Post by kds on Jul 20, 2022 14:11:02 GMT
I started this thread since we have a Top Ten music thread, so this Top Ten thread is for anything else. Pop culture, movies, TV, sports, food, drinks, whatever comes to mind.
I'll get the ball rolling. I'm a beer drinker. While I've cut back quite a bit on beer this year, it's still my favorite adult beverage, but beers hit differently depending on the occasion. So, here are my top ten favorite beer "moments" I guess.
1. First Beer on Vacation - To me, nothing beats that first taste of golden nectar when on vacation. That first sip of freedom.
2. Lighting the Grill - I'm a charcoal guy, so grilling with charcoal is a little more of a process than propane. So, it gives me a chance to be outside with my Spotify and a beer or two. (I used to go through a six pack just while grilling, but I've slowed down). Cracking open a cold one at the moment when I light the coals, and tasting the beer as the air fills with the sweet smell of burning charcoal is just heavenly, especially in summer.
3. Post Mowing the Lawn - I actually never knew this pleasure until I got a house in the burbs. Prior to that, I had a manual mower, and it would take me 15-20 minutes tops to cut the little patch of grass I had. I'd barely break a sweat most times. But, now, with my gas powered mower, it's roughly a two hour job, sometimes longer if the grass gets a little high. The work is done, I'm sweaty. Time for a cold one. On a really hot day, I've found a radler or shandy works best.
4. Steamed Crabs - Unfortunately, the prices for steamed crabs in Maryland have been through the roof since COVID, so this one is more rare. But, nothing pairs better with some perfectly steamed blue crabs than a lighter lager or pilsner.
5. Date Night - I love my son, love him to death. But, the occasional date night is great too. It's usually dinner, and maybe a drink, which is a rare chance to be to get a cold draft.
6. Meeting Friends - As a parent of a toddler, in his 40s, whose best friends also have their own set of obligations that come with middle age, getting together with friends is even more rare than a date night. Having some draft beers, and laughing about old times, and just shooting the shit with buddies.
7. Saturday Night Deck Beer - When I drink beer now, when grilling or mowing the lawn are not involved, it's usually on Saturday nights (every other Sat in most cases). So, after a day of running errands, or finding something fun to do with the little man, and bathing him and getting him down, I'll retreat to the deck with a Spotify playlist (my wife takes this chance to watch a show that she knows I will not enjoy). That first beer just after 8pm when the day's duties are complete. Added bonus in the summer months when it's still light when I go on the deck.
8. First Seasonal Beer - The sure sign that the hot summer season, or the crisp fall (all three weeks of it that we get in Maryland), or that Christmas and winter are coming is that first taste of seasonal brew, be it a citrusy summer beer, a hearty winter ale, or my favorite, a Marzen for the fall (but not until frickin' October at least).
9. First Beer of the Year - For the last several years, I'll abstain from beer after New Year's Day, sticking with whiskey and wine. For some reason, I find it easier to avoid the high calorie beverage in the dead of winter. Probably due to the lack of sunshine that goes hand in hand with beer drinking. But, when mid March arrives, that first taste of beer since January is so, so good.
10. Baseball Game - I don't attend ballgames nearly as often as I used to, and it's approaching three years since I've attended one. So, going less often allows me the chance to spring for a beer or two while at the ballpark.
Honorable Mentions
Day Beer - I know I'd already mentioned the lighting the grill, post mow, or beers with friends, most of which occur prior to 5pm, making them "day beers." But, for some reason, any beer enjoyed in the daylight hours just feels different.
First Beer of the Weekend - This would've been in my top ten years ago, but it's extremely rare I have a beer on a Friday night anymore. But, back in the day, getting home on Friday night, and opening that first beer was something I looked forward to all week.
I'll get the ball rolling. I'm a beer drinker. While I've cut back quite a bit on beer this year, it's still my favorite adult beverage, but beers hit differently depending on the occasion. So, here are my top ten favorite beer "moments" I guess.
1. First Beer on Vacation - To me, nothing beats that first taste of golden nectar when on vacation. That first sip of freedom.
2. Lighting the Grill - I'm a charcoal guy, so grilling with charcoal is a little more of a process than propane. So, it gives me a chance to be outside with my Spotify and a beer or two. (I used to go through a six pack just while grilling, but I've slowed down). Cracking open a cold one at the moment when I light the coals, and tasting the beer as the air fills with the sweet smell of burning charcoal is just heavenly, especially in summer.
3. Post Mowing the Lawn - I actually never knew this pleasure until I got a house in the burbs. Prior to that, I had a manual mower, and it would take me 15-20 minutes tops to cut the little patch of grass I had. I'd barely break a sweat most times. But, now, with my gas powered mower, it's roughly a two hour job, sometimes longer if the grass gets a little high. The work is done, I'm sweaty. Time for a cold one. On a really hot day, I've found a radler or shandy works best.
4. Steamed Crabs - Unfortunately, the prices for steamed crabs in Maryland have been through the roof since COVID, so this one is more rare. But, nothing pairs better with some perfectly steamed blue crabs than a lighter lager or pilsner.
5. Date Night - I love my son, love him to death. But, the occasional date night is great too. It's usually dinner, and maybe a drink, which is a rare chance to be to get a cold draft.
6. Meeting Friends - As a parent of a toddler, in his 40s, whose best friends also have their own set of obligations that come with middle age, getting together with friends is even more rare than a date night. Having some draft beers, and laughing about old times, and just shooting the shit with buddies.
7. Saturday Night Deck Beer - When I drink beer now, when grilling or mowing the lawn are not involved, it's usually on Saturday nights (every other Sat in most cases). So, after a day of running errands, or finding something fun to do with the little man, and bathing him and getting him down, I'll retreat to the deck with a Spotify playlist (my wife takes this chance to watch a show that she knows I will not enjoy). That first beer just after 8pm when the day's duties are complete. Added bonus in the summer months when it's still light when I go on the deck.
8. First Seasonal Beer - The sure sign that the hot summer season, or the crisp fall (all three weeks of it that we get in Maryland), or that Christmas and winter are coming is that first taste of seasonal brew, be it a citrusy summer beer, a hearty winter ale, or my favorite, a Marzen for the fall (but not until frickin' October at least).
9. First Beer of the Year - For the last several years, I'll abstain from beer after New Year's Day, sticking with whiskey and wine. For some reason, I find it easier to avoid the high calorie beverage in the dead of winter. Probably due to the lack of sunshine that goes hand in hand with beer drinking. But, when mid March arrives, that first taste of beer since January is so, so good.
10. Baseball Game - I don't attend ballgames nearly as often as I used to, and it's approaching three years since I've attended one. So, going less often allows me the chance to spring for a beer or two while at the ballpark.
Honorable Mentions
Day Beer - I know I'd already mentioned the lighting the grill, post mow, or beers with friends, most of which occur prior to 5pm, making them "day beers." But, for some reason, any beer enjoyed in the daylight hours just feels different.
First Beer of the Weekend - This would've been in my top ten years ago, but it's extremely rare I have a beer on a Friday night anymore. But, back in the day, getting home on Friday night, and opening that first beer was something I looked forward to all week.