Speaking of Beer...

...one thing that serious Catholics of all viewpoints should support in some form or another is the various Theology on Tap kinds of ministries which tend to take place in bars or breweries. I know that the idea is viewed as suspect or even absurd by some of the more "hoity-toity" amongst those who consider themselves Traditional but there is nothing more Traditional than going to where the people are. And the pub is where the youth are found after they can legally drink{1} so it serves as a good place to go -particularly because it points out that Catholicism is not as puritanical as the MSM often likes to portray it.

I want to (once again) quote from a previous posting of Pete's and comment on it. In this case, the posting on beer from earlier today:

Take beer for instance. I have never known a traditional Catholic who enjoyed beer from the big breweries. Rather, most of the traditional Catholic young males with whom I hang out prefer homebrewing whenever possible, and monastic beer or micro-breweries otherwise. And why shouldn't we?

Well, I may be the exception to that rule because while I certainly do not mind homebrewed beer at times, my general taste is for imports. But I will clarify that to some extent in noting here some of the threads from my main weblog's archives:

On the Subject of Beer Revisited (circa August 16, 2005)

On Beer and Pope Benedict (circa May 18, 2005)

Some St. Patrick's Day Toasts (circa March 17, 2005)

Mel Denny (RIP) Update (circa January 25, 2004)

Puerto Vallarta Special Reports--Part II (circa December 25, 2003)

Puerto Vallarta Special Reports--Part I (circa December 24, 2003)

Michael Jackson and Kingfisher (circa May 24, 2003)

Health Benefits of Beer (circa January 14, 2003)

Pete Vere and Beer (circa November 2, 2002)

Gregorian Chant and Beer -- two fruits of Catholicism's monastic Tradition.

But we should not limit this to only beer. Indeed, we have a Tradition (yes, capital t) of wine in the Church from very far back. And with other alcohol there is whiskey which it is believed also has a monastic influence. So we can actually say that Gregorian Chant, Beer, and Whiskey are fruits of the monastic tradition. (With wine's connection to the Tradition being self-evident of course.)

Note:

{1} I will not go over at this time how opposed I am to a "legal drinking age" concept.