I have a friend who brews his own beer in Katy, Texas. Once I retire, I’d love to try learning that skill. I really love Belgian white 🍻 and hate bitter IPAs.
Don. I've been watching RUclips travel and retirement videos for years now. Bald and Bankrupt is one of my favorites because he engages real life in Eastern Europe. I like to watch and hear your life story, and not merely pictures of buildings and beaches. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us. You're actually building a RUclips family of personal friends. Best wishes to you during this special time of Christmas. And may you continue to find great contentment in your new home of Ecuador.
Don - a good beer to try is Franziskaner Weissbier . It's a Wheat Beer - Hefeweizen style beer brewed by Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu in München, Germany. if you get a chance let me know if its available there.. Thanks and Merry Christmas....
WoW! They must not have SIN tax in Ecuador. Beer prices here, excluding Walmart, are like $2 - $3 higher. Liquor is so much more here on average. Well I should remind myself this is a year old before the inflation. Can you get John Watlings Rum in Ecuador? If so how much is it?
Merry Christmas Don! Thanks for the important info on alcohol prices! Stella Artois is pronounced Stella ARTWA...I just ask for a Stella. When you were talking about Schmirnof vodka, it reminded me of my great aunt and uncle who would buy a store brand and poor it into their old Schmirnof bottle when my grandparents would come over for dinner. My grandparents never did discover they were drinking cheap vodka. Enjoy your holidays! They are sure to be memorable in Manta!
Merry Christmas Don. It is pronounced Stella AR-TWA and I don't like it much either. I don't drink much but a shot of whiskey when you have a cold hits the spot. Take care
Hey Don.. you pronounced it right this time!! Congratulations the locals will appreciate the effort you are putting in learning Spanish, another recommendation is when you say playa Murciélago the accent goes on E... keep up the great work!
Man, you make me look forward to retirement everyday. Nice funny video. I better hit the gym so I don't get winded lifting a six pack when I am retired.
The way you started this video I thought it was going to be time to look for a home brew kit. Whew. I'm going to refill my glass of mead and toast you a Very Merry Christmas. Enjoy the holidays in Manta. Dave
Don, great video and definitely some very important information! So you can get liquor as well as beer and wine at the grocery store there, huh? How very convenient! 👍😀. Have you seen any Kahlua or Bailey's Irish Cream there? What about any Moscato wine? Are you going to any of the expat Christmas gatherings tomorrow? If so, can you take some pictures so we can see what they're like. Hoping your first Christmas in Ecuador is very happy! 🎄
Hi Sandy, I'm pretty sure I've seen it here but don't remember where I saw it. I'm having Christmas dinner with some friends this afternoon. My first Xmas night in Ecuador was quite an adventure last night . Some of the fireworks that were going off sounded like bombs and a couple rattled me really good. I'm never gonna get it when it comes to the attraction of such noisy nonsense. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
@@DonShader Merry Christmas! 🎄🍷 Hope your Christmas lunch was very enjoyable. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you're going to be making a video on your Christmas Eve adventures. Speaking of videos, do you think you could make one on health insurance. For instance, when do we qualify for the health insurance there, do we just pay out of pocket until then, or can we purchase another type of insurance until the permanent one kicks in, etc. Thanks so much for trying to get us prepared for all the differences we're going to experience once we arrive there.
@@sandywells912 Christmas lunch was very nice and quite filling. Yes, I need to do a video on Insurance. I can tell you what I did and what has worked for me. I'll start on that this week. Thanks for the suggestion. -ds
@@DonShader Hi Don! I thought of something else that would be very helpful to get a video on. How about cell phones? I've read so many suggestions from people, that I'm just at a loss as to what would be the best way to go. I've always had an Android and have been very happy with it, and have never felt the need to invest hundreds of dollars in an iPhone. But I wonder if maybe an iPhone would be better in Ecuador instead of an Android. And also, should I just get a SIM card when I arrive, or buy a phone there? Thanks!
Hi Sandy, This is a great topic for a QA but I'll give you a short summary of what I'll say in the final QA. This will be in QA-12. If you are used to Android, by all means stay with it. You can bring your phone with you, just be sure it's unlocked and I would, based on my own personal experience go to Claro and buy a sim card. Their service is $24/mo and that includes unlimited data. I've had no issues with Claro since I've been here. I personally have an iPhone but I get nervous taking it out in public. Inexpensive Android phones are very much available here and very affordable. Hope that helps. -ds P.S. You just helped me finish off material for QA-12.
Pilsner and Club are just the most common, and drinkable beers. Beer in Ecuador is about the same as the USA. There is such a limited selection of craft beers available and most are still weak. Average ABV is 4.5% - 5.2%. I could literally drink that all day. Hard liquor is more costly than the US prices across the board. Example: whiskey is the go to party drink. If you want to splurge and get Johnny Walker Black, you’ll pay about $10 more than at home. Most of the whiskey labels are brands that I’ve never seen before, but I don’t have a huge amount of experience with whisky. The vodka is limited, pricey, and garbage. As is the rum, tequila, and other liquors. The wine I’ve found is surprisingly limited despite being close to Chile and Argentina. A lot of imports, but not many I know. Liquor is taxed more so prices are the same or higher. A note about about the Becks. Becks in the USA is brewed in the USA and they charge the import price. Thanks AB InBev for really screwing us. But, the Becks in Ecuador is from Germany.
Hi Don Would you check if they stock non alcoholic beer there. I like the German brand Clausthaler (light and dark)...there are some other European brands that are ok as well.
Wow the cost there even with exchange rate is 10 x cheaper then here in Canada for a lot of that stuff... But good to know just as well. Thank you!! Merry Christmas Don..
Felices fiestas, don Don. I live in Costa Rica and there's a locally made liquor here called generically aguardiente with the brand name Cacique (Chief) and just called guaro for short. It's inexpensive and to me it's like one step before rum and it's OK but not excellent. Anything similar in EC?
It's not an issue for me but, I did know a couple that were thinking about moving to Panama but, it was a deal-breaker for him that they didn't have liquor stores that had thousands of things he had never tried. I have tried to drink, mostly long before I was doing so legally but, I still do. I go to bike nights and tried to get a taste for beer. I bought a 30 pack and just checked the date, Oct 2018. I have 8 bottles of liquor on my kitchen counter. The dust on it is thick. I'm glad you don't have a booze conflict in Ecuador. We don't know what conflicts I'm going to have with Ecuador yet. I keep telling myself, no place is perfect. Thanks for your reports on what may be a conflict for me in Ecuador.
Don, love your priorities, but it’s so true when one retires your probably going to consume one or two more than the usual. Great subject, I like your sense of humor 😂🎅🏻🧑🏻🎄🎄
Hi Don. You crack me up...haha. I have considered moving to Manta, and you are the primary motivator for doing so. I will be visiting in the spring! Perhaps we can meet up and I will buy you a drink...or two. Merry Christmas, Don!
I'll be looking forward to it. I may not be living in Manta in the Spring but won't know for sure thill I get back from Cuenca next month. Either way, please keep in touch.
Finally, some important information! LOL. Thanks, was wondering about this......but I hate the price of Heineken there, so....I guess I would switch over to one of their domestic beers. The American whiskey seems high. Do they have whiskey made there or in South America?
Don, just curious if they have microbreweries in Ecuador? About wines 🍷 I hope they have Argentinian wines? I sure like their Malbec. Great video, we just realized Ecuador has close to everything we found in USA.
Don: I respectfully disagree with you on the beer. To me, Pilsner, Club, and Beila are weak, watered down versions of Budweiser. Terrible. (Of course, we should all drink what we like.) There are several very good artesenal beers here -- here are four of my favorites:: Santa Rosa Latitud Cero Camino del Sol Sabai Check them out! You'll love them.
You may be confusing fluid ounces and ounces of weight. 16 fl. oz. = 1.05lbs. (16.5 weight ounces) + ~9.07 weight ounces for the bottle = 25.57 weight ounces per bottle. 18 bottles * 25.57 weight ounces = 460.26 weight ounces / 16 = 28.766 lbs. + plus the weight of the cardboard case. So, pretty close to 30 lbs. *cheers*
If you're a beer drinker, it's too bad you left the country before sampling the new small batch Craft Beer, produced and recently released by Betty Crocker. It's called Piss Quick ! (Did I really say that?)
LOL. But seriously JP and Amelia stopped drinking alcohol to save money and because it didn't fit in with their super healthy lifestyle. Hope I can drop my wine habit by the time I get there. 😉
Hey Don, this is Solon from Houston and I have a couple of questions to ask: !) When you go to the Ecuador Manta Mall with the 12 theatre movies, what's the point of watching a movie if its all in Spanish language? How do you go to the movies and get around the Spanish so you can hear it in English? 2) The USA West coast has the Alaskan current which keeps California cooler and Seatle form freezing. Manta probably gets a breeze from the Pacific also, but in the Souther Hemisphere the breeze from the Eastern Atlantic onto Brazil etc. Does Manta stay cooler because of a westerly breeze like California?
Solon, The theater in the Mall has regular English speaking movies and I believe they are on every Wed. I could be wrong about the dates because I simply don't go. I have all the movies I can stand here at home, can drink beer or wine, and make all kinds of noise if I want and don't have to worry about disrupting someone's experience. You know? Like the general public does in the states. Don't get me started on that rant. I think the weather is cooler here in Manta not so much because of the wind flow as much as possibly because of the location being so near the equator. The on shore wind flow contributes, I'm sure to the cleaner air we have here.
Thank you for this important public service announcement.
Great information as always!
Merry Christmas Don.
Happy holidays!
I have a friend who brews his own beer in Katy, Texas. Once I retire, I’d love to try learning that skill. I really love Belgian white 🍻 and hate bitter IPAs.
Siembra is $1.50 for a 1 Liter bottle at tiendas. I like it best of those you mention.
Thanks for sharing!! I've heard others say the same thing. I need to check it out.
-ds
Merry Christmas from Florida
Happy holidays!
I had amazing craft beer in Cuenca, also Belgian beers.
Merry Christmas.
Happy holidays!
I 🥰❤Don cuz he's so unique with his personality...
Happy Christmas
Don. I've been watching RUclips travel and retirement videos for years now. Bald and Bankrupt is one of my favorites because he engages real life in Eastern Europe. I like to watch and hear your life story, and not merely pictures of buildings and beaches. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us. You're actually building a RUclips family of personal friends. Best wishes to you during this special time of Christmas. And may you continue to find great contentment in your new home of Ecuador.
Merry Xmas
Wow
Beer prices here in Florida are just as good or better. That is surprising
There is NO bargain on alcohol in this country.
@@DonShader well I’d like to say I’ll just drink less but we all know that isn’t going to happen 🤣
Merry Christmas Don Thanks for the Videos
Happy holidays!
Don - a good beer to try is Franziskaner Weissbier . It's a Wheat Beer - Hefeweizen style beer brewed by Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu in München, Germany. if you get a chance let me know if its available there.. Thanks and Merry Christmas....
I'll see what I can find out for ya.
Thanks Don. Certainly appreciated your time to us followers. I hope you have a great Christmas. It is your first one away, hope you're not alone.
Thanks, you too!
WoW! They must not have SIN tax in Ecuador. Beer prices here, excluding Walmart, are like $2 - $3 higher. Liquor is so much more here on average. Well I should remind myself this is a year old before the inflation. Can you get John Watlings Rum in Ecuador? If so how much is it?
Any Dark beers in Ecuador thanks.
Yes, but I couldn't tell you the names of them.
How's the weather in Manta?
Right now, a tad warm and humid but still better than Mesa, AZ.
Merry Christmas, Don!
Good discussion Don! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!
Happy holidays!
Feliz Navidad, Mr. Shader. Thanks for another entertaining video.
Happy holidays!
Merry Christmas 🎄 Don
Merry Christmas 🎄
Happy holidays!
I’m not a drinker, but good for you!!
Good for you. You're hopefully very healthy.
Thanks for sharing. Happy holidays!
Happy holidays!
Merry Christmas, Don. Hope you have a wonderful day. 🎄🎁🎅🏻🧑🏻🎄
Thanks, you too!
first Spanish words I learned: una cerveza por favor :-)
Important information indeed. Have a nice Christmas!
Thanks, you too!
Lager or pilsner? Muwahahaha! Great vid, thanks!
I loved this one....LOL I was depressed and you made me laugh; Merry Christmas!!!!
I'm glad I could help. Merry Xmas to you.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS DON 🎁🎉
MERRY CHRISTMAS from Tennessee, Don! 🎅🏻🤶🌲
One of my great concerns ....beer and wine...thank you! Very reassuing.
Glad it was helpful!
You can make your own wine with a little yeast, some sugar, and 100% juice drink... easy peasy....
Why?
I miss Club!
I think it's good stuff.
I HEARD, that just south of the Equator the carbonation bubbles go down and not up?
Good one!
Very similar price as Michigan. This is important information. Thank You.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks Don...had to subscribe after that one!
No Bacardi? Merry Christmas to you too!!! ☃️☃️❄
I didn't see any. Now I'll have to go look. BRB.
Merry Christmas Don! Thanks for the important info on alcohol prices! Stella Artois is pronounced Stella ARTWA...I just ask for a Stella. When you were talking about Schmirnof vodka, it reminded me of my great aunt and uncle who would buy a store brand and poor it into their old Schmirnof bottle when my grandparents would come over for dinner. My grandparents never did discover they were drinking cheap vodka. Enjoy your holidays! They are sure to be memorable in Manta!
😂😂😂 I love it! Thanks for the info Don.
almost every town now has some artisanal beer. Some are very good. Tosagua has a great artisanal beer, and many in Portoviejo.
Merry Christmas Don. It is pronounced Stella AR-TWA and I don't like it much either. I don't drink much but a shot of whiskey when you have a cold hits the spot. Take care
Thanks!
And it’s Belgian beer! HaPpY Holidays, Don!
Hey Don.. you pronounced it right this time!! Congratulations the locals will appreciate the effort you are putting in learning Spanish, another recommendation is when you say playa Murciélago the accent goes on E... keep up the great work!
Thanks for the tips!
Man, you make me look forward to retirement everyday. Nice funny video. I better hit the gym so I don't get winded lifting a six pack when I am retired.
Right on!
I have a margarita once a year I never cared for beer at all… Merry Christmas Don 🎄
If it didn't give me heartburn so bad, I'd probably have one every day. :-)
Stella r twa
What????
@@DonShader how to pronounce beer Stella Artois
Rogl
Definitely entertained me
:)
I'm in Tena now, manta next week
Pilsener is ok. My version here is Hamm's. 30 cans $15.00 US. I'm an IPA guy
The way you started this video I thought it was going to be time to look for a home brew kit. Whew. I'm going to refill my glass of mead and toast you a Very Merry Christmas.
Enjoy the holidays in Manta.
Dave
I enjoyed Pilsner Light during our honeymoon trip to Manta in October. You mentioned Modelo...is Modelo Negra available in Manta?
According to a restaurant owner I was just talking to, Modelo is new here. I haven't seen Modelo Negra on the shelves just yet.
Don, great video and definitely some very important information! So you can get liquor as well as beer and wine at the grocery store there, huh? How very convenient! 👍😀. Have you seen any Kahlua or Bailey's Irish Cream there? What about any Moscato wine?
Are you going to any of the expat Christmas gatherings tomorrow? If so, can you take some pictures so we can see what they're like.
Hoping your first Christmas in Ecuador is very happy! 🎄
Hi Sandy,
I'm pretty sure I've seen it here but don't remember where I saw it.
I'm having Christmas dinner with some friends this afternoon. My first Xmas night in Ecuador was quite an adventure last night . Some of the fireworks that were going off sounded like bombs and a couple rattled me really good.
I'm never gonna get it when it comes to the attraction of such noisy nonsense.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
@@DonShader Merry Christmas! 🎄🍷 Hope your Christmas lunch was very enjoyable. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you're going to be making a video on your Christmas Eve adventures.
Speaking of videos, do you think you could make one on health insurance. For instance, when do we qualify for the health insurance there, do we just pay out of pocket until then, or can we purchase another type of insurance until the permanent one kicks in, etc.
Thanks so much for trying to get us prepared for all the differences we're going to experience once we arrive there.
@@sandywells912 Christmas lunch was very nice and quite filling.
Yes, I need to do a video on Insurance. I can tell you what I did and what has worked for me. I'll start on that this week.
Thanks for the suggestion.
-ds
@@DonShader Hi Don! I thought of something else that would be very helpful to get a video on. How about cell phones? I've read so many suggestions from people, that I'm just at a loss as to what would be the best way to go. I've always had an Android and have been very happy with it, and have never felt the need to invest hundreds of dollars in an iPhone. But I wonder if maybe an iPhone would be better in Ecuador instead of an Android. And also, should I just get a SIM card when I arrive, or buy a phone there? Thanks!
Hi Sandy,
This is a great topic for a QA but I'll give you a short summary of what I'll say in the final QA. This will be in QA-12.
If you are used to Android, by all means stay with it. You can bring your phone with you, just be sure it's unlocked and I would, based on my own personal experience go to Claro and buy a sim card. Their service is $24/mo and that includes unlimited data. I've had no issues with Claro since I've been here.
I personally have an iPhone but I get nervous taking it out in public. Inexpensive Android phones are very much available here and very affordable.
Hope that helps.
-ds
P.S. You just helped me finish off material for QA-12.
Pilsner and Club are just the most common, and drinkable beers. Beer in Ecuador is about the same as the USA. There is such a limited selection of craft beers available and most are still weak. Average ABV is 4.5% - 5.2%. I could literally drink that all day. Hard liquor is more costly than the US prices across the board. Example: whiskey is the go to party drink. If you want to splurge and get Johnny Walker Black, you’ll pay about $10 more than at home. Most of the whiskey labels are brands that I’ve never seen before, but I don’t have a huge amount of experience with whisky. The vodka is limited, pricey, and garbage. As is the rum, tequila, and other liquors. The wine I’ve found is surprisingly limited despite being close to Chile and Argentina. A lot of imports, but not many I know. Liquor is taxed more so prices are the same or higher.
A note about about the Becks. Becks in the USA is brewed in the USA and they charge the import price. Thanks AB InBev for really screwing us. But, the Becks in Ecuador is from Germany.
Thanks for the information.
Hi Don
Would you check if they stock non alcoholic beer there. I like the German brand Clausthaler (light and dark)...there are some other European brands that are ok as well.
There is non-alcoholic beer here but I can't recall the name of it.
Nice video, what's the sales tax
I have no clue, I never pay attention to that because it's so insignificant.
@@DonShader 12% IVA is insignificant.
I drink modelo negra here in the States. My beer of choice. 👍
And it's pronounced
steh
·
luh
aar
·
twaa
Good choice!
Don! Great to see you! Not a consumer of alcohol, but was a funny video and we are STILL waiting to have dinner with you! Merry Christmas, Don!
I'll be there the 11th of Jan barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Merry Christmas.
Wow the cost there even with exchange rate is 10 x cheaper then here in Canada for a lot of that stuff... But good to know just as well. Thank you!! Merry Christmas Don..
Felices fiestas, don Don. I live in Costa Rica and there's a locally made liquor here called generically aguardiente with the brand name Cacique (Chief) and just called guaro for short. It's inexpensive and to me it's like one step before rum and it's OK but not excellent. Anything similar in EC?
Yes, they have aguardiente in Ecuador. It is made from sugarcane.
Yes!
I'll have to look and see. I haven't heard of anything like that but I'll check with my hard liquor drinkin buddies and see what they say.
-ds
@@DonShader There's no need. A couple of people have already answered in the affirmative and it's called the same thing, aguardiente (fire water lol).
It's not an issue for me but, I did know a couple that were thinking about moving to Panama but, it was a deal-breaker for him that they didn't have liquor stores that had thousands of things he had never tried. I have tried to drink, mostly long before I was doing so legally but, I still do. I go to bike nights and tried to get a taste for beer. I bought a 30 pack and just checked the date, Oct 2018. I have 8 bottles of liquor on my kitchen counter. The dust on it is thick. I'm glad you don't have a booze conflict in Ecuador. We don't know what conflicts I'm going to have with Ecuador yet. I keep telling myself, no place is perfect. Thanks for your reports on what may be a conflict for me in Ecuador.
You're welcome Jerry. Just keep that in mind, that no place is perfect and you'll be just fine.
Merry Christmas.
Don, love your priorities, but it’s so true when one retires your probably going to consume one or two more than the usual. Great subject, I like your sense of humor 😂🎅🏻🧑🏻🎄🎄
Hi Don. You crack me up...haha. I have considered moving to Manta, and you are the primary motivator for doing so. I will be visiting in the spring! Perhaps we can meet up and I will buy you a drink...or two. Merry Christmas, Don!
I'll be looking forward to it. I may not be living in Manta in the Spring but won't know for sure thill I get back from Cuenca next month. Either way, please keep in touch.
Finally, some important information! LOL. Thanks, was wondering about this......but I hate the price of Heineken there, so....I guess I would switch over to one of their domestic beers. The American whiskey seems high. Do they have whiskey made there or in South America?
If you like Heineken, you would probably like Pilsener.
Don, just curious if they have microbreweries in Ecuador? About wines 🍷 I hope they have Argentinian wines? I sure like their Malbec. Great video, we just realized Ecuador has close to everything we found in USA.
Don: I respectfully disagree with you on the beer. To me, Pilsner, Club, and Beila are weak, watered down versions of Budweiser. Terrible. (Of course, we should all drink what we like.)
There are several very good artesenal beers here -- here are four of my favorites::
Santa Rosa
Latitud Cero
Camino del Sol
Sabai
Check them out! You'll love them.
I'll do that. Thanks.
Merry Christmas Don. Thanks for the video and the humor. Looks like I won't be buying my beloved Jack Daniel's there, about 2x the US price.
30lb??? Humm, I didn't know South American math was different. 18 beers at 16oz each??? Maybe I just cut too many classes. Lol
You may be confusing fluid ounces and ounces of weight. 16 fl. oz. = 1.05lbs. (16.5 weight ounces) + ~9.07 weight ounces for the bottle = 25.57 weight ounces per bottle.
18 bottles * 25.57 weight ounces = 460.26 weight ounces / 16 = 28.766 lbs. + plus the weight of the cardboard case. So, pretty close to 30 lbs. *cheers*
Why does this have to be so complicated?
@@DDIII3 except these were aluminum cans so for 18 beers, closer to 20 lbs not 30. Still pretty heavy, esp. for older person.
If you're a beer drinker, it's too bad you left the country before sampling the new small batch Craft Beer, produced and recently released by Betty Crocker. It's called Piss Quick ! (Did I really say that?)
Yeah you did, I heard you. :-)
May you never have gout so that you may experience the joys of alcohol all the days of your life.
LOL. But seriously JP and Amelia stopped drinking alcohol to save money and because it didn't fit in with their super healthy lifestyle. Hope I can drop my wine habit by the time I get there. 😉
Wine is good for you. I'm going to drop the beer and stick with wine. I don't need to spend the money on the beer.
Ouch expensive
Oh it's pronounced Art Twaa
Hey Don, this is Solon from Houston and I have a couple of questions to ask: !) When you go to the Ecuador Manta Mall with the 12 theatre movies, what's the point of watching a movie if its all in Spanish language? How do you go to the movies and get around the Spanish so you can hear it in English? 2) The USA West coast has the Alaskan current which keeps California cooler and Seatle form freezing. Manta probably gets a breeze from the Pacific also, but in the Souther Hemisphere the breeze from the Eastern Atlantic onto Brazil etc. Does Manta stay cooler because of a westerly breeze like California?
Solon,
The theater in the Mall has regular English speaking movies and I believe they are on every Wed. I could be wrong about the dates because I simply don't go. I have all the movies I can stand here at home, can drink beer or wine, and make all kinds of noise if I want and don't have to worry about disrupting someone's experience. You know? Like the general public does in the states. Don't get me started on that rant.
I think the weather is cooler here in Manta not so much because of the wind flow as much as possibly because of the location being so near the equator. The on shore wind flow contributes, I'm sure to the cleaner air we have here.
I just heard that your Guberment is making it mandatory for everyone to get the jab. What do you know?
Yes, that’s what I saw in the news this morning.
Lol
Stop poisoning yourself Don. Much love xo
What a goofball... somehow endearing.
I gotta be me.