Solidarity

Joe's recent gluten intolerant diagnosis has required some lifestyle changes in lots of different areas, but one of the most notable for him has been how to hang out with his buddies and be gluten free.  Because basically everything these guys do involves some pretty heavy-duty gluten consumption.  They play in a softball league and then afterwards they drink beer.  They go to the batting cages and then they drink some beer.  During the summer, they get together and light a huge bonfire, grill some meat, and then, and this is key, stand around and drink beer.  They watch sports and drink beer.  They go to a bar and drink beer.  They meet up at someone's house to chat.  While drinking beer.  And then, if they can't think of anything to do or anywhere to go, they drink beer.  But first they drink some beer while they decide where to go to drink beer. 

So imagine being told that you are allergic to beer.  I mean, why even continue living?  Everything you know is wrong.  You might as well be allergic to the Yankees.  You might as well be allergic to AMERICA.  You might as well be allergic to yourself.  To yourself.

I was bracing myself for the realization to hit him that life as he knew it was pretty much over, and so I was super surprised when he seemed to handle it pretty okay.  The day after the diagnosis, he came home with a giant bottle of Johnnie Walker black.  "No worries, babe, I'm a scotch drinker now."  Sure, no worries.  Just visions in my head of him going drink for drink with his buddies, scotch vs. Coors Light, and the horrifying and somewhat disgusting aftermath.  Even so, I was pretty impressed when he packed his own seltzer and a small bottle of scotch for the annual let's-set-off-fireworks-and-stand-around-and-drink Fourth of July bonanza with his buddies.  Because it at least meant he was committed to this new lifestyle and was planning ahead to resist crazy amounts of beer consumption temptation. 

But I guess in the long run, standing around drinking scotch and soda just isn't as satisfying as standing around drinking beer.  And so began our quest to find a satisfying and tasty gluten-free beer.  We went to our local beer distributor and asked if they had a gluten free section.  Turns out, the owner recently went gluten free herself so she's been able to make all sorts of suggestions.  So far, Joe's favorite is Dogfish Head Tweason'ale. The downside is that these gluten-free beers are like $8 for a four-pack.  So the plan is to keep sampling until we determine his favorite and then we'll see if we can get a case for him wholesale online.  I myself am partial to the Angry Orchard Traditional Dry hard cider, which isn't a beer, but is a super delicious gluten-free alcohol option.  Stella Artois also makes a new hard cider, which I'm pretty excited to try next.

I'm not much of a drinker.  If I have like 3 drinks in a month, it's a pretty wild month for me, but I have to say that coming home from a long day of work and cracking open a cold hard cider or whatever the latest sample is for that week isn't so bad.  The things you have to do to support your man.