The Impulsive Buy » Beer

WEEK IN REVIEWS – 12/3/2011

Marvo — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we follow.

Whenever the electricity goes out, all I need is a rubber band, some bacon, and these gummies to play Angry Birds. (via Foodette Reviews

A Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale sounds disgusting, but it would be even more disgusting if it was a Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Doughnut Ale. (via Food Junk)

I blame this soda for all the cavities I had in middle school. Oh, and not brushing my teeth. (via Thirsty Dudes)

Hmm…I wonder if this Slow Motion Potion can ease my emotion and prevent me from making a commotion when my devotion for a Laotian lotion is challenged when its dumped into the ocean. (via Possessed by Caffeine)

This crème brulée isn’t hard. Perhaps it needs to see another crème brulée with its top off. (via What’s Good At Trader Joe’s)

Image via flickr user kevinspencer / CC BY 2.0

REVIEW: Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve Ale

Drew — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 10:00:33 +0000

This probably says more about me than I’d like it to, but whenever I picture Santa, it’s as likely to be with a beer in his hand as a glass of milk (or Coca-Cola). As in all things, I blame my upbringing — my parents, savvy operators that they were, convinced me early on that what Saint Nick could really use on Christmas Eve was something to take the edge off. Over time this was phased out in favor of the more traditional milk, but there are home movies of me at about 2-3 years old, bringing out cookies and a glass of wine for Santa. (Predictably, I spilled it on the carpet and, yes, I did try to pick the liquid up with my fingers. I was not a smart child.)

Honestly, I’ve always pictured that right jolly old elf through more of a working class lens than I think most do. The poor guy busts his ass all year long to meet the tightest delivery window on Earth, and as soon as he gets back home Christmas morning, no doubt all he wants is to take a load off in his favorite chair with a beer in one hand and the remote in the other. Mrs. Claus does not get a lot of help around the house in January, is what I’m saying.

But what I didn’t realize until a couple of years ago is that Santa actually has a microbrewery at the North Pole. It makes sense – you have to figure not every elf is cut out for crafting dolls and iPods, so the rowdier ones are put to work brewing Santa’s own personal ale, which he briefly makes available to the public every Christmas season. Now that’s a man who has mastered the spirit of giving, as have I, so allow me to give you the low-down on a product that just might get you through the holidays in one piece.

Santa’s Private Reserve pours out a nice darkish red/copper color, exactly the hue you want in a winter beer. (Summer beers must by law be golden yellow, of course. Basically, summer beers should look like your pee when you’re really dehydrated, winter beers should look like you have kidney stones.) I’m not usually one for smelling my drinks, but the aroma is pleasant, slightly citrusy. I’m also not a beer snob, so I won’t bore you or myself by getting too technical; but it IS quite hoppy, which translates to bitterness.

To me that’s a selling point, but be warned if wheat beers and Corona are more your style. (College students will, of course, want to stick with Natty Light, as this is not a good beer for chugging out of a plastic cup with a ping pong ball in it.) You’d normally expect a winter seasonal beer to have a lot of spices in it, but they’re understated if not nonexistent here, taking a back seat to more of a roasted caramel taste. In terms of thickness, it’s about medium — certainly you’re not going to confuse it for Guinness, but don’t expect it to go down like your mother at a Molly Hatchet reunion tour either.

The ABV is 6.0 percent, pretty standard for a craft beer, although those of you who mainly drink light beers should be careful. In my immediate post-college years I could have polished off three of these without feeling it, but these days more than one is enough to rosy my cheeks and merry my dimples. That works in your favor, though, as Two-Drink Drew is 65 percent more likely to tell embarrassing family stories and use the word “ass” in reviews than Zero-Drink Drew. (Both are preferable to Five-Drink Drew, who can’t figure out how to work a keyboard.) And not that it should influence your purchasing decision, but the packaging is nice — simple artistic images of a cheerful Kris Kringle hoisting a tankard. Skol!

I have no doubt there are better, far more knowledgeable beer drinkers than I who could describe this Christmas ale to you using terms like “mouthfeel” and “juniper” and “pretentious.” I just know what I like, and I like this beer. It’s bitter, it’s smooth, and it leaves you with a pleasing aftertaste long after you’ve finished drinking it. Plus it makes you feel like you and Santa are old drinking buddies.

Sure, everyone gets presents, but you’re one of the privileged few the big guy allows to tap his personal stockpile. It’s a special, manipulative marketing-driven feeling, and that’s something you can’t put a price tag on. Or rather, you can, and it’s $11.59. Not dirt cheap, but for a once-a-year treat, it’s worth it.

Item: Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve Ale
Price: $11.59
Size: 6 pack (12-ounce bottles)
Purchased at: Joe Canal’s
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Stupid children. Helps Santa recover from Christmas. Good color. Smooth and easy, like your sister. Two-Drink Drew. Tastes better than egg nog.
Cons: Bitter as an old man talking about today’s youth. Not good for drinking games. Misleading marketing – Santa doesn’t actually want to drink with me. Not free, even if you make the “Nice” list.

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 4/3/2010

Marvo — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 10:10:36 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we like.

Haagen Dazs Rum Raisin Ice Cream is an ex-girlfriend’s favorite flavor. When I see it in the store, it makes me think of her. When I think of her, it makes me wonder if I should friend her on Facebook. When I wonder if I should friend her on Facebook, I remember that I haven’t played Bejeweled Blitz in a long time. When I play Bejeweled Blitz, I forget to friend my ex-girlfriend on Facebook. (via Frozen Food Journal)

There’s a beer called Yellow Snow. I guess I’m going to have to call Old Milwaukee something else. (via TBQ)

Burger King now has a breakfast bowl that contains eggs, sausage, potatoes, onions, peppers and cheese. If The King wakes me up with one of them, I hope he also brings a fork so I can stab him. (via Hamburger Calculus and We Rate Stuff)

A chocolate egg that comes in a real eggshell. There’s a yolk out there that must be pissed. (via Foodstuff Finds)

Since I don’t drink anymore, I don’t have a use for an anti-hangover beverage. But I really could use an anti-Justin Bieber beverage because “Baby” keeps bumping in my head. (via Everyview)

I want you imagine Beavis from Beavis and Butt-Head. Then I want you to imagine him saying Chokito over and over again. You’re welcome. (via Jim’s Chocolate Mission)

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 1/23/2010

Marvo — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:18:23 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we like.

I’m disappointed Hawaiian Punch Jelly Beans won’t turn my mouth red like actual Hawaiian Punch does. How else am I going to look like a Twilight fanboy? (via ZOMG Candy)

A Tip for Guys: I’m pretty sure giving heart-shaped Peeps to your sweetheart will not get you laid. (via Gigi Reviews)

I believe the Keebler Elves make their cookies to fatten humans so that we’re nice and plump when they eat us. I think one human could feed the whole tree. (via We Rate Stuff)

Hot damn! Kim Chi Cheetos! (via The Japanese Snack Food Review)

I once had a shot called German Death. All I need is the Irish Death Ale, French Death Champagne and Spanish Death Sangria to complete my journey along the European Road to Alcohol Poisoning. (via TBQ)

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 11/14/2009

Marvo — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:21:55 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we like.

Yay! I don’t have to lick Smurfs anymore! (via Snack Overload)

I believe every episode of a soda review video podcast should end with the host burping the alphabet. (via Soda Giant)

Hooters has new wing flavors and are still filled with men who ogle Hooters Girls in a way that is considered sexual harassment in almost any other workplace. (via Would I Buy It Again)

Here in Hawaii, there are two Kua’Aina burger shops. People seem to love them, but I’m not a fan. Japan must REALLY love them if they make a potato chip that tastes like their burgers. (via Foodette Reviews)

Shouldn’t watermelon be a flavor of a wine cooler instead of a beer. Meh, what do I know? I enjoyed Zimas. (via TBQ)

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 10/17/2009

Marvo — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:00:18 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we like.

If there’s one thing small beer companies know how to do better than the big beer companies, it’s give their beers names that sound unappetizing and not refreshing. (via TBQ)

If it seems like I link to a lot of Japanese Kit Kat reviews, I do. I’m just fascinated with Nestle Japan’s ability to churn out new flavors, like the Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat, at the rate they do. It’s like they have Kit Kat fertility drugs or something. (via Jen Ken’s Kit Kat Blog)

I’m poor and hungry, so I have no standards. I would totally wrap my lips around a cheap microwaveable burrito. Heck, I’d take two of them in my mouth, if I could. (via Frozen Food Journal)

If I want a Milky Way shake I’ll just stick ice cream, some whole milk and ~~one~~ ~~two~~ ~~an entire bag of Fun Sized~~ three Milky Way bars in a blender. (via Chocolate Thunder)

This truly looks like a wiener in a blanket. (via Japanese Snack Reviews)

Cute moose/duck photo via Flickr user dotpolka / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 9/5/2009

Marvo — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:00:09 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we like.

Iron Chef Morimoto has a line of beers. No, they don’t have fish heads, fish eggs, seaweed or the need for a translator. (via Belching Monkey)

Swank Mechanical Pencil? With a shape like that, they should call it Shank Mechanical Pencil. (via Dave’s Mechanical Pencils)

Why am I not surprised a product with the word “hardcore” in its name is shaped like a dildo? (via ED Junkie)

The Black Jack Gunpowder Green Energy Tea tastes like there’s actual gunpowder in it. (via Everyview)

Hey look! More Taco Bell crap that looks exactly like other Taco Bell crap! (via We Rate Stuff)

Iron Chef Morimoto photo via Flickr user hikikomori / CC BY 2.0

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 7/4/2009

Marvo — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:00:03 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs wrapped in an HTML shell and served with immature writing.

Sixteen beers and ten sake reviews in one evening? May God have mercy on their livers. (via TBQ)

Fried ice cream that’s not fried. There’s an F-word I would use to describe that and it’s not fried. (via I Ate A Pie)

Apple and banana ketchup is popular in the Philippines; apple and banana mush is popular with babies; and apple and banana martinis are popular with sorority girls. (via A.V. Club)

The only thing I think the BK BBQ Double Stackticon can transform is my beating heart into a non-beating heart. (via We Rate Stuff)

There’s a white powder energy drink mix called Blow. I’m waiting for a black energy liquid-filled syringe called Black Tar Heroin. (via Possessed by Caffeine)

Photo via http://www.flickr.com/photos/leunix/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

REVIEW: Long Trail Blackbeary Wheat

Kayla — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:07:38 +0000

Beer and college go together like peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti and meatballs, Bret Michaels and anti-fungal medication, Botox and the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, RuPaul and surgical tape…

Okay, I think you get the idea. But, how about beer and fruit?

“Beer and fruit you say? I don’t want no fruity stuff in my brewski. I don’t even want that little pansy orange when I get a Blue Moon. Fruit and beer!?! Knock it off with your crazy talk, stop blocking the TV and go make me a turkey pot pie, woman.”

Well, Mr. Stereotypical Domestic Beer Drinker, I guess you wouldn’t be willing to try Long Trail’s Blackbeary (yes, Beary) Wheat.

Just like you, Mr. Stereotypical Domestic Beer Drinker, I too am a consumer of beers typically found in packs of 30 due to the crickets that have found a place in my wallet and chirp on cue when I open it just to piss me off and make fun of the fact that I am a poor college student. Those bastards. However sometimes when I want to splurge (especially when I’m in New Hampshire where beer is much cheaper than the Keystone State.) I pick up something that’s local and what I assume has better quality than a 30-pack of The Beast.

Long Trail is a brewery that hails from Vermont and…

“Vermont you say!?! You’re telling me they make beer in the state that got those Birkenstock-wearin’ liberal hippies, ice cream with names that are always a play on words and maple syrup!?! I told ya to knock it off with your crazy talk. And where the hell is my turkey pot pie?”

Well, yes, Mr. Stereotypical Domestic Beer Drinker, Long Trail is from Vermont and, actually, Vermont has more breweries per capita than any other state. Throughout the year, Long Trail likes to put out specialty brews that fit the season, and usually they have cute names and adorable labels with bears skiing or lounging out by trees or, in the case of the Blackbeary Wheat, an angry wife holding a rolling pin about to smack her husband who is attempting to take a piece of pie.

“Cute and adorable you say!?! Beer ain’t supposed to be cute or adorable. I need a beer that uses hot babes with their jugs bouncing up and down in their commercials, not some damn cartoon bear. Speaking about pie, where the hell is mine!?!”

Oh, Mr. Stereotypical Domestic Beer Drinker, you are so right. Beer shouldn’t be about how cute the label is; it’s all about the taste. The right amount of hops, how much alcohol it has, how quickly you can pound it during a game of beer pong, or with Long Trail Blackbeary Wheat, the perfect fruit to grain ratio.

“Ratio!?! What the hell are you talkin’ about, ratio? When I’m drinkin’ a nice cold one I don’t wanna think about some damn mathematical equation!”

Nor do I, Mr. Stereotypical Domestic Beer drinker, but when I do drink a fruit type beer like Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, I keep in mind the unification of fruit and grain. However, I couldn’t find any unification whatsoever while drinking the Blackbeary Wheat. In fact, I had to do a double take at the label to make sure I was drinking a fruit infused brew. The fruit flavor was nonexistent, like Spencer Pratt’s brain, which left my mouth wanting something with more substance even after I downed two of them.

“See, I told ya. Don’t buy those fancy, pansy-ass beers with cute names, stick to brews that got one syllable names like Bud or Miller.”

Um, Mr. Stereotypical Domestic Beer Drinker, Miller has two syllables…

“One. Two. Same difference. Now what did I say? Stop blockin’ the TV and go make me a turkey pot pie, woman.”

Item: Long Trail Blackbeary Wheat
Price: $11.99 (on sale)
Size: 12 oz – 12 pack
Purchased at: Shaw’s
Rating: 3 out of 10
Pros: It’s beer. Funny/adorable label. Beer commercials. Playing beer pong. Only 6 grams of carbs. Being able to purchase beer at a grocery store. Poking fun at misogynistic stereotypes.
Cons: Literally no trace of blackberry. Literally no buzz. The crickets in my wallet rubbing it in that I purchased this instead of a 30-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

REVIEW: Bud Light & Clamato Chelada

Marvo — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:49:26 +0000

(Editor’s Note: Today’s review is based on the popular Bud Light Real Men of Genius ads. If you’ve never heard or seen these ads, check out this site to get a taste of them.)

Bud Light presents Real Men of Genius

(Real Men of Genius)

Today we salute you, Mr. Bud Light & Clamato Chelada Inventor.

(Mr. Bud Light & Clamato Chelada Inventor)

Combining the watery goodness of Bud Light with the tomato clam juiciness of Clamato is usually only done by mad scientists and really, really, really, really, really drunk people. You also added salt and lime, but those don’t help the fact that you probably created the most ghetto bloody mary ever. Dr. Frankenstein used scavenged body parts to create his monster, but your hodgepodge creation would probably make him squirm.

(I ain’t going to drink that!)

Those who have balls big enough to drink it may not be able to smell and taste the clams or the beer, but the tomato is there punching their senses with a salty tomato soup look, smell and taste that only hobos can love. It’s somewhat tolerable, didn’t make me gag too much and I might’ve been able to nurse it until it was gone, except you weren’t kind enough to put it in a regular 12-ounce can.

Oh no.

Instead you decided to put your clammy concoction in a huge 24-ounce aluminum jug, making it impossible to finish without it getting warm, which makes the Chelada feel like someone rinsed their mouth with it and spit it back into the can.

(You sadistic bastard!)

So crack open an ice cold Bud Light, Champion of the Clamato and Backer of the Bud Light, because you’re going to find out if it mixes well with Grey Poupon.

(Mr. Bud Light & Clamato Chelada Inventor)

(Nutrition Facts – 12 ounces – 151 calories, 0 grams of fat, 15.6 grams of carbohydrates, 1.9 grams of protein, and 4.2% alcohol/volume.)

(Editor’s Note: Thanks to the dozen or so people who recommended the Chelada. You are all sadistic bastards. Also, Second Rate Snacks reviewed the Budweiser version of the Chelada. And here’s another review.)

Item: Bud Light & Clamato Chelada
Price: $2.49
Size: 24 ounces
Purchased at: Wal-Mart
Rating: 1 out of 10
Pros: Didn’t make me gag too much. It contains alcohol. Bud Light Real Men of Genius ads.
Cons: Tomato punching your senses. Mixing Bud Light & Clamato. It comes in a 24-ounce can. Tastes much worse when warm. Would make Dr. Frankenstein squirm. Bud Light mixed with Grey Poupon.

The Week in Reviews – 10/4/2008

Marvo — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:38:03 +0000

It was a week full of product reviews that made me wonder “WTF?” Here are a few of them.

Oreo…I’ve lost a little respect for you because you’ve whored yourself out. Oreo pie crust I can understand, but Oreo straws? That’s where I draw the line. (via Gigi-Reviews)

I’m not sure what the word “chelada” means, but I’m thinking it means “bad idea” or “for suckers” or “better than drinking rubbing alcohol.” (via Second Rate Snacks)

If you mess with the O.G. of Hot Pockets, you’re going to get burned. (via Heat Eat Review)

I don’t need to eat High School Musical Cereal, because my life is full of moments when I break out into a song and dance at inappropriate moments. (via So Good)

Easy. Breezy. Minty. Beautiful. Cover Girl. (via The Message Whore)

Do you have a Flickr account? Are you desperate for Flickr friends? I am too, so check out The Impulsive Buy’s Flickr Photostream. Currently, it’s where you can see some of the products I’ve bought over the years, but will never review. It’s like a TIB Graveyard.

Pong A Long 7′ Beer Pong Table

Marvo — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 01:13:46 +0000

I didn’t participate in any drinking games in college because I spent most of my time using myself as a guinea pig for serious sociology research on intense subjects, like finding out what effects playing Sony Playstation six hours a day has on a college student’s grades, seeing if a student can get a passing mark by not going to class throughout the semester and only taking the midterms and final, experiencing what its like to be on academic probation, and perhaps my favorite research topic, losing one’s virginity, which I’m still doing the research on because I have yet to pass first base due to my inability to take off a woman’s bra.

I hear there are many drinking games out there and I imagine they all have the same goal — to get everyone fucked up. Late last year, the Impulsive Buy was sent a portable beer pong table from a company called Pong A Long. At the time, I had no idea what beer pong was, but thanks to Wikipedia and one of my co-workers, who played it a lot at Penn State, I soon had a better understanding of the game.

The setup for beer pong is simple. Get a long table or take a door off of its hinges and place on top of two work horses, then set up ten tall 16-ounce red plastic cups on each end of the table like they were bowling pins, then fill each cup with the cheapest beer you can get your hands on, and then get some ping pong balls, preferrably ones that weren’t from a stripper who shot them out of her vagina.

The rules for beer pong are just as simple. There’s a team on each end of the table and the objective of each team is to make their opponent drink all ten cups of beer in front of them by throwing ping pong balls into the cups. The winner is the team that makes their opponent drink all ten cups first.

Since beer pong isn’t a game I can play by myself, like Monopoly, Jenga, and Solitaire, I needed an opponent. So I decided to play against fellow English degree holder and new Impulsive Buy writer, Stef.

Unfortunately, the both of us are not beer drinkers, but since we both enjoy vodka, we decided to go with Stoli Blueberi vodka and seltzer on the rocks. Now we could’ve shown you pictures of our beer pong game, but we didn’t think it would give you an accurate play-by-play. So using our English degrees, we decided to use the medium of words and express our competitiveness in the form of a rap battle. Enjoy.

Marvo:
The game is beer pong. The winner will definitely be me.
The poison don’t matter, beer or what were using, Stoli Blueberi.
I may have a lower alcohol tolerance, but that’s all right.
This game will be done quick, like a 1980s Mike Tyson fight.
Pong A Long table is out and the twenty red plastic cups are set.
So are you ready to have your ass handed to you, Stef?

Stef:
Whatever, buddy. That’s all I’ve got to say,
You really think you can take this all the way?
Like Bon Jovi says, you’re “Livin’ on a Prayer,”
You’d be better off playing with some Care Bears.
Get ready to get drunk, loser, you’re through;
My balls are gonna be straighter than Tom Cruise.

Marvo:
Oh, “straighter than Tom Cruise?” I guess I have more hope.
Because his sexual orientation has been the butt of so many jokes.
It’s been five rounds and you haven’t got the ball in a cup.
Like Michelle Wie playing in a men’s event, you won’t make the cut.
With my pinpoint accuracy and rifle arm, there’s no way I can lose.
Need help? I’ve got a rocket scientist to calculate a trajectory you can use.

Stef:
Watching you cross your eyes while you aim is the sexiest thing.
Is your constipated throw and frustrated sigh all you’re gonna bring?
You can’t even hit the table, your accuracy’s a lie.
You throw like a girl, you’ve got nothing between your thighs.
Hurry up and throw it, there’s no need to think.
Hurry up and put it in, I need one of those drinks.

Marvo:
I’m keeping you sober, so I can give you a head start and me a handicap.
You may have made me drink six cups, but get ready for the comeback.
It’s going to be so much sweeter when I come from behind for the win.
It’s going to “Take My Breath Away” like that Top Gun song from Berlin.
I’m a lightweight, but the alcohol isn’t preventing me from making a shot.
Just like one-hit wonder, Buster Poindexter watch me get “Hot Hot Hot.”

Stef:
I’m not calling it a comeback like LL Cool J,
You can’t even hit the table, do you need to stop and pray?
I’m thirsty, want me to throw for you?
You’re certainly not getting anywhere anytime soon.
How’s about this? I’ll let you keep going until you get one in,
I’m feeling sorry for you, since there’s no way you can win.
Like Pat says, you better “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,”
You’re drunk, you can’t aim, you’re everything I’m not.

Marvo:
The Pong-A-Long table is too long, it’s messing with my depth perception.
Can’t get a ball in, even if I’m aiming straight like a Bob Dole Viagra erection.
Never mind, got a ball in a cup, better drink up, it’ll help you drown the loss.
I’m feeling lucky, like any guy who went out with Mona from Who’s The Boss.
I’m on a roll, I’m knocking down cups fast and now we’re both down to two.
In no time, I’ll make you look like a fool, like a crazy, drunken Paula Abdul.
Hey do you want to listen to a bit of my beer pong champion speech?
“Thanks to those who supported me and the loser for wanting to compete.”

Stef:
I’d like to thank YOU for finally making one.
Geez, I needed a drink like Homey needs fun.
Don’t blame the table for your shortcomings, friend.
It’s your sad little incompetence that’s becoming a trend.
Let’s not forget that I had to give you free throws,
Otherwise we’d both be here until Vern Troyer grows.
So stop with the excuses and throw the damn ball,
I’m ready with my talent, are you ready to fall?

Marvo:
Not if I get you first, even if I’m redder than an ass after a S&M paddle party.
Down to one cup, but I’ll solve this dilemma like sleuths Frank and Joe Hardy.
I’ve got an idea that will help me become the beer pong king.
Jinx! Jinx! Booga booga! Swing batter batter swing!
Like my new tactic? I’d like to now see you get that ball in this red cup.
Jinx! Jinx! Booga booga! Swing batter batter swing! …Oh, fuck!

Stef:
Hell to the yeah, Marvo, you’re totally through.
It’s over like the Super Bowl; feel like the Bears, do you?
Admit you’re a scrub, wear your loser’s crown.
Go retreat to the corner and sit your tragic ass down.
Drink up that final cup, it’s the end of your story,
Like Jon Bon Jovi, you’ve been shot down in a blaze of glory.

Dammit! I suck!

Overall, the Pong A Long 7′ Beer Pong Table is pretty convenient for those who play often, although it is a little pricey for those college students who mostly eat ramen. It folds in half, has a handle and is somewhat lightweight (a little more than 20 pounds), making it portable, but even with it folded in half, it’s still too big to fit into the trunk of my Toyota Corolla, which can comfortably hold three to four dead or alive bodies.

Besides being somewhat portable, it’s well constructed and it only takes seconds to set up…unless you’re already drunk, then it obviously takes longer. How much longer? If you’re a dude, here’s a little equation to help you figure it out:

Your answer will end up being in minutes. So lets say you’re 160 pounds minus the 60 ounces of Bud you just drank multiplied by the three minutes it took you to figure out the hot blond chick across the room has a goatee, then divide that by 60 seconds and it will take you five minutes to set up the Pong A Long table — if you didn’t pass out.

Oh yeah, if you’re drunk, you might want to lay on top of the Pong A Long table because its cool surface will feel good on your skin, much like the tile bathroom floor you’re probably used to.

Item: Pong A Long 7′ Beer Pong Table
Price: FREE (Retails for $64.99)
Purchased at: Given free by Pong A Long
Rating: 4 out of 5
Pros: Portable. Easy to set up, unless you’re drunk. Well constructed. Better than taking a door off of its hinges and then putting it back. Its cool top will feel good on skin when drunk. Can double as a dining table. Beer pong is good fun. Vodka.
Cons: Getting my ass handed to me and feeling a little emasculated. Kinda pricey for most college students. The length of it seems a little too long. Getting a ping pong ball into a red cup is hard. Folding it in half doesn’t make it small enough to fit into the trunk of some cars. I throw like a girl. Not knowing how to remove a woman’s bra.

Heineken Premium Light

Marvo — Wed, 10 May 2006 21:38:19 +0000

Sometimes to be creative, people need a catalyst – something that sparks the imagination and lets creativity flow.

For many great writers, like Ernest Hemingway, Herman Melville, Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, Edgar Allan Poe, and my friend Ryan, their catalyst was/is alcohol.

Since alcohol helped these writers create wonderful pieces of literature (except for my friend Ryan, who instead wrote about his experiences in nightclubs for a local alternative newspaper) I felt that it wouldn’t hurt if I tried to find out if alcohol would help me be more creative, and perhaps write the GREATEST quasi-product review IN THE WORLD.

Okay, I may not be able to write the GREATEST quasi-product review IN THE WORLD, but at least something better than the usual crap I spew out.

To make this happen, I need two things, alcohol and something to review. Although not a lot of alcohol, because excessive amounts of it make me want to dance with inanimate objects, especially refrigerators, which in an inebriated state look like big booty white women to me, like pre-Trimspa Anna Nicole Smith…times two.

Also, for some reason, I like to dance with poles when drunk.

Anyway, let’s see what kinds of alcohol I have in The Impulsive Buy Laboratory.

Red wine? Too classy.

Vanilla vodka? Too much of a chance I’ll end up freakin’ a fridge.

Listerine? Too painful.

NyQuil? Too drowsy.

Rubbing alcohol? Too poisonous.

Heineken Premium Light Beer? Yahtzee!

Oooh, I can also review it. Sweet!

Let’s do this.

7:45 p.m. – Okay, so I’m sitting here with my laptop and Heineken Premium Light Beer. I’ve taken a couple of swigs of the beer and I don’t feel creative.

7:47 p.m. – I’ve gone through a quarter of a bottle and I don’t have any ideas for the GREATEST quasi-product review IN THE WORLD. The Heineken Premium Light so far has been easy to drink. It’s like a slightly watered down version of regular Heineken. It tastes all right. But if you like Heineken and are watching your girlish figure, you probably will enjoy the 99 calories and low carbs in each bottle.

7:50 p.m. – Oh man, I’m feeling kind of warm. I’m such a frickin’ lightweight! I only drank half the bottle and I’m already turning red. Damn these Asian genes! These Asian genes make me red when I drink. These Asian genes prevented me from growing past 5’7″. These Asian genes make everyone think I’m good at math. Maybe I should’ve ate something before I started drinking. I still don’t feel creative.

8:00 p.m. – Ugh. I drank the whole bottle and nothing. I wish I could channel the spirit of Hemingway. How did he do it? Maybe I should call my friend Ryan and ask him how he does it. No wait, he’s probably drunk right now and in his writing flow. Don’t want to mess with him because not only is he a creative drunk, he’s also an angry drunk.

8:10 p.m. – I’m just here waiting for the creative buzz to hit me, but I don’t even feel it coming. Shouldn’t the creativity be flowing like a river after the white blanket of snow melts? Shouldn’t the ideas be pouring out of me like iced tea from a clear glass pitcher on a hot summer day in August? Shouldn’t the words, sentences, and paragraphs be falling from the sky like rain in the spring?

8:11 p.m. – Oh man, I gotta pee.

Item: Heineken Premium Light
Price: FREE (12 ounces)
Purchased at: Given by Charlie at Hass MS&L
Rating: 3 out of 5
Pros: If you like Heineken, but are watching your girlish figure, this would be good for you. Tasted like a slightly watered down version of regular Heineken. Easy to drink. Low carbs. Low calories.
Cons: Alcohol does not equal creativity for me. My ability to turn red after drinking half a bottle of beer. I’m such a lightweight. Couldn’t write the GREATEST quasi-product review IN THE WORLD, not even a tribute.

BE

Marvo — Sat, 08 Jan 2005 08:00:08 +0000

Here at the Impulsive Buy there is a list on the wall called, “Top 5 Most Wanted,” which is a list of products that I REALLY want to try. It’s kind of like the FBI’s Top 5 Most Wanted.

Of course, there’s a big difference between the two. When you find something on the Impulsive Buy’s list, you might gain weight from it. When you find someone on the FBI’s list, you might get killed.

The most wanted product on the Impulsive Buy list was a new beer called BE (pronounced B-to-the-E) from Budweiser, who seem to get a lot of free product placement in the television show Cops. (Budweiser, the King of Beers…Among Criminals)

What makes BE a different kind of beer is that it’s a fruity-smelling beer, spiked with caffeine, guarana, and ginseng. An energy beer, if you will. According to what I’ve read about BE, the amount of caffeine in it is about the same you will find in a can of Mountain Dew.

So I’ve been looking for BE ever since it came out in November, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

I checked at the national convenience store chain down the street, the national grocery store chain I shop at, the small-business destroying behemoth, the local grocery store nearby, and even the small liquor store at the corner that sells alcohol and cigarettes to minors. None of them carried it.

Finally, this week I happened to be with some friends at a local bar and noticed that one of the waitresses had a BE in her hands. I instantly went to the bar to order one.

I was kind of disappointed when the bartender pulled out of those smaller-than-usual cans which most energy drinks come in, because I figured it would take a lot of those small cans to get most people drunk…Except me, because I’m such a lightweight drinker.

Give me a couple shots of tequila and I’d give ANYONE a lap dance.

So how does the BE taste?

It’s not bad. It has a sweet and sour taste to it, like most energy drinks, but you can also definitely taste the Budweiser as well. So just imagine Red Bull mixed with Budweiser.

I would’ve had another BE, but because I’m such a lightweight drinker and my sister was there with us, I wanted to make sure that there was NO WAY I would end being drunk enough to give her a lap dance.

Editor’s Note: Oh yeah, in case some of you were wondering, here’s the rest of the Impulsive Buy’s Top 5 Most Wanted:

2. Method Dish Soap
3. Trojan Warm Sensations Condoms
4. iMac G5
5. Chicken Dance Elmo

Item: BE
Purchase Price: $3.50 (plus tip)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Caffeine. Alcohol. Not bad tasting. Found the number one most wanted product.
Cons: Pricey. Smaller-than-usual can.