While surfing the Internet recently, I discovered some info that made my heart thump with joy.
In five simple, one-syllable words, here's the gist of it:
Beer Is Good For You!
I suspected as much all along, mainly because I enjoy drinking beer. It's been that way since high school, through college, after-hours socializing, and after I finish up with lawn chores on a hot day.
My wife, who happens to be an inveterate wine sipper, enjoys a nice, cold one after a few hours of weeding through the flower beds. Even my oncologist, Dr. Mike, grudgingly agrees that drinking beer -- as he likes to put it "in moderation" -- has some medicinal benefit although he is partial to Merlot and Shiraz (what else would you expect from a guy who tools around town in a high-end Porche.)
Back in time, and I'm talking about the late 1960s here, choices were pretty much limited to national brands like Budweiser, Miller High Life, Schlitz, and Pabst Blue Ribbon. We also threw down a few cases of Narraganset Lager Beer, a regional favorite brewed in Cranston, RI and which was poured at Red Sox games in Fenway Park.
If we were really, really desperate (read: nearly-broke) we resorted to drinking Ballantine Ale, Rhinegold, Genesee Cream Ale, Blatz, or Carling Black Label, a coven of truly skunky brews that sold for about a buck a six-pack below the national brands.
Finally, there was (and still is) Iron City Beer. It's no wonder everyone I know that hails from Pittsburgh is so tough. You had to be tough to drink that stuff.
Fast-forwarding to present times, I find myself in Beer Drinker's Heaven. I think the Genesis can be traced to a few years ago when InBev, the Belgian/Brazilian conglomerate, bought Anheuser-Busch. the makers of Bud. InBev began introducing a whole new range of beer/ale products such as Shock-Top and a slew of new tastes from Michelob, to the American market.
To remain competitive, Coors brought out their excellent Blue Moon line of beer and dropped the price per six-pack on another fine brew, Killian's Irish Red.
The new and refreshing concept of "different tastes for different folks" ignited a profound interest in micro-brews such as Shipyard Lager (from Portland, Maine) and a handful of regional treasures like Long Trail Ale, Otter Creek ale and Magic Hat IPA (from Vermont) and Anchor Steam (from San Francisco). Sam Adams' line is also very tasty even though they brew most of it in Pennsylvania.
One certainly pays a bit more for these brands, but the added cost is well worth the high-quality and fine taste these beers deliver. Besides which, supporting microbrews and regional beers sustains several local economies, plus it supports companies that pay their brewing folks family-supporting wages.
Put simply, old -fashioned competition between the brewmeisters has presented me with a delightful dilemma as I wind my way down the cooler aisle in the grocers'.
Will it be Long Trail, Sam Adams, Magic Hat, or Shipyard?
For the time being, I'll hang in there with Shipyard. Next month, maybe Long Trail.
Yes, indeed, beer is good!
This comes courtesy of Mr. Wu:
ReplyDeleteIn Maine, and while still in the ins biz...I insured a micro brewer nmed Andy Hazen. He produced a great beer.."Andy's Pale Ale" was my pick, and the label was a picture of his two golden retrievers. He was able to put out enough product to have on the shelves of the local supermarket, called "Shop & Save" almost Stop & Shop, but not. Anyway he did this in his residence.....you had to see it to believe it."