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corrections and contributions are always welcome.
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The Beers of Spenser
Like any knight errant, Spenser has a quest. No, not some old cup that's been kicking around for 2000 years. And not something so shop-worn as a lady fair or honesty, beauty or truth. Nope, Spenser's quest is for...the ultimate beer? Never before has one eye sampled so many fine brews. Spenser is probably the most brand-concious of beer-drinking P.I.s, cheerfully dropping names as only a quasi-yuppie gumshoe can. But, like he says, "Any beer in the fridge when the beerstore's closed is good beer."
I don't have all of these, so any help would be appreciated.
| The Godwulf Manuscript (1973) | It seems Spenser was on a bourbon
kick back in those days. It comes up several times and Wild Turkey
is specifically mentioned once. And he keeps a bottle of the
cheap stuff in his office desk drawer. Other than that, he drinks
wine or champagne with meals, a LOT of coffee, even sips a bit
of brandy and (gasp!) milk! No beer mentioned by brand, but in
the pub with Terry Orchard, Spenser winds up ordering two corned beef sandwiches and four beers (cross-reference this to the "inflation" column by noting that he left five dollars, including tip). Our man later has a few cans of beer while preparing Coquilles St. Jacques. Those are the only references, and I am not surprised that they are just "beer." In this first novel he seems to be afraid of pinning down anything, including a "restaurant...on top of an insurance building." |
| God Save the Child (1974) | Spenser cites Amstel
(from the Netherlands, I believe) as his favorite beer. Also
Narragansett, in sixteen ounce cans, which Spenser finds
somewhat "gassy," and Miller Draft. Otherwise, again it is bourbon (on the rocks with a dash of bitters), wine, champagne, Calvados brandy, more coffee, and even a vodka gimlet with Susan. But the dude that lets him work on his horse farm is drinking eating salami and cheese and drinking Pickwick Ale. |
| Mortal Stakes (1975) | Amstel, Miller
High Life, Labatt 50, Heineken, Harp Also: Wild Turkey; cognac (Remy Martin); lots more bourbon, wine |
| Promised Land (1976) | Heineken (notes
that Amstel is getting scarce), Harp, Utica
Club Cream Ale, Draft Schlitz Also: more wine, vodka gimlets, and cream soda! |
| The Judas Goat (1978) | Labatt 50, Amstel,
Carlsberg, Utica Club, O'Keefe, Coor's
("okay for a domestic beer, I guess.") Also; wine, champagne |
| Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980) | Heineken (draft),
Beck's, Molson Also: wine, champagne, Irish whiskey (in coffee), Spenser confesses he prefers beer to hard liquor; in fact, he claims doesn't really like hard liquor; doesn't like martinis |
| A Savage Place (1981) | Kirin, Dos
Equis, Coors, Carta Blanca Also: Cognac (Remy Martin), wine |
| Early Autumn (1981) | Schlitz, Beck's,
Budweiser, Heineken, Carta Blanca, Also: champagne |
| Ceremony (1982) | Pilsner Urquell,
Rolling Rock Extra Pale, Schlitz, Molson Golden Also: champagne, and Susan and Spenser split a bottle of Norman cider at the Bookstore Cafe. |
| The Widening Gyre (1983) | Rolling Rock Extra Pale (current
favorite since Amstel regular no longer imported), Carta Blanca Also: - now keeping Murphy's Irish whiskey in desk drawer; drinking more hard booze; wine; brandy; resolving to cut back on coffee (right!) |
| Valediction (1984) | Rolling Rock Extra Pale, Carta
Blanca Also: champagne; Irish whiskey (Bushmill Black Label); it is here that he is introduced to Scotch by Linda while on hiatus from Susan; still "cutting back" on coffee (snicker) |
| A Catskill Eagle (1985) | Steinlager (New Zealand),
Anchor Steam, Heineken Also: champagne; now he likes vodka martinis (on the rocks with a twist), but not gin martinis; scotch (Glenfiddich) |
| Taming a Seahorse (1986) | Fisher, Heineken, Tsingtao Also: champagne, Irish whiskey (Bushmill Black), Bailey's |
| Pale Kings and Princes (1987) | Spenser claims to be on an "American
beer binge," working his way through Killian Red Ale,
Samuel Adams and the ubitquious Bud. Also: scotch; margaritas |
| Crimson Joy (1988) | Still on the America First plan-Samuel
Adams Also: champagne with Midori splash, wine, scotch (Laphroig) |
| Playmates (1989) | Still buying American-Sam Adams,
Lone Star Also: vodka martini; gimlets, scotch (Glenfiddich), champagne, wine (Gewürztraminer) |
| Stardust (1990) | Sam Adams, Corona Also: brandy, Scotch (Laphroig, Glenfiddich), vodka martini |
| Pastime (1991) | Spenser's brand of choice seems to
be Catamount Golden Lager, with occasional Sam Adams,
but in a shocking turn of events, our man seems to have switched
to drinking Scotch (Glenfiddich)! Also: champagne (Krug) |
| Double Deuce (1992) | Catamount Golden Lager Also: wine, Irish whiskey, champagne, scotch (Glenfiddich, under front seat), vodka martini |
| Paper Doll (1993) | Spenser pledges allegiance
to Catamount Golden Lager, although he--GASP!--claims
he is "experimenting with intake modification." Say
it ain't so, Joe! He also has a "draft" or two. Also: vodka martini, wine (Gewürztraminer) |
| Walking Shadow (1994) | Rolling Rock |
| Thin Air (1995) | Rolling Rock, Pilsner Urquell |
| Chance (1996) | New Amsterdam Black and Tan, Bud |
| Small Vices (1997) | Saranac Black & Tan, White Buffalo (chosen from among a selection of White Buffalo, Red Hook Ale, and Saranac Black & Tan), draft beer, Rolling Rock |
| Sudden Mischief (1998) | Fosters, Blue Moon Belgian White Ale |
| Hush Money (1999) | Brooklyn Lager, New Amsterdam Black and Tan, Sam Adams' White Ale |
| Hugger Mugger (2000) | |
| Pot Shot (2001) | Coors, Blue Moon Belgian White Ale |
| Widow's Walk (2002) | What a disappointment! It takes our man almost 100 pages to have a beer, and then he doesn't name it. We find out a few pages later he's trying Heineken again, which he refers to as a "blast from the past." |
| Back Story (2003) | Settles for Budweiser and Miller High Life, but states a preference (again) for good ol' Blue Moon Belgian White Ale. I'm gonna have to try that one. |
| Bad Business (2004) | "Sound of muscle and pure of mind" he has a "tall can of Budweiser to replenish (his) electrolytes," and later, in a "faux Irish pub," he orders Bud again, admitting that, authenticity aside, he can't stand Guinness. He keeps Stella Artois in his office refrigerator and allows that non-beerdrinker Susan keeping a supply of Blue Moon Belgian White Ale in her home fridge is "strong evidence" of her love. |
| Cold Service (2004) | What? No beer? |
| School Days (2005) | Sadly, Spenser seems to have abandoned beer all together. Still, he seems to be doing all right -- with both Hawk and Susan off elsewhere, he swills Johnny Walker Blue, a very pricey Scotch. |
| The Hundred Dollar Baby (2006) | The distressing lack of beer continues. |
| Now and Then (2007) | After a dry patch, Spenser returns to suds, meeting a contact in a place "where they had approximately four hundred billion beers on draft." reasoning that I couldn't try them all, so I settled for my favorite, Blue Moon Belgian White Ale." |
Back to Spenser.
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Remember, your comments, suggestions,
corrections and contributions are always welcome.
At the tone, leave
your name and number and I'll get back to you...
