These are the words, images, and beers that inspired the GBH Collective this week. Drinking alone just got better, because now you're drinking with all of us.
READ. // “Being an ice-cream man has kept Roach young. He credits his sprightliness to eating ice-cream every day for 40 years. He rarely goes on holiday, but when he does, the first thing he does is have a local ice-cream.” A long, humid summer has ended in political and literal storms in the U.K., so this slightly escapist and nostalgic piece about ice cream van drivers was some welcome relief from the endless gray. That said, there are fewer and fewer vans hitting the streets every summer, as those running them die or find more stable employment. It's sad to see such a visceral part of my childhood slowly disappear.
LOOK. // I've been burying myself in Brexit the last few weeks, and aside from the existential dread that comes with it, it has also renewed my love of parody. The U.K. has a rich history of it, but has lost its sense of humor about the news in the last few years. Chris Morris was the brains behind “The Day Today” and “Brass Eye,” which skewered British culture in the ‘90s and 2000s. In this interview about his new film, he does a wonderful job of describing comedians', journalists' and people's roles in the news cycle today.
DRINK. // Hacker-Pschorr’s Oktoberfest Märzen
There is only one time of the year when I can justify filling my fridge with 6% Amber Lager. There is nothing like a handled pint glass of Märzen as autumn rolls in. This year it has been a little harder, as Hacker-Pschorr changed the format from 500ml bottles to 330ml, but that just means I open two bottles at a time.
READ. // “This time she stared straight ahead, stunned. ‘It’s like he knows. It just doesn’t make sense,’ she said softly. ‘It’s weird.’” This tale of one particular card-game grifter reveals not just that scammers are everywhere, but that people are particularly fascinated with unraveling them.
LOOK. // The fact that Megan Amram keeps losing in her desperate bid for an Emmy is a gift to us all. In 2018, “The Good Place” writer created a web series called “An Emmy For Megan” in an attempt to exploit an awards show loophole for the titular prize. Unfortunately, though she’s been nominated twice since, she’s also lost twice since. Hopefully, we’ll keep getting more from this ridiculous would-be Outstanding Short Form Comedy Series winner.
DRINK. // Alvarado Street Brewery’s Prawns on the Barbie
I love fantasy football, but sometimes I hate it. Take last week, when I decided to pair this loaded Double IPA with that vexing feeling you get when you’re watching your Rams defense get their asses kicked. The beer abounds with grapefruit and sweet citrus but faithfully delivers the fuel I seek when I’m mourning my lineup selections. Thank you, Alvarado Street; fuck you, Rams.
READ. // “Oh my God, I got to the bar and he sat down and said, ‘Oh. You don’t look like what I thought you looked like,’ and walked away.” A modern-day history of how dating changed forever during the app-fueled years of 2013–2018.
LOOK. // Photographer Matthew Pillsbury uses long exposures and bright lights to show his futuristic, sci-fi vision of Singapore.
DRINK. // Forbidden Root Brewing Company’s Strawberry Basil Hefeweizen
I had three pours of this beer at this year's Great American Beer Festival—it was a standout in a sea of 1oz samples that blur together like the nights wandering the event. Subtle and full of natural strawberry flavor, it was a great excuse to stop at a table and pause a few minutes to enjoy.
Curated by The GBH Collective
