Copyright Victoria Elizabeth 2004. All rights reserved.A PINT OF YOUR BEST "BUGBEAR" PLEASE
-- Toorah For Those Tittilating Tag-Names that Come With Your Favorite Grog!--
Fascinated as I am with names, I happened upon an article in our thrice-weekly newspaper devoted to tempting
tastebuds of tipplers at a local "Beerfest".
It seems that our cozy castle (has more than a few educated swillers from nearby colleges and universities, not to mention a slew of seabees (from naval base next door) who can't get enough of those special suds.
In case you thought beer is just beer, think again. There’s mass-produced malt variety (aka bottled grog) for those who need a bold “brand-name” beer to convince them they’re part of a happy herd of flatulating buffalo, frenzied sharks or frisky penguins. Then there’s small-batch, cottage micro-brew for young, discerning crop of brown-nosing, social-climbing iconoclasts who really don’t give a sweet tweet about plebes. And last but not least, there are those who pride themselves in being able to show-off their penny-pinching, skinflint, tightwad habits courtesy of local u-brew shops.
Not being a true-blue beer-belly, I must admit I haven’t foggiest idea of what to look for in a beer other than name. And being a rather elegant, eccentric and equable person of good breeding (and not surpisingly, easily amused), I find solace in all strong and single-minded spirits -- especially tall, dark and handsome ones.
Anything boisterous and bubbly will attract my attention as will any marvelous moniker that’s a tad titillating, saucily spunky or possibly just a dandy draught.
So, I thought I would share with you a few of my favorite hop handles (on off chance that you too might be as delighted as I was to see them). Besides "Moosehead" (for merry munchkin in all of us) , there are oodles of other laugh-out-loud tag-names to enjoy such as:
-- Back Hand of God (Crannog Ales) -- Black Widow Dark Ale (Tin Whistle Brewing Co.) -- Bull Frog -- Bureaucracy Bitter (Gulf Islands Brewing Co.) -- Buzzard's Breath (Big Rock Beer) -- Cold Cock Winter Porter (Big Rock Beer) -- Fat Head I.P.A. (Fat Cat Brewery) -- Hophead India Pale Ale (Tree Brewing Co.) -- Jack Rabbit Low Carb Beer (Big Rock Beer) -- Killer Bee Dark Honey Ale (Tin Whistle Brewing Co.) -- Lemp -- Moose Drool (Montana Big Sky Brewing Co.) -- Mule -- Old Stumplifter (Tree Brewing Co.) -- Paddywhack IPA (Nelson Brewing Co.) -- Pig's Eye -- Pompous Pompadour Porter (Fat Cat Brewery) -- Rattlesanke ESB Ale (Tin Whistle Brewing Co.) -- Red Devil Ale (R&B Brewing Co.) -- Red Ass Ale -- Snuffy Smith -- Warthog Cream Ale (Big Rock Beer) -- Yellow Belly
