Commentist Beer Barrel: Heineken

Heineken is an amoral mercantile outfit that appropriated the Red Star. Still, please: put down your pitchforks and torches, because I like their beer.

Per Wikipedia: Heineken Lager Beer (Dutch: Heineken Pilsener)—wait. Is Heineken a Pilsener or lager? The bottle says “lager”, which settles the issue. At least for me, because I’m not too discerning about beer.

I only expect beer to be bitter, carbonated, and more than two will be required to get something of a buzz. Hard liquor, however [daydreams, drools].

Anyway, Heineken’s 5% alkyhol moves the Buzzmeter at 30-odd ounces (YMMV), which costs $10 with decent tips at a chinchorro four minutes (walking) from my Apt. Also, I appreciate nationalistic pandering:

Point, Heinie

Heineken is marketed as a premium brand here in PR. Since forever, it holds the Heineken Jazz Fest, a yearly festival of (mostly) Latin Jazz that attracts top artists. (Here’s a recording from the 1993 Jazzfest, featuring conguero Giovanni Hidalgo.) And, from what I’ve seen, Heineken’s advertising everywhere consists of classy folks frolicking or doing bonehead shit, always in an upscale setting.

On the othah hand, about 20 years ago, Heineken got mainstream here in PR because a very popular mayor enjoyed them immensely and frequently. He was a retired cop and everyone knew him by his nickname: El Amolao (“The Sharpened One”, truly not an assessment of his acumen). Here is the Mayor, doing a TV skit in military uniform, saying “This is fucked!”:

Then he says something about needing “Palmolives” because he was thirsty. That’s how he called Heinekens, and the name stuck.

A true relic via http://www.angelfire.com/bc/joelfotos/amolao.html 

To the consternation of the target market, Heinekens became Palmolives and the choice of proles. Bars priced 7 oz. Heinies comparably to cheap 10 oz. canned beers. Ultimately, drinkers were bitch-slapped by the invisible hand that brought even cheaper canned beers—hard pass by me. If watery dreck is all that’s available, I’d rather not drink.

I’m not being uppity. Sometimes you have to reflect on the quality and wisdom of your choices, and put absolute trust on narcotics.

I like beer, but didn’t at first. A taste developed after spending most of the summer after high school graduation drinking about 12 cases of Budweiser per week with my cousin, mostly at the beach. Main takeaway, still the norm: beer’s gotta be very cold (IMHO). Even when I was living through winters in upstate NY and CO, the beer still had to be very cold. Back then (mid-90s),  the main beer of choice was Molson Ice, per an old roommate’s dictum: “Five get you hammered!” He was the dream roommate: adjusted, outgoing, and most of his friends were girls. You’d think he was not a deep guy, but one time we got wasted and he raged at length on an existential conundrum: “Why can’t friends fuck?”

Point is, I’m through with Budweiser and even more watery stuff that is an affront to self-respecting drunkenness. Heineken is my baseline for beer.

Heineken has a steady carbonation, even after sitting half an hour (Source: wimps). It also has a nice color, is bitter but not at the expense of refreshment, and has enough body to be a beer beer.

It’s perfectly fine. Sure, I’d prefer a Guinness most of the time. But when it’s at least 85 degrees most of the year, a less soupy beer sold everywhere stands out. Palmolive: I’d soak in it.

Banner by KecskeFészek.hu via here

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Don T
Poor choices, mixed results. ¡Viva Puerto Rico Libre! Titans4Eva
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Brick Meathook

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(obligatory)

Horatio Cornblower

Great scene, or greatest scene ever?

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Old School Zero

I came here for this and you’re my new favorite Brick. I promise never to abandon you like I did Horatio’s son.

BRB gotta make a beer run

Horatio Cornblower

Hey, pick up my son on your way back. His Mom’s pissed.

Horatio Cornblower

I’d probably drink Palmolive before Heineken, but whatever floats one’s boat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPmHrqbUlf4

King Hippo

I am old enough to remember Heineken (and it’s fraternal twin, Amstel Light) were considered the fancy beers.

Always went with Amstel, though.

Brick Meathook

I’m old enough to remember when Michelob was the fancy beer and Tuborg was the fancy (and only) import.

Horatio Cornblower

Lowenbrau or GTFO.

yeah right

I always accidentally drank some of the foil that wrapped the top of the Lowenbrau bottles.

Brick Meathook

Oh fuck yeah Lowenbrau! That’s even better!

nomonkeyfun

Fozz and Red Foreman agree. Two men I don’t want to anger, so I will agree with you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vpBEHDETKY

Cuntler

Speaking of defunct beers, what about Michigan’s finest? comment image

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

…which costs $10 with decent tips at a chinchorro four minutes (walking) from my Apt.

“Yeah but how much is that in American dollars?” – red state residents

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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theeWeeBabySeamus

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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BrettFavresColonoscopy

Counterpoint: Heineken sucks and always tastes skunked

Game Time Decision

Just put a lime wedge in it.
/ducks thrown bottles

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

I had not had one for many years and recently tried one; yes.

Horatio Cornblower

A lime?

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

A lime skunk?

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Cuntler

Yeah, any beer in a clear or green bottle that wasn’t prepared where you are drinking it is going to be skunked because of sunlight. It’s really stupid to store beer that way, which is why Yuengueyengueling, Rolling Rock, Beck’s, Heineken, Corona, Sol, etc. all taste pretty skunky.

/opens can of Heineken

//still tastes skunky

What the fuck?

The Right Reverend Electric Mayhem

The skunk is part of the charm.

Seriously, I have no idea why, but I don’t mind the whiff of Pepe le Pew in Heiney

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

This explains your approach to beer perfectly.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Is “Fountains of Wayne” a reference to Fort Wayne, Indiana? And if so, how many of these fountains are filled with gravy?

Senor Weaselo

Yet Utopia Pkwy is in Queens! WEIRD.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh
ballsofsteelandfury

This was great! Plus, Heinie sponsors the Champions League with its awesome anthem. My favourite quote from this article:

“You’d think he was not a deep guy, but one time we got wasted and he raged at length on an existential conundrum: “Why can’t friends fuck?”

I think we all know Hippo’s favourite…

And now,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJbg3Ur3FZc

Horatio Cornblower

If rom-coms have taught me anything it’s that friends can’t fuck because if they do wacky hijinks and misunderstandings ensue, and can only be resolved by the former friends getting married in a simple, yet touching, ceremony, preferably on a beach, and which is attended by all of their friends and family who got mixed up in the whole mess, at least two of whom are clearly going to fuck the second the ceremony ends.

It’s just easier to hire a hooker.