quote: Originally posted by Oiznop I would say anything at or under 8% abv, but then again, during a drinking session, I would have boat loads of water on stand by....I think the definition is pretty much in the eye of the beholder, and how much alcohol one's body can tolerate before you start barfing on your shoes (or someone elses, for that matter)....[:0][?][:o)]....

Well said. I can't concur with 8% though. Damn...enjoying 5-6 pints of an 8% beer...whew...even in 2-3 hrs you're gonna be a bit woozy..and I'm a fairly big guy. Some English strong ales and IIPA's are 8%! Dubbles too! Yowza.

something that is lower than 6% and tastes amazing enough that i want to enjoy it all night..

Nice. [quote]Originally posted by Suds McDuff
something that is lower than 6% and tastes amazing enough that i want to enjoy it all night..[[^] /quote]

quote: Originally posted by Stoutlover72 quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by jlozier "Sessionable" is a word that I can only apply to macro swill. I can not drink more than 2-3 of anything with flavor and/or substance in a day, much less a 4-5 hour period. Why not (and I mean this in the most curious of ways)? Man, that's kinda strange. If your saying you can drink a lifeless, bland, watery beverage for hours on end, but something flavorful, with body, and character you cannot? Do you eat Taco Bell 24/7? LOL

Haha, yes, take off the skirt! LOL. Actually, I don't over-emphasize the abv. I like IPA's a a sessionable ale often. Because the abv is higher, I have to drink it a little slower than a pale ale or lighter lager.... But I can still drink through a sixer over a period of time and not be plastered!

quote: Originally posted by eaglefan538 quote: quote: Originally posted by Stoutlover72 quote: quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by jlozier "Sessionable" is a word that I can only apply to macro swill. I can not drink more than 2-3 of anything with flavor and/or substance in a day, much less a 4-5 hour period. Why not (and I mean this in the most curious of ways)? Man, that's kinda strange. If your saying you can drink a lifeless, bland, watery beverage for hours on end, but something flavorful, with body, and character you cannot? Do you eat Taco Bell 24/7? LOL Haha, yes, take off the skirt! LOL. Actually, I don't over-emphasize the abv. I like IPA's a a sessionable ale often. Because the abv is higher, I have to drink it a little slower than a pale ale or lighter lager.... But I can still drink through a sixer over a period of time and not be plastered!

A good IPA is a session beer for me too. Sometimes I feel like I overuse the word "session" or "sessionable", but every now and then I'll crack open a cold one and say to myself, "Damn, now this would make a good session beer!"

quote: quote: Originally posted by Phishpond417 quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by eaglefan538 quote: quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by Stoutlover72 quote: quote: quote: quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by jlozier "Sessionable" is a word that I can only apply to macro swill. I can not drink more than 2-3 of anything with flavor and/or substance in a day, much less a 4-5 hour period. Why not (and I mean this in the most curious of ways)? Man, that's kinda strange. If your saying you can drink a lifeless, bland, watery beverage for hours on end, but something flavorful, with body, and character you cannot? Do you eat Taco Bell 24/7? LOL Haha, yes, take off the skirt! LOL. Actually, I don't over-emphasize the abv. I like IPA's a a sessionable ale often. Because the abv is higher, I have to drink it a little slower than a pale ale or lighter lager.... But I can still drink through a sixer over a period of time and not be plastered! A good IPA is a session beer for me too. Sometimes I feel like I overuse the word "session" or "sessionable", but every now and then I'll crack open a cold one and say to myself, "Damn, now this would make a good session beer!"

I typed out a response and it didn't post. damn. Let me try this again. Even if it is something akin to a Boston Lager or a SN IPA (ie, something "decent" but not "stellar"), one is good, two is ok, and the third I don't even feel like finishing. "Great" beer costs too much to drink more than one in a day. I don't "session" drink very often, maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Probably has something to do with mental safeguards I've established in order to prevent my addictive tendencies (is that really genetic?) from ruining another stretch of my life (which I'll keep in mind next time I put on my skirt). I've tried drinking several beers in a night, like when I get a trade. But damn, somewhere in that second beer, it gets hard to finish regardless of the alcohol content. Watery bland beer can go down bottle after bottle, but even then I might not be engaging in the consumption that would be called a "session" (for me, 5-6 beers in a night). If I'm going to set out to drink more than my usual 0-1 beer a day, it's going to have to be something that isn't going to make me feel tipsy, isn't going to fill my stomach, and isn't going to cost very much....in other words, it isn't going to be very much like beer at all. I love beer very much, but for a variety of reasons, I can't/won't drink much of it. And for what it is worth, my town doesn't even have a Taco Bell. There is, however, one 80 miles away.[8D]

quote: Originally posted by jlozier quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by Phishpond417 quote: quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by eaglefan538 quote: quote: quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by Stoutlover72 quote: quote: quote: quote: quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by jlozier "Sessionable" is a word that I can only apply to macro swill. I can not drink more than 2-3 of anything with flavor and/or substance in a day, much less a 4-5 hour period. Why not (and I mean this in the most curious of ways)? Man, that's kinda strange. If your saying you can drink a lifeless, bland, watery beverage for hours on end, but something flavorful, with body, and character you cannot? Do you eat Taco Bell 24/7? LOL Haha, yes, take off the skirt! LOL. Actually, I don't over-emphasize the abv. I like IPA's a a sessionable ale often. Because the abv is higher, I have to drink it a little slower than a pale ale or lighter lager.... But I can still drink through a sixer over a period of time and not be plastered! A good IPA is a session beer for me too. Sometimes I feel like I overuse the word "session" or "sessionable", but every now and then I'll crack open a cold one and say to myself, "Damn, now this would make a good session beer!" I typed out a response and it didn't post. damn. Let me try this again. Even if it is something akin to a Boston Lager or a SN IPA (ie, something "decent" but not "stellar"), one is good, two is ok, and the third I don't even feel like finishing. "Great" beer costs too much to drink more than one in a day. I don't "session" drink very often, maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Probably has something to do with mental safeguards I've established in order to prevent my addictive tendencies (is that really genetic?) from ruining another stretch of my life (which I'll keep in mind next time I put on my skirt). I've tried drinking several beers in a night, like when I get a trade. But damn, somewhere in that second beer, it gets hard to finish regardless of the alcohol content. Watery bland beer can go down bottle after bottle, but even then I might not be engaging in the consumption that would be called a "session" (for me, 5-6 beers in a night). If I'm going to set out to drink more than my usual 0-1 beer a day, it's going to have to be something that isn't going to make me feel tipsy, isn't going to fill my stomach, and isn't going to cost very much....in other words, it isn't going to be very much like beer at all. I love beer very much, but for a variety of reasons, I can't/won't drink much of it. And for what it is worth, my town doesn't even have a Taco Bell. There is, however, one 80 miles away.[8D]

By all means, drinking 0-1 per day is a great path to be on. I've been much less than that for almost two months now, due to some health issues. But, as they clear up, I may never go back to the "session" days of my past. Not because it is tied to my issues, but because I've gone so long w/o those nights.... not sure I want to return.

Stout, I think you nailed the definition in your first post. I also think you raised a good question, since the term session means different things to different people. I, too, have seen the term used to define beers that, while quaffable, were too high in gut-filling density, or brain-numbing alcohol, or throat-scorching hops to drink round after round. So, two things: (a) what is a session, and (b) what is a sessionable beverage? Regardless of the duration of a session, a sessionable beverage is one which is interesting enough, yet "light" enough to drink round after round. As the duration of the session goes up, the intensity of the beer has to come down. Both duration and intensity are dials best adjusted on an individual basis. Hence what's sessionable for one will not be for all. During the Super Bowl, a 6-hour session (including pre-game hype), I can comfortably enjoy 6 each 12-oz beers of 6% or less, given good company, decent food, and moderately entertaining ads. Point being, I have very few multi-round sessions per year, and very few reasons to drink the same beverage round after round. What I enjoy much more is a flight of samples with lunch!

I totally relate to JLo's comment and Eagle's endorsement. I have realized that, for a variety of reasons, I want to express my love for beer while consuming at the rate of 0-1 per day. It's the beer, not the buzz. Yeah, I like the buzz, too, but appreciating the variety in brewed beverages is the point, and I need my senses to accomplish that. My senses also come in handy for some other stuff I have going on. If one defines a session as, say 3 hours or more of jaw-jacking at the pub, and one further specifies a moderate drinking rate of a pint per hour, I could see drinking 3 pints of, say, Guinness and remaining able to hold up my end of a conversation about politics, philosophy, sports, economics, the meaning of community, the origin of time, or the most sessionable beer in the history of brewing. It's just that, well, in the same three hours I would prefer to drink a single 12 oz Bourbon Barrel Stout or Third Coast Ale while writing the great American dissertation, on the assumption that the latter is more productive. And, seeing as how I am already paying tuition and all... Based on my personal experience, that productivity assumption is a mighty BIG ass-umption. Yet I trudge on.... Lessons: (a) For some like me, the buzz is a pleasant byproduct of drinking, not the reason for drinking. (b) For some like me, a "session" is often one (very) long round. Barleywine works! Stay thirsty!

Sessionable means I can sit back and drink a few beers without really feeling any ill effects during or after. Usually reserved for sitting on the deck watching the lake, or maybe a sports event I have no vested interest in.