HI ORKNEY BUFFS: SO, AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF HIBERNATION, THE OLD SITE POPPED BACK TO LIFE. Much chatter it seems, on the old undying subject of beer, brought to our attention by the ever vigilant Bruce Flecther, the eyes and ears of all things Stronsay Papacita. Very interesting, as indeed so many of the beverages in Orkney are just top drawer. How bout that St. Magnus presentation of a nice old single from Highland Park? I wanted a bottle but it is "sold out!' Alas, I decided to take our local provincial booze pushers (government agencies here) to task, as a result of reading that one of our American friends can acquire the little 8.5% brain tonic, in rural Michigan. Another cited New York state as an active vendor of the controversial label. I recall drinking one of these in the dockside pub at Rousay, and thinking how nice it would be with a good stiff stick of cheddar, or maybe some pickled sweet red peppers and a cracker. The sympathetic receptionist at the special order department here at LCBO Ontario, has agreed to order some for me, and she will call next week to confirm the price. What I am wondering, is what the shelf life is of that brew. If it is something that will last six months without growing a beard or going "off", then I'd be tempted to sorta "stock up." Old Thorfin Skullbasher appears on our family tree, as a grandpa some generations of papa Kolbein's wife, who was Earl Paul Thorfin's granddaughter (possible great granddaughter...hmm). The controversy that irrupted between the free enterprise brewery, and the mindless bureaucrats in the Scottish government who seemed to disavow the point that Skullbasher was a person, not a descriptive noun to describe a beer with 8.5% alcohol. I felt that if that name stripping had gone ahead, that there was grounds for a legal suit from people who can claim family kinship with Skullbasher. So, when I tried to discuss this with my two sons, one of them said.."Dad, if you really want to discuss this....buy a case, and we will sit down with you and discuss it in detail!" Well, the joke will be on them! Question is ....what type of cheese. hmmm Well, so long amigos. I returned from Cuba a few weeks back on business, but hopefully will return there sometime in April, to resume my study of the mango, the tango, and the art of sunbathing on a deserted beach. Yours Aye: Stephen Davie

On 12/03/2010 22:29, stephen davie wrote: > HI ORKNEY BUFFS: > > SO, AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF HIBERNATION, THE OLD SITE POPPED BACK TO > LIFE. Much chatter it seems, on the old undying subject of beer, > brought to our attention > by the ever vigilant Bruce Flecther, the eyes and ears of all things > Stronsay Papacita. Very interesting, as indeed so many of the > beverages in Orkney are just top drawer. > How bout that St. Magnus presentation of a nice old single from > Highland Park? I wanted a bottle but it is "sold out!' I have to confess that I rarely drink any of the local beverages as I brew my own. However, I have been known to try out local brews on my rare trips to mainland. -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney