Friday, November 4, 2011

Will Miss #383 - Yebisu beer (by proxy)

The Yebisu beer museum in Ebisu.

I'm a creature that fascinates most Japanese folks because I don't drink and have never drunk alcohol of any kind. When I say this, they respond with surprise and then get a strange look on their faces. That look, I'm pretty sure, relates to whatever reason they've conjured up for my avoidance of what can be seen as a magic elixir of relaxation and a lubricant for communication in Japan. Those that have felt comfortable enough to ask me why speculate that I'm religious (I'm not) or that I must have some sort of liver issue (I don't). They can't fathom that I don't partake because I think alcohol smells bad and it holds no appeal an intoxicant (as I've never been intoxicated by anything) or gustatory experience. My husband, on the other hand, likes certain types of alcohol and he loves Yebisu beer. At one point, he even did a taste test to make sure he wasn't fooling himself about the nature of the beer since it is more expensive than other beer.

I know my husband will miss Yebisu beer, and I'll miss knowing how much he enjoys a mug of it with a well-prepared bit of steak or chicken.