Screamin' Reels

It's a beer. Specifically, it's a tropical, hoppy IPA with an earthy, tangerine taste. And a 7% alcohol volume.

With St. Patrick's Day only four days away, I thought it would be appropriate to pen a blogpost that celebrates beer. Having given up meat over a decade ago, I no longer indulge in corned beef, but beer is meatless, so let the celebration begin! Seriously, St. Patrick's Day is really the only holiday I like. There are no gifts to give, very little decorating, no endless holiday music in public places, and no people being depressed because they are alone on the day. If you don't care to be Irish for a day, just go about your business, and no one will even notice. If you do care to be Irish, drink up!

I am a descendant of the Noonans of County Cork and the O'Briens of County Clare. I visited Ireland a few years ago and inquired about these families when I was in the appropriate counties. Cornelius O'Brien was a politician in County Clare and is memorialized in the O'Brien Monument, a Doric column which has been considered by many as a phallic symbol, appropriate to O'Brien's reputation as a ladies' man. The monument was possibly paid for by compulsory subscriptions of his tenants, although there seems to be no definitive proof of that allegation. Yep, good old Uncle Cornelius, my ancestor.

I also drank a lot of Guinness in Ireland, and yes, I believe it is true: it is so much better than the Guinness on tap here in the States.

I have company coming, so I stopped in today at Saltwater Brewery, just up the road from me. On Tuesdays, there's a 25% discount on growlers, meaning that I purchased 64 ounces of draft beer for $12. My choice, as always, was Screamin' Reels, because I love a good IPA. But Screamin' Reels has my attention for another reason.

If you purchase a 6-pack of Screamin' Reels, you will notice something different about the set of six rings that keeps the cans in place. A couple of years ago, Saltwater Brewery was the first to sell their 6-packs in Eco Six Pack Rings (E6PR), made from by-product waste (barley and wheat) and other compostable materials. I'm sure you are aware of the danger in disposing of those plastic 6-pack rings without cutting the rings apart. Social media has provided us with many pictures of marine creatures strangled by getting caught in the rings. The E6PR on Screamin' Reels is edible for fish and turtles and completely biodegradable. I am happy to pay a couple of bucks more for these 6-packs . . . or just continue to fill up my growler on Tuesdays.

My growler is resting in my refrigerator, waiting for the time of celebration. As St. Patrick's Day is on a Saturday this year, I hope you can take some time to celebrate, even if you can't claim Cornelius as an ancestor. On St. Patty's Day, everyone is Irish! Slainte!