Cover canine photo credit: Care.
Diligent readers may recall that I participate in a weekly podcast called The Pubcast, which originates at Donum Dei Brewery in New Albany. There isn’t an overarching theme to our discussions, although guests often are drawn from the food and drink trade, and beer talk regularly lands on the docket.
The Pubcast seems to have reinforced my lifelong propensity to wax outspoken, defined as “openly and honestly expressing strong opinions, regardless of whether they offend others,” although insofar as offensiveness is concerned, it should be noted that as this particular enfant terrible has aged, a profound process of mellowing has occurred.
This softening won’t ever be confused with “touchy feely” or Kumbaya, and yet these days the worse angels of my nature respond to leashing (lashing?) far better than they ever did before. On occasion, I can almost relax.
This is why it surprised me last week when the following words suddenly came flying from my Porter Hole during the podcast: “Man, I just %!@$&* hate Stella Artois.”
Mind you, I generally seek to refrain from this ugliest of words, “hate.” It strikes me as a juvenile, petulant and lazy way of speaking, given that words far less confrontational are freely available: “detest,” “reject,” “dismiss” and “consign to the raging fires of eternal damnation.”
Except that yes, it is true.
I really just %!@$&* hate Stella Artois.
The hatred is to be classified in the classical (not classist) sense of feeling “intense and passionate dislike” for a ubiquitous, simplistic, insipid, flavorless international poseur of a golden lager/pilsner beer, which is presented to us as the height of elegance and refinement ― and need I mention the inevitable modern faux aphrodisiac, “luxury”?
Hip Hops: Why are curated luxury beer lists so unremittingly mediocre?
Pfui. Stella Artois is mediocre, and (as usual) we’re being conned. However, I freely acknowledge an obligation to be understood, so I’ll explain to you exactly why I feel the way I do about Stella.
WARNING: if you’re a fan of this beer, it might be better to click over to the Bunny Bread homepage and learn how they bake it using...Read more
