Ok, I'm 40 years old and I've never had a Pabst Blue Ribbon. I've been trying a lot of new styles of beer lately trying to broaden my beer knowledge. I've been spending a good deal of money on imports and micro brews.
But, last night I stopped at a gas station on the way home. And, as I made my usual lap by the beer cooler to see what they had to offer, I noticed 24oz cans of PBR for $1.29.
Then It hit me: This little can is chocked full of "Americana". And, I've never even tasted it. I remember growing up next door to a farmer who bought these things by the case. He didn't want his wife to know that he drank beer. So he would hide PBR Tallboys around the farm. He'd be riding his tractor and get thirsty. Then he'd park under one of his secret shade trees and pull the tabs off a few "hot ones". We used to shoot the empties with our BB Guns until eventually someone would cut a heel on one of the pull tabs and would have to limp home.
Standing there in front of the beer cooler I thought to myself: If he loved 'em hot, how bad can they be cold? And the price definitely was right. So, I headed to the counter with one in hand and I actually caught myself looking around to see if anyone who knew me might be in the store. What did I have to be ashamed of?
The guy behind the counter slipped it into a "beer bag" for me. I'm not sure what these little bags were designed for, But they seem to be custom made for a single PBR Tallboy. When I got home I plopped my tired behind into the old lazy boy, rolled the brown paper bag down a little, popped the top, and had my first sip of an American Classic.
Not too bad.
If only they still had pull tabs...
But, last night I stopped at a gas station on the way home. And, as I made my usual lap by the beer cooler to see what they had to offer, I noticed 24oz cans of PBR for $1.29.
Then It hit me: This little can is chocked full of "Americana". And, I've never even tasted it. I remember growing up next door to a farmer who bought these things by the case. He didn't want his wife to know that he drank beer. So he would hide PBR Tallboys around the farm. He'd be riding his tractor and get thirsty. Then he'd park under one of his secret shade trees and pull the tabs off a few "hot ones". We used to shoot the empties with our BB Guns until eventually someone would cut a heel on one of the pull tabs and would have to limp home.
Standing there in front of the beer cooler I thought to myself: If he loved 'em hot, how bad can they be cold? And the price definitely was right. So, I headed to the counter with one in hand and I actually caught myself looking around to see if anyone who knew me might be in the store. What did I have to be ashamed of?
The guy behind the counter slipped it into a "beer bag" for me. I'm not sure what these little bags were designed for, But they seem to be custom made for a single PBR Tallboy. When I got home I plopped my tired behind into the old lazy boy, rolled the brown paper bag down a little, popped the top, and had my first sip of an American Classic.
Not too bad.
If only they still had pull tabs...