Beer has always been a safe, thirst-quenching drink for Northern Europeans. Southern Europeans could grow grapes in their warmer climate and went down that path instead. The reason for drinking beer or wine rather than water, tea or coffee was easy.
Water was normally contaminated with urine and faeces and people did not know that boiling it cleansed it and beer and wine were made with boiled water and it would keep without going foul, because of the alcohol in it. Tea and coffee were either unknown or too expensive.
These regional tendencies carry on to this day although they stem back thousands of years. The lines have blurred with international travel and trade, but they are still obvious to see.
I now live in Asia, where people drink as much| as they do anywhere else in the world, but every time I go for a beer, guaranteed, 100% guaranteed, someone, an Asian, will say: “White men love their beer, don;t they”.
This is not meant as a criticism, it is a statement of disbelief. Where I live Asians drink a local whiskey. They have all heard about white men drinking beer, but in the countryside, where I live, most people have never seen personally.
Having said that, advertising is making beer gain ground each year particularly among the young and here are a couple of new accessories to make your beer-drinking experience more enjoyable.
The first is a collapsible beer glass, also known as the port-a-pint. This ‘glass’ collapses to fit in your pocket, so that if you are ever stuck for a clean glass on your travels you have your own.
It always raises a smile and is a great conversation starter in any country you happen to be. The port-a-glass comes in a carry case to keep it clean.
How about if you require both hands while you are holding a beer but are not close to a table? The floor is frequently not safe, so you have to neck your beer and not savour it. What if you could wear something about your waist like a kangaroo pouch, but which would hold your beer safe? You can now, if you have a ‘Hoodle’.
How about a belt for beer imbibers? You’ve seen chippies with hammers and other tools hanging off their waist? Well, this is comparable. The Beer Belt will hold six tins or bottles, will take an opener and has a zippered pouch for a credit card and a cell phone, in case you run out some way from replenishments.
Alternatively, you could get a Radio Controlled Beer Cooler. The cooler can hold 12 bottles or tins and can be called from up to 30 feet away. You click a button and have it come to you and all the while, the beer remains cool. Fantastic for sitting in the backyard, eh?
If you like a beer you will love any of these unusual presents for beer drinking aficionados. Great gifts for your Dad or boozy old uncle as well. If you would like to know more search the Net.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is presently involved with Real Ale in Wales. If you are interested in Wales in general, please go to our website at Welsh Products Online