Pyramid’s Thunderbird IPA: the best beer to drink when you have a cold and really want a beer

Ordinarily, I’m not the biggest fan of Pyramid’s IPA.  It’s one of the hoppiest beers I’ve ever tasted and it is pretty bitter, even for an IPA.  Other IPA’s, like Rogue’s or Widmer’s (to stick with Portland beer), have a flowery finish that’s almost fruity.  But Pyramid doesn’t fuck around with any of that.  The label says it’s “Bursting with hops” and that’s putting it lightly.  However, a hoppy beer does have its benefits.

IPA’s (India Pale Ale) were first created by the English a hundred or so years ago, when they were shipping beer to soldiers in India.  They needed to prevent the spoiling of beer and found that they could use the natural antibacterial properties of hops to do just that.  So, they tripled the amount of hops that they would ordinarily put into a beer in order to prevent it from spoiling.

Now, I had a head cold for a few days and really wanted a beer.  So, trying to test this logic, I came home from work and sat back with a couple of Pyramid’s.  This morning, I woke up feeling fantastic.

Now, I’m not at all suggesting that this beer, or any beer should be used as medicine. But, if you’re going to grab a beer while you’re sick, it should be a Pyramid, or at the very least an IPA.  If you mess up and grab a beer with a really yeast-y taste, you’re just asking prolong your cold by about a week.  (I did this once with a botched ESB homebrew.  Man, that was awful).