Wednesday, April 22, 2009

More from the mouths of others

I surely can't make this stuff up. I'm not that creative; you know this much is true. This one's so good, I'd forgotten about it for almost a year, but I have total recall on this one...that's how memorable it was. The scene was in Fairmount Park, the Mann Music Center to be exact. (The Mann, in my opinion, is still the best local Philly venue for outdoor music.) James Taylor was on stage and we were on the lawn. Not much good beer to be found around the venue's concessions, save for a couple of beers from the pride of Downingtown, Victory. A Lager here, a HopDevil there, and reportedly (though not confirmed by I) a Prima Pils somewhere else. The HopDevil had just kicked at the concession behind the lawn seating, so I did my best to put back a Victory Lager...though, admittedly, in a stellar roster from Victory, this one has always ridden the bench for me. At intermission, I went down to main concourse only to be told the HopDevil was kicked but the guy was bringing another one back. But, I could still have a Lager if I preferred (with the suggestion that it's all the same), or shall I say...Ladger? And this is where the fun began. Of course, the promise of a HopDevil with James Taylor (well, he'd still be on stage, so not really with Taylor smartypants), I figured I could stick out the wait for the beer guy. Conversation with the two beer pourers (it took two to (wo)man the two beer taps at this mobile stand) ensued... ...a little something like this... w1: "Wut-choo want?" w2: "He sez he's gunna wait fer the Victry." w1: "We gots the Victry right here." (pointing to the Lager tap) w2: "He wants da udder one." w1: "But the Ladger right here, it sez Victry...it's the same thing." (I think Heath Ledger had just passed away, so maybe they were mixing the two?) w2: "Nah, they different. See this one is Ladger and this one is just Victry....right? I think he knows that." (points to me...I shudder with anticipation of what to say in reply) Bryan: "Yea, you're right, they're different beers, but they're really very different." w2: "But, the one is Victry and the one is Ladger right?" Bryan: "Well, actually the company name is Victory, they're the ones that make the beer...they make it in Downingtown, y'know kind of near West Chester?" Bryan: "And, the names...Lager...HopDevil...those are just brand names to tell you that they are different types of beer." (the different types of beer comment I figured would really throw them off. And, styles? I figured I probably shouldn't touch that topic quite yet.) w1: "But, the Ladger is different right?" (funny how just a couple of minutes ago, she thought they were the same...my training must be effective!) Bryan: "Yup, they are very very different...and you have to be very careful when someone asks you for a Victory that you know which one they want because a lot of people who drink beer from Victory will know the difference right away and give it back if you give them the wrong one." w2: "The hops is what makes the beer bitter, right?" (whoa, showing a sign of some beer knowledge here....a complete 180....I need to reset my approach) Bryan: "Remember how I said Victory makes the beer and they make a whole bunch of different kinds? Well, Victory makes over 20 different kinds of beer, but they all start the same. They boil water and put grains in it...kind of like a hot cereal." w2: "Okay." (this one was clearly the more engaged one, though the other one, not to be confused with The Other One, constantly had a wrinkled bewildered look like she was trying really hard to understand) Bryan: "Then, other ingredients are added, like the hops...to give more flavor to the beer, depending which type of and how much hops are used one beer can be more bitter than others...just like the HopDevil is more bitter than the Lager." w2: "Wooowwww, okay. That's really interesting. I never knew beer was so complicated." (finally beer guy brings keg of HopDevil, with a cap that says Lager, but labelled HopDevil on the side) Bryan: "Alright! the HopDevil's here." Beerguy: "No, it's Victory." (conversation begins again. Patty wonders why it took so long and I missed the first two songs of the second set) I might have a future in concessionaire training. I wonder who is responsible for the training on this account? ;-)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

imagine explaning a wit

Bryan Kolesar said...

you're talking cheesesteaks, right?! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Keith and I saw Ben Folds at the Mann last year, it was the last show of the season. I asked for a glass of wine, but there wasn't enough pinot grigio for a full glass. So she filled the rest with the bottom of the white zinfandel, and added ice.
The food situation was kind of the same.