After Laughter Comes Beer

What does it even mean ?

Everyone’s paid their share and the bill comes up short. The waiter lets you know it’s 60SEK you owe, and that’s not including the service charge. Someone’s not paid for their dessert. You glance around the table at the people that used to be your friends who have suddenly morphed into suspicious misers, petty criminals trying to swindle you. Who is it? They could all be guilty. Each face generates a flashback of a time they didn’t contribute. Angelina never paid you back for Torbjörns hair implants. Torbjörn refused to contribute to the massage chair you all bought for Lasse after he got divorced. Lasse ungratefully sold the massage chair and bought a leather jacket to match the pony tail he grew to look like Rasmus, who is famously attractive, in a local sort of way. But, being attractive as he is, life’s too easy for him and he’s never first to buy a round, never first to suggest a group present, never the first to bring the fika. All he does is elevate the group with his handsomeness. Yes, it must be Rasmus. You ask Rasmus if he’s sure he paid for everything and he stares at you with those piercing blue eyes, sat atop of his gorgeous, high cheekbones, and he doesn’t answer, he just looks at you, and asks if you paid for one scoop of ice cream instead of three. You snort in derision and glance at the receipt. There they are next to each other, en kula, tre kulor. How could you have been so stupid? You become short of breath as you realise he’s right. You glance at the people around as they all stare at you. It’s you, you are the problem, you are the petty thief. You consider running, abandoning these decades old friendships, so that you don’t have to admit your guilt. But you take a deep breath instead, and confess your crimes. It was a simple mistake after all. You laugh a nervous, disjointed laugh and everyone joins you. Nervous, disjointed laughs all round, wobbling jowls and teeth and spit. You say you’re sorry, reiterate what an honest mistake it was and insist on buying a round of beers, because you love those people, your lifelong friends, and you cherish them, and you cherish the laughs you’re having and you’ve forgotten that you ever thought that they would steal the bread from your mouth if they could.

What you need to know though

US style NEIPA 6.5%. Simpsons Extra Pale base with oats and wheat. Dry hopped with Mosaic, Ekuanot and Idaho 7. Pale yellow and hazy with aromas of red berries, stone and tropical fruits. Low bitterness and a creamy body.