Beers for Cheers and Tears

Regular readers of this blog – that’s people who read this carp regularly, not people with good, high fibre diets – will know what I mean about the occasion making the beer. Sometimes a beer is all the better for having it at a certain time, in certain company or for a certain reason. There is always an occasion. That’s for certain.

A phone message from Ale Star Czar, Shandy to announce the safe (if slightly overdue) arrival of the second baby boy for he and Tracey came on the back of the news that a mate had passed away after a short illness. Life goes on, Big Picture, Circle of Life – that kind of thing.

Stewie was a mate through my involvement with the Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club and, in particular, the Graveyard Banner Crew. A trip to the doctor for a bout of pneumonia led to the news that no one wants to hear, and we have been riding his illness with him and his wife Rose for just on a year. A top bloke, taken too soon. A couple of cans of Carlton Draught is not my usual bar order but, in the company of mates sharing a loss and speaking fondly of a mate lost just seemed to make those beers taste much better than I ever remembered it.

Wetting the baby’s head is just the same. I had been saving a six-pack of Bridge Road Brewers ‘The Harvest’ that Ben sent down from the brewery just before he sold off the last slab. One of my favourite beers of all time and the perfect beer to celebrate good news with. It was a very pleasant drop that passed my lips and made my mouth happy as I toasted the health of another mate’s newborn. I would have toasted him by name, but even as I write, a name is TBA. That’s To Be Advised for those non Gen –Yers and others who don’t speak fluent proper abbreviation.

Shandy, if it’s any help, I have looked to the beer fridge for inspiration. Hope these suggestions help. I am limited by what is in the fridge and the cellar as we speak. Timothy, as in the Landlord, Samuel, as in the Taddy Porter, Harve, as in The Harvest, Col, as in Coldstream Pilsner, Stephan, as in Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel or Fat Yak. You choose.

Cheers,
Prof. Pilsner

Trivia, Tats and a little teasing

More notes on the Profs Ale Star experience
Part One – Tats & A Bit of Triv

When you are asked to fill in for someone who has taken a role and stamped it with his unique style and personality and thus made it his own you know that there are only two ways to handle the challenge. Do it different – or don’t do it all.

Shandy had graciously allowed your own Professor to take the reins of the unpredictable charging beast that is Ale Stars and, truth be told, for a while there, I was as toey as a Roman sandal until I realised that the key was to be my own Beer Bloke and not try to ‘out Shandy’ Shandy. But I felt that it was important to recognise his contribution to ‘the brand’. Pay homage, if you like. Or, more truthfully, take the piss.
Shandy, The Local Taphouse St Kilda Ale Stars Czar (try putting THAT on a business card) has a magnificent tattoo on the inside of his forearm. It’s not one of those ‘Bogan Stickers’ like you see displayed at Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, nor is it a skilfully crafted work of art like fellow Ale Star Simon-Rob has, this is special and specific to him. It is his family name written in an ancient Celtic Code
Script. Now, to the unedu-macated it might look a bit like a Bar Code from a laser off the Enterprise, but it is actually a very nice piece of in and has great personal value to its owner. I decided that this was my chance to ‘raise a glass’ to my mate.

I couldn’t find a tattooist who knew any ancient Celtic Code Scripts so I had to go with the next best thing. Something very personal. Something very deep. Something very close to me;


It’s the Glen Waverley train line. Glen Waverley to Richmond, stopping all stations. Stand clear. Please. Stand clear.

I also wanted to dispel any rumours that the trivia I presented in Shandy’s place was designed so that NOBODY would win, thus preserving my stature as Ale Stars Trivia Whiz. This is not true. In fact, I was SO generous in my attempts to allow EVERYONE to win, that I gave the assembled crowd ALL THE ANSWERS! That’s right, multiple choice, True or False and Odd One Out! Every answer was read out – you just had to work out which of the four was the correct one. For those who couldn’t be there and for hose who care here is round One – True or False. Write your answers on a bit of paper – don’t write in the space provided cos it takes me ages to clean the laptop screen. Good Luck!

1. The Pilgrims were landed at Plymouth Rock because the Mayflower was running out of beer
________

2. Queensland’s first telephone line ran from the Castlemaine Brewery to its city head office.
_______

3. During the Great Depression, Cascade Brewery handed out free malted barley extract to the unemployed.
_______

4. Well known brewer Ben Franklin wrote a scientific essay on avoiding flatulence by drinking perfume.
_______

5. Australia’s first legal pub was opened by a man transported for stealing brewing supplies.
_______

Answers tomorrow as well as Part Two.

Cheers
Prof. Pilsner