When you hear Budweiser/Coors/Miller do you think wow that is a good lager?  Yes Bud is a lager, and it is the Pussification of Beer.  American Lager is beer for people who don’t like beer.  Do they make a wine for people who don’t drink wine?  Yes Boone’s Farm, has anyone ever looked cool drinking Boone’s?  So why should people drinking American Lagers look cool?

You hear lager and your thinking, Fosters, Yuengling, Lucky.  All great lagers that are true lagers. Well American Lager’s are taking over and we need to put a halt to it.  They are often called “lawnmower beer” because they quench your thirst, just like water.

Do you know how American Lagers became so popular?  Women, yeah women.  During WWII most men were off fighting for our country and beer companies had to sell to someone, so they turned to women.  Women like a beer, that had little taste, no spices, no hoppy flavors, not heavy or filling.  They made water with a little bit of alcohol,  American Lagers are 4% - 6% in alcohol.

In fact most American Lagers do not contain any hops. HOPS it is what gives beer its flavor.  It gives beer that sharp bitter flavor so many of you like.

Lager gets its name from the process of making that type of beer.  Lagering is where you place beer in a cool place to ferment and develop its flavor.  Normal lagering times are 3 - 4 weeks at 45°F, 5 - 6 weeks at 40°F, or 7 - 8 weeks at 35°F. Have you heard the Bud commercials?  They lager their beer for  3 whole weeks, have any of you every been on a Bud tour?  If you were was the tour at or below 45 degrees?  No, I took the tour in January in NH and the tanks were no colder then 60 degrees at best.  Does this fit the description of lagering?

Ok, we all like to pound a Coors light once and a while and that is fine.  But do yourself a favor, put down the Bud and get a beer.  Would you order Boone’s at a French restaurant?  So don’t order Bud unless you are at a NASCAR event.

Pace

Ok, I got a question for you.  Why do gas prices go up when the gas in the tanks has already been paid for?  I mean say Texaco pays $2 per gallon for there tanks.  And say the tank is 1000 gallons, I know it is more but just to make the math easy lets go with this.  So 1000 gallons at $2 = $2000.  And yesterday we paid $3 a gallon and today it is $3.05, why?

I can see changing the prices when they fill up the tanks.  Does not make any sense to me.  Do you go to the grocery store and pay $1 a pound for oranges, and $1.50 the next day for the same oranges?  I think they should not be able to change the prices on gas that is already in the ground.  Just my 2 cents.

Pace

It is a disgrace that MLB allows players to sit out with made up stupid injuries so they can hit a milestone HR at their home park.

Griffey is sitting at 599 and has been out the last 3 games with general soreness. BS. Is it right to keep a player on the bench so he can hit a big time HR at home? NO! The Reds want to make a profit off of it, sell tee shirts, posters, hats, tickets. Why does MLB allow this. Phillies fans have been going out every night to see history and he is not playing.

Manny Ramirez hit his 500 last week in Baltimore, Micheal Jack Schmidt hit is 500 in Pittsburgh, these guys didn’t care where the ball landed.

Say Griffey ends up with 699 HRs these 3 games he sat out could have been important could have put him in the 700 club. Plus why would the Reds not play one of their best players. So far the Reds have lost both games he has not played in, we will see how the series finishes up. If they go 0-4 and miss the division on wild card by one game you can look back at this series.

Pace

I can’t take credit for this one, I saw it on Good Eats.

Ok, get yourself some romaine lettuce hearts and cut them down the middle lengthwise, leave the bottoms on so everything stays together. Coat with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle on some salt, pepper, or whatever you like. I like a little garlic and chili powder. Next get a cup of Parmesan cheese and pack it on to the cut side of the lettuce. With a hot grill put the cheese side down, give it 2-3 minutes or until he cheese is melty and golden brown. Pull off the grill and let it cool down.

You can put on whatever dressing you like, I like A1. You can sprinkle whatever other veggies you like and enjoy. Remember it is meant to be eaten like a hot dog, no forks here.

Pace.

I found a good recipe for some brisket, this will be my first time making it but hoping it will turn out well.  Once May comes around I pretty much turn off the stove and fill up the propane tanks.  Every night it is, hamburgers, dogs, sausage, chicken, all on the grill.  After all what is nicer then sitting outside with a beer on a warm night?  Nothing.

Here is the recipe, I hope to make it in a few days I will let you know how it turns out.

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 bay leaf, crushed
4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed
1 1/2 cups beef stock.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Make a dry rub by combining chili powder, salt, garlic and onion powders, black pepper, sugar, dry mustard, and bay leaf. Season the raw brisket on both sides with the rub. Place in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Add beef stock and enough water to yield about 1/2 inch of liquid in the roasting pan. Lower oven to 300 degrees F, cover pan tightly and continue cooking for 3 hours, or until fork-tender.

Trim the fat and slice meat thinly across the grain. Top with juice from the pan.

Pace.