Sunday, October 25, 2009

An Ode To Beer

Beer.

The very mention of it makes you roll your tongue. Thirst suddenly hits you.

Beer was the first alcoholic drink that I ever had. The thrill of breaking the "good boy's code" who don't drink was first broken when we had a swig from a glassful of beer.

We were in school then, and in our innocence, even a single glass of beer was equivalent to more than just a drink... it was an expression of freedom; of breaking the rules... of setting off and taking our very first steps towards manhood (something we'd seen our dads do) and that was... to have an drink. "That's how you know you're now a grown up... you can drink !!"

Ever since then, you've had the most amazing of memories associated with that magical drink. Of course, some other friends have joined mid-way; there's the rum & coke, there's the ill-fated "too many vodkas in one night", there's the whisky which you hated the taste of initially...

But there's always been beer... and thank goodness for that!!

Of your most special memories (since you turned 18, that is), quite a few are those when you held a tinted bottle of beer in your hand. There was that late Friday evening when you wished to greet the beginning of a weekend with a couple of pints at the local watering hole with your closest buddies, there was the fine silent night when you wished to drown the pain of being separated from your loved one with a bottle of the finest brewed and then there was the night when you celebrated with ordering for a bottle of beer for each of your friends.

There's also nationality involved here. On my recent trip to Goa, it was an Australian I met up with who loved his cricket and his "Foster's" (completely different matter that he was showering more heaps of praise on Bishen Singh Bedi than Shane Warne before we were through). And that is how we made friends...out of our love for beer. He loved his Foster's and I just would NOT give up praising my beloved Kingfisher.

You might love all the different types of liquor my friend, but if what you're looking for is a good ol' friend from your college times... someone like the first love you ever had... it's a bottle of beer that you're looking for.

9 comments:

Rakesh said...

well I started with Vodka..
got onto Beer just abt a year ago after I started visiting Mondegars with friends.. now I just can't stop..
Three Cheers to Beer!!!!!!!

ani said...

:) super jumbo beery hug!

and i know when it comes to u n me.. the fondest memory is that pint of bud on "the first night!" ;)

Kingfisher World said...

Lovely post!

Cheers,
Team Kingfisher

Raghu said...

Nice article.

My first encounter with beer was when I was a student in Calcutta. I asked my friends to initiate me into it. I thought I was committing a sin when I had the first glass - I will no longer be called a teetotaler, it was almost like changing my religion!

My frined told me "Hey, don't sip it like coffee! hold it for a few seconds, take it under your tongue, roll your tongue inside without people around noticing it, feel the good times, etc etc'

Yes, beer, I mean Kingfisher, does mean good times!

Suketu Talekar said...

Beautifully written!... When in Pune swing by our microbrewery and have pitcher on us as our guest :-)..It's always such a joy to meet kindred soul!!

Robert said...

I was just surfing the web and came across this. My first beer was Old Style which was popular in the Chicago USA area a while back. Now I like all kinds of beer, especially craft brews and IPAs. Thank you for your musings on beer!

Shekhar said...

rakuboy: Ahh.. Mondegar's. Another place I must visit soon. Btw, loved Leopold's.

motee: Ha ha. Never been a fan of Bud, but yeah, beer's beer!

Kingfisher World: Of course you'll say "Lovely Post".

Raghu: Hmm... changing religion. Yeah, kinda get you there.

The Alchemist: Whoa! What a profile name you have. :) Next stop, Pune !!

Robert: Hi Robert. Welcome and thanks for being on my blog. Hmm.. "Old Style". Haven't had that one. Yeah, looking forward to travelling the world and having different kinds of beer. Cheers!!

Faisal Al-Zaben said...

I'm Muslim.it's against my religion to drink alchol or eat pork or gamble.

Shekhar said...

Faisal: Do whatever you feel is right.. if it says you must follow your religion.. follow it truthfully and with all sincerity.