The simple things

There are few things that make me happier than a good beer. I have loved Newcastle for quite some time now, attributing the start of my love to a course in England during the summer of 2001. Coming out of an undergraduate career at ECU leaves one with a, um, limited understanding of beer. Then I landed in Stratford, England and a delectable assortment of brown and frothy choices forced me to learn more than just Portia's lines from Julius Caesar. Old Speckled Hen, Boddingtons, Fullers, and the educational list goes on. I left the country, but vowed to take my new education with me.

When I returned home, I couldn't wait to sip a little England now and then and recall all my wonderful British memories. One problem: local watering holes were a bit more reflective of my ECU bev choices than my Stratford and London choices. Alas, I soon discovered the likes of Connolly's and RiRa's, Big Ben's and Sir Edmund Halleys. Newcastle and, a new Irish addition, Guinness became my official bevs of choice because they were the two most widely available on tap in these lovely establishments. And there is nothing better than these two loves on tap. I would have it no other way. A good Guinness pour is like a work of art. Heck, when done properly, you can create finger art in the beautiful chocolate head billowing over the edge of your pint glass. A Newcastle is different, but just as glorious--refreshing and clean.

Yet, I wasn't happy with this limited relationship. I wanted to have the choice of walking to my fridge to sample my new loves now and then.

In an effort to be more widely enjoyed, Guinness has attempted to deliver it's wonderfulness in alternative forms (can and bottle), which is noble but just not the same as a wood bar top and a fresh pour. Newcastle, on the other hand, has always had a bottle version. I had grown accustomed to the bottle version. Good. Satisfying. However, as with any relationship, it often becomes hard to make things "new," but my love has found a way to do just that.

Enter Newcastle cans.

A fellow Newcastle lover and I, a brisk N.C. night on a porch, and a new joy emerged. The can offers a whole new layer to our now 7 year relationship. Through some experimenting, I recommend putting the sleek six-pack (currently $6.50 at the HT) in the freezer for a bit to truly enjoy and honor the "serve cold" logo.

Most of the time, "beer in a can" is just that. Yet, I have discovered a whole new meaning to the term as I held this perfectly shaped black can and savored the as-close-to-tap product inside. Chalk this one up to the list of simple things that make me smile. I will put this one right next to my fav jeans and fav "Have a Coke and a Smile" t-shirt. Ahh....