Beer and Oreos and Crosswords

Decade | Quotes | Names | Metaphors | Themes & Clues | Flavors | Drinking

Origin Dates to Same Decade

• Apr 7: Beer Day 18th Amendment (Prohibition): 1919; Time.com;
  "I think this would be a good time for a beer." ~FDR;
  Cullen-Harrison Act enacted, 4/7/1933; 21st Amendment ratified, 12/1933
• Dec 21: Crossword Puzzle Day 1913:
  Wynne's "FUN Word-Cross" appears in New York World
• Mar 6: Oreo Day 1912 (actual ® filing was on 3/12/2012);
  OREO common in crosswords; beers that pair with or contain Oreos
• A few interesting beer sites/info
• Beerology exhibit at San Diego Museum of Man
• 17 Words That Have to Be in The Dictionary of a Beer Lover, e.g., Zythophile or Cerevisaphile
• 10 Things You Might Not Know About Beer as compiled by Mark Jacob of the Chicago Tribune

Dave Barry Quotes About Each

• "Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is... beer.
  Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention,
  but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."
  ~"The Greatest Invention in the History of Mankind Is Beer
  -- And Other Manly Insights from Dave Barry"
• "[If your job title is] 'long-range planner' or 'lieutenant governor,'
  you are... pretty much free to lounge around and do
  crossword puzzles until retirement." ~Dave Barry; How to Attend a Meeting
• "The New York Times reports that Chinese hackers broke into
  its computer system,... a security breach resulting in
  what observers describe as 'the hardest crossword puzzle ever.'"
  ~Dave Barry’s Year in Review: 2013 was a zombie of a year
• "Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned,...
  there is no need to involve your brain." ~Dave Barry (ok, not directly about Oreos...)

Crossword Inspiration for Beer Names, Packaging, Swag

• Portland Brewing Zigzag Lager
• Stack Brewing: Crossword Ale
• Other types of puzzles, e.g., jigsaws (e.g., 'Keep Calm and Drink Beer', earlier), wordsearch, ...

Metaphors

• "I think of the indie [crossword] world like we're all craft beer brewers.
  The Times is a Budweiser lager; the indies are small-batch saisons and IPAs."
  ~Brendan Emmett Quigley, a professional puzzle constructor;
  Indie Crossword Puzzlers Are Shaking Up A Very Square World
• Black & White: dark beer (e.g., porter, stout), white ale (e.g., weissbier, wheat); crosswords; OREO

Beer Themes & Clues in Crosswords

• In addition to crossword clues/answers, e.g., ale, IPA, pub; names of beers & brands,
  there are entire beer-themed crosswords -- a few of Steve's:
• Hoppy Grand Opening for Single Hill Brewing
• Peak Brewing
• A TrIPArtite Brew
• Tour de Fat 2010: 2-person crossword costume featuring New Belgium beers for bicycle parade [on right]
• Misc. clues with BEER as the answer:...
  Drink that's the subject of several rules in the Code of Hammurabi [NYT 2015]
  Beverage mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh [ChronHighEd 2005]
  'You can't be a real country unless you have a ___ and an airline': Frank Zappa [ChronHighEd 2010]
  Secretary of ___ (cabinet position that a 2007 Chicago Tribune article stated that
  President Madison tried to create in 1809) [CSy 2014]
  One shouldn't have a big head [NYT 2013]
  It should have a head and a good body [NYT 2007]
  It has a head but no shoulders [NYT 2001]
  It may have a head but not a tail [NYT 1994]
  Flower in some gardens? [NYS 2002]
  It's stingo, in British lingo [NYT 1996]
  "Beauty is in the eye of the ___ holder": Kinky Friedman [NYT 2013]
  "All right, brain, I don't like you and you don't like me - so let's just do this and
  I'll get back to killing you with ___": Homer Simpson [Taus; 2010]
  "The Mauve Decade" author [NY? 1985]
  Gambrinus's invention [NY? 1981]
  "A History of the World in Six Glasses" drink [? 2010]
  Pitcher of hoppiness? [? 2012]
• Beer-themed crosswords and fun clues (click '=' to reveal clue answers):
• Alberta Daily Beer: Christmas 2015
• Baying Hounds Aleworks: Beer Crossword I; Beer Over the Pond; Random Beer Stuff
• Brewers Association: Beer Server Training for Brewpubs: puzzle, solution
• Crossword Nation: 10/17/2017; Oktober Jest:
  17A: Feeling that you've already knocked back a beer?= DEJABREWSKI
  29A: Greeting at the AOL Bar & Grill?= YOUVEGOTALE
  45A: Beer on a news magazine’s cover?= STOUTOFTIME
  60A: Joni Mitchell song dedicated to two-fisted beer drinkers?= BOTHSUDSNOW
• ExPat's Pints: 1. Craft Beer; 2. Ohio Craft Beer;
  3. San Diego Craft Beer; 4. Columbus Ale Trail
• The Growler Magazine
• LA Times: 11/16/2017:
  18A: News provider in front of a camera= TVREPORTER
  24A: 1993-2002 Ford-Nissan minivan= MERCURYVILLAGER
  40A: Banish= CASTOUT
  51A: Many a Poe work= HAIRRAISINGTALE
  60A: Half a boilermaker ... and what's aptly hidden in 18-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across=
  BEERCHASER -- theme: beer type embedded at end of a phrase
• Lamplighter Brewing by Ross Trudeau; WordPlay: brown ale with single origin honey
• Mariestads Beer
• Marnell Beer: Introducing The World's First Craft Beer Crossword Puzzle Book
• Minnesota: Land of 10,000 Beers
• MyCrosswordMaker: Beer
• NYT: Wed, 11/16/2011:
  17A: Common result of a lane closing= BOTTLENECK
  39A: Large, fun quantity, in a saying= BARRELOFMONKEYS
  23A: Outdoor affair= GARDENPARTY
  48A: Performer with sinuous moves= BELLYDANCER
  62A: Shot follower, often ... and a hint to the starts of 17-, 23-, 39- and 48-Across=
  BEERCHASER --theme: 1st word in orig. phrase follows BEER
  in 2nd phrase, e.g., BEER BOTTLE
• NYT: Sun, 4/8/2018; e.g., spoonerism clue:
  30A: "Tagline in an ad for Elmer's Glue-Ale"= THESTUCKHOPSBEER (The Buck Stops Here)
• NYT: Tue, 8/7/2018:
  16A: Union representative= SHOPSTEWARD
  23A: Louisiana Purchase region from 1838 to 1846= IOWATERRITORY
  47A: Job at a circus= ANIMALTRAINER
  59A: Spring greeting= HAPPYEASTER
  37A: What's found hidden inside 16-,23-, 47- and 59-Across= BEERINGREDIENTS
• NYT: Fri, 11/30/2018: 13A: Modern phrase said before doing something foolish= HOLDMYBEER
• NYT: Sun, 12/2/2018: 86A: Creator of a draft= BREWER
• NYT: Tue, 2/16/2021: BEERME
• Brendan Emmett Quigley: 5/13/2009; P.B.R. ME A.S.A.P. (.puz,.pdf):
  17A: 'You break it, you buy it' foreign policy= POTTERYBARNRULE
  35A: Distance from which it's hard to miss= POINTBLANKRANGE
  54A: Device with presets= PUSHBUTTONRADIO
  theme= 3-word phrases with initials of a favorite beer
• Quigley: 4/22/2010; Three Beers: puzzle, solution:
  17A: Entrée fish= WHITESEABASS
  28A: Stop something at an early stage= NIPITINTHEBUD
  39A: Death of a Salesman playwright= ARTHURMILLER
• Quigley: Crosswords to Solve Over a Beer; Drunk Crosswords;
  craft beer - cruciverbalism metaphor (above)
• Merl Reagle: Sun, 6/6/2021; Wordtopia:
  82D. "What I like about beer is you basically drink it and order more.
  You don't ___" (Dave Barry)= SNIFFATIT
• Merl Reagle: 3/4/2018; Oktoberfest:
  19A: Valley girl's reaction to her first beer?= GROLSCHMEOUT
  23A: The ___ (bending the elbow?)= HEINEKENMANEUVER
  39A: Beer-lover's dinner?= THREECOORSMEAL
  50A: Beery attorney?= PERRYMOLSON
  63A: What Rip Taylor says even when he's on the wagon?= AMSTELCRAZY
  66A&71A: Beer drinker's bio?= REMEMBRANCEOFTHINGSPABST
  89A: Bit of grade-B entertainment for beer drinkers?= MILLERDRAMA
  96A: Smarter about beer?= OLDERBUDWEISER
  116A: One-beer bars?= CARLSBERGTAVERNS
  124A: Getting romantic in a bar?= HOLDINGHAMMS
• Merl Reagle: Sun, 9/2/2018: A Nut at the Opera;
  88A: The beer I always ask for at the opera?= TANNHAUSERBUSCH
• Syracuse Beer Fest 2015
• Universal: Hops to It .puz; 10/16/2020
• Some Oreo-related clues / puzzles

Beer Flavor from/Pairing with Crosswords: OREO?

• With Pastry Beers, Have Your Cake and Drink It, Too
  as breweries move beyond challenging flavors, they’re taking inspiration
  from desserts, snacks and candies; NYT; 1/14/2021
• Oreo Speedwagon, Drugstore Cowboy and more:
  Stories behind 6 fantastic Iowa beer names REO pun (no Oreos); 3/5/2018
• You've Got to See This Oreo Beer Being Served at the Texas State Fair
  Barrera; 10/17/2017
• Love cookies? The Veil Brewing Hornswoggler,
  aged on Oreos debuts this week 1/23/2017
• Doesn't Matter How You Brew It -- You Must Try Oreo Beer
  there are a number of ways to get that Oreo flavor into your homebrew,
  but each method comes with its own set of challenges.
  Homebrewer Libby Murphy walks you through the ins and outs of the ingredients; 2/2017
• Reese's Oreo Chocolate Beer Bars Chocolate Beer Bars are stuffed
  with Reese's Oreos and topped with a flavorful beer icing; 4/6/2016
• Beer and cookies your complete pairing guide to craft brews and specialty Oreo flavors; 8/5/2015
• Wine's Favorite Cookie: Oreo & Booze Pairings 6/19/2015
• Oreo Cookie Stout Colorado+ Brew Pub; 4/22/2015
• Beer-Battered Desserts at the Craftsman Ale House
  Yes, these are beer-battered, deep-fried Twinkies and Oreos.
  And yes, you can find them locally. But are they worth the calories? 11/2014
• Oreo beer? Yep, and 12 other variations on Blue Pants Brewery's Pinstripe stout
  at Madison beer maker's Pinstripe Fest 10/28/2014

Drinking Beer While Solving Crosswords

• crosswordmug.com -- paraphrasing their 'cup of coffee' slogan:
  "Don't Just Do the Puzzle OVER a Mug of Beer -- Do It ON Your Mug of Beer"
• Drunk Crosswords: "If you’re like us, you like a good challenge after downing a few.
  This crossword book is filled with puns on cocktails, themes inspired by
  drinking games, tipsy-looking grids, and more"
• Family Poses Dead Mother With Beer, Cigarettes
  and Crossword Puzzles at Memorial
• Oki: WERD GNERD #3 / NYT CROSSWORD for 8/27/2016 video; Beer Doesn't Help
• Cheers to the Crossword video