Gimme My Vortex Bottle Cause the Mountains Just Turned Blue

Miller Lite Vortex




Coors Light Cold Activated Bottles, Cans and Windows



The other day while sitting watching a baseball game a commercial for Miller Lite Vortex bottle came on. Vortex bottle? WTF is a vortex bottle? Is that kind of like rifling? Does it make the beer shoot faster into your mouth? Seriously. Why? And the cold activated cans from Coors. Seriously? Do we really need the mountains to turn blue for us to know that your beer is cold enough.

What these two gimmicks tells me is that these two companies(I haven't seen Bud come out with anything yet)are more concerned with marketing than with the quality of the product. Now granted I've known this but come on this is just reaaaalllly bad. Are there really that many people who are falling prey to this seriously bad marketing? Do they really think it's going to taste any different than before? I wish I was in the meeting where the dude or chick who came up with the idea spewed that nonsense forth.

When the hell are the big guys going to learn. It's the taste not the marketing.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Should The US Change The Legal Drinking Age to 18

Should the US lower the drinking age back to 18 years old? That's a question people have been arguing over for years. Well today I read an article on USAToday.com that discussed college presidents wanting to get the age changed to 18 because they say current laws "actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus". Universities such as Duke University, Dartmouth and Ohio State are all asking lawmakers to take a look at the current law (National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984) and reconsider.

This is a law I never fully understood. Let's take a look at things 18 year olds are allowed to do:

1) They can enter into legal agreements.
2) They can join the military and fight in wars.
3) They can vote.
4) They can get married without their parents consent.
5) They can serve on a jury.

Now does it make sense to allow an 18 year old to do all these things yet not allow them to drink a beer? No, it doesn't and no one can convince me differently. Groups like MADD want to make us think that if the age gets lowered to 18 then drinking and driving accidents will increase which just isn't 100% true. Yes, it is true that drinking and driving accidents have decreased and have been decreasing since 1980 but their is no direct link between the minimum drinking age and that decrease. There are many key factors that play a part in this decrease such as: educating people against drinking and driving, safer cars, lower speed limits, designated driver programs and the increased usage of seatbelts and airbags.

We are the only country in the nation with a 21 year old age limit. Our country also punishes states that do not change the legal age to 21. How is that you ask? Well, the federal government penalizes states that do not restrict alcohol to people under 21 by withholding 10% of their federal highway funding. So now ask yourself, do you think any state representative is going to worry about this age issue now? Hell no. They need those highway funding dollars.

Let's face it folks, the law doesn't work and needs to be changed. How can we send these kids to war or let them vote yet not drink a beer? It doesn't make sense. What does make sense is early education and getting parents involved. What do you think? Check out the poll at the top and let me know.


Stay Buddhalicious!

The Beerbuddha

Beerbuddha Blog Feedback

Ok, so I've been blogging for a little over a month now. When originally asked to do this I thought it would suck and just be more work than I needed but I actually really like doing this and have met some cool ass people. Apparently people are actually visiting the site and reading my stuff as well. The point of this particular post was to first, thank everyone who visits the site and reads my stuff and second, to get feedback from the people. How am I doing? What could I do to improve? What do you like about the site? Dislike? Please comment back because I'd really like to hear from you!

Stay Buddhalicious!

The Beerbuddha

Mustache for Ulcers Update

Update on The Beerbuddha’s attempt at growing a Fu Manchu for Mustaches for Ulcers!!

OK, so it’s been a couple of days but I can definitely see some progress. I’ve got some significant peach fuzz which creates a dirt on my lip like appearance. I’m hoping to have something to show ya in about 2 weeks time. I was going to create a day to day picture thingy which would show the awesome transformation but my digital camera broke. Oh well. See ya soon!


Stay Buddhalicious!

The Beerbuddha

***Don't know what Mustaches for Ulcers is all about? Check it out here: http://mondaynightbrewery.com/***

The Kid Sip

Kids sipping beer. Most of us at one time or another had a sip of our dads beer. I know I did and I remember not liking it a whole lot. Growing up in my house my brother and I were never told that alcohol was bad and both my parents drank on a regular basis. When I was in high school about it which meant don't drink and drive and tell us where you are. They knew I was going to experiment and never once got mad at me for drinking while underage.

Fast forward 15 years later and I have a two year old whom I allow to have sips of the beers that I drink. Well, at least I used to until she stopped liking beer. Is this a bad thing? Am I "endangering" my child or committing "child abuse" as was said in one article(http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/5917284.html) I read today? To me I was just allowing my kid to have a sip of beer. Who cares? It won't hurt her any and I never allow her to have more than one sip. And when I say "sip" I mean the smallest sip possible. To me I would like my child to grow up understanding that alcohol is not a bad thing if consumed responsibly. If I hide the liquor and tell her that she can never drink alcohol until she turns what the government thinks is a responsible age is she going to listen? Did I? Did you? Most likely you didn't. I know I didn't.

Well, anyway, I'm curious to know what everyone thinks about this subject. I'm going to post a poll on the site asking readers opinions. Let me know what you think.

Stay Buddhalicious!

The Beerbuddha

Edit: Poll Results

Yes: 11

No: 1

Not Sure: 2

Mustaches for Ulcers

OK, I'm going to get serious for just a moment. A fellow beer geek I met through my work with the Southern Beer Society is sick. OK he may not have testicular cancer or prostate cancer but he is still sick. He has ulcers...in his stomach. His name is Jonathan and he is one of the trio that makes up Monday Night Brewery. You may not have heard of them unless you're in the Atlanta area because they aren't like an established brewery yet, more like an indie brewery. Anyways, what can I do to help, you ask? You can do something. Grow a mustache. Mustaches are awesome. I'm pretty sure they are the in thing right now, especially in Hollywood and well, if Hollywood does it we should, right? Lots of cool people have mustaches: Wilford Brimley, Geraldo Rivera, Jason Giambi, Wade Boggs, the biker from the Village People, Lemmy from Motorhead, Hulk Hogan, Ron Jeremy, Tom Selleck, Frank Zappa and of course, Burt Reynolds. So make sure you do your part. Grow your mustache and head on over to http://www.mondaynightbrewery.com/ and post your pic!! If you are folically challenged or perhaps a woman, just put on a fake one, take your pic and get over there to support the cause!!

Stay Buddhalicious!!

The Beerbuddha

Beer Etiquette from Merchant Du Vin

Here is a great email from Merchant Du Vin explaining "proper" beer etiquette. A great little read and some good rules to live by!

We’ve spoken at times about how when you are out to get a beer “on-premise” it’s almost always appropriate to tip well - servers are working evenings & weekends, and cleaning up your dirty glasses, so you can have a nice time. It’s always nice to say thanks to your server, to be a good customer.But what about guidelines regarding grabbing a beer with friends or co-workers? Here’s a few suggestions that may make your next beer with friends even more enjoyable—if you have suggestions of your own, feel free to reply and we may discuss them in a future e-news.

1. People are entitled to their own opinions about beer. Even if the beer reviews call it a “five-star A-plus,” even if it’s the first choice of five out of the six in the party … someone may just not care for it. For balanced enjoyment, don’t let the homebrewing, advanced-beer-hobbyist, double IPA fan order a huge, strong beer for someone who wants a soft, light cream ale or sweet dark lager.

2. If your group is buying rounds, don’t feel locked in by the second or third round. People drink at different paces. It’s OK to order a beer on your own if other folks aren’t ready; it’s certainly more polite than sitting with an empty glass or forcing someone else to hurry up and finish their beer faster than they want to.

3. Use a coaster. If your bartender or server doesn’t give you one, ask. A beer glass sitting directly on the bar or table sets some people’s teeth on edge—maybe someone in your party.

4. Be careful of beer vs. wine vs. cocktail comparisons. They are different. They all range in flavors. People are entitled to choices, but saying “I like wine better than beer,” can be upsetting to a beer lover. Try this: “I’m still searching for a beer I really like.”

5. Remember: your wine by the glass may be oxidized, and your cocktail may be expensive or slow to prepare on busy nights . . . your beer will likely be perfect, and delivered quickly.

6. Ask your server succinct questions about a beer you haven’t had. If he or she doesn’t know, that may be a sign that the bar or restaurant often tries a number of new and interesting beers - a good thing, huh?

7. When out for food, say this to a restaurant that offers limited variety of beer: “We prefer to find a variety of beers when ordering food.” (Then say) a. “Sorry, but we’re leaving now for a restaurant that has more than light lager. ” (Or) b. “We’ll stay, but we are a lot less likely to return until you bring in a wide range of beer flavors.”

8. It’s about flavor. Alcohol is a component to flavor; beer is not an alcohol delivery medium.

9. Beer is a value. Some places will charge more based on rent, overhead, neighborhood, etc. . . . but beer is generally a “flavor per dollar” bargain.

10. If you are a homebrewer, don’t broadcast your beer expertise to your friends unless they ask. While deep knowledge may enhance your beer enjoyment, it may disrupt somebody else’s enjoyment.

11. Be careful of generalizations like “I prefer dark beers,” or “I don’t like dark beers.” It’s like saying, “I like movies whose titles start with the letters A through L,” or “I don’t like red foods.”

12. Never order “a beer,” order by style, by variety, or by specific name. (As the late Michael Jackson said, would you order “a plate of food”?)

13. Be grateful for the variety of beer that is out there, from down the street or from a classic brewing nation. You are living in the best beer time in history.

14. Ask if a brand you are unfamiliar with is independent, or whether it’s owned by a large entity. Then, assuming the beer is good, decide whether it matters to you.

15. If you get a frosted mug or glass, politely ask your server if they have any non-frosted glassware, maybe for the next round. Cold kills flavor nuances.

16. Read beer publications. They are fun, sincere, useful, and they want readers.

17. Attend a beer dinner, tasting and/or a beer festival.

18. Never assume that a dark beer is high in alcohol.

19. Remember that brewers make wort—yeast makes beer. Brewers consider yeast to be something somewhere between a business partner and a beloved pet . . . or even a beloved child in some cases. Respect yeast!

20. Push your chair or barstool in after you get up!

My Name is Beerbuddha and I Love Yuengling

OK, so as a "beer nerd", "beer advocate", "beer geek" or whatever it is you call people like myself , I'm not supposed to like beers like Yuengling. But I do. I love it a lot. I could lose my reputation(if I even have one!) and lose readers(reader? I think I may have at least one.)for admitting this. It's my session beer. You know, the beer I could drink every day and I would if I had access to it every day. You see, Yuengling isn't available in the state of Louisiana and that sucks. It means I have to ration my supply. It means that whenever I go on family trips to the east coast I make sure I reserve enough room in the Jeep and save enough money (only $8.99/12-pack at Total Wine in Orlando)to buy a case of it. When other beer fanatics are reserving room and saving money for that limited release that is so hoppy it makes your ass pucker, I'm coming back with what many consider an "average" beer. But it's not average to me. My dad introduced this beer to me not that long ago and I fell in love with it. Now, hold on, before you get your panties in a bunch, I'm not saying it's the best beer I've ever had but man it's close. For me it ranks so high because of it's drinkability and it's taste. It's a great tasting lager that goes down easy and quenches my thirst. I'm not always in the mood for some exotic craft beer but I can always go for a Yuengling. My name is Beerbuddha and I love Yuengling.

Stay Buddhalicious!

The Beerbuddha

Beer Fridge Awesomeness

The beer fridge. Every man has had or has a beer fridge or at least should have had or should have. Mini version or regular version they are all stocked with tons of bottles of liquid goodness. But my question is why do we have beer fridges? What is wrong with their regular fridge? Is it the lack of space the wife designated for your beer in the family fridge? You know what I'm talking about guys! You know the bottom left hand corner which fits like only 2 six packs. Is it in your man room(I can't wait to have a man room!)because we all know a man room isn't a man room without a beer fridge. Or perhaps it is in your garage? And if you have a wine cooler in your man room I'll have to question as to whether or not you have a mangina. Yes, I did say mangina. My answer to the great question of why the beer fridge is simple. Because it's awesome. Think about it folks. It's a fridge which is there for the sole purpose of providing you with BEER. Every man needs a beer fridge. Must have one! So men, go out and get yourself a beer fridge today!! Tell your spouse you must have one and that it is necessary to maintaining your manhood. It doesn't matter what size just go get one! Once again thanks for listening to my rants! And yes, that is my beer fridge. No mangina here!

Stay Buddhalicious!

Beerbuddha