Tuesday, March 3, 2009

"Sam Spring" just doesn't have that ring to it

In these parts, when you go to a bar in the Winter and say to your favorite draft puller, "I'll have a Winter," he knows you mean a Sam Adams Winter Ale. And he'll pour it for you, even. Same goes for Summers and Octobers.

But Springs? I don't think in my life I've ever ordered a Sam Spring. In fact, I know I haven't. Neither have I bought one. And if I hadn't ever worked in a liquor store, I wouldn't even know that Sam Spring (more appropriately called Sam Adams White Ale) existed. Spring was that period of time between the mediocre Sam Winter and the refreshing goodness of Sam Summer -- a beer void, so to speak.

What's the point? Well, last night I had a (rather large) Sam Spring. And I ordered it just like that -- I'll have a Sam Spring. And it was pretty good, but that's not the point. The point is that I have no idea why I ordered it. I was at a sports bar with a limited selection of brews, and when I find myself in that situation, I usually go for a Sam Light or the hard stuff. But I had the kids in tow that night (kids karaoke -- which in many ways is better than adult karaoke) so the hard stuff was out. So I moseyed up to the bar and tried to order a Sam Light. But what came out was "Sam Spring."

The bartender looked at me kind of funny -- because let's face it, when you're a bartender in a sports bar, you probably don't hear many orders for white ale. And most people probably don't walk into a sports bar thinking about the great craft beer they'll be drinking. But I took the 24-oz. glass and drank it, noticing that it was the only cloudy beer in the bar, and probably the only one that was available.

So I was a bit of a beer outcast last night. But I'm kind of used to that (and I assume you are, too). It was shocking, though, to think that I was a beer outcast drinking a Sam Adams seasonal in a sports bar. That just shouldn't happen. Alas, Sam White just hasn't gained clout among the sports bar set just yet.

C'est la vie.

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