Booze in the News

Recently there have been several news stories involving various alcohols (and mixers) and it all culminates into a very special anniversary this weekend. 

• First we have “Why beer is the latest hope in fighting against cancer”. As a few of you know, I support Pints for Prostates and this story plays right into their wheelhouse. 
  
  Throw in that IPAs are also a favorite of mine, plus the group Alcohol Concern recommends 3-4 “Units” a day for me…and things are looking up in the world.
• But Vincent never went to no Burger King -“Burger King plans beer-selling Whopper Bar in South Beach”.  I will be in Miami when this taking place, so I will have to head down to SoBE and check it out….possibly with a review.  At $4.25 per beer though, that is a little steep, but if I order beer as part of a Whopper combo  its only $7.99 — roughly $2 more than the same combo meal with a Coke.  We’ll have to see how it goes….maybe it will make the food taste better..

• The next story up for grabs…. ”Scots 'drink 46 bottles of vodka'”.  The headline here is a bit misleading, and should read “Scots drink the equivalent of 46 bottles of vodka a year”. 
  
  The story itself is some “We drink to much because it is cheap” piece and really goes to show how the commies have infiltrated the media (the even use Vodka vs Scotch in an article about SCOTLAND).  Personally, if people want to drink it up….I say go for it.
• For a bit of the unusual - “No Bull:$200,000 in energy drinks stolen from Navy”.   Maybe they were going to ship them to Scotland for their “46 Bottles of Vodka” :P

     Actually, that is a shitload of mixer, and I really throw the

     story in here for two friends….I wonder if they will read 

     this and get the joke.

• Only in Sweden – “Students stage beer pipeline protest”.  Does it really need further comment?
• And FINALLY….This Weekend, the Beer Can celebrates it’s 75th Birthday.  Wow.  Something we take for granted today sounds like it had a rough start.  There is even a blurb HERE  on the History Channel (at the end of the video).  Krueger’s Finest Beer started everything rolling after Prohibition, and I don’t believe the Beer Industry has looked back since.  If it wasn’t for Krueger’s, then we never would have evolved to Guinnes with the Widget….and what a sad place the world would be then. 

 

So, I hope you enjoyed the reading and I look forward to the next blog post. 

Raise a toast to the Beer Can with me this weekend and be safe.

Cheers

The Green Goose

WOW.

I just saw the Green Goose Facebook page and followed a link to the Goose’s Website.

It’s hard to believe that the Goose has been (and still is) open for 25 years.

So many memories…..so much money spent.

The Goose in Ansbach

• Buckets
• Goose Cards
• Scott asking the legless girl to dance
• Bitch Boxing
• Glenn’s run in with the Polizie
• Last Beer in Germany (the first time) with Scott and MPs taking away our fest mugs
• Before going to the Gulf
• Coming back from the Gulf
• Heavy Metal Madmen
• Trough Urinals
• 4x4 Dance floor
• MORE Buckets
• Pubes in a beer
• Shots of water
• More Homeless
• Do you have blankets?

The Goose in Nuremburg

• Jeremy’s first night
• More Homeless
• Finding Shaw (Shaw is the Devil)
• Buckets
• NYs with Jim and Gary (who thought it was a dump)
• Great Music
• Falling down the stairs
• Being drug UP the stairs
• The cubbies in the back
• Tinnitus
• Roses
• Fights on the street

I could go on and on….the Goose was such a special place, not just me for me….but 1000’s of American’s who were looking for some great music, buckets of booze and a little bit of Americana.

I don’t know if the one in Ansbach is still open (I can’t find if it is), but the Nuremburg is….and is definitely worth the trip. 

For those of you who’ve been…post your stories below.

Moving Day

So, TommyG from over at Days of Booze has finally decided to step up in the world and move from JC to Columbia MO.

I knew I was doomed when I got the Facebook Message “Can I bribe you?”.  I should have just ignored it….especially since I helped him move last time.  But, instead (being the good friend and brother) I said sure.

TG was to pick me up after getting the UHaul, and we agreed it would be at the off ramp here in Ashland (Tommy didnt want to drive the UHaul more than he had to). 

Since I was looking particularly scruffy that day (decked out in days old beard, hunters orange ball cap and my ND Jacket that I have had for 10 years), coupled with TG’s joke about “Rules of the Road”, I decided to get us some MALT LIQUOR to start the day.

How little did I realize what a mistake that was.

The two I chose to kick us off with, SPARKS and Jungle JOOSE.

The SPARKS was particularly attractive in it’s 4-Can, un-environmentally safe plastic ring configuration.  At $4.25 (Gas Station Prices) for 4x16oz of Premium Malt Beveragey Goodness….how could we go wrong?

The Jungle JOOSE had a really cool can, and held promise of 9.9 ABV, taurine, ginseng and “certified colors”…PLUS CAFFINE!?!?!?!  Could this be my coffee replacement?

TG and Rex picked me up at the appointed spot (with me holding a brown paper bag) right on time.  The only thing I want to say about the trip to his house is that one of the “Rules of the Road”….is we don’t talk about the “Rules of the Road”.

Upon surveying what needed to be done, we decide to try the SPARKS and have a drink before we started.

Rex and I each had one, while others there politely declined (“Ewwww…I can smell it from here”).

How did it taste?  I can honestly say it was one of the worst drinks I have ever bought.  Sweet Tarts, Antifreeze and grain alcohol would be a pretty good description.  In fact, if I mixed those together myself, it would probably taste better.

Rex (who I’ve never seen turn down a drink in his life) only drank one (since he started it) and could drink no more.  The mighty Rex had fallen.  In fact, throughout the day, Rex would double over and comment on how shitty the stuff made him feel.

Meanwhile, Tom cracked open the Jungle Joose and took one sip….only to put it down and say “Enough”.  His review can be found HERE.

Since nobody else would drink the SPARKS (or touch the can for that matter), I finished the rest of the 4 Pack (it was paid for and it WAS Booze).  Actually, it got better the more of a buzz I got….but I would never try to choke down another one again. 

I tried the Jungle Joose as well….only to think TG has snuck some CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP GIN, mixed with stale, out of date Red Bull and cat piss into the can without me noticing.   Holy Crap was it awful. 

Needless to say, I went zero for two on my picks….but hey, I was the Homeless Schlep picked up at the onramp….what can you expect.

In the end though…..TG was successfully moved (with me only pissing off D 4 or 5 times)and now he OWES me.  Also, he couldn't resist a little SPARKS once we were loaded up and heading to Columbia, especially once he was behind the wheel or the UHaul. 

 

I love Camera Phones.

Dinner and Booze

 

One of the “Problems” with New Year’s Eve is all the left over booze. 

Now if it is beer or liquor, no worries….just set them up and I’ll knock them down.  But what do you do with the leftover Champagne?

This year at the bonfire, the Champagne of choice was Barefoot Bubbly, of which my favorite was the Brut Cuvee.

The Brut Cuvee was the 2009 Gold Medal Winner in the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition and is a really good DRY Champagne with a classic nose and a great aftertaste of green apples.  I have no idea how much it cost (Debi bought) and I didn’t drink any on NYE because I was pulling a Charlie long before midnight.  However, I had some later and I really enjoyed it.

Now, back to the originally posed question, what to do with it.  It seems odd to just sit down and drink a bottle of Champagne……well, that is if you are not in Germany (where they call it Sekt) or at a strip bar (where it costs you $150 for a little bottle).  How about cook with it?

I found an interesting recipe online and decided to give it a go…

Pork Chops in Creamy Champagne Sauce with Rustic Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 medium red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered
• 4 peeled garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 pork loin chops (about 5 ounces each)
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 cup sparkling wine or dry Champagne
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk

Directions

Place potatoes and garlic in a medium saucepan and pour over enough water to cover. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook 8 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and return potatoes and garlic to pan. Add sour cream and mash until almost smooth (or lumpy if desired). Stir in parsley and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and black pepper and add to hot pan. Cook 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove pork from pan and set aside. To the same pan, add shallots and cook 2 minutes, until soft. Add thyme and tarragon and cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Add sparkling wine and cook 1 minute. Whisk flour into milk and add to pan. Return pork to pan and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, until pork is cooked through and sauce thickens. Serve 4 pork chops with all of the sauce and mashed potatoes. Reserve remaining pork for rice.

 

My Personal critique of this one -

Flavors were great.  Everything meshed well, even the steamed asparagus that I threw in myself. 

Everything else I did exactly as called for in the recipe.  So there were a few problems. 

• The mashed potatoes were a little firmer than I liked, so next time….more milk/sour cream.
• The sauce was thicker too.  This could be rectified by more champagne.
• Debi doesn't like Tarragon.  Oh Well.

Aside from that, I thought the food was good and I would definitely make this again.  We still have 3 bottles left :)

Public Service Announcement

My favorite beer is Guinness and I'm joining the Pints for Prostates campaign in using the universal language of beer to reach men with an important health message. Prostate Cancer. No Joke. Get Tested.

This Day in History – Jan 11 1964

The US Surgeon General warns against smoking for the first time.

Wow, 5 years before I was born…the Surgeon General began it’s warning crusade and yet today….smoking is still puffing along.

Great Job there, it’s working like a charm.

Here is a brief history of warnings on cigarette packs in the US -

• Caution: Cigarette Smoking May be Hazardous to Your Health (1966–1970)
• Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined that Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health (1970–1985)
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy. (1985-)
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health. (1985-)
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, And Low Birth Weight. (1985-)
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide. (1985-)

Who would have thought that when the Native Americans (he….can I take them to court for introducing the white man to this?) first brought tobacco to Columbus’ attention, which lead to its spread all over the world, that today we have to have labels telling is it is bad.

We KNOW it is. You and I know it, everybody knows it…yet, we still continue to smoke.

And do you know why? BECAUSE I CAN.

I grew up in a smoking family. My father was born and raised on a tobacco farm and both my parents smoked well into advanced age.

I had a brief foray into cigarettes when I joined the Army (Smoke’m if you got’m), but I let that pass as a fad.

I wasn’t “Hooked” or “Addicted”. I could and did quit when I wanted to.

But later in life, I picked up cigars because (like drinking), I ENJOYED them.

Even now, I could quit in a heartbeat….and have often debated on it based on the sin taxes levied against me.

But I choose not to, no matter what the naysayers say.

And who are the naysayers? I’m glad you asked.

The Surgeon General.

The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of Public Health in the federal government. The Surgeon General's office and staff are known as the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). He (She) hold the rank of Vice Admiral and is in command PHSCC, one of the seven uniformed branches of the military AND one of only two that has no enlisted personnel.

So, a “Uniformed Service” under the command of a “General” (who is actually an Admiral) which has no “working” force and is comprised entirely of officers.

To me that sounds like a cluster f***. Oh wait, after reading these warnings all those years, it’s apparent that it is.

Look, when stores have to label individual cigars, things have gone to far. The wasted manpower and resources to do this, so that people can ignore (which is what everyone does) the ridiculous labels, is insane. Mother’s continue to smoke while pregnant, under aged kids are not charged for breaking the law by smoking and the government wants to reallocate my wealth via taxes to “bolster” a broken healthcare system.

We know smoking is bad. We enjoy it. Get out of our lives and let us live it.

Today is the anniversary of Cigarette labels. Another attempt by the establishment to influence the people. Why can’t they just let us live happy lives?

Enjoy the day and Smoke’m if you Got’m

Count Duku Sings about Booze “Rocky Horror” Style

Ok, I’ve seen some weird stuff, but I never thought I would see this.

Christopher Lee is a villain called Mr. Midnight…who is trying to prevent the return of the alcoholic Captain Invincible , here by tempting him with a fully stocked bar.

Words escape me.

 

Has anyone ever seen the full movie?