Wherein our Bachelorette realizes she lives more like a Bachelor May 9, 2007
Posted by charmingbutsingle in Cooking, General Clumsiness and Related Stupidity, Life, Shopping, Wheat Thins and Wine.trackback
I have almost no actual food left in my house.
I’m probably overreacting. I have many condiments and some frozen ears of corn. A few ounces a cheese, some soup and granola. But you know what I mean. No actual meal-like stuff. I used up the last of it making dinner on Monday and I haven’t actually been to the grocery store in well over a month.
Sure, I stop and buy $20 worth of stuff here and pick up toilet paper and wine there, but I haven’t sat down to make a list and said, “I need a pack of boneless chicken breasts and more brown rice,” in a very long time.
So tonight, as I was examining the contents of my fridge for something dinner-like, since I was finally home, and I grumbled because it is very hard to get excited over instant oatmeal, especially when there is NO WINE LEFT, I saw this ancient bottle of Rogue beer, the Christmas or Holiday blend, circa December.
December 2005, that is.
I don’t know why this beer lasted this long in my beer-loving home. There is only one bottle and I’m sure I just didn’t notice it or perhaps I was blinded by newer, different beer.
I picked it up and examined the bottle for an expiration date. I looked at the bottom. There was something cloudy, I thought.
I leaned back against the counter and stared at the oatmeal, which was spinning ‘round in the microwave mere seconds from becoming a bland meal for a bland Wednesday night.
And I wondered, “Does beer go bad?”
I decided that beer COULD go bad and I didn’t want to risk getting sick tonight … so I put the beer back until I could investigate the issue.
Because I am a woman swayed by only the most expert of opinions when I’m facing such a big – nay, monumental – decision.
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I think it does, but I think it takes a while. This beer, however, could be vintage and sold on eBay because of its age. My suggestion: Sell it and buy some good beer. Personal favorite is a nice Whitbread Ale. No longer available at my local pub of choice I generally order a Smithwick’s now.
I think beer does go bad - just taste it. If it’s off, it’s obvious (bit like off milk is obvious).
I empathise with the fridge state though - mine is regularly a sad affair with half a lemon, some slightly flat tonic, some wine, a tired looking carrot. Some mouldy cheddar. And that’s it. But I do usually have pesto in the cupboard, so worse case, I can always have pasta and pesto. I’ve been known to eat that every night for over a week. But with wine, I think it’s a balanced meal (wine = fruit, no?).
Wailin — Are you saying that Rogue isn’t good beer? Because TRUST ME, it is good beer. And I like dark beers a lot, but Whitbread Ale, if it is the beer I am thinking of, reminds me of eating something. Much too heavy. Blech. (And I repeat that I love dark beers — Mackeson XXX, Anchor Porter, etc)
LondonGirl — I’m even out of PASTA. But yes, I consider that a balanced meal. There are many nights where pasta tossed with whatever condiment is dinner. I actually buy jarred bruschetta topping, which I either eat on toast, tossed with pasta or on scrambled eggs. AWESOME.
Beer doesn’t go bad in a way that can harm you, it will just taste pretty funky. And a beer like Rogue may even stand up to some aging. I recently came across a cherry beer from Unibroue that said “Best by 7/21/2021.” No shit.
I’m sitting here with my breakfast yogurt contemplating bruschetta scrambled eggs… hm.
I’m sure beer DOES go bad… but when it is bad just depends on how desperate you are.
And I, too am in a similar boat with the empty fridge thing. I am currently subsisting on mozzarella, oregano, olive oil and corn tortillas. I’m even out of wine. *tear* Maybe it’s just the season for empty refrigerators?
Some beer gets skunky when kept in warm places for long periods of time, but beer will keep in a fridge until the second coming. At which time you can offer our Lord and Savior a drink, for which he’ll be supremely thankful after such a long trip. And just think…you’ll be able to tell your Catholic family that you got the Messiah drunk on old beer. How awesome would that be? Really awesome, that’s how.
As for Rogue, well, that stuff is just stupendous. I’m partial to The Skull Splitter and Shakespear Stout.
Rogue beer probably won’t go bad as quickly as say a watery (and disgusting) Bug Light, but it’s certainly not going to get better with age like good ol’ wine. I I picked up your blog through The Accidental Bitch and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your posts!
hehehe…I have one of those too! One bottle of “Yellow Jacket” microbrew that my parent’s brought back from CO. In 2002. Yeah, it’s now in my fourth apt. Why the hell can’t I throw the damn thing out?
Never heard of it. Sorry. And yeah, Whitbread is pretty dense. But good!
If that were my beer I would definitely try to drink it. But I’ll try anything that claims to have alcohol in it. I will say that I once tried a Budweiser that I knew to be four years old and it was not good, not good at all. But then again it wasn’t good when it was fresh.
Yes, beer goes bad.
I gave a party at my house 2 years ago and one of the guests brough beer over and since I am not a beer drinker the remaining bottles remained in my frig…….Well…..they are STILL in my frig. Will I ever throw them out?
Never throw them out. It makes a great conversation piece.
I too live like a bachelor… We all three do. Our house is messy, stinky… And we love it!
step away from the beer!! i’m sure your sink drain will love it though.
I never liked beer. Definitely like wine, especially white zinfandel.
The cloudy material you saw are probably protein clumps, which are in suspension in “good” beer. Beer does not go bad in the sense of it getting dangerous to drink, but the taste after some time radically changes, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. Dead yeast for example can lead to sulphurous taste and smell. ( I know this, because my brother once used to have a beer collection with beers from all over the world).
And Amanda: by far not all wines get better with age, actually.
Here’s some great advice (in my eyes anyway) - take the risk and drink the beer, that way no matter how bland the meal is that you’re cooking, it’s going to taste fantastic. As a new single, I’m at beer academy, so if you have any advice that you could give, I’d appreciate it. m x
I think it can go bad so thats a bit of a shit on your part - hopefully your imagination of something more tasty took over the bland taste of oatmeal and you got out the next day to the store for real food and the necessary alcoholic beverages!
I also agree with London Girl - Wine = Fruit therefore 5 a day!!!
xXx
Simply. Hott.
Well, then, don’t feel so bad. Look at mine
I always seem to have tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream on hand. Although, the sour cream is always sniffed first and tasted last. Tricky stuff there….. I mean, in general is smells “sour” in the first place, right? So you gotta be careful!
Forgot to mention that I am just like you in the grocery shopping department: often I wait until there is absolutely nothing left before I go grocery shopping. My boyfriend often teases me about my empty refrigerator!