Stella’s long-lost big brother is back
There’s lager and lager – and Michael Jackson has discovered a gem
When Jack the Lad asks for Stella, is it the barmaid he’s after, or the beer? Come to that, how many lager-drinkers notice that their favourite beer has a girl’s name – or wonder why?
If you are a gentleman and a scholar, you will know that Stella is the Latin word for star. It could apply to any heavenly body, but in this instance refers specifically to the Star of Bethlehem.
‘A gentleman and a scholar’ seems to fit the sense here, but it was a cliché when I was a kid in flared pants.
Although g-and-s was in general use, it was especially favoured by pub bores, the same people who breezily order a ‘g-andt, ice and slice.’ These curious g-isms, along with the g-spot, are probably due for a revival, along with the non-ironic serving of prawn cocktails.
Being a dedicated follower of fashion comes to us all. It leaves some people breathless and frustrated, feeling failures for life. Others are becalmed in their palmiest days: are all those Roger Moore safari suits and vodkatinis ironic? Old Skool hip-hop is in danger of revival, I hear. Will 24-hour pubs serve Ecstasy? You know you have crossed the frontier when the badge of fashionability is too fickle to fuss over, and your choices of clothes, drink and music are based on those that give you the most pleasure.
Stella’s status has changed, too. Who would believe that she was originally perceived as a Christmas beer, to be available only during the festive season. Back then, in 1926, its bright sparkle was a novelty, having.....
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By Michael Jackson
Section : The Beer Hunter
Page number : 7
