The saying goes: "You learn something new every day." Now, as I close in on a half-decade on this planet, I'm not sure that still applies, yet it turns out today is one of those days. And it's barely past 8.30am.
That said, I'm not sure how useful the new something I've learned is, but I'm going to share it anyway...
Venom Beer have created a beer for Brunswick bar Ramblin' Man (that's not the new thing) and it's called Big Hazy Bird. The artwork on the cans features, among other things, Big Bird from Sesame Street wandering down Lygon Street. "Why?" you might ask, which I did – at least of Google. And here's where it led me...
No prizes for knowing Ramblin' Man is named after the classic Waylon Jennings track, but there would be prizes if you knew this: Waylon appeared alongside Big Bird in the 1985 flick Follow That Bird as well as on an episode of Sesame Street. Now, there's another element at play here as there's a pelican wearing the Big Bird suit, which I'm going to posit is another Waylon reference – to Louisiana Woman, with Louisiana being The Pelican State. Now, I may be on the wrong track here (no pun intended), but having spent time going down this little rabbit hole I'm sharing it with you.
As for the beer, it's a hazy IPA – the sort of collab Venom have embarked upon a few times – and keeps things far less tangential than the labels: American hops; a haze that's bordering on the opaque; a touch of grassy / rindy bitterness to keep things from getting flabby; and aromas reminiscent of fleshy tropical fruit whipped with a touch of cream. One for Drinkin' and Dreamin', perhaps.
James Smith
Published February 7, 2025 2025-02-07 00:00:00
