Thursday evening found me in a world of hurt and I desperately needed a liquid getaway. Before I sound like a roaring alky, let me explain what happened that evening and maybe you won't think poorly of me.
This Thursday my wife and I drove from our home to our daughter's college so that we could be with her after she finished her freshman year and to send her off on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South Africa that begins this next week. It's a long drive from Grosse Pointe to Des Moines--at least 600 miles--and I drove every mile. Further, my wife and I found ourselves engaged in deep and meaningful conversation virtually the entire trip. Needless to say, after nine hours of driving and non-stop talking, I needed a drink.
At midnight, however, my options for finding alcoholic beverages were limited. I wasn't going to a bar and the grocery stores that sold my preferred beers and wines had all since closed. Instead, I visited a popular convenience store next to campus that provides libations to many Drake students. So, at midnight, I walked into the Kum and Go, yes, that's the name of the store, Kum and Go, to find a beer.
The place was packed with young, scruffy looking folks, most of whom were standing in front of the beer case. I quickly scanned my choices: Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light, Miller, Miller Lite, and . . . well I kept looking for other choices. Sam Adams? Nope. Leinenkugel Red--we were in the Midwest after all. Nope. They had to have Rolling Rock--wasn't that a popular college beer? Apparently not at Drake. In fact, in that beer case I couldn't find a single beer I'd consumed in the past 25 years! Out of desperation, I grabbed the one beer I'd never heard of--it was 18 ounces and only cost $1--how bad could it be? So I grabbed two Steel Reserves and tried to leave the Kum and Go as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten how difficult it is to escape a convenience store at midnight, especially when there was only one barely functional cashier working (who did not speak English as his first language). Do you remember how college students buy drinks? I had forgotten. Especially during finals week, one friend collects money from all his/her friends and runs over to the Kum and Go and buys one beverage apiece for every friend in the dorm who gave them money. Apparently nobody at college treats their friends--they pay for each beverage individually. Needless to say, I stood in that line a long time.
And not everyone in the Kum and Go was a college student. The guy in front of me, besides buying his Mountain Dew, also bought a hot dog out of the hot dog warmer. I can't imagine that a college student, even a hungry one, would ever eat a nasty hot dog that had been sitting all day in that hot dog warmer spinning in front of a greasy light bulb. Gross. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Little did I know that Steel Reserve is actually a popular brew among college students. It's a malt beverage with a higher alcohol content than normal beer--and is most typically purchased in 40 ounce bottles. Now that would have been a hoot--me walking out of the Kum and Go in Des Moines with a 40-ounce Steel Reserve in a brown paper bag! My wife is convinced I'm trying to relive my youth--maybe I've just proved her point because I actually enjoyed the Steel Reserve. I don't know if out of exhaustion, thirst, or my intense need to unwind, but the drink went down fast--and I fell fast asleep about five minutes after it was gone.
Yep, I enjoyed my first experience with a Steel Reserve, however, not as much as I enjoyed another brew I tasted last night for the first time. We had dinner at the Court Avenue Brewing Company, which is a popular Des Moines restaurant that is similar to hundreds of other microbreweries in the U.S. The owners took a turn-of-the century retail building and converted it into a hip restaurant. Think high ceilings, hardwood floors, outdoor seating, antique signs on the walls, a massive bar and lots of noise. But, unlike other similar establishments, the Court Avenue Brewing Company had an interesting menu and the brews they produced actually tasted good.
Again, I was in the mood to drink. The primary reason for my alcohol thirst was that I was meeting my freshman daughter's boyfriend for the first time. The bartender offered a large selection of beers on tap, but I felt compelled to drink the "Honest Lawyer IPA" draft. I didn't know what an IPA was, but I ordered it anyway. It was good.
IPA stands for India Pale Ale, which is a class of light-colored beers that are especially appropriate for summer drinking. The one made by the Court Avenue Brewing Company had a hint of citrus and went down quickly and easily. Drinking the IPA helped put me in the right mood to meet Byron.
Actually the boyfriend was delightful--confident, handsome, with an easy smile and clear appreciation for my daughter. He was respectful toward my wife and answered all our questions (and we had a lot of questions) without a hint of discomfort or resentment. While both Byron and Amelia are far too young to think longterm, it appears they are well suited for each other at this time in their lives.
We're now engaged in helping Amelia pack for her trip. Fortunately, we're staying in a suite with a small refrigerator that I've stocked with enough Stella Artois to keep me in the right frame of mind through her Tuesday send off.
I'll talk to you again when I get home.
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