flavor is how it is packaged. It can be kept in the following ways:

Draught- draught beer is kept in a keg pressured with nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Nitrogen pressure allows for a frothier creamier tasting beer with a “bigger head”.

Cask- cask beers are unfiltered and not pasteurized and are fed by gravity into the glass.

Bottle- bottled beers keep some yeast, which allow for some sediment.

Cans- cans are the most inexpensive form of packaging, and are typically only for cheaper beers. Although used for cheep beers, the can is best for preventing light from ruining the beer.

Temperature also affects the flavor of beer, cold beer is considered refreshing while warm beer is considered to allow a person to better taste the flavors of a full bodied beer.

Some beer brewing nations include Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium. the United States, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Australia, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, China, and many others.

Sense and Sensibilty : This stylish, period piece is beautifully done, in more then just the visual way. As Jane Austen’s first published novel, this story tells of two sisters attempting to balance the scales of logic and emotion while finding love and remaining loyal to each other and their family. Although their are many versions of the film, the 1995 version which stars (and was also adapted by) actress Emma Thompson is sure to have even the most cynical watcher feeling warm inside.

Say Anything: The tagline for this 80’s favorite was “To know Lloyd Dobler is to love him…” and the hero of this film lives up to this line completely. This love story picks up as high school drops off for Lloyd and Diane as they fall in love over the summer. The film is teenage love done beautifully, with just enough cliche to remind viewers of how love felt for the very first time.

The Reader: This unforgettable film gives unique perspective to passion, love and the affect that these things can have on an individuals life. The non-traditional relationship that develops between Hanna and Micheal is only responsible for part of this movies intensity; as their relationship changes shape throughout the film so does the viewers attitudes towards these characters and their actions. Not often considered a love story, this film reminds viewers that often times with love also comes pain.

Punch Drunk Love: Adam Sandler abandons his typical role to play Berry Egan-the unusual bachelor who falls for Lena. Barry’s imperfections and odd habits endear him to the viewer and as this  strange and often dark romance springs between the two, the film proves that falling in love can happen to anyone.

Roman Holiday: The romance and excitement of a foreign city doesn’t go to waste in this 1953 romantic comedy. This love story introduced Americans to Audrey Hepburn as she falls for the ever charming Gregory Peck in one of the most romantic cities on Earth. A strong story line and fabulous performances from both main characters give this film it’s timelessness that makes you want to watch it over and over.

Rocky: Well written and constantly overlooked, this film is a truly touching love story with endearing characters that aren’t soon forgotten. This film is a thousand times more lover than fighter although it is often grouped together with it’s many sequels as a “boxing movie.” Touching scenes between main characters Rocky and Adrian makes this film a chick flick in disguise.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: This version of the classic introduced a new generation to Shakespeare during the days of grunge rock. DiCaprio and Danes as the title characters have chemistry that turns skeptics into believers, even if you don’t catch every line (considering the dialogue is in the plays’ original language.) Although this film does date itself a bit, it’s an interesting and entertaining version of the classic tale of forbidden love.

Pretty Woman: This film combines two themes that most American’s cannot resist; rags-to-riches and fateful love. From what seems to be opposite sides of the world, Edward and Vivian find each other and fall in love under unlikely circumstances. Sure, the storyline may be a little far fetched but the film beautifully contains all the key components of a fabulous love story.

Cranium 2009 Edition:  Cranium, the game that everyone hopes will be at your party, seems to be the unstoppable force in the land of board games. Back with a new edition and a new look, this version  includes a bonus card pack so that even the most dedicated “Craniacs” are in for a few surprises. Played in teams of 2, this party game gives equal time to each teams creative side. Cranium has teams up and out of their seats with categories such “Cameo” where players are asked to impersonate a celebrity by using only gestures and “Humdinger” where players are to hum a tune for their teammates to correctly guess. As this game quickly becomes a classic, the teams at Hasbro seem to be onto something by changing the card packs every now and then so players never get the same card twice (ok, maybe not more then 3 times). Cranium 2009 Edition can be found at most chain retailers and is decently priced at $24.99. (www.target.com)

The Game of THINGS: This game, designed for players ages 18 and up, is a great ice breaker at party’s and gathering’s where all guests may not know one another. The idea is simple-choose from one of the topics, have all players write their a response to one of the topic questions then guess who’s response is whose. The topic questions are things such as “THINGS…you never want to hear your parents say”, “THINGS…that you shouldn’t do on your way to church.”, etc. One downer of the game is that playing with too many players (8 or more) seems to make the game confusing and super slow paced.  But for game players within a smaller group, the responses to the questions are revealing and usually hilarious. Plus, priced at just $17.59 (www.kmart.com) it’s worth every penny for hours of game time.

Scrabble Slam: This new version of the classic letter games has even the most dogmatic “Scrabble Haters” pulling up a seat at the table. Simple in rules, easy to grasp and super fast-paced, Scrabble Slam seems to be changing the way players see word games. Played in lightening fast rounds, players are dealt cards and asked to make as many 4 letter words as they can and in no player order. Because of it’s fast pace, this game allows players to jump in and out of the game at will which makes it perfect for parties where guest don’t want to dedicate themselves to the table for hours. A steal at $6.99, (www.walgreens.com) this new version of a classic can’t be beat.