Redhook Ale Brewery: Slim Chance

The line between macrobrew and microbrew has been blurring in recent years. Macro-breweries have begun to create fuller bodied beers (see Budweiser American Ale), some micro-breweries have grown so much in size that they now are dubbed craft breweries (see Sierra Nevada Brewing Company), and some breweries have formed alliances and mutual investment agreements in an attempt to tap into the micro and macro brew markets. (see Redhook brewery).

Redhook use to be a small Washington brewery that has since formed alliances with Budweiser and Widmer and has expanded its distribution and line of beers. Redhook's most recent creation is a "Light Ale" known as "Slim Chance". I was intrigued by the idea of an ale with a lighter body so I gave the beer a shot. Don't make the same mistake as I did; Slim Chance is no light ale. It's a run of the mill light lager. It looks and tastes like many light lagers: think Amstel Light or Modelo Light. While Slim Chance doesn't have the metallic taste of some light beers it lacks any significant body and has a watery aftertaste.

I probably gave Redhook took much credit when I purchased this beer. I love Redhook's Winterhook and Copperhook and assumed they wouldn't create the traditional light lager. But they did. As America becomes re-obsessed with beer it will be interesting to see how this micro/macro balance progresses. More and more research, books, and movies are being done on the beer industry and I'm excited to learn more. In the meantime, I think I'll grab a real ale with more flavor. Cheers.

Anheuscher-Busch: Natural "Natty" Light

Despite the similarity to the author's name, you needn't be psychopharmacologically enhanced to enjoy this time honored classic. Officially billed as a "sub-premium" beer by the marketing crack-squad at Anheuser-Busch (yes, they really said this during the factory tour), Natural Light is a cold (when properly chilled) refreshing lager that's certain to leave you wanting more--although that's usually irrelevant, because you'll probably find yourself drinking more regardless of whether or not you want it.

Optimized for high-volume, high-velocity drinking, Natty Light is a staple in almost any game of Beirut, king's cup, flip cup, 7-11-dubs (a.k.a. "Jerry's Kids"), pyramid, fuck the dealer, crimson pyramid or just plain shotgunning. Let's face it, when you're on your 10th beer of the evening, the very last thing you want is to be tasting beers one through nine. And with a price tag of 3.4 cents per ounce, there's no need for tears if your uncoordinated, belligerent Beirut partner knocks over a few cups in a valiant attempt to block a bounce (which was likely just the balls being returned on a balls back anyway).

Although KennyNC from topb.com ranks Natural Light as his nineteenth favorite beer, with his eighteenth being "Dying of Thirst", I surmise that he has not played many drinking games in his life. Online beer reviewer Brad007 at beeradvocate.com says: "If you like your beers to go down easy and taste like nothing, this beer's for you." Well put, Brad007. And, after enough of Anheuscher-Busch's Natural Light, hopefully the same can be said of our women. Or something like that...

So come join us in Nattyville--where the kegs are cheap, peer pressure abounds, and severe drunkenness is always just a few games away!