Why didn't Jesus's guys pick beer?

A few brews being consumed at the White Rose in Atlantic...

These are the deep thoughts I have when I get that "I'm solving the world's problems" look on my face. What if the Last Supper had included the hoppy brew instead wine? Would we be sipping Bud Light at communion at St. Francis tonight?

After that brief thought, I started pondering about how much beer has changed since I first started drinking the stuff - when I was 10 years old or so. No, I'm not kidding - and it's my dad's fault. Dad was a Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) or Old Milwaukee (Old Mil) guy back then. When he was home on weekends he'd enjoy a bourbon and water while a beer chilled in the freezer for 45 minutes. He set the oven timer so he didn't forget to take the precious nectar out of the GE.

He called them "beer Popsicles". They came out like slushies when poured into a glass, and they looked so delicious! So he'd let me have a sip. And so I learned to love ice cold beer at an early age. Dad would always say, "You're going to get what I got!" like he had some dreaded disease that I'd get from drinking from his cup. When I'd fall for it and ask, "What?" of course the answer was ice cold beer.

When I got a little older, and my friends and I started drinking alcohol, I didn't drink no stinking Annie Green Springs or Mad Dog 20/20 wine. I drank beer. PBR, Old Mil, Olympia, Hamms, Miller Hilife - I didn't care. We even talked friends into bootlegging Coors for us from Colorado because it wasn't yet available in Iowa. Other people were sipping cherry and lime vodka - I didn't try that hard  stuff until a couple years later.

Then I went to college - and the world of dime draws and $1.50 pitchers opened up! Beer got me a grade point barely over a 2.0 my first quarter of school - thank you very much. I had a hard time saying "no" when people asked me to go to the bars pretty much every night of the week. After that I buckled down, and reduced my nights out and beer intake. I didn't wish to flunk out or get on TE (temporary enrollment).

My sophomore year my friends and I all served on our dorm floor cabinet. I was Vice President - I ran for that position thinking it would be mostly be a figurehead. I don't remember what Sal, Vic and Jane were, but we all ended up helping plan and carry out the dorm floor parties that meant ordering kegs for our quarterly floor parties. I think they cost something like $25 (did we get them at Torks? and yes that was for a full size one in 1977). I don't remember brand we purchased, but we went through several each party, serving cups over the ironing board in our kitchenette. I seem to remember Jane rolling her ankle trying to maneuver one of the big beasts. There is a hilarious story that goes with this regarding me calling Mary Greeley Hospital (we thought her ankle was broken) in a less than sober state - too long to tell here.

That same year, we met Moose and Steve - our pals from Stevenson house. They too had great house parties on their dorm floor. They taught me to like "strip and go nakeds" the delightful concoction of beer with lemonade. Sound familiar? It should - Summer Shandy jumped on that bandwagon recently. Those fellas also treated us to bootlegged Red White and Blue for $2.50 a case from Illinois.

Post college we learned to love squaw piss ( know - politically incorrect, but it was long ago and we were young) - Leinenkugels, when we traveled to Wisconsin to float the Apple River. Since those days beer has gone upscale - even Leinie's. I like it! I especially like reading all the names at the big stores that sell a lot of brands.

So now you know...when I get that serious look - I'm not solving the world's problems. I'm just playing the "what it" game and taking a walk down memory lane. But it was fun - hope it brought back some memories of your favorite beverages too.