A true college-age connoisseur
The word “connoisseur” comes from the French words “conoistre” or “connatre,” meaning “to be acquainted with something.” A connoisseur usually refers to someone with a great deal of knowledge in the field of fine arts or someone who is an expert judge of taste. With the New Year coming it's become my goal to become a connoisseur. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to realize that I don't have a great deal of knowledge of the fine arts, and my expertise is limited as a judge of taste.
However, I found a single ray of hope in my plight. As it turns out, there is one thing in which I am somewhat of an expert of taste. My proficiency is something that I'm sure many students of this fine educational establishment will find to be quite close to home. What is it that I plan on being a connoisseur?
Beer.
Wait a second. To be a connoisseur (I can't get over what a fun word that is) implies that the people with that title need to be good judges of taste in something that is — well, good. We've all heard phrases like, “champagne taste on a beer budget,” referring to someone with a lot of high class preference but without the funds to support it, a “beer belly” is an ungodly growth protruding from a man's upper torso, a “beer belch” is . . . you know. I'm here to defend my beverage of choice.
Beer is no new thing. Folks have been brewing for ages. The first chemical evidence of beer dates back to somewhere between 3500-3100 BC (some speculate that beer may even be older than bread) and was produced on a large scale by Egyptians and Mesopotamians for example.
Second is the alleged health issue, and I have an explanation for this misconception. Studies have shown that drinking up to two brews a day can reduce the chances of strokes and heart disease up to 20 per cent. Consumption of about that much beer increases vitamin B6 in the bloodstream, something that wine or liquor does not do. Beer is also an obvious stress reducer and has been known to improve sleeping habits. And for the elderly it has been shown to increase blood vessel dilation, sleep and urination (the latter two I can attest to personally).
In addition, beer is completely cholesterol and fat free (it's those damn carbohydrates that are responsible for the “beer belly”). It also contains proteins, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins B, B2, B6. There are of course some obvious unhealthy traits about going beyond a “moderate” level of consumption of beer, such as liver problems and addiction. However, in small doses, beer can actually be quite good for you. As a connoisseur I know these sorts of things.
Another interesting statistic, collected by the Center for Food, Nutrition & Agriculture Policy (CFNAP), states that college graduates and those with higher incomes report drinking more beer than those without a high school education. You may be wondering what relevance this has to a connoisseur like me?
Well, I've learned that if those who earn more money do it: it must be right.
Beer is also something that has spread throughout the world, breweries can be found in Africa, the Middle East, Japan and of course the western world. Internationally, it's the highest-selling alcoholic beverage outselling wine, the second highest, by about four times.
Whether it be the benefits of it's long history, it's health benefits, the popularity among the educated, it's popularity in general or the many entertainment purposes it has, beer is definitely something I intend fully to explore to the point of gaining the ever sought after title of connoisseur. Happy New Year!
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
However, I found a single ray of hope in my plight. As it turns out, there is one thing in which I am somewhat of an expert of taste. My proficiency is something that I'm sure many students of this fine educational establishment will find to be quite close to home. What is it that I plan on being a connoisseur?
Beer.
Wait a second. To be a connoisseur (I can't get over what a fun word that is) implies that the people with that title need to be good judges of taste in something that is — well, good. We've all heard phrases like, “champagne taste on a beer budget,” referring to someone with a lot of high class preference but without the funds to support it, a “beer belly” is an ungodly growth protruding from a man's upper torso, a “beer belch” is . . . you know. I'm here to defend my beverage of choice.
Beer is no new thing. Folks have been brewing for ages. The first chemical evidence of beer dates back to somewhere between 3500-3100 BC (some speculate that beer may even be older than bread) and was produced on a large scale by Egyptians and Mesopotamians for example.
Second is the alleged health issue, and I have an explanation for this misconception. Studies have shown that drinking up to two brews a day can reduce the chances of strokes and heart disease up to 20 per cent. Consumption of about that much beer increases vitamin B6 in the bloodstream, something that wine or liquor does not do. Beer is also an obvious stress reducer and has been known to improve sleeping habits. And for the elderly it has been shown to increase blood vessel dilation, sleep and urination (the latter two I can attest to personally).
In addition, beer is completely cholesterol and fat free (it's those damn carbohydrates that are responsible for the “beer belly”). It also contains proteins, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins B, B2, B6. There are of course some obvious unhealthy traits about going beyond a “moderate” level of consumption of beer, such as liver problems and addiction. However, in small doses, beer can actually be quite good for you. As a connoisseur I know these sorts of things.
Another interesting statistic, collected by the Center for Food, Nutrition & Agriculture Policy (CFNAP), states that college graduates and those with higher incomes report drinking more beer than those without a high school education. You may be wondering what relevance this has to a connoisseur like me?
Well, I've learned that if those who earn more money do it: it must be right.
Beer is also something that has spread throughout the world, breweries can be found in Africa, the Middle East, Japan and of course the western world. Internationally, it's the highest-selling alcoholic beverage outselling wine, the second highest, by about four times.
Whether it be the benefits of it's long history, it's health benefits, the popularity among the educated, it's popularity in general or the many entertainment purposes it has, beer is definitely something I intend fully to explore to the point of gaining the ever sought after title of connoisseur. Happy New Year!
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
