Tee Jays

Loyal Reader # 73 at some point suggested that one of our intrepid tasters dive into the Trader Joe's "Pink Can".

Let's make a day of it, friends.

I'll start with the beer, though. "Simpler Times" lager, in a can, of course. There are three great things about this beer:

Thing 1- Taste.

I live in a near constant state of nostalgia for things that I was either not alive to experience, or that never really existed at all. Following that formula, I like to pretend that this is the kind of good, wholesome, American beer that would have been served in a stubby pils glass sometime early in the last century. Like, after a Wobblies meeting.

It's malty, sweet without being cloying, and light enough to drink first thing in the morning on your way to the picket lines.

Thing 2- Alcohol content.

6.2%. A nice, drinkable pale beer that will get you snockered. That's what the boys like, eh?

Thing 3- Price.

$3.99 a sixer. What recession, bitches? Find it at your local Trader Joe's (unless you live in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, The Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, or Maine or any of the other places where you can't buy a $3 bottle of wine, banana chips and Dr. Bronner's soap all in the same place).

So, The Fish. Lightly smoked, in olive oil, product of Portugal. These fall right in the middle for me. Sort of okay flavor-wise, but hard to tell under the smoke. Texture, not so good. A bit mealy.

I'll steer clear of these. They work, in a Two-buck-Chuck way. Don't bring them to a party.