PBR - What’s the big woop?

Apparently, I’ve had my head up my ass. Until recently, I had no idea that hipsters in NY and LA have been guzzling down Pabst Blue Ribbon for like, 7 years now.

It first came to my attention when I interviewed Ryan McDermott (the new sound check blog guy at DC Style Magazine). He said his favorite beer is PBR and all the hipsters in NY are drinking it.

I was like, “New trend! Must investigate!” I put out an ‘APB’ to some of the ‘cool girls’ in LA asking if it had taken hold on the West Coast. Here are a few responses:

• I hate to get all "indier-than-thou" but this is old news. PBR has been a very big seller in the Silver Lake/Echo Park bars for like three years (only in cans though). Check out the infamous "hipster bingo" website from 2-3 years ago. (site pasted below) Mara
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• When I lived in NY it was indeed a thing. And that was 7 years ago so I guess it stuck and must have grown. It must be an East Coast thing cause, like you, I haven't been anywhere that it's even offered in LA. Stacy
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• Both 3 Of Clubs and Cha Cha's proudly serve PBR. In fact, the last man I dated broke the ice by sending one to my table. I thought he was being ironic. He was just cheap. Donna
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• A lot of LA, and especially Hollywood, hotspots don't sell PBR b/c it is so cheap, but all the hipsters do know where to find it... I moved to LA from Austin, TX in September and found the lack of PBR at bars a real pain. $5 for a Bud Light bottle is just too much. In Austin, Pabst is pretty much available anywhere! Anna
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• I have to say Natalie, every art gallery or cool "it" party I've been too is doing it. I guess it falls in line with the trucker cap craze a couple of years ago RedNeck chic, but, yes, I'm seeing it everywhere. Paula

Needless to say, I felt like an ass. Or rather, that I had been keeping my head up my own. I’m really more of a cocktail girl, myself, as any follower of The Liquid Muse will gather. And, I grew out of the dollar-beer thing after college … so I guess I just wasn’t paying attention.

Being curious to check out anything with a buzz (yes all puns intended) I decided I had to experience this cultural phenomenon for myself.

Frankly, Pabst has very little flavor. It’s kinda like drinking watered-down cow piss.

I don’t drink beer often enough to throw around opinions on it’s “hoppiness” or “finish.” I do know, however, that I don’t drink Bud. Or Miller. I’ll suffer through an Amstel Light if I have to… Once in a while, I hit a sports bar and indulge in greasy food and a tasty amber ale or thick-n-creamy dark lager.

But, seek out Pabst? I don’t get it.

I mean, I can appreciate the irony of a hot society chick in Jimmy Choos swillin’ trailer trash bubbly as much as the next person. Who doesn’t love a gal who ‘plays well with others’ from country club to truck stop? But, seriously, now, with all the choices out there, and all the men willing to pony up to buy a cute girl a drink… what gives?

Is it the price tag? Is a decent beer really unaffordable? Is it the trucker hat phenomomen? (which is long gone by now…)

Does holding PBR make people feel ‘hip?’

Excuse me for bringing this up… but if “all the hipsters are doing it”… it’s not all that hip anymore…it’s trendy. Isn’t trendy the antithesis of hip?

I’m confused.

So, please, folks, enlighten me. PBR - What’s the big woop?

Hipster Bingo: http://www.catbirdseat.org/catbirdseat/bingo.html

Ask The Liquid Muse...

"That's Hot!" - Drinks Du Jour

Sipster, Michelle Sites, from Los Angeles, recently inquired about which cocktails are “hot” right now. That is a big question! Where to begin?

Vodka is still hot. While some people are dissing vodka these days, I have to stand up for it. It is a versatile spirit which lends itself to all kinds of cocktails. And, vodkas are fascinating! They can be made from potato, rye, or varied grains. They hail from Finland, Russia, France, Poland, Hawaii (and many other US states) and beyond. Some are organic and some are infused with fruit, color, even bubbles! Sweet, savory, straight up boozy – vodka cocktail possibilities are endless. Therefore, vodka cocktails will always be popular.

That said, there is a whole world of spirits beyond vodka to be explored. One of the missions of The Liquid Muse is to broaden Sipsters’ cocktail horizons through informational, experiential posts. Booze for Broads (tm) cocktail tastings and seminars are focused primarily on exposing women to new concepts in “drinks with the girls.”

One thing to keep in mind: “what’s hot” is subjective. What YOU like is always in. I may think its time to move past the Cosmo, but if vodka, cranberry, triple sec and lime is your thing, more power to you. Everyone has a unique palate. For example, no matter how “hip” PBR may be, I refuse to drink it. I simply refuse.

As far as popular trends go, Classic Cocktails have enjoyed a resurgence. Just like with fashion, Hollywood Glamour is back - in the glass. The Negroni , Manhattan, Gin Collins and Sazerac – all popular with previous generations - are popping up on bar menus coast to coast. Also, Latin drinks are always sexy – the Caipirinha and Mojito craze is still quite strong.

My advice? The best way to spot a new trend (or start one yourself) is to talk to the bartender. I find that most bartenders have their own special concoctions. They are creative people who take pride in what they do. I always ask the guy or gal behind the bar if they've created something unusual lately. With very few exceptions, a talented Mixologist is happy to show it off!

And, I am always happy to share it with The Liquid Muse community… so send your "hot list" of drinks in!

Tito’s: Austin’s Greatest Export, and Vodka’s Best-Kept Secret

Have you heard of Tito’s vodka? I’m hoping that you haven’t because that will make this post all the more enticing to those who shun the masses for the love of the unique.

Let’s start out by saying that I love to see the little guys succeed. Especially when they’ve poured every ounce of their passion – and their pocketbook – into their product. (As a little guy, myself, I can relate.)

Therefore, when I got a sample of Tito’s Handmade Vodka in the mail, I may have been pre-disposed to approach it with optimism. I wanted to like it… and even more… I didn’t want to be disappointed. I want to drink and discover the “under-the-radar” vodka that the former PBR hipsters are now sucking down on the sly. Happily, this “micro-distilled” spirit - from the only legal distillery in Texas - did not let me down.

Tito’s vodka is made by Tito Beveridge who lives in the very hip Texas town of Austin where, in 1995, he decided to max out 19 credit cards and live his dream. Since then, his 6-times distilled 100% corn vodka has won the “Unanimous Gold Medal” at the World Spirits Competition and the company has grown to where Tito can not only pay off the credit cards but hold his own in the drippingly saturated “boutique” vodka market.

I love knowing that I’m tasting something that is crafted with care, and a little heart-and-soul. I take my hat off to Tito’s and give a “yippee-yi-yay” to his success. If you want to join the cool kids and drink under the radar with the vodka rebels, visit here. Tell them The Liquid Muse sent you…