By Bailey
I’ve just come back from a stag weekend. It’s fair to say they’re not my natural environment — I’m too introverted and uptight to really let loose — but this one was fun. At the end, traveling back to Penzance with a disgusting hangover, I realised something: I hadn’t thought about beer all weekend.
Of course, I drank plenty. Heineken from a mini-keg; canned Kronenbourg 1664; even a few very welcome pints of real ale in cosy country pubs. But I wasn’t in charge of the beer or where we drank it, and simply went with the flow.
In fact, refusing to drink what was shoved into my hand, or insisting on one pub over another, would have been a serious social misstep. The point of a weekend like this is for everyone to bond through shared experiences. If any individual should be the centre of attention, it’s the stag or hen, not the prima donna with the sensitive palate demanding special treatment.
Drinking a few dodgy lagers didn’t kill me and, anyway, just as we’ve always found on holiday, they taste better in the right context.
Aside: at one point, I was asked to recommend a hoppy beer in a pub. I didn’t recognise any of them and asked the landlord for advice. He shrugged. “Don’t ask me, mate.” Crap, right?
4 replies on “It’s not always about you”
Well said, although with my mate, Nick’s stag 4 years ago I got to provide the beer… 🙂
The ‘Hoopy Mary’ is the single most impressive drink I’ve heard of for a long time. Nothing exemplifies the creative spirit and ingenuity of this green and pleasant land more than a tomato juice substitute.
Do you have any hot sauce to put in it?
The secret’s out now you’ve published the recipe (I guess the hoops are kept out of the finished drink, or is that to taste?) They’ll be serving them at Almost Famous by the end of the week. Inna jamjar.
This is a story we can all learn from!
Sometimes we end up being so pretentious trying to advocate for Craft Beer that we forget that it’s all about the people!
As you pointed out, you can really get on people’s nerves by being a beer snob when you’re just having a good time!
Will I ALWAYS take Craft over mass produced swill? YES! Will I drink swill when out having a good time? YOU BET!
Great little story here! Thanks for sharing!
~Cheers!