Cheers!

I love beer. There's just no way around it.

I never drank before I was 21, but a few months after I turned 21, I had a beer (a Natty Light? Maybe a Coors Light?) at Schroeder's in Rome, GA. Is there any way else to have your first beer besides one accompanied by giant baked pretzels?

I remember having less than half the drink and then asking my roomie, Leigh, to finish the bubbly refreshment. I couldn't handle it. I remember telling her that my toes were numb.

Since then, I would like to think that my tastes have refined a bit, choosing more flavorful varieties than a Coors Light. I now choose a beer based on its color, taste, origin, and brewery. I don't drink for volume or effect; I drink a beer for sheer taste and enjoyment. If I had more time and money, I might like to ascend to title of Beer Connoisseur.

Tonight, I visited Nashville's Flying Saucer for the first time. I was recommended to me by my friend Mitch (who knows more about the NFL and tells the funniest stories at lunch), and his recommendation did not disappoint. I tried three new beers-- a Nut Brown Ale from the local Blackstone Brewery, a Left Hand porter brewed in central Colorado, and a Scrimshaw Pilsner from Fort Bragg, CA. All delicious. And, though it's no Schroeder's, the pretzels are still tantalizingly good.

So, thank you, Mitch, for the thoughtful recommendation, and for all you Nashville travelers, visit the Flying Saucer next to the Frist Museum downtown. I promise it will not disappoint. And though the Saucer may not have the memories of a first Coors Light at 21, the pretzels are to die for.