August 25, 2008
Today is Monday, August 25. It is a fine day for a beer. That much is a given. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here reading this right now.
There are reasons enough to hoist a pint today. The Russian Tsar Ivan IV – perhaps you know him as Ivan the Terrible – was born in Moscow on this day in 1530. Perhaps a Russian Imperial Stout?
Four hundred years to the day after Ivan the Terrible entered the world, Sean Connery was born in Edinburgh. Temptation abounds to celebrate by ordering a martini – shaken, not stirred, of course. This would certainly not be clever. It would probably not be proper. Regardless, it would not be as satisfying as, say...a Russian Imperial Stout. You see the connection, of course. Sean Connery was James Bond in From Russia With Love. Oh, and it doesn’t end there. Connery played a Russian submarine captain in The Hunt For Red October. He starred in The Russia House. We’ve already established the propriety of quaffing a Russian imperial stout today, in full defiance of the summer heat. Now we have sealed the deal.
That, by way of introduction, is how this works. Beer is a state of mind. It’s A Fine Day For A Beer is that state of mind. There are dozens upon hundreds upon thousands of beer destinations on the internet. This ain’t them. It’s A Fine Day For A Beer is simply about finding the right context – or at least a new context – in which to enjoy that most fascinating and versatile of drinks.
Needless to say, this is a brand new venture. There are kinks. There will be kinks. What you see here is very much a work in progress, and a far cry from “the ultimate vision” of what it can and should be. Suggestions, complaints, and even submissions of new content are all welcome. (On the other hand, spam is not. You know where the @ goes in an email address. It’s excluded here for the sake of offering some minimal protection against spambots) Mike (at) finedayforabeer.com is your go-to email address.
There is a convenient, and one hopes functional, RateBeer.com search bar on the side of the page. It’s not a paid advertisement. There is no formal connection between this site and RateBeer. The search bar is there for your convenience, should your interest be piqued by a beer, beer style, or brewery mentioned here. If a similar search widget for Beer Advocate can be located, it will be added as well. Either way, you’re encouraged to visit both sites – and any other beer web sites that you find useful.
There are a few less convenient, though one hopes not intrusive, blocks of Google Ads on the site. These aren’t paid advertisements, either, unless you click on them. By all means click on them! Or don’t. The main point here is disclosure. If at any point there are paid advertisements, or a homebrewer sends a few bombers (please, no bombs) of his (or her) latest brew in exchange for a shout-out, or there’s anything else contained herein that might seem like a conflict of interest, it will be disclosed. It’s A Fine Day For A Beer is here for your enjoyment, not your indoctrination.
In conclusion, then, Messrs. Bartles and Jaymes did not make the kind of beverage we support here, but we support their conclusion. That is, thank you for your support.
