Driveway shovelin' beer.
Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 11:47 am
Do you have types of beer that you choose to drink, in order to accomplish different tasks?
Maybe it's just me, but not just any tasty craft beer will help me shovel that drive way. I like to choose one that is perfect for shoveling. I don't like to choose bombers(650mL or more) because i can't fit an entire one into a mug, and i don't want to be bothered with pouring beer while wearing snow covered gloves. (thermal coffee mugs work great! The tight lid prevents snow that you are shoveling from falling into the mug, or spilling if you knock the beer out of the snow bank, and the thermal walls prevent the snow bank from quickly freezing your beer into a slushy.)
I also don't like low alcohol beers because you know you need a bit of 'umph' from the beer to stay warm while shoveling. But at the same time you don't want those 9% beers (I'm looking at you Trois Pistoles!) because you start getting too drunk too fast, and that driveway doesn't end up getting shoveled; you just fall into the snow bank with a 9% beer in your hand...
Pry off caps are sometimes an issue too, because I don't have a bottle opener on my snow shovel, so I usually choose cans, or twist-off cap beers.
So basically I look for a 5.5% - 7% beer; usually having some dark roasted malts, or caramel malts to match the season.
It's funny, because I have beer at home, but not beer that will help me shovel the driveway, so I'm going out to buy some beer, so that I can shovel the driveway when I get back.
Anyway, that's just me. Sometimes I think I'm a little crazy, but then I just have a beer and think, 'nah'...
P.S. Years ago I lived at a place with a long-long driveway. And it took a lot of motivation to get the whole thing shoveled in one attempt (no snow blower, just shovels). So every 10 - 15 feet I'd plant a fresh bottle of beer, and I used them as rewards for clearing each section, until i got to the end. Worked like a charm!
Maybe it's just me, but not just any tasty craft beer will help me shovel that drive way. I like to choose one that is perfect for shoveling. I don't like to choose bombers(650mL or more) because i can't fit an entire one into a mug, and i don't want to be bothered with pouring beer while wearing snow covered gloves. (thermal coffee mugs work great! The tight lid prevents snow that you are shoveling from falling into the mug, or spilling if you knock the beer out of the snow bank, and the thermal walls prevent the snow bank from quickly freezing your beer into a slushy.)
I also don't like low alcohol beers because you know you need a bit of 'umph' from the beer to stay warm while shoveling. But at the same time you don't want those 9% beers (I'm looking at you Trois Pistoles!) because you start getting too drunk too fast, and that driveway doesn't end up getting shoveled; you just fall into the snow bank with a 9% beer in your hand...
Pry off caps are sometimes an issue too, because I don't have a bottle opener on my snow shovel, so I usually choose cans, or twist-off cap beers.
So basically I look for a 5.5% - 7% beer; usually having some dark roasted malts, or caramel malts to match the season.
It's funny, because I have beer at home, but not beer that will help me shovel the driveway, so I'm going out to buy some beer, so that I can shovel the driveway when I get back.
Anyway, that's just me. Sometimes I think I'm a little crazy, but then I just have a beer and think, 'nah'...
P.S. Years ago I lived at a place with a long-long driveway. And it took a lot of motivation to get the whole thing shoveled in one attempt (no snow blower, just shovels). So every 10 - 15 feet I'd plant a fresh bottle of beer, and I used them as rewards for clearing each section, until i got to the end. Worked like a charm!