Dec 2008 15

surprisedsarah_r1

My nametag doesn’t occupy a particular barstool at my local bar, but I am a frequent visitor as Imbiber of the IPA, Paramour of the Porter, Savorer of the Schwarzbier, and all the styles in between. My bar tab is under a certain piece of male anatomy had it been tossed into the air, earned after a night of earnest sampling.  For my 23rd (again…) birthday, I was greeted by a small gaggle of friends gathered at “My Special Place” for a surprise party.

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After five Russian River Blind Pigs, a Green Flash Hop Head Red, and arbitrary samples of multiple other brews, I was decanted into the car (passenger of course!) with a trunk load of leftover grub and some perplexity around how to reheat it.  Even if I have the opportunity to devour two trays of mussels soaking in a congealed blend of butter, white wine, and garlic, would it be safe?  The next day, casting perilous thoughts of Discount Sushi aside, I reasoned I wouldn’t keel over from bacteria copulating in the shell as long as I soaked them in beer- alcohol kills off germs right?  A few pale ales (some into the pot, some into my glass), a generous pat of butter, and various seasonings were left to boil and then I lured the mussels into the pot and let them bathe a few minutes without direct heat.  Be dammed you naysayers of reheating mollusks- nothing like an immune system boosted by the brew.