February 20th, 2026 - Hey Donna, Grab My Pickle for a Second

 

Hello and happy Friday rockers, rollers, and beer fans!  The Meista here today rocking out with Golden Earring's underappreciated and excellent "Grab It For A Second " album and a Donna's Pickle Beer!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Golden Earring
• Title: "Grab It For A Second"
• Recorded: 1978 at DMC Baarn in the Netherlands and the Record Plant in New York City, New York
  Release date: September 22nd, 1978 (13th studio album by Golden Earring)
• Record company: Polydor Records
• Production: Jimmy Iovine
• Album cover art: Barry Hay (art concept), Mick Rock (art direction and photography), Ernst Thormahlen (art design and illustration)
• Personnel: Eelco Gelling (guitar and slide guitar), Rinus Gerritsen (bass and Moog Bison synth bass), Barry Hay (vocals), George Kooymans (guitar, Arp synthesizer guitar, and vocals), and Cesar Zuiderwijk (drums)
• Additional musician: Lani Groves (backing vocals), Jimmy Maelen (percussion), Kevin Nance (keyboards), and John Zangrando (saxophone on "Against the Grain")
• Musical style: Hard rock, rock and roll, power pop with elements of new wave
• Sound: Wonderfully complex, yet straightforward and rocking, "Grab It For A Second" is one of those great unsung rock albums of the late 1970s.  The songwriting is incredibly solid, the band's musicianship is fantastic (as always), and the execution is flawless!  It will get your feet moving and your fists pumping!
• Major themes: Love, lust, desire, isolation, the passage of time, rock and roll, relationships, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Movin' Down Life"
2. "Against The Grain"
3. "Grab It For A Second"
4. "Cell 29"
5. "Roxanne"
6. "Leather"
7. "Temptin'"
8. "U-Turn Time"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Donna's Pickle Beer (contract brewery)
• Website: https://www.donnaspicklebeer.com/
• Brew: Donna's Pickle Beer
• Style: Lager / Pickle Beer
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 4.4%
• Pour: The Donna's Pickle Beer pours a cloudy, golden yellow hue with a bright white, frothy, thin head that slowly dissipates to the thin ring with soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by bold pickle aromas along with more subtle graininess and maltiness.  There are aromas of a freshly opened pickle jar, white vinegar, dill and other pickling spices, freshly sliced cucumbers, light Pilsner malt, freshly cut hay, and black pepper.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Donna's Pickle Beer is very pickled cucumber and pickle spice forward with more subtle graininess.  There are notes of kosher pickles, pickle brine, fresh dill, black and white pepper, and light grains. 
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, well-carbonated, and delightfully refreshing, the mouthfeel is crisp and tart with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The bright, tasty, crushable pickle-forward flavors and aromas of the Donna's Pickle Beer are great for the big and punchy rock and roll prowess of Golden Earring's definitive "Grab It For A Second" album!  Those crushable, straightforward lager notes go great with Hay's powerful vocals, while the pickled bite go great with the licks of the late, great Kooymans's guitar work coupled with the rest of the band's eloquence and style!  'Nuff said! 

Proost!!  Gezondheid!!