ANCHOR STEAM

A few years ago, we were lucky enough to go on a tour of the Anchor Steam brewery in San Francisco and, I'll have to admit, got more than a little squiffy whilst chugging down the half dozen free samples dished out at the end of the tour, as we were reflecting upon the exciting tale of the live yeast used to brew their fine beers and porters and how it rather excitingly dates back to the old Wild west.

After coming home, we found that, for a while at least, bottles of it would be sold at a local supermarket of our acquaintance and we would pick up a couple of bottles to knock back at the weekend, whilst the familiar flavour transported us away from the everyday drudgery and back to more pleasant memories of holidays spent under bright blue skies, and sitting in one or two of the occasional bars and restaurants which nestle on the waterfront.

After a few years, however, because our supermarkets can be fickle creatures, those tasty bottles vanished from their shelves, and we were left without this option to add to our shopping cart, and we slowly got out of the habit, although we have continued to cast a hopeful eye in the direction of the "Beers of the World" whenever we have been passing, usually to no avail.

However, a few weeks ago, the Beloved was in town and found that the bar that she was in would sell bottles to customers to take away, and she bought a couple and brought them home for me, although, as they seem like such a rare and precious commodity, and not one to be wasted, they have lurked in the fridge ever since, waiting for that "special moment" to come when we could crack them open and savour that rather pleasant amber fluid.

Of course, there are various arguments to be made about living for the now, and not for a tomorrow which may never come, and if you save that bottle for a "special" occasion, you may never get to drink it, and I'm not going to argue the opposite view on any of that.

You may last another half century, or get hit by a bus tomorrow, but it's probably best to have plans in place for both.

Anyway, the upshot of all this is that, when the Beloved left me alone for a couple of days recently, when I was sitting alone with my "lonely man" meal and a DVD Box Set spinning away in the player, I decided to crack open one of those "special" bottles - just the one - pour it into a glass, and drink it with my dinner.

And, you know what, it tasted mighty fine, and it was absolutely the correct thing to have done.

Cheers!