When I established this blog I stated that I would only drink local beer. I went on to define local. I left so little room for wiggle that it would take a clintonian scholar to find a loophole. With the benefit of hindsight, I now feel that rather than a strict rule, beer locavorian principles are more guidelines. At times, it's important to use sound judgement and independent decision-making when applying these guidelines. Here's some examples:
1. It is very important not to be rude in the name of the locavore. For example, my friends Mika and Brett traveled from Tokyo to run the Boston Marathon. They had several stops along the way--visiting the west coast and the great plains of Canada. They lugged 6 beers and a beautiful drinking glass from Tokyo to give me as a wonderful and thoughtful gift. Under normal circumstances I would summon the inner strength and just admire my favorite beer rather than drink it. But in this case, that would've been rude, so I drank it, locavore be damned. It would've rude not to.
2. Don't reward the producers of bad beer. Example: you are in Philadelphia, in a wonderful Belgian Beer bar. Your hosts have made a special trip because they know you like quality beer. There is Bud Light on the menu, and it squeaks in to the hundred mile radius. Why reward A-B for permeating even the best of the local taverns and pushing bad beer? Order the Trappist Tripel and enjoy.
I'm sure I will discover more exceptions to the basic rules...er, guidelines as I hit the road again this week. I will amend as necessary.
6 comments:
I guess my eyes suck too; I thought there was a connection between yoni yoni beer and "clitorian scholar."
Wrong in so many ways...
Here's to the shift to "Guidelines!"
Shift to Guinness? Oh, wait, my eyes do suck.
I appreciate the toast: "To Guidelines!", thanks.
There are a couple of spelling errors in you comments that merit correction. The wonderful Japanese beer is "Yona Yona" not Yoni Yoni". The meaning is roughly: all night, every night. It's also a good idea to sneak an "n" in the word that describes a type of scholar. I was reference wordsmiths not anatomical scholarly pursuits.
When you find yourself somewhere in, say, southern Virginia, hoisting a Dogfish 60 Min IPA, or an Anchor Steam someone brought you from CA, "To Guidelines" will be an appropriate toast. But if an Indian woman offers you a Yoni Yoni, you'd have to be a Clintonian scholar to make the same toast...
Yep, it would've been plain rude not to drink the Yona Yona.
I hope this shift to guidelines is not going to lead to a recurrence of the early April shambles. I've just finished catching up, and I have to say that through my heartache for the pain you had to endure, both in the process of committing the crime and enduring the punishment, I was also deeply, deeply disappointed. I really expected more of you Locavore, my man, and I am just not quite sure if you are yet ready for absolution. Your penance is to go out and drink your way through the entire Allagash range. Maybe then you'll be ready.
This weekend, I'll toast both guidelines and the Allagash range or river.
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