By I never understood it and am a bit repulsed by it.
I never understood it and am a bit repulsed by it. Back as a youthful and naive teenager, I recall my dad sitting down in his favourite chair, a cigarette in one hand and a cold beer in another. It was a mighty hot day. I often stared at him in wonder. What would possess anyone to drink something that resembled a frothy wee? When he caught me, the question would always be the same — “Do you want to try some?” Repulsed, I would shrivel up my face and say “No way.” in my intense teenage manner. “Go on — try it. You should take a sip.” He would encourage my curiosity. “But it looks like wee.” I would respond. A wide grin would appear on his face, and a burst of loud laughter would follow. He would then push the glass towards me to be bold enough to try. I mean, if dad drinks it, indeed it must taste ok? I gave in to my curiosity and took the glass, carefully allowing only a tiny sip to enter my mouth. All of this while dads grin grew wider. Well, let’s say it wasn’t any alluring taste whatsoever. Of course, I didn’t expect anything less, but I was glad it didn’t taste like urine after all. It was, in fact, a good old 90’s style, bland Aussie Victorian Bitter. I still recall those boxes entering our home, taking some well-earned space in our refrigerator. These days there are hundreds of beer combinations. It seems to be the most popular drink during parties and functions. I guess it’s cheap and readily available in all pubs and bars. Me — well, I never really grasped that beer obsession at all. Once I associated wee with the drink’s colour, it was all over for me. Even today, I still sit in awe and wonder why people somehow down the glass upon glass of beer. So I looked up some of the so-called “health benefits of beer,” and this is what I found: One: Apparently, it helps reduce stress. I think most alcoholic drinks do this anyway. Two: Helps to improve your memory? Well, I don’t know about this one. Indeed the alcoholic content makes you a little dizzy and perhaps a bit on the “drunken fool” side. Three: It’s a better alternative than spirits. It’s a lot more nutritious. Well, there you go. Who would have known? But let’s not ignore the scientific fact that over time, overindulging in alcohol can damage your body — mainly your liver. It can cause inflammation and scarring of it, which is life-threatening!Also, if you suffer from high blood pressure, it’s probably not a good idea to drink either. So, let me be as dull as possible and say I have fond memories of my dad, who’s been gone for 19 years. But, his little beer teasing still comes to mind closer to the holiday season.Christmas was a time for celebration — back then, at least. So dad, thanks, but no thanks — I’d prefer my bubbly glass of mineral water, lime and a dash of mint. I know you might be very disappointed if you knew — sorry. What’s your fondest memory of beer?
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