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? Certainly, in the early years, that seemed to be the case. Never before has one eye sampled so many fine brews -- and named them. 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." |
| The Professional (2009) | Well, at least he's drinking beer again, but he's not naming names, except when he admits that he's especially fond of Sam Adams Winter Ale, which Susan kindly keeps in her fridge. |
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