A couple of nights ago we attended our regular Tuesday night quiz in the Bridge Hotel Durham. Before proceedings began 3 of us ordered 3 pints of Holt's 2 Hoots ( 6 Hoots?). Sitting down with about 10 minutes to the start of the quiz one of the guys tapped his nearly full pint with his fingernail ( or so he claimed).
I didnt see the actual event as was looking the other way , but suddenly the glass just exploded into multiple fragments. The entire contents flooded across the table like a mini tsunami. None of us got our clothes wet but the floor was a mini lake. The 2 barmaids swiftly and professionally swung into action and soon order was restored. It seemed just like a sniper had taken a potshot from one of the houses opposite. or indeed a reenactment of a scene from Poltergeist or Ghostbusters. Bizarre.
Now everyone usually manages to knock a drink over. I remember last year, again at the quiz night in the same pub , knocking a nearly full glass over and soaking my mate sitting next to me. Unfortunately he was wearing light coloured pants and it looked just like he had pissed himself.
A few years ago at the Great British Beer Festival I was meeting up, as usual, with a group of ex work mates and as I was first there, at around noon, I thought I would treat myself to a bottle of American bottled stout. Called Rogue Shakespeare Stout I would ordinarily have said it was absolutely gorgeous. Sadly not to be.
I accidentally knocked my glass over and the contents went all over the bar, soaking beer mats, leaflets and a bit of me. The CAMRA volunteer behind just looked at me with some sympathy but never said a word. He must have thought I was pissed but it was to have been the first drink of the day ( honest). The bottle was too expensive to buy another one.
Even Mrs Ken has got in on the act. Returning to USA beers, my favourite is Samuel Adams Boston Lager ** . I had bought 2 bottles in one supermarket and , coming through the checkouts of another supermarket, she took them out of the trolley as we weren't paying for them. The bag slipped through her hand and crashed to the floor. There was no mess, it was all contained in the shopping bag. She has since been banned from carrying my beer.
And finally, for those with a nervous disposition, look away now. Many years ago, when I was a medium T Shirt size, we were drinking with friends in the Biddick in Washington and I spilled a pint over my mates missus. A week later we had a small get together at our house , and to stop her moaning on about it , let her pour a pint of my home brew over my head as an act of revenge.
** To be featured in future posting
