Confession

I drank really bad beer last night.

My husband and I went to see Muse at Oracle Arena with a couple friends last night. You know how at stadiums, all the beer kiosks have different selections, different sized cups, different prices, and (most importantly) different line-lengths? Well the shortest line was for the Budweiser stand, which actually surprised me. They also had the largest cups and lowest price, which didn't surprise me. So we each got a giant cup of Bud. Then another.

Then it was my turn to make the beer run, and I actively sought out the non-Budweiser stand. I ended up with Sierra Nevada, which I generally consider to be a good beer. But oh my God, not last night. After 2 Buds, my palette was thoroughly trained to expect a near flavorless, hop-free, slightly sweet and way too carbonated "beer." That first sip of the Sierra Nevada was a shock. The bitterness was nearly unbearable, and the hop flavor was too much (something I never thought I'd say about a plain old pale ale).

In my defense, the kids in the row in front of us were passing around a big old J, and the similarity in aroma and flavor to the hops made my stomach turn. The deliciously grotesque bratwurst I'd just eaten didn't help any either.

Lesson learned. Trust me kids, mass-marketed American lagers are never worth it, no matter how short the line is.