About a week ago it finally happened. People in my office began to celebrate the holidays. First it was the fake, pre-lit tree they couldn’t assemble, and the one person in the office that knew I used to be an electrician ran me down as I walked in. So I assembled it. More irritating was they decorated my cube with a poinsettia.
This is my review of Ridgeway Brewing Bad Elf Winter Ale
But first! I thought I called last call for BIF. Apparently, that is meaningless like most of the rules here. The problem is, this last one is something I should probably put on it own, so I’ll put it on its own later, because it’s a good story. Thats right, f*** it. We’ll do it live.
The plant in question hasn’t always been a staple around the holidays. It smells pretty neutral, doesn’t really need a lot of watering. Its just got red and green leaves, but there’s more to the Poinsettia. Much, much more.
The plant itself is indigenous to Southern Mexico and was originally cultivated by the Aztecs to make a dyes. Later the plant’s sap was discovered to make latex. That’s right—Mexicans gave you the material to make condoms, rubber bands, and a slew of other stretchy things. Let thet soak in for a second.
If not for the efforts of Joel Poinsett, Americans may not know or care for the plant at all. Poinsett was the first Ambassador to Mexico and appointed by James Madison. He had a thing for botany, which given the absurd number of people that grow vegetables to decompress from the modern world, doesn’t sound all that unusual. He happened to like the plant and sent several back to his home in South Carolina.
Why is it associated with Christmas? Here’s why:
Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy. I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes,” said Pedro consolingly.
Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she entered the small village chapel.
As she approached the altar, she remembered Pedro’s kind words: “Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes.” She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.
From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season and thus, the legend of the poinsettia was born.
Its a miracle! In 1851, Congress would later declare December 12 to be National Poinsettia Day. Why do that? Turns out Poinsett was a pretty big deal. He only helped found the Smithsonian.
This beer isn’t too bad. Its a traditional English ale, with a bit of spiciness as a twist. Not a bad combo but ultimately left me searching for that hated bananna flavored residue from the yeast they use over there. Eventually I found it. Ridgeway Brewing Bad Elf Winter Ale 3.0/5
Comments
112 responses to “They decorated my cube….”
No one needs 37 kinds of winter ale.
*racks shotgun*
Come and take it, pendejo.
*Loads up spices.*
You are right. 57 would be better.
56 are for Bernie. 1 for you, peasant. I wonder if 56 beers would be enough to soften that nasty commie scowl he goes around with.
RCF
Resting Commie Face
Bernie’s spirit name?
Why are commies always angry?
Because they want total control over everyone everywhere and for some reason the fucking rubes keep telling them to piss off.
Yep, they just can’t understand why people won’t bow and scrape before them.
In fairness they are much smarter than you or me.
One for each state.
That’s unfair. Some states are more populous than others. Beerymandering should be abolished.
“From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season and thus, the legend of the poinsettia was born.”
The things I learn here, I tell ya.
Sounds like good night flowers to me.
Flowers for Charlie
I’ve had a couple of the Elf brews. Liked them muchly. Will have to look for this one.
Bed Bath and Beyond.
BB&B sells beer?
Beyond section
The ones in my neck of the woods sells brew your own kits.
I like those kinds of stories. Thanks.
Brewing beer today. It’s 45 degrees, sunny, and calm. Probably that last decent day to brew outdoors until spring.
And my making cider article goes up later today. I will be back to chat in the comments.
Are we expected to read it ?
No. It has no value to anyone that isn’t interested in making fine booze from apples.
Whew…
/Wipes brow
Who the hell wouldn’t be interested in that. I mean, other than UCS and Ted?
Raises hand. Not a cider fan.
I like non-carbonated booze, thank you very much.
My sincerest apology’s.
?
Apostrophe abuse is a violation of the NAP.
Hateful.
Cider > beer.
Calvados is the best.
Earthy red wine; cider; sour ale. The holy trinity.
Brew task complete.
RCF
Resting Commie Face
Nice.
I’ll have to look for this beer. It sounds good.
Raises hand. Not a cider fan.
I don’t like hard cider. I like old-fashioned unfiltered cider, like we used to get in upstate New York when I was in high school.
Come to think of it, I haven’t had any in ages.
OT – one of the better takes on the Yellow Vest protest in France, and how the mainstream media is going out of their way to paint anyone involved in it with the usua lazy epithets.
https://thefireonline.com/nothing-scares-the-identity-politics-left-like-an-actual-working-class-uprising/
Except that the blogger goes on and on about “neoliberalism”, using it as the sneer word for things she doesn’t like.
I noticed that. And can anyone tell me what this is supposed to mean?
Funny, but I would have thought it was the other way around, with the US becoming more feudal as the Beltway Class gains increasing power, much in the same way everything in France is done for the benefit of the Parisians.
This is something the lapdog media simply cannot comprehend. Working class people are tired of being told they are rubes, that they ruined the planet and oppress minorities. They are banking up more and more resentment every day.
That being said I don’t think your average person has nearly enough aversion to TOP. MEN. I watched plenty of working class people pretend to care about GHWB when he died and you don’t get any more insider-elite than that guy.
The observation the blogger made here is the best part of the piece. I’m sick of the media pretending as if the ‘working class’ is some amorphous blob which fits whatever narrative being pushed at any given moment.
I think that’s a manifestation of propriety dictating you don’t speak ill of the dead. I’ve only met one or two people who feel as I do that people don’t become saints upon death and they’re still fair game.
Except, of course, when Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan died.
True.
There are no working class minorities?
If they are working they haven’t fully embraced the Proper Values and therefore have internalized oppression.
No. According to The Root they are in prison, unable to work because of wypipo, or unfairly unappreciated by the white media.
If Sarah Jeong – a Harvard grad who sits on the NYT editorial board – can claim to be oppressed, I don’t see why any over-credentialed literary twit can’t do the same.
I’m sure they all have legitimate grievances but an awful lot of them seem to think the answer lies in soaking the rich and getting free shit from the government. …. Haven’t they been down that road before?
The author admits as much with the inclusion of socialists in the big tent aspect of the protest.
We will always have the free shit brigades to contend with. They’re like mosquitos that never die off.
Fair enough – it’s a decent piece. It could use a little more slapping some sense into people’s brains.
That’s why I don’t get the sympathy in some libertarian-esque circles for the Yellow Vests. I want the option where both the Eurocrats and the Football Hooligan Brigade lose.
But, who does that leave to win?
Les Tulpa?
The audience
But then who would lead us sheep?
Wait, what?
Everyone knows that literary folk are of the proletariat.
Nancy pelosi says the darndest things.
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/pelosi-trump-doesnt-believe-in-government-but-cant-want-it-closed-forever/
She has a habit of saying Republicans don’t believe in government. I find this odd.
–Nancy “Crumbs” Pelosi
/Drops arms to side and stares intently at Mike
“Did we just become best friends?!?!!?
I hope so
since I don’t have any due to my hygiene problems, not to mention my annoying laugh, as well as my bad habit of interrupting people constantly.You guys should do karate in the garage together.
Is she calling the people who pull down oversized FedGov salaries “paycheck to paycheck”?
People need to learn to budget better.
You’d be surprised (well really I’m sure you wouldn’t) at how many fedgov employees do in fact live paycheck to paycheck and do in fact consider themselves poor.
Turns out you can live paycheck to paycheck regardless of the size of your salary if you are a financial dunce.
+ 1 MasterCard Millionaire
“For the president to be cavalier about cash flow in paycheck-to-paycheck families is just something that we hope he — I hope, I pray, that he will resist,”
Oh, you mean like calling a few thousand dollars in tax saving ‘crumbs’? What a dope.
Threw together some garlic-parm wings to enjoy while I watch tOSU nearly get beat.
https://postimg.cc/hhTmwwFK
#DayDrunk
Those wings look drunk.
drunk….on LOVE
(and since they were baked, totes keto)
frying is not keto? I didn’t know that.
I guess I meant un-breaded
Mmmm, garlic-parm.
NEEDS MOAR CURRY!
Fine. Have some Curry
SMH. So transphobic.
*shudders*
Nevermind. How about some Frank’s Red Hot?
*nervously glances around for HM, reconsiders*
Scratch that.
African Grey meets Alexa. Hilarity ensues (for brits, I suppose) .
That is outstanding. I had a pet African Grey for a couple of years in college before i had to rehome him when I moved overseas.
Amazing birds.
I knew a family that bought one for about $900, then it died two weeks later.
Pretty sad, but kinda funny too.
So their parrot was no more?
It was an ex-parrot.
Strange, never did that before…
I’m gonna be in Winters, CA at the end of next week. I’ll be counting tens of thousands of bales of alfalfa. If any Glibs are in Sacramento and want to meet for drinkie poo’s on Thursday night, e mail me at my handle at g mail.
Merry Christmas you bastards.
Winnemucca and then Winter’s? You go to all the best places.
Merry Christmas!
Winnemucca, NV to Imperial, CA, to Winters, CA. I like desolate. And alfalfa hay.
You end up in SW Idaho, give me a holler. We’ve got plenty of desolate.
Will do, potato.
STEVE SMITH making the money
LOL
Beagle and Deagle
Looking for some brand new, shiny, bluesy, soulful rocking Christmas music? Check out JD McPherson’s album “Socks”. Give your ears a gift this holiday season. Listen on Spotify, etc. or buy it here https://store.newwestrecords.com/products/jd-mcpherson-socks-cd
Merry Christmas you reprobates.
I like. many thanks
He brings home the retro quite well. Thumbs up.
Last minute gift idea .
Whatever puts Jugsy in the mood.
This needs a theme song .
Those poor bike seats.
Ewww. You know everyone riding shouldn’t be seen naked.
That is a great song. Takes me back to my college days.
Good Lord, what the hell is wrong with people? I don’t go to the subdivision pool or the beach without a swim shirt on and these crusties think this a good thing?
Great Lakes Ohio City Oatmeal Stout. Always enjoy it this time of year. Then off the my coworkers Christmas party in my Big Lebowski Christmas sweater where I will proceed to over-imbibe.
Hope the rug doesn’t tie everything together.
Heheheh. Nice one, old man.
I’ll just consider it a win if it doesn’t get miterated upon.
This is a test. This is a test.
Got-DAMN ! IT WORKS ! ! !
Let’s try this. Let’s try this.
Let’s try this. Let’s try this.