Leave it to Peter to want to celebrate his birthday with a Ballantine Ale. While everyone else is sampling the latest trendy micro-beers, Peter wanted to venture back to the ale of our fathers. For me at the age of six or so, Dad brought out the green bottles late Sunday mornings after Mass. Often he'd invite two best friends, Sonny and Jim, from the Post Office over for a couple, amid ribald jokes and hardy laughter. At other times, Grampa Mike, in his black dress suit, would be our guest for Sunday dinner, and they'd share a few. On those mornings, I'd crawl up into Dad's lap on the livingroom couch and listen to their stories. On occasion, he'd let me put the cold, green bottle to my lips and sip. Back then it was a bitter sin, that I never confessed to Mom nor priest. And to this day I wonder, if when I'm at a pub ordering a beer of choice, and an auburn-tinted ale is placed in front of me, might it have any roots to those Sunday mornings nestled in Dad's lap with ale on his breath and aqua velva in the air?
I'm going to say, Yes.
Good mem'ries! Re your question: Yes, it feels like it. A bright sunny day is ahead topping out about 90 degrees. I'm on my way to the golf course with a wee cooler filled with Amstel Light and Bud Light. We're not "heavy" drinkers down here. :-)
ReplyDeleteMen getting together after Mass to lift a few seems to have gone by the way; now it's coffee and breakfast at a neighborhood cafe. I think you're right about the fact that lots of ourselves are formed in childhood. Guess there's lots of proof for that.
ReplyDeleteMicro beer !!!!! Wonder what taht name comes from !!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, my Dad used to give me a sip or two way back when. Boy, that will get you in trouble today.
ReplyDeleteFond memories for sure. :)
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten all about Ballantine ale!
ReplyDeleteAh, come to Belgium for a feast! :)
ReplyDeleteGod bless you!
Cezar
Lucky guy & guys, you all...
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather used to take a jug to the tavern and bring home his beer in the jug. Then he'd watch "Gunsmoke" and have a cold one in his easy chair. My dad wasn't a drinker so we rarely had any beer around until he discovered alcohol free beer. Than we used to see it all the time. Somewhere I have a photo of him with an alcohol free beer that he found in London back in 2000 when I took him to London for his first (and only) trip to Europe.
ReplyDeleteCould be Birdman, have you tried any of the Australian beers..there are hundreds but not being a beer drinker I can only think of Heineken and Carlton..good for a shandy I bet haha!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this beer.
ReplyDeleteI remember being a kid and asking my Dad for a little sip of his cold beer on hot days at the beach and he always obliged. It tasted good to me then, but now I don't like it all!
ReplyDeleteI am not a great fan of beer but you just reminded me that my dad too used Aqua Velva...
ReplyDeleteBallantine? It brings back memories of Narragansett and Schaeffer and Rolling Rock.
ReplyDeleteYour dad sounds like a very special guy -- barbara
ReplyDeletePersonally, I liked Efferre 5.
ReplyDeleteIt brought outte the Getalopme in Harpers.
And we 'd all sit around in circles and watch Disney - Tinkerbell.
They got the root, you know.
Gradstars.
Phyto.
MP 3 with Pmpor.
Nice old memories!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of it but have never seen it.
ReplyDeleteWhat sweet memories.
ReplyDeleteSo, what's the difference between this post and a Jasper Johns painting except several million dollars? My father used to drink Ballantine beer, or sometimes Rhinegold. I wonder if either are still around.
ReplyDeleteGreat childhood memories. When I was about 4 or 5 my first memory of a corner bar had those same three rings in the window, but my memories were not as positive as yours as my Grandfather drank too much.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the pic : /
ReplyDelete