Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill

The boys drink and review Imperialis from Avery Brewing Company, then discuss bail reform.  The point of bail is to make sure that an accused person will appear at his court appearances. If you pay the bail and show up, you get the money back.  Unfortunately, bail has been set too high for many citizens, and they have to go through the ridiculous bail bonds process, which is a complete r...

The boys drink and review a fresh hop IPA from Stone Brewing, then discuss common biases in the way we think.  Cognitive biases are examples of ways in which our brains can point us down a non-rational path. But why do we have these biases? Why did they evolve?  Could it be that there are situations where it's better not to be rational?  The boys discuss as they review the following...

Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review two beers from Springfield Manor Brewery, then discuss the disappointing results of the 2022 midterm elections.  The proverb says "Hope deferred makes the heart sick," and that's certainly the case here.  What in the world happened to the Red Wave?  The modern Democratic Party has gone so far past the insane label that it's hard to believe anybo...

Mr. Energy, who knows a bit about wine, returns to the show to review three Chilean Cabernet Sauvignons, and discuss some basics about wine.  The boys discuss white vs. red grapes, vintages, tannins, price vs. value, etc., as they drink their way through three cabs.  What's the right way to buy wine? Is there a price where you can be sure you're getting good wine? And what about pairing...

Along with special guest Mr. Energy, the boys drink and review The Glutenberg, a gluten-free IPA, then discuss energy policy.  In a previous episode, the boys made fun of California for requiring more electric cars in the very same week they asked people not to charge their electric cars because the grid couldn't handle it.  Mr. Energy -- an old friend who has covered energy issues for d...

With special guest Longinus, P&C drink and review Bloodline, an IPA by Flying Dog, then discuss Vlad the Impaler and Dracula.  The boys discuss the origins of vampire stories and the association between vampires and Dracula.  Bram Stoker loosely based his story on Vlad the Impaler, who was a 15th-century badass in the general area of modern-day Romania.  P&C review the basic...

As part of their ongoing and popular "shortcut to the classics" series, Pigweed and Crowhill, with special guest Longinus, review Tell Tale Heart IPA, then discuss Poe's life and works, including his connection to Baltimore, Maryland.   They review several Poe short stories and poems, including The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask of Amontill...

P&C drink and review yet another offering from the Pastryarchy -- an Almond Brittle Imperial Stout -- then discuss the Republican Party's "Commitment to America."  Newt Gingrich famously engineered a Republican revolution with his Contract with America. Contemporary Republicans are trying to imitate that strategy with their Commitment to America. It's an attempt to put forward a positive...

P&C review Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale, then discuss the annual celebration of Yorktown Day.  Why do we celebrate the day that we declared our independence rather than the day we actually won it?  The boys review the history leading up to the battle of Yorktown, in which the main British army surrendered to George Washington.  During the phase of the war just prior to Yorktown,...

The boys drink and review Pigweed's D.C. Bro, an attempt to clone D.C. Brau's India Pale Ale. Then they discuss male employment.  Does it matter if men are unemployed? P&C say yes, it matters. In fact, it's a serious problem, and our culture is not addressing it.  As a general rule, young men need to be reined in. A successful culture needs to steer the aggressive, competitive instin...

The boys take a break from beer and do The Vodka Challenge, in which they do a blind taste test between Titos, Skol, Smirnoff, and a mystery vodka.  They start off with a general discussion of vodka -- what it is, what it's made from, how it's made, etc.  If vodka is a neutral spirit, why should you spend more on expensive vodka? Does it matter? What are the characteristics of a good vod...

With special guest Longinus, P&C drink and review Warsteiner Dunkel, then discuss the philosophy of Nietzsche.  He's famous for his declaration of the death of God -- which is not the smirky, triumphalist statement of a modern atheist, but a lament at the loss of traditional foundations of meaning, morality, and purpose. Once you've pulled out the foundations that come along with belief i...

In this latest edition of "shortcut to the classics," the boys review Czechvar Lager, then review The Metamorphosis.  Special guest Longinus joins the show to contribute his literary expertise.  After a very brief biography of Kafka, the boys review the characters, the basic plot, and the structure of the book, then delve into its possible meanings.  Gregor, the main character, wake...

The boys drink and review Yeungling's Porter, then discuss disaster preparation. What's responsible and what's over the top?  What would it take to be ready for a big snow storm, or a 3-day power outage? What if it's 2 weeks? Or 2 months?  What would happen to the utilities? Would you still get gas, electricity, and water?  Then they go into the disaster scenarios. Beyond prudent, r...

In this mini-episode, the boys discuss the case of the Canadian shop teacher who decides to dress in an outrageous costume that parodies women.  You may have seen the photos of the male school teacher wearing enormous prosthetic boobs.  Is this guy acting our some weird fetish, or is he trolling the woke?  And in either case, why do we need to tolerate such nonsense? Why should pare...

The boys drink and review Copper Legend from Jack's Abby, then discuss ESG.  ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. It's a way to rank companies by their compliance with left-wing social goals.  People have every right to invest in companies that uphold their social values if they want to. The problem with ESG is that big corporations are forcing these partisan standards o...

The boys drink and review The Troegenator by Troegs brewing, and then discuss our non-sensical energy policies.  In the same week California announced that all new cars in California could not be powered by gasoline after 2035, they announced the grid was having trouble and would people please refrain from charging their electric vehicles. Did they have the sense to recognize the humor in tha...

P&C drink and review Sunny Little Thing from Sierra Nevada, then discuss Howard Zinn and his partisan "history" books.  Zinn was a 60s leftist and one-time communist who wrote a "people's history" of the United States, which has become way too influential, especially in the educational system. This anti-American propaganda has been used to poison young minds against the U.S.A.  One b...

P&C drink and review Coffee Among Friends Vanilla Latte Milk Stout by Monument Brewing, then discuss cat pictures and other silly things that are meant to inspire us.  Some popular motivational sayings are 100% stupid, while others are right some of the time, or at least you can put a good spin on them. P&C review some common ones they've seen and render judgment.  This is a fun...

The boys drink and review Crowhill's 2022 Christmas Ale, then discuss censorship.  Is it okay for search engines to "curate" our search results, based on what they think we should know and be exposed to?  Should medical associations or journals crack down on doctors who propose alternative theories or treatments?  What about when the government gets involved and asks Big Tech to ban...

In this special edition of Nooze and Booze, Pigweed and Crowhill do a spontaneous, off-the-cuff tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Sept. 8, 2022.  As Americans, P&C aren't as familiar with the details of the transition of power, rules of succession, and so on, and spend some time asking questions and wondering what happens next.  The boys also reflect on monarchy in general,...

Pigweed and Crowhill review an imperial stout and discuss humor.  What makes a joke funny? Can we classify different types of jokes? Why do we tell jokes? What social purpose do they serve?  Can humor serve as a corrective, to show us how things are supposed to be? Do jokes train people in what's appropriate and inappropriate? The boys dig into these questions as they reflect on a recent...

Woodstock is said to have defined a generation. The original plan was for about 50,000 people, but close to half a million people arrived on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York. The operations were a mess. The roads weren't adequate. There weren't enough porta-potties, security, or food. And there was a nasty storm. Despite the mess and the miserable circumstances, it was mostly peaceful,...

With special guest Longinus, the boys review Belhaven Scottish Ale, then discuss conspiracy theories, and why people believe them.  Conspiracies are real things, but "conspiracy theory" has taken on the tinge of the tin-foil hat crazies. That's the sort of theory the boys discuss.  What are the components of a conspiracy theory?  What benefit does it give to the believer?  How...

Along with special guest Longinus, P&C drink and review a homebrewed brown ale, then discuss the Book of Acts, as part of their "shortcut to the classics" series.  What book is more classic than the Bible? The boys choose Acts as the most representative "shortcut" because it includes elements of law, history, prophets, the gospel, and the epistles.  A simple outline of Acts would be...