If we look back to all of inventions that humanity has created over the ages, two will head and shoulders above the rest. They are not the transistor, the wheel or the QWERTY keyboard. They are more important than fire or stone tools. The combustion engine, splitting the atom and algebra cannot compare to the simple glory of Beer and the Shower.
Humanity invented fire to brew beer. Shortly thereafter, humanity dreamed of standing the shower, cleansing themselves of soot, dirt and mammoth blood. Check out the Caves of Lascaux–its all documented there.
I came to this realization relatively late in life, while studying at Beloit College. One friend, who is now studying to be an architect, introduced us to the concept back in 1996. He was not the first in the world–that honor goes to Arthur Guinness–but he did introduce to us all the concept of showering and drinking beer at the same time.
This concept is genius. The relaxation induced by the shower and the beer allow for a transcendent state of being that brings one closer to the divine. It is a little known fact that Einstien developed his theory of general relativity while enjoying a glass of Pilsner in the shower. Marconi came up with the basis of his idea for radio transmission while enjoying Peroni in the shower.
Moore’s Law was conceived of while Moore was in the shower with a six pack of Schlitz.
Marie Curie discovered the properities of radium while she showered and enjoyed a Grolsch lager.
The list goes on and on.
This transcendent process is not as easy as it appears to be. Not only must the shower have the appropriate accoutrement for beer drinking, the beer must be appropriately chosen to match the showerer’s palate as well as accommodate the hygiene products that the showerer prefers.
It is uncouth to have a Hefeweizen with mango shampoo.
One cannot simply crack open an aluminum can and enter the shower willy-nilly. While we must credit Arthur Guinness with this discovery, it is also his fault for its obscurity. While showering with his beverage of choice in hand, Arthur did not think of how the water would ruin the taste of his delicious brew. His mistake set back Shower-Beer technology dozens of years.
To truly enjoy this process, one must choose their shower, their beer and their soaps with precision. This is my task for this week–to educate the masses on one of the most powerful developments in the history of the human race.
Tomorrow we will discuss the shower (what it needs, what to avoid ,etc ) itself. However, the floor is now open to any and all of your questions.
I would venture to add, respectfully of course, that a scotch in the bath is a comparable experience, possibly with the addition of a thin cigar. Discuss.
Scotch in the bath, with a cigar, is a fantastic event; however, one has to have an ashtray ready. Ash in the bath is a pain to clean up.
Darwin was slamming back a Coniston’s Bluebird Bitter in the shower while he thought about canaries and iguanas.
might i also add the sheer nirvana of a shower martini?
erin, you’ve changed my entire world. that one sentence is more cathartic than any tome of wisdom, any film, any person i’ve ever had the privilege of encountering.
For me, a shower is not just an activity to clean myself. The steam from the shower removes the creases from washed clothes that I hang up in the bathroom, but also, it is a good place to start a night of drinking.
Drinking an ice cold beer in the shower is one of life’s simple pleasures. I usually do this when I don’t have a lot of time to get showered, dressed, and everything before going out to bars/clubs.
Another great time to do this is when it is a very hot day or you are visiting a hot country. No only do you feel refreshed from the shower, washing away the sticky sweat from the day, but you also get the refreshing properties of a good, cold, beer.