Tuesday 19 October 2010

That special beer relationship.

It has been noted in another place that my blog has been lacking in certain commodities. So since this is my 50th blog here on Blogger, it might be a good time to look back and see if this is indeed right. So I have engaged the finest statisticians available to me (that’s me and my O grade arithmetic – quite a good pass if I may say so even if it is 29 years old) to produce the following survey.


What can we learn from this survey? Well, with tea appearing in nearly 1 in 3 blogs, I don't think that I've been negligent at all on that front. I don't myself count pies as wholly necessary to a blog, which may be why they appear least. Cake, hmmm, right, there's definitely not enough cake, but we only just managed to finish Dad's 70th birthday cake last night and I'm just not ready to type about cake again yet. Which leaves beer, also rather lacking, so lets try and rectify things a bit in here.

"Do you fancy a pint, Sandy", I says to myself last Thursday. "Don't mind if I do, since you ask so nicely", replys me, so off we, err..I went to Masonic Arms which is probably the best pub in town and treated myself to 20 fluid ounces of the guest ale, Three Sisters -  a jolly acceptable concoction from the Atlas Brewery up in the Northern reaches of Argyll. Not only does the Masonic keep a guest real ale on a good old hand pulled tap (a terrible rarity here abouts) but it has a fridge stocked with bottles of beer from around the World and keeps a beer menu. Have a peruse for yourself.




While tippling away at the Tree Sisters, it stuck me that there was a familiarity about the Goose Island 312 beer, and then I remembered, so I though that it was my duty to international relations that I bought a bottle. It honestly tastes much better than it photographs in low light condition in the pub on a camera phone.


Ever since Maggie and Ronnie ran our respective countries, there has been occasional talk on the telly of a special relationship between Britain and America. Personally, international politics tends to be outside my normal concern, and certainly for blogging purposes, and quite frankly these were politicians separated from me by a generation gap (perhaps even 2). But now we have a prime minister who is younger than me and earlier in the year proved his blokey credentials, as well as Mr Obama's, by betting a bottle of his favorite beer on the result of the USA and England football match. As it happens, the match was a draw, so the two premiers decided to swap bottles at the G20 conference. David chose a bottle of Hobgoblin, which is an excellent beer and has been mentioned in blogs before by me. Barack choose a bottle of Goose Islands 312 beer - Well done lads, keep up this standard of diplomacy.






16 comments:

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

Good grief, I cannot believe they have Corona on there for one of their Mexican beers. About the worse choice possible. Negra Modelo tops all popular Mexican beer. Loved your graph. In my later years my tea rating has become much higher than beer just like as reflected in your graph. I'll have a spot of tea over a beer most any day. Odd, who would have thought?

Sandy's witterings said...

Corona is the common mexican imported beer over here - not really my thing either (probably brewed under license somewhere in England - just like Budweiser or Fosters). They quite often change the menu - depends on what they can get - once had something from the Flying Dog brewery in the US - could be the best foreign beer I've ever tasted.
With you on the tea front - I never wake up in the morning thinking that I need a beer (not yet anyway)

Hadriana's Treasures said...

You've made me feel like going out to a pub and having a beer. Well reading your blog has made me feel that I've come close to it!

Better put the kids to bed and dream of those beers! ;)

Anonymous said...

Reading this blog has gone and put me in the mood for visiting a pub too.
A good old Nukey Brown would go down rather well, i think.

Have you ever come across the Hobgoblins Groove ?

Sandy's witterings said...

Hadrianna and Poppy - I seem to be making people thirsty - I wonder if a brewery would pay me to keep writing blogs like this.
Just going off to surf Hobgoblins groove right now.

The Glebe Blog said...

Do you remember the days when you could only get a good Guinness in the Emerald Isle.
Cold draught Guinness nowadays goes down a treat.

Sandy's witterings said...

I've only been to Ireland once where I had the most wonderful pint of Guinness in a delightful pub (across the road their Guinness was very average (Scottish even)so perfection is obviously not everywhere over there)

Unknown said...

Hi Sandy, it's me again. Reading this has got me all craving for a beer. Sigh, maybe I can add it into my recovery program. :P Anyways, I've tagged your blog as Blog-A-Licious! Please collect your blog-a-licious 'badge' from http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/p/blog-licious.html
Cheers - Dora http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/

Sultan said...

The goose Island brewery is near me, which reminds of the importance of the sacred brewery tour!

Curiosity Anne said...

Cheers, great 50th blog. Took little sips and enjoyed, better than downing all in one!

Anonymous said...

I was always partial to Pabst Blue Ribbon, in my youth---and Stroh's (it's "fire-brewed" you know). Lowenbrau Dark was preferred beer around this time of year. And I always liked Whitbread's on special occasions. Being an import it was somewhat pricier but I loved it.

Sandy's witterings said...

Thank you Pandora - my first badge.

Laoch - now that seems like a fine way to spend and afternoon. I still aim to fit a pilgrimage in for a trip to Wadsworth Brewery in Devizes sometime.

Hey Anne, howz you - Quite right - we'll have no binge blogging here.

Welcome Shadowcass - never heard of Pabst Blue Ribbon but from a quick visit to Wikipedia it looks like you might be swinging to the other end of the beer spectrum with bottles of Whitbread. But they do say good things about variety.

Unknown said...

loved that, cameron giving the boy a bottle of god's own brew, "thank god he did'nt give him a crate, he would of invaded the rest of the world" and as for the blog stat's think mine would be camper van/wild camping, art/music, beer, and pink floyd,

PS,, in the last blog i did spot a pair of boot's behined the little dog, how long have you been wearing cuban heel's for "you tart" or was it the morning after a night on the hob gobling yourself. (slapper)

Sandy's witterings said...

When 12 year olds shout, "hey you down there", it's definately time for a little...mmm...altitude unhancement in the footwear department. It also helps to keep the beard out of puddles.

I should think that World conquest would be cancelled if he had an entire crate of Hobgoblin, and all effort would be put into a task force to anex a certain brewery in Oxfordshire. I see that Wychwood and Brakspear are one and the same people. Have you tried Brakspear Triple - wonderful sit down before you start beer - All hail!

Sandy's witterings said...

unhancement!! surely means exactly the opposite of what I meant to write.

Zia Wolf-Sun said...

Certainly any lacking in the commodity known as beer is no longer lacking and can be considered rectified!! A very fine analysis graph btw...always remember Tea can never be mentioned enough...and indeed should make an appearance in every blog you write...lol...however pies!! Lovely staple diet pies...hot ones, cold ones steak and kidney ones...they are definately lacking and need to feature with far greater frequency :) They are very necessary to a blog! :)