August 18th, 2013 - Cut To The Beer Or The Devil Made Me Drink It

Good afternoon!  Today I'm pairing Dutch hard rockers, Golden Earring and their 1982 album, "Cut" with a Dutch brew... a Grolsch Premium Lager.

"Cut" is the 16th studio album by Golden Earring.  It was released in 1982 and became the most commercially successful album for the band, reaching #1 in the Netherlands and #1 in the United States on the Billboard Charts.  The iconic album cover image shows a Jack of Diamonds playing card being "cut" in two by a bullet.  The song, "Twilight Zone" was the biggest hit on "Cut." Along with their poppy sound and the traction gained with "Twilight Zone," the album garnered a slew of new fans for the band from an unlikely source, the New Wave movement.  Songs like "The Devil Made Me Do It," "Future," "Last Of The Mohicans," "Lost And Found," and "Secrets" are a combination of driving rock and pop sensibility.  And "Twilight Zone" is just fantastic songwriting and delivery all together (I do prefer the extended version though)!  There is a great balance of sound and power from the Golden Earring boys... Barry Hay's great vocal performance along with his and George Kooymans' guitar work is crisp, rocking, and genuine.  The bass/keyboard work of Rinus Gerritsen and the synthesizer work of Robert Jan Stips coupled with Cesar Zuiderwijk's drumming creates a wondrous pop-rock experience.  This is just great musicianship and well-deserved worldwide fame for a band that had been producing great rock and roll since the early 1960s!

To be completely frank, the Grolsch Premium Lager is no great craft beer, but it is good; it is crisp and refreshing on a hot summer's day and works well with the poppy sound of "Cut."  This lager is brewed by Grolsch Bierbrouweij N.V. in the Netherlands.  It pours a transparent straw gold with a thin white head that dissipates quickly leaving only trace lacing.  Like many Euro lagers, the nose of the Grolsch is slightly metallic, grainy, and grassy. Similar to a Munich Helles, this pale Euro lager uses noble family hops giving it moderate bitterness.  It has a solid malt body and slightly sweet notes from an all-malt base.  The body feels slightly oily and coats the mouth with the thinner flavor.  The Grolsch finish clean and dry.  An easy drinking beer, the Grolsch Premium Lager is great for the pop element of "Cut."  Prost!