Top of the hops

If Keith Richard’s elixir of long life comes from a fountain of expensive wines and Slash swilled bottles of whiskey to attain the perfect rock star fashion, Tom Waits on the other hand literally knocked himself out with beer cans.

The same goes for most working-class heroes who opt for beer as their bubbly alcohol of choice for bonding moments — the brew that boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, together with Efren “Bata” Reyes, Derek Ramsey and Michael V. proudly endorse. San Miguel, of course.

There’s nothing like “genuine, unpretentious and real” beer, which is what San Miguel is all about. Founded in 1890, and maintaining its classic brew for over a century, a sip of Pale Pilsen goes down easy and tastes good swig after swig. Thanks to its well-balanced flavor, the pale golden lager, which Filipinos have grown to love has a hint of pleasant, hoppy aroma and moderate bitterness for that snappy, clean taste.

To celebrate lasting friendships with the spirit of beer drinking, San Miguel invited members of the press to Cebu for this year’s SMB National Beer Drinking Finals at the MEZ1 Open Field with a crowd of 7,000 people. Itchyworms, the commercial jingles band famous for their hit Akin Ka Na Lang, and live retro pop group Retrospect provided entertainment, which got the crowd jumping at least.

“This year marks the 10th year of the National Beer Drinking Contest, which is an activity where the attributes of strategic thinking, tactical moves, sportsmanship and, most importantly, teamwork are at play,” says Debbie Mamalata, national area sales manager for SMB Brewery Inc. “It is a time where we toast to the Filipino people, men and women, who enjoy our very own beer and beer lovers from other countries who share our pride that San Miguel Beer is truly world class.”

Dig this, participants of this nationwide Team Relay Beer Drinking Contest came from Greater Manila Area North and South, Central and North Luzon area, Visayas and Mindanao, all of which had to down SMB Pale Pilsen as lightning-fast as they can for the huge prize money. But it’s not as easy as it sounds, for the rules are strict with penalties given for leaving traces of beer, spillage, etc.

In the end, it was Team Samahang Magbabarkada from Puerto Princesa that quaffed the fastest with a time of 56.6 seconds and an official time of 1:03. Policeman Jojo Molato, airport porter Roberto Nieto, cockfighting arena assistant Romy de los Reyes, brothers Wendell and Rosito Salatandre and Romeo Manaig together with their team coach David Palanca bagged the tax-free prize of P500,000. First runner-up was the team from Bantayan Island while second runner-up went to General Santos City.

Cheers to this tip: I noticed that contestants would kneel down before taking a deep breath. Before chugging, it is also important to open the throat wide, forcing the tongue to push down and make way for all the beer go down in one gulp. That’s why we can only look on in amazement at champion beer drinkers. You know, like Superman swallowing the entire ocean in seconds or being like the Speedy Gonzales of beer drinking for the Guinness Book of World Records.

Ah, there is just nothing like an iced cold beer at the end of a hard day’s work. If you have been working like a dog in a Lennon/McCartney way, try the newest thing from San Miguel, which is the Double Chill Beer, available at selected bars nationwide like Brad and Shrimp A’Holy at Harbor Square, CCP Complex; Attica Bar, A-Venue, Makati; The Pit and Harbor View Bistro at San Miguel by the Bay; Manila Vice, Baypark View, Malate; Jay-Jay’s Home Depot, Ortigas; Krocodile Grill, Shangri-La Mall; Doc Boy’s and Place 24, Congressional Ave., QC; Music Box and Danny’s Grill in Timog; Mogwai and Allan’s Grill Cubao Expo; Packo’s 1920, and Triad Bar, Sgt. Esguerra; and Greenhouse and Treehouse in QC.

Thanks to the “Double Chill” technology, this new process of cooling beer below zero degrees Celsius was launched during the “Sarap Mag Babab Freeze” summer campaign to chill extra cold for that extra satisfaction. It cools the beer at the right temperature without freezing, ensuring that beer lovers get the coldest and smoothest tasting beer ever.

As long as I have a San Mig Pale Pilsen or Light — double chill that is — with Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks playing in the background, I am in beer paradise. Same goes for most SMB drinkers who get what the brew-haha is all about.

Just remember to drink — and feel the Pinoy pride — in moderation.