Cheers!: Thank You Sweet Baby Jesus for So Many Things!

I have to thank Dick Van De Ven of Ephraim for recently bestowing a trio of beers upon me.

After sampling just one, I have to wonder, will this be the holy trinity of beers? One can only hope.

His original reason for stopping by the office was to offer me a ticket for a pancake breakfast held to raise scholarship money, but I declined since it’s held in Ephraim, a place where a few years ago I was driven from a village board meeting by pig-headed ignorance, and I haven’t been back.

In truth, and I told this to Dick, I couldn’t make it to the pancake breakfast because I was already booked for an event in Sturgeon Bay that same morning.

Regarding my beef with Ephraim – yes, I admit I carry grudges way beyond what most people would consider a normal conclusion, but, really, this thing in Ephraim was the most egregious disregard for my business – Trumpian, even – that I decided to wipe my hands of the place, even though I received a letter of apology from the village president.

So, yeah, so far, so good with not going to Ephraim in the last three years or so since “the incident.” [OK, I will admit stopping at a brand-new store that I heard sells records; I had to stop, and picked up a nice trio of records. I really miss the Polish soup shop there, but, I’ll have to live without it until he moves outta Ephraim.]

Sorry for that digression. Let’s get back to the beer Dick gave me. I’m just going to mention the first one right now, the one I just opened after a long day at work, Sweet Baby Jesus, a chocolate peanut butter porter from DuClaw Brewing of Bel Air, Maryland.

First thing is the aroma. Sweet baby Jesus that smell is familiar! Let me go back for recalibration…uh huh. That’s it! Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Oh, I could tell you a story about Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and a small ma and pa “corner” grocery store – possibly the only corner grocery store in the middle of a block – that used to be in my old neighborhood in Duluth. Let’s just say the memories of old Duluth come flooding back as soon as I sniff this beer.

Wow! Sweet baby Jesus!

I know how this beer was named. One taste and you, too, will know as you proclaim “SWEET BABY JESUS!”