Is Nothing Sacred Anymore?

I tend to think of myself as a pretty forward-looking guy. Sure, I can talk about "the good old days" with the best of them, but when you get right down to it, in a lot of ways the good old days sucked. I don't know about you, but I kinda like the Internet, Direct TV, DVDs, MRIs, GPS, and all the other wonderful stuff we have today that we didn't have when I was a kid. So I'd hardly say I'm a reactionary who opposes all change.

But some things just rub a man's rhubarb...

Case in point, the following news item:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8217775.stm

My first reaction on reading that that British government was considering banning pint glasses was that it had to be a joke. Once I realized that they were serious, I got angry. The British pub is one of those icons sacred to all lovers of good beer and the various British governments over the last half century have been doing their level best to kill it, via one wrong-headed means or another. There's not much I can do about it as an American, other than wish our British cousins good luck in opposing this stupidity and be even more vigilant against our own crew of thieving, lying politicos when then decide to try some sort of similar foolishness on this side of the Atlantic.

And don't think they won't, either. When your health care is costing Uncle Sugar $, he just might have something to say about how much or what kind of substances you'll be allowed to consume. He who pays the piper calls the tune, and once the Feds take over health care, we'll all be dancing to their jig.

It reminds me of the old joke: A man is speaking to an attractive single lady who he would like to get to know better. Eventually in the course of the conversation, he asks her if she would sleep with him in exchange for $1 million. She thinks about it for a moment, then says that she would. Then he asks her if she would do it for $10. The lady becomes angry and says "What sort of a woman do you take me for." The man replies: "Well, we've already established that you're a whore. Now we are just negotiating your price."

Once you concede the principle, the rest is just a matter of degree. So they can have my pint glass when they pry it from my cold dead fingers...

Still, as I said before, not all change is bad. Like craft beer in cans; there's a change I can get behind! Specifically, Oskar Blues' Dale's Pale Ale, which I picked up a six-pack of at our local Fred Meyer's last weekend. Nicely hopped with Centennials, it poured a pretty copper color with a nice head. Since it was from a can, the 65 IBUs of hoppiness were perfectly fresh. At 6.5% ABV, you need to treat this pale ale with respect, but for me it would be a perfect beer to take on a fishing or camping trip to enjoy in the wonderful Alaskan outdoors. Like their Old Chub, about which I have waxed lyrical in the past, Dale's Pale Ale is a quality beer and an excellent value for your money.

Speaking of hoppy beers, I also picked up a bottle of Port Brewing Company's WipeOut IPA at Freddies. Their Old Viscosity had impressed me greatly when I tried it a few months ago, which is not surprising given that Brewmaster Tomme Arthur is one of the top regarded craft brewers in the US today. WipeOut does not disappoint. It's a big beer, weighing in at 7.0% ABV and is massively hopped with I believe six different varieties of hops, among them Simcoe, Summit, Amarillo, and Centennial. It was a nice honey-gold color and very fresh and clean on the palate. While hardy a session beer, it was still very drinkable and refreshing for its strength, so I plan to pick up more.

If you travels take you up Anchorage way, keep an eye out for Midnight Sun's re-release of Pride, an award winning brew from their Seven Deadly Sins series. If you missed it the first time around, don't miss it this time!

Until Next Time, Cheers!