Gambrinus: The Global Beer Types Game by Ruth Paget

Gambrinus: The Global Beer Types Game Created by Ruth Paget 

I named the beer types game for Gambrinus, the European king of beer, who was famous for drinking a stein of beer in one swallow. 

Gambrinus Game Objective:  

Enable player(s) to make better purchasing decisions based on knowledge.

Items Needed: 

To play this global beer types game, you will need: 

-A copy of the Oxford Companion to Beer edited by Garrett Oliver

-large index cards 

-pens 

-access to the internet to look up the hops used in various beer types 

The following background information on beer culture can serve as an ice breaker for individual or team play: 

European Beer Buying Tips: 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2019/12/european-beer-buying-tips-lager-ale.html?m=1

Beer Economics in South Jersey 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2021/12/beer-economics-and-food-by-ruth-paget.html?m=1

Pub’s for Prime Pork Chops – Sustainable Animal Husbandry 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2024/10/prime-pork-chop-dinner-at-pubs-prime.html?m=1

Oktoberfest Food 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2018/12/oktoberfest-food-ideas-for-us-suggested.html?m=1

Alvarado Street Brewery - Sustainable Beer Practices 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/02/german-style-kolsch-beer-and-loaded-blt.html?m=1

Beer Hops Game Game Directions: 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2021/06/beer-hops-games-created-by-ruth-paget.html?m=1

Firestone Walker - California Brew Pub

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/11/pretzels-burgers-and-rock-music-at.html?m=1

To play Gambrinus you need to make an index flash card with the name of the beer on the front of the card and the following information on the back: 

1-beer category – ale, lager, or hybrid 

2-main city and/or country of origin 

3-hopes used for flavor and/or aroma  

4-2 or 3 historical facts for discussion (these will vary by player) 

The Oxford Companion to Beer edited by Garrett Oliver lists 107 different types of beer in the world. 

If you learn 10 beers at a time with all 4 pieces of information, it is easier to manage learning the entire list. 

Start by learning one of the characteristics at a time for the 10 beers and so on. 

Quiz yourself on all 4 characteristics for every 10 beer types you learn. When you have gone through all 107 beer types, quiz yourself until you know everything by heart. 

Gambrinus is a great game for learning material individually and then playing as a team. 

Happy Gaming! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Food Games Created by Ruth Paget

Food Games Created by Ruth Paget

Ruth Paget created the following food games to transmit family knowledge from one generation to the next to maintain a pleasurable standard of living.

You can access the games by looking them up in the blogger.com search bar or by pressing the link that follows the game’s name:

Camembert: The Global cheese Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2021/07/camembert-cheese-games-created-by-ruth.html?m=1

Au Jus: The Global Beef and Veal Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/11/au-jus-beef-and-veal-society-game.html?m=1

King Trumpet: The Global Mushroom Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/11/king-trumpet-mushroom-society-game.html?m=1

Dijon: The Global Mustard Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2023/07/senf-mustard-society-game-by-ruth-paget.html?m=1

Coulis: The Global Tomato Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2023/11/coulis-succulent-tomato-society-game.html?m=1

Isigny Ste Mere: The Global Cheese Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2023/10/isigny-ste-mere-global-butter-brands.html?m=1

Teff: The Global Flour Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2023/03/teff-global-flour-game-created-by-ruth.html?m=1

Gremolata: The Global Fish Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/08/gremolata-fish-buying-and-cooking-game.html?m=1

Carnitas: The Mexican Food Society Game with Expansions for Other Cuisines

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/07/carnitas-taco-salad-at-taquitos-in.html?m=1

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Zsoup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Mathnasium Tutors are in Salinas, California Now Reposted by Ruth Paget

I received an announcement in the mail that reports that Mathnasium Math Tutors now has an office in Salinas, California on Constitution Boulevard.

More information is available on the link below:

https://www.mathnasium.com/math-centers/salinas

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

24/7 Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Salinas, California has several 24/7 businesses that benefit tourists, workers, and locals alike:

*Valvoline for car maintenance

*Denny’s Diner - 3 locations

*Winchell’s for Donuts, Sandwiches, and Coffee - 3 locations

*Chevron on North Davis (RV dump services in addition to gas)

*Shell on North Davis (diesel station)

*CVS Pharmacy on South Main Street

*Car Wash - Shell Station on South Main Street

This is an introductory list, which may grow.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Sustainable Wine Culture Practices in France by Ruth Paget

Sustainable Wine Culture Practices in France by Ruth Paget 

When I lived in France, I was able to witness several sustainable wine culture practices in the Touraine and Bordeaux wine regions. (My husband Laurent’s grandfather was a wine salesman for these regions, who kept several of these traditions alive in his family.)  There is money to be made in all these practices that also create jobs.

*Making wine vinegar throughout the year 

Unfinished red wine that has become sour can be made into vinegar with the addition of apple cider vinegar. I like how Normandy, which has apples, but no vineyards, is linked to the wine trade through the making of wine vinegar for both red and white wine. 

The following youtube.com video shows the procedure for making red wine vinegar with measures: 

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/u_SOgZWRxcs

*Making Salade à la Tourangelle with wine vinegar 

This is a spring and summer recipe that makes use of the abundant baby greens that grow in the Touraine, the organic cendré chevre goat cheese from the Touraine, tomatoes for which the Touraine is famous, and wine vinegar. 

My recipe for this salad follows: 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/10/salade-lavtourangelle-in-salinas.html?m=1

*Drinking Marc Eau-de-Vie 

Marc is a French equivalent of Italian grappa. Marc is an eau-de-vie made from grape skins, seeds, and stems that remain after grape juice is crushed out of the grapes at harvest to make wine. 

These leftover items are further crushed to make a bitter eau-de-vie. The most famous marcs in France are Marc de Champagne and Marc de Bourgogne, but technically every winegrowing region could make marc. 

*Gathering and Using Grape Leaves in Several Kinds of Food Dishes 

Once the harvested grapes are crushed and marc is made, grape leaves can be harvested for use in salads, sautéed like spinach, and stuffed with rice and/or meat.

My blog follows on how to work with grape leaves as food: 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/11/greek-grape-leaf-recipes-reposted-by.html?m=1

*Using Twigs from Pruning for Various Paper Products 

The most immediate use of twigs from pruning is grilling. The twigs from grape vines are supposed to impart a good flavor to grilled meat. Twigs can also be made into paper products like toilet paper, tissue, paper napkins, paper tablecloths, paper towels, writing paper, post-it notes, and paper bags. 

*Eating Boar Stew 

Boars are wild pigs with curled tusks that live in vineyards and eat grapes and leaves. They are considered pests. The French have no qualms about eating one if they capture it. They can make boar stew with chicken, if they have not boars on hand. 

Many variations of boar stew exist, but they usually include some winter root vegetables and maybe mushrooms along with a bottle of red wine in the recipe. 

*Using Old Wine Barrels to Finish Tennessee Whiskey and Kentucky Bourbon 

Old cognac barrels are routinely sold to the US for Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky Bourbon. The seasoned barrels add to the flavor of these beverages. 

*Using Old Wine Barrels as Planters 

Wine barrels cut in half make good planters. If you plant roses in them and place them by vineyards, they can provide early signals of blight and mildew that might affect the fields. 

*Possible Use of Old Barrels to Make Paper Products 

Old Barrels might be able to be made into paper products before using the option of burning them for heat.  

These sustainable wine culture practices in France can be reproduced in the US, especially in California, to make money and create jobs.  Some of these sustainable practices are centuries old, but not fully adopted in all regions where wine is grown.  Adopting them might have the side benefit of helping reduce food insecurity by using grape leaves as food.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Costco Online Ordering of Deli and Cake Items Seems to Work Now on its App reposted by Ruth Paget

Costco Online Ordering of Deli and Cake Items seems to be working on its app now.  

The following article on the Woman’s World blog covers the many advantages of ordering this way:

https://www.womansworld.com/life/costco-app-update-finally-lets-you-order-cakes-and-deli-trays-online

This makes potlucks and events like team lunches easier.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Free e-book on Beastfeeding and the Science and Cultural Norms Around it reposted by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago Press is offering a free e-book for March on the science and cultural norms around breastfeeding - Back to the Breast: Natural Motherhood and Breastfeeding in America by Jessica Martucci.

For information and download details click below:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_promo/19cb46ae3d50b57f

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games