And the games continue ...

Bradley's on summer vacation so our new intern, Nola Solomon, from New York is filling in. She's an even bigger soccer fan than Bradley, so count on her posts to be action-packed and beer-filled. Enjoy!
- Vicki

Everyone is still talking about the ball British keeper, Robert Green, let slip through his fingers into the net for the memorable USA – England tie. Even more unbelievable was the surge of Americans who showed up at bars all over Manhattan to watch the game and, well, get drunk.

I set out on Saturday morning to my usual World Cup dig, Nevada Smiths, a bar in the lower east side that boasts cheap beers and a great atmosphere, but was unable to enter due to a line wrapping around the block. I ended up standing amidst a raucous crowd of all ages at Texas Western BBQ, an upscale grill restaurant and bar in Union Square, gorging on the house specialty, BBQ spicy chicken wings, and struggling to keep from spilling my Hoegaarden. I watched enviously as a couple lucky enough to get a seat at the bar dug into a steaming cast iron skillet of nachos supreme.

Tension ran high between the horde of Americans and the few Englishmen brave enough to sit at the bar and openly cheer their team. When Clint Dempsey’s turn-around shot petered into the goal, the bar erupted into a showering of beer and screams. Thank goodness the vuvuzelas have not yet made their way into Manhattan!

BIG GAME OF THE WEEK: USA vs. SLOVENIA, Friday, June 18 at 10AM EST!

Bring a taste of the bar scene home with Popcorn BBQ Nachos and Hoegaarden. Go USA!

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

Hump Day with Bradley: Beers that help your 6-pack

I've been moonlighting from FunnySpoon and working on this action flick, The A-Team. It's high energy so that means I've got to be in great shape and cut calories where I can - ridiculous Hollywood rules. But give up beer? No way, not this dude. Here are a few tips I've picked up about low-calorie beers - what's worth the trade off and what's not.
- Bradley

Michelob Ultra.
The original low-carb beer, right? It's still one of my favorites. It's a crisp, clean, light American-style lager. And at 95 calories it's an indulgence that I don't have to worry about. Oh ... it has an alcohol content of 4.1%. Sorta important if you're hoping to dull the pain of the week. Or kick off a bachelor party weekend.

MGD 64.
I'm pretty sure this was Miller's answer to Michelob Ultra - a low(er) calorie beer that's low in carbs. And that it is. Again, it's a light lager that has a little sweet/corn taste. No heavy beer taste. It only has an alcohol content of 2.8% so you could probably toss back a 6-pack of these before you knew it.

Budweiser Select 55.
Not my fave, but not horrible if you're just looking for a beverage with dinner or in a social setting, but not looking to get loaded. It's got 55 calories, obviously, and 2.4% alcohol level. (As a comparison Budweiser Select has 99 calories and 4.3% alcohol level).

Corona Light.
At 109 calories and a 4.5% alcohol content this has to be one of my favorites for a hot summer day at the beach. It's refreshing, got the right amount of calories and booze for my taste and makes me feel like it's really summer. ¡Salud!

There are a few others that are worth checking out:

• Good ole reliable Coors Light - can't really go wrong with the Silver Bullet, can you? About 100 calories and 4.2% alcohol


• Molson Light - a middle of the road beer that's more acceptable to savvy beer drinkers. Less than 85 calories and 2.4% alcohol.


• Amstel Light - One of the best light beers around. It's a Dutch beer so it's OK to drink at swanky events and feel cool. It's about 125 calories and 3.5% alcohol so it'll do you right, but not leave you in a stupor.

Whatever beer, or drink, you choose it's OK to indulge in the high calorie stuff occassionally, but not every day. Drinking the beers above means less running and fewer sit ups. So ... bottoms up!

Hump Day With Bradley: 7-11 Game Day Beer

Hope everyone enjoyed last week's post about beer. Maybe it even inspired some of you to try an orange wedge in your wheat beer.

I figured this week I'd go with the beer theme - I'm still new at this so I'm sticking with what I know. Let me know if you have any other topics you'd like me to write about.
- Bradley

We've all stopped in 7-11 to pick-up some snacks and beer (and maybe a few scratch-off lotto tickets - being an intern doesn't pay the big bucks you know). Maybe a Big Gulp or a Slurpee on a hot day. But did you know 7-11 is about to start selling their own beer? Yup, according to this April article 7-11 will soon be offering Game Day Ice and Game Day Light beers. They're being marketed as a "premium beer at an affordable price".

Has anyone seen it in their store yet? Anyone tried it? Let me know when it becomes available - I'm pretty sure I can convince the girls I need the afternoon off to test it out ...

Hump Day With Bradley: Is it cool to put fruit in your beer?

After an intense intern orientation (I've never met two girls who like foot rubs as much as Carrie and Vicki), I'm ready to start my new blog series: Hump Day with Bradley. It'll be a weekly dose of manly cooking and entertaining tips. I figured I'd start with beer - specifically, pairing fruit garnishes with the right beer. Enjoy!
- Bradley


As summer approaches, it sure feels nice to crack open an ice cold brew. Warm weather and cold beer were meant to be together, right?

So that got me thinking about beer and fruit. We all faithfully put a lime in our Corona and often get a lemon wedge with our wheat beer. Ever wonder why?

There doesn't seem to be much conclusive evidence out there, but here are some myths:

Limes in Corona

1. It's a marketing ploy by Corona to help it stand out among American beers.


2. The lime keeps out flies, dust, and sand while you're drinking - particularly important since it's often consumed outdoors and/or on the beach.


3. The lime can be used to wipe away the rust left from the bottle cap.

The truth? Beer goes bad pretty quickly when exposed to light and air. Since Corona is in a clear bottle, it used to go bad faster than other beers, so the lime was to help cover the taste. Nowadays, though, the processes have been improved and it's no longer an issue, but it's a fun tradition to hold on to.

Lemons in wheat beer

1. Lemons improve the taste of wheat beer.


2. The lemon juice helps bring down the head on extra fizzy beers.


3. It's the tradition in Germany.

The truth? Most beer afficionados say that the lemon juice adversely affects the flavor and is unnecessary. They also say that it's not actually very common in Germany.

My conclusion? Toss in what tastes good. If you like limes, lemons, or even oranges with your beer - go for it. After all, it's just the refreshing, relaxing taste we're after and everyone has different tastes.