Back in December, the good folks at Newcastle Brown Ale threw me and about forty of my bestest buddies a swell holiday party at Ye Olde King's Head in Santa Monica. It was part of a campaign tied to a tradition in the U.K. called “Walking the Dog,” where exercising Fido is a front that allows you to slip out and enjoy a pint of Newcastle with your mates. At the King's Head a good time, as the old bromide goes, was had by all. And of all the beer brands that might have offered to throw me a party, I'm glad the one (and only one) that did was Newcastle. Because I like Newcastle. I like it a lot. Indeed, it ranks with Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale and Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale among my favorites in the category. (Note: Newcastle is owned by Heineken, and I'll also cop to being a fan of the crisp Heineken Light.)

Once while I was traveling through England, a pub owner In Plymouth told me an interesting story about Newcastle. About a decade ago the company removed the word "ale" from labels in England, having done some market research that revealed younger drinkers thought ale was for olf fogies. About four years and a lot of money in printing costs later, they discovered the change hadn't affected sales in the slightest. So they slapped "ale" back on the labels again. This goes to show that market research is mostly a bunch of bullshit. Yeah, I said it -- bullshit. Overly analytical, expensive and unreliable. Make a good product, use common sense and sound decision-making, and you'll be alright for chrissakes. At least, that's my two cents on the matter.

My final note about Newcastle pertains to the glassware in which it is traditionally served. It's called a Wellington glass or a "Geordie Schooner," and it's meant to be topped off regularly so that the beer maintains a frothy head.