Tonight is the Show That Cannot Be Named, otherwise know as: If This Show Does Not Get Shut Down By Cops Then Funcastle Will Live Forever.I'm gonna post from the heart, guys. I can see that it rubs people the wrong way when I make stabs at non craft brew in the interest of amusing myself or trying to make you laugh. If you know me, you know that you have seen me drink countless bladderloads of non-craft beer. I love Sacramento Treats, I love ice cold Tecate and High Life. I drink mass-produced beer like Alaskan Pale Ale and Anchor Steam, and it can be delicious. I am trying to share my love of beer with you, and I am really getting a lot of flack. I see you don't like my attitude about it, but I think it really is similar to DB making fun of crap like Medea's In Jail or whatever. Does anyone accuse him of being a snob for that?
I know you're kind of joking, but it's just not the kind of comments I get if I post about wine or food or movies or bands or lots of other topics. I think it's cool for anyone to get into anything and have some standards about it whether it's records or wine or collecting 1860s silverware. Right? So are you going to keep busting my chops?
One day, someone will do a version of "Harold and Kumar Go Up in Smoke with the Super Troopers" only it will be about nettles and escargot centered around the correct wine choice for the above and then I'll be back -- busting chops is my talent.
ReplyDeleteI like good brew but know nothing about it. When it's summer in Sac and 110, I'd just as soon have a partially frozen ice cold cheap beer from the ice chest from Primos.
Partially frozen? Frozen solid or nothing! Beer snob.
ReplyDelete-miller
One difference between beer aficionadodom and having strong opinions about movies, say, is that it costs the same amount (or less) to watch the Searchers, say, than it does to watch Medea's in Jail, but it costs much more to drink the latest super-limited production russian river semi-sour brew than it does to drink Milwaukee's Ice (do they still make that?).
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, production costs are more or less backwards in the movie business; the more you spend making it, the shittier it tends to be. That's not the case for beer.
A third point: everyone spends more than they have to on something: bikes, stereos, silverware, whatever. But it seems some people are made more uncomfortable by the idea of paying more than necessary for comestibles. I'm not sure why that is.
Ya know beer is funny, brew has a wide variety of qualities and tastes but it has been an essentialy working class drink in America. Consequently putting down cheaper brews feels like putting down peole who can only afford to drink cheaper brews (of course the whole point of the post was how sweet $2 quality brews are at Pete's). Actuallly you didn't even really put down cheap brew, just posted about higher quality brew. I bet if you posted the thing about not diggin cold glasses in the Fall or Winter everybody would've agreed heartily. Heat does funny things man.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I wasn't too stoked on being told I aughtn't have an opinion on beer at all, didn't make any sense to tell someone there opinion is invalid because they drink less. Plus Belgians are what finally pushed me over the edge into liking brew! But I think we all agree brew rulz, and love of brew comes in many forms, cold glasses, room temprarure glasses, glasses ful of ice, we can enjoy brew in all these ways, together!
Tonight I will select some of the fine brews at the new A&P, did you know they have a huge selection of brew from around the world now? Should work well wih the Mayyors and doobs.
After the Mayyors pass out free non craft brews before their set tonight, everyone should shotgun it. We forgot to have a shotgun party on the May anniversary of "Shotgun Heard Around the World", so this strikes me as a good occasion.
ReplyDeleteWell put DP.
ReplyDeleteAs Doug Biggert often says, (quoting be Franklin), "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
ReplyDelete-omf
That post below was an email I sent Heckasac & wasn't intended as a post. I keep putting off writing beer stuff on here because I don't really enjoy it so Becky tricked me in to a post! Anyway, I always feel like I sound pretentious when I write about beer & I worry that I'll get all the facts wrong & I assume most of my friends will just kid with me about it anyway. I've been really in to good beer for a while now & it's made my life better & I love talking with people about it who are interested. But writing about it? Not that fun. The thing about beer is that it will forever be linked with "the common man" or whatever & people will always read snobbishness in to anything you write about more artisinal beer. I mean, somehow DP came away from this thinking people who can only afford to drink cheap beer have been put down in some way!
ReplyDeleteAs for me saying that Pete's beer is too cold, it is! Everyone I've gone there with has said the same thing. They're intentionally serving flavorful beer & should not be freezing all the taste out. I don't have that complaint about any other bar in town.
Have you ever gotten soup at a restaurant that was too hot? Doesn't mean you don't like hot soup.
-miller
I for one was just breaking balls. Everyone else was a jerk!
ReplyDeleteAlso, people frequently accuse me of snobbery. My mom does it all the time.
At any rate, doesn't my running this bit into the ground validate it on some level? I would never run an unfunny bit into the ground. Never! Remember Madame Tutly-Putly? I could see that bit wasn't working from the start and quickly eliminated it.
I'll never forget Madame Wutly Putly, she was an inspiration to me personally and professionaly!
ReplyDeleteScott, I explicitly stated that your post was not putting down people that drink cheap beer. It was about this awesome good brew they have at Pete's for $2. Right? I was trying to respond to today's post in a forthright and honest manner, namely everybody likes beer, all different kinds of beer. Nobody thinks there is anything wrong with craft brews, or room temp glasses, they're great, everyone knows this, hence the good natured ribbing. Perhaps the folks were getting riled up by oddly deffensive posts. Remeber when I was told I shouldn't even have an opinion? That was strange.
PS: I love you and your wonderfull collection of brews!
I was going to throw down a quote from Ben Franklin, but omf beat me to it. Long live brew -- non- crafty or the crafty
ReplyDelete-erik
Anyone want to put up me, Mitch, & The Hunches tonight?
ReplyDelete-- Patrone
...so maybe Franklin was actually talking about wine?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.beerinfood.com/Franklin.html
-Erik
Oh yeah: 415-889-3400. Come on, you know you miss me...
ReplyDelete-- Patrone
my mom is still in the guest room, but if mitch doesn't mind bunking with my mom....
ReplyDeleteLet's just say that, after I finish the one about the frozen can of Hamm's that I ate with a spoon, there probably won't be any more Beer Appreciation posts. I mean, if "it's all good" what's the point of writing about it right?
ReplyDelete-miller
It's not all good. And Pete's beer and glasses are too cold. You can't even taste it until you burp.
ReplyDeleteOh by the way Miller, I just dropped $215 at Monument last Sunday. Hurry up before I come to my senses.
They had the Consecration Batch 2 for $17. I bought one, but I ended up giving it to my dad.
this is a quote from Eric Asimov's column today about good beer bars in NYC:
ReplyDeletePopular culture treats beer as the antithesis of stuffy pretension. Beer has spent so long as the everyman’s answer to snobby wine that investing it with serious appreciation and serious context is possibly too much to ask.
I get frustrated that every single thing written about beer has to contain statements like this so that the writer does not get accused of snobbery.
I really need to get to Monument Liquor!
ReplyDelete-miller
Yeah you do. I just went to buy up their whole Cantillon catalogue.
ReplyDeleteI picked up a couple of the Gueuze, a Kriek, Rosé de Gambrinus, Grand Cru Bruocsella, Iris and Vigneronne.
They had a couple more, but I was already overbudget*.
*overbudget part added in as not to be accused of snobbery.
Did they have any Jolly Pumpkin brews?? Fuck, I want to go right now!
ReplyDelete-miller
"A third point: everyone spends more than they have to on something: bikes, stereos, silverware, whatever. But it seems some people are made more uncomfortable by the idea of paying more than necessary for comestibles. I'm not sure why that is."
ReplyDeleteI agree with this person. It's long been a pet peeve of mine that people with Tivo and mall-bought clothing aren't considered extravagant, but I am because I spend my money on pricier wine and food.
-mh
Although as DP and Miller have both pointed out, this post wasn't about cheap versus expensive beer. It was about beer that may or may not have been served too cold.
ReplyDelete-mh
I didn't notice. But I was in a hurry and knew pretty well what I was going for.
ReplyDeleteMy focus is pretty narrow right now. I'm really stuck on Fantôme and Cantillon. Though, my favorite available locally is the Gueuze Fond Tradition, at Corti's.
The impression of snobbery is not created by talking/writing positively about the more expensive or esoteric stuff. It is created by the (real or imagined) negative criticism of the cheaper or more common stuff. Comparing cheaper, common beers to Medea's in Jail or mall-bought clothing sounds snobby, even when that's not the intention. Stay on the positive tip.
ReplyDeleteScott P.,
ReplyDeleteI think you misunderstood me. I was comparing mall-bought clothing to expensive beer and wine. As in splurging on expensive mall-bought clothing versus the inexpensive secondhand clothes that I buy for myself (in part to free up money in the budget for the food and wine that I like).
But I do agree that keeping things on the positive is a good idea.
-mh
Pitchfork review of Ganglians records
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't have to stay on the positive tip. Everything is not all good. That's not my perspective on things. If you want an "it's all good" website or mag, there are a few Sacramento-based ones around. I would love to be a Rubicon booster if I liked their beer better. I like hanging there when they have good guest taps, and it's a super Sac-style place so of course I love that. Blue Moon bugs me because of its ubiquity, not because it's totally terrible, just because there are better beers that could fill that same purpose on a tap for a refreshing, light beer. I feel like the criticism of Blue Moon is what really rubbed people the wrong way, but come on, it's brewed by Coors! Monkey Knife Fight bugs me because the name is stupid and the stupid name is half the reason that a bunch of places around town, like Dad's Kitchen, serves it, when they could be selling better beer.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, last night I drank two Modelo Especials and a Budweiser.
I completely agree that everything is not all good. But you can spend your time talking about what is good, or you can spend your time talking about what is bad. That is your choice. I suggested focusing on the positive stuff as a way to avoid getting your chops busted. You can write about great beer without even mentioning other beer at all. Or you can write about stuff you don't like, and get hassled by people you offend. That is up to you. You do not get to choose how other people react to what you write. That is their/our choice.
ReplyDeleteI'd say the point of a blog is to express your opinions. Tell it like you see beckler.
ReplyDeleteAlthough everyone obviously has the right to express any opinion they want at any time, there is not perfect parity between attacks on Blue Moon and attacks on Blue Moon haters. In the first case, you might hurt the feelings of the Molson Coors Brewing Company; in the second case, you might hurt the feelings of an actual person.
ReplyDeleteCriticism is a valuable social resource, and attacks on (or chops-busting of) critics discourage them from doing their important work for society.
We have a winner for weird comment of the week!
ReplyDelete-miller
If you don't let people know what you don't like then what's the point of letting them know what you do like?
ReplyDeleteI think you need to know both sides to formulate how to take a reviewers opinion.
When I'm stuck somewhere and have only Sacramento Magazine to flip through, I always think "Man, this magazine sucks. All the reviews are positive and I know they've been to places they don't like".
I still want to read Smiller's account of "Eating a Frozen Hamms with a Spoon" even though I've done that myself.
When I first met Mike R Mike I went over to his house & the only beer he had was a tall can of the Rainier green (aka the foulest beer ever) that had been left in the freezer overnight. We cut it open & ate it with a spoon. So gross! The alcohol had kinda separated from the water so certain bites were total rubbing alcohol. I don't even think we finished it. There aren't many brews that can't be taken out by a tag team of me & Mike.
ReplyDelete-miller
Wow - you made your very own Rainier Ice beer!
ReplyDeleteI've had 2 beers worse than Rainier. One was called Maxx that was $3 for a case (early 90s) and the other was 3in1 or something named close to that. It was a French beer that had frankincense or myrrh in it. Marketed as "a beer for lovers" on clearance when the Sacto Liquor Barn went under.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived at 605, Hal or Jim found a place that had a sixer of Pabst with the pull tabs. Even that 15 year old beer was better than that French beer. It has inspired me to always order French beer when it's an option to see if I can find one as bad. I haven't yet but I'll keep trying.
Totally forgot about Maxx!!
ReplyDelete-miller
I remember Beer For Lovers. The only way to make it palatable was to add some of the pull-tab pabst to it. Even then, it was *barely* palatable. Maxx was pretty terrible. I don't know if it was as bad or equal to regal select or weideman's.
ReplyDeleteWhat is interesting to me is that beer was not always a "working man's" drink. In England, during the Age of Gin, beer would cost 5p while gin cost a half-pence, so beer was the gentlemen's drink. And here in the US, at the same time, beer didn't travel as well as whiskey. Took a lot of settling and planting crops for beer to get a foothold here. Now, I will shut up.
Ed
wow, maxx. i had a roommate back in 94 who would say "it's time to get my mack on with my maxx on," words which were usually spoken before 10:30am. that shit was terrible although i think a twelver of it was less than $4 at the Peace Market.
ReplyDeleteYou paid $4 for a half-rack? Man, did Peace rip you off! You should go back there right now and demand a dollar back! I'm sure since it's Maxx, they'll understand.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe they have an open stale can of Steel Reserve that's been sitting around for 12 years that they can clean the mold out of by pouring it through a bum's underwear. Still better than Maxx so you come out ahead!
"less than $4." i don't remember the exact price but i do know we once bought a twelve pack with the change we found in the couch after a party.
ReplyDeletecaptcha = aroit, as in that shit was cheap aroit!