Hooch (according to UrbanDictionary.com): Slang for moonshine or bootleg alcohol, popular term during prohibition era; slang term for marijuana that is rarely used nowadays, popular during late 60’s and early 70’s.
Well, last night I had the hooch, and it was an educational endeavor. I love beer. Of all types. I am not really fond of Belgian beers or wheat ales, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger or so they say. Anyway, I have been reading David Copperfield for my Victorian literature class, so I decided that while I was out with my friend last night, I would try the different types of beer that are mentioned in David Copperfield: porter and ale. Well, I also tried an IPA because they might have had that since it was brewed to be shipped from England to India without going bad. Hence, India Pale Ale. Out of purely scientific and research oriented curiosity, I began with a Porter. Anyone who knows me knows that Guinness is my favorite beer, but that I don’t really like other stouts. I do, however, LOVE Porters and IPAs. So I began with my favourite porter: St. Peter’s Old Style Porter. Because, as I said this was scientific endeavor I paid close attention to the way that the porter made me feel. Warm, happy, drunk. And another Porter from a different brewery. Same. Okay, so on to the IPA, which David Copperfield didn’t drink but that I knew had flowery and wonderful hoppy taste to cleanse my pallet for Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale, as it is named. The DogFish Head 90 minute IPA was beautiful, like drinking a hoppy, bitter, flower, so the Monty Python sort of pales in comparison. After the kick of a nice hoppy IPA, an ale sort of tastes flat, like eating hummus and then eating cream cheese. After one, the other has no flavor. At any rate, I still do not know the different connotations of beer for Victorians, but I am prepared to go to whatever lengths necessary to find out.
Remember now that this research was done for a purpose, children, and don’t drink and drive.
Reason Breeds Insanity 