Last CallLast Call is The Takeout’s online watering hole where you can chat, share recipes, and use the comment section as an open thread. Here’s what we’ve been reading/watching/listening around the office today.Turning craft beer skeptics into believers
Craftbeer.com, a publication of the independent brewers trade group called Brewers Association, wants you to, essentially, “convert” a craft beer skeptic this holiday season. The piece reads: “You approach 10 craft beers aligned with taps all aglow, and you hear a person from your group utter, ‘I don’t like craft beer.’ Gasp! What do you do? While you might be quick to question said person’s acceptance into your group, it’s actually a great opportunity to turn a craft beer skeptic into a believer.” While I love beer more than the average person, this can’t be what we spend our holidays worrying about. Beer is not a battlefield to be conquered or a proxy for culture wars or any other such nonsense. Especially at the holidays, beer is an unpretentious liquid for enjoyment, celebration, and making our families more tolerable. Join me in letting our friends drink whatever the heck they want this year. [Kate Bernot]
The War on Drugs on KEXP
Here’s my current favorite band (The War on Drugs) performing a set from my favorite album of 2017 (A Deeper Understanding) on my favorite radio station in the world (KEXP). [Kevin Pang]
DISCUSSION
Last Friday, I was at a local brewery’s tap room. Just wrapped up work for the day and wanted to unwind with their new imperial gose. As I was sitting at the bar and shuffling through my day’s paperwork, I overheard a rather humorous conversation.
Customer: Hey, can I get a Bud Light?
Worker: Sorry man, we don’t carry that.
C: What kind of bar doesn’t have Bud Light? EVERY bar has Bud Light.
W: This is a tap room, owned by a brewery. Other than the three guest taps on the board, we only sell our own beer.
C: That’s stupid. I’ve never heard of any of these beers.
W: Well, maybe I can help you. What other kinds of beer do you like? Can I get you a sample of something?
C: I dunno, can I get a Coors?
W: No dude, like I said, everything we’ve got is on this board behind me. We’ve got a Kolsch, pretty straightforward, want to give it a try?
C: Nah, can I just have a vodka and Red Bull?
This went on for a bit more. The customer was obviously already a little tipsy, and was really struggling to understand why a craft brewer didn’t stock up on all his favorite macro beers and/or liquor. He eventually left without buying (or even trying) anything, swearing the whole way out that he still couldn’t understand why any bar wouldn’t have “real” drinks.