BEER! SECTION
There are a handful of Belgian imports floating around in various locations and Corona Extra is considered a major beer delicacy there. So, clearly an article on the joys of Costa Rican beer is not in the cards, but I have managed to kill about 400 words explaining why it isn’t. What should we talk about the rest of the article? Monkeys? Costa Rica is famous for their monkeys and, outside of the bigger cities, you will probably see monkeys in the trees daily. But that doesn’t seem right for a beer column so let’s discuss why the best beer you have ever had while on vacation would never make it into your shopping cart if it were available in Arizona. People come back from trips to Costa Rica or Brazil or from a cruise constantly and tell me they had the most amazing beer and they just have to have it available in Arizona. They explain to me what an amazing flavor it had and why it would probably be the best selling beer if it were only sold here. My response is always
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May 1st, 2013 - May 7th, 2013
AZWeeklyMagazine.com
the same…they would buy one six-pack and complain that the import version is not the same as the version available in (insert any Caribbean or South American country name here). And they would be right. First off, import beer, by its entire nature is not going to be as fresh as it is at the point of production. Secondly, and probably the bigger reason is what I call the “Vacation Reaction.” Here’s the deal. Picture, if you will, sitting on a secluded beach on a hot day, watching the Atlantic Ocean nip at your toes. The handsome waiter, or pretty waitress, is bringing you ice cold beers whenever you want. These ice cold beers are perfect because the sun is out, you are relaxing and they have just enough alcohol to give you a buzz, but not enough to get you drunk. They are almost always a lighter style lager, so they are crisp and refreshing. In short, they are perfection in a bottle… and there is even a certain comfort in holding that ice cold bottle with beads of condensation running down it. The folks at Corona Continued On Page 42