"Hold the Coffee, I'll Have a Beer "
This month column was written by Bob's friend
Vic O'Malley
The Moa brewery in Marlborough New Zealand, has recently been
getting a lot of publicity, mainly bad, for marketing its latest bottle-
fermented beer as the perfect breakfast beverage. The New
Zealand Hearld editorialized that the beer is "completely
irresponsible from a health and addiction perspective and that it is
normalizing pathological behavior,” Sorry, but I don't buy it since I
can recall sharing a few breakfast pints with Bob in our younger
days and don't think that made us or the world any of the worse for
wear.
Look, breakfast beers are a great tradition around the world,
enjoyed by everyone from Czech miners to Hong Kong stock
traders, and they’re no more pathological than beers consumed at
any other time of day. Beer is an intergral part of a traditional
morning fare in many nations. For hundreds of years prior to the
early 1800s, the English drank beer for breakfast. In fact, beer was
known as the breakfast drink. That was because plain water was
usually contaminated, and coffee, tea, and hot cocoa were not
widely available. And beer delivered carbs you needed to get
through the day.
Even here in Baltimore, Maryland where I'm writing this, a local hotel
is advertising a multi-course, four beer breakfast featuring the
Ayinger beers from Bavaria, Germany!
It's time to break away from the archaic thinking promoted by those
who are in reality neo-prohibitionists at heart. Now don't get me
wrong, the only way to drink is in moderation. If you get behind the
wheel while intoxicated I'd advise the judge to throw the book at you
including some time in jail. If a beer at breakfast means you miss
work of do a poor job then a pink slip should be coming your way.
However, under the right circumstances, a beer in the morning can
be the perfect beverage. And no, I'm not recommending a martini or
shot of Scotch, just beer, one of the world's most healthy drinks.
Most beers, excluding the double and imperial ones, are just fine in
the morning. Needless to say, the beer doesn’t have to have the
word “breakfast” on the label to complement your omelette and
toast. Keep the alcohol content low with a lighter character and
you've found the right beer. A summer ale, an English mild, or even
a Belgium saison will all work.
Lastly, think about this - there are many less healthy things than
beer that you could have for breakfast. There's no nutritional value
in that bagel and coffee you often have. Add some butter and
cream cheese and it becomes a disaster. Check the label on your
oatmeal box and it just might have more sugar than a a candy bar.
And be warned that Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha, the you
sometimes buy, has nearly 500 calories.
A light, tasty, beer at breakfast doesn't seem so bad after all, right?
I'd like to thank Bob for letting me vent a bit about the negatives
some claim are associated with beer. Beer has a long glorious
history and has been an essential element in any society's growth
and success.
Here's a toast to good beer in the morning, noon, and night!
.
This month column was written by Bob's friend
Vic O'Malley
The Moa brewery in Marlborough New Zealand, has recently been
getting a lot of publicity, mainly bad, for marketing its latest bottle-
fermented beer as the perfect breakfast beverage. The New
Zealand Hearld editorialized that the beer is "completely
irresponsible from a health and addiction perspective and that it is
normalizing pathological behavior,” Sorry, but I don't buy it since I
can recall sharing a few breakfast pints with Bob in our younger
days and don't think that made us or the world any of the worse for
wear.
Look, breakfast beers are a great tradition around the world,
enjoyed by everyone from Czech miners to Hong Kong stock
traders, and they’re no more pathological than beers consumed at
any other time of day. Beer is an intergral part of a traditional
morning fare in many nations. For hundreds of years prior to the
early 1800s, the English drank beer for breakfast. In fact, beer was
known as the breakfast drink. That was because plain water was
usually contaminated, and coffee, tea, and hot cocoa were not
widely available. And beer delivered carbs you needed to get
through the day.
Even here in Baltimore, Maryland where I'm writing this, a local hotel
is advertising a multi-course, four beer breakfast featuring the
Ayinger beers from Bavaria, Germany!
It's time to break away from the archaic thinking promoted by those
who are in reality neo-prohibitionists at heart. Now don't get me
wrong, the only way to drink is in moderation. If you get behind the
wheel while intoxicated I'd advise the judge to throw the book at you
including some time in jail. If a beer at breakfast means you miss
work of do a poor job then a pink slip should be coming your way.
However, under the right circumstances, a beer in the morning can
be the perfect beverage. And no, I'm not recommending a martini or
shot of Scotch, just beer, one of the world's most healthy drinks.
Most beers, excluding the double and imperial ones, are just fine in
the morning. Needless to say, the beer doesn’t have to have the
word “breakfast” on the label to complement your omelette and
toast. Keep the alcohol content low with a lighter character and
you've found the right beer. A summer ale, an English mild, or even
a Belgium saison will all work.
Lastly, think about this - there are many less healthy things than
beer that you could have for breakfast. There's no nutritional value
in that bagel and coffee you often have. Add some butter and
cream cheese and it becomes a disaster. Check the label on your
oatmeal box and it just might have more sugar than a a candy bar.
And be warned that Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha, the you
sometimes buy, has nearly 500 calories.
A light, tasty, beer at breakfast doesn't seem so bad after all, right?
I'd like to thank Bob for letting me vent a bit about the negatives
some claim are associated with beer. Beer has a long glorious
history and has been an essential element in any society's growth
and success.
Here's a toast to good beer in the morning, noon, and night!
.
| BeerNexus proudly presents Bob Montemurro "the ombudsman of beer" Bob and Friends Speak of Beer...... |
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| Cheers! My thanks to Vicl for this month's column. See you next time to "speak about beer". Bob Montemurro |
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