If My Grandad’s Coaster Could Sing

Beer and music go hand in hand, I’ve been kicking around ideas for beer and music posts for a while now and decided I needed to call in some help. Mark Nason is the Station Manager and Program Director at WHSN, the auther of the Sassafras Blog for Kahbang Arts and can often be found slinging suds at the Beer Tent at the Waterfront concerts in Bangor, he’s my music guy so I let him run with this one.

Cheers!

Chaddah

 

We all learn from those before us. We learn from Moms and Dads, Grandmas and Grandads. Maybe Grandad let you sip his beer when your Mom wasn’t looking. Maybe he taught you how to tie a necktie or how to talk to girls. He always meant well and he helped to create memories you still cherish. For me, one of my favorite memories was riding in Elvin Nason’s old pickup truck, which often smelled like a cocktail of hay, mangy dog, cigar, horse manure and carrots (Grampa raced horses and still cared for them late in his life). I can still smell that truck and it’s because of him that I still don’t mind the smell of a horse stall.

Now when your Grandad drove HIS truck to the barn, the dump or the tavern, he most likely listened to music. Drinking and music have gone together like hops and barley since the dawn of time. But you see, we’re way too spoiled today. There’s just too many choices to turn to when choosing the soundtrack to our frosty beverage consumption. Back in Grandad’s day, it was jukeboxes and whatever happened to be carried over the ol’ airwaves. Of course, Grandad didn’t drink double IPA microbrew (Grandad’s microbrew was Moonshine) and the music was as simple as the contents of his pop-top can.

First up, The Killer himself, Jerry Lee Lewis with one of his signature country songs (the fact that this performance was from Hee Haw makes it even more stellar).

Long before spectacled trucker-hat-wearing hipsters claimed it as their ironic drink of choice, Johnny Russell sang of the tavern trilogy of Rednecks, White Socks & Blue Ribbon Beer.

We’ll let the voices of the past rest and let the strings do the singing with Merle Travis and Joe Maphis, two guitar buds, doing the suds classic Beer Barrel Polka. Roll it out and have a barrel of fun.

Whew, how ’bout them pickers?! Now let’s hear from Hank Thompson, who spends a lot of time staring at his coaster through the bottom of a bottle. He has a simple request for his barkeep before he hits the swinging doors.

Mr. Johnny Paycheck warns you to heed his tale of Colorado Kool-Aid and why you should think twice before spitting in someone’s ear.

Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t give the great Tom T. Hall a chance to once again publicly declare how much he loves beer. He might even like it more than our very own Chad Lothian (but Mr. Hall has nothing on Mr. Lothian in the beard department).

Thanks for indulging me with some great beer songs. Have a good night and remember to tip your server.

Chad Lothian

About Chad Lothian

Chad Lothian lives in Old Town, Maine. He is a craft beer enthusiast and homebrewer. Chad has travelled to brewpubs, breweries and brewfests all over New England.