When I was a kid, Dad would occasionally splurge on a six pack of Heineken when a European friend or colleague was coming over. I'd smell the sharpness of the beer on him when I crawled into his lap. It was just one of many dad smells.
Despite being close to a half century since, those scents are viscerally stamped onto my amygdala, and this afternoon Dad's Heineken dad small came rushing back to me when I cracked open a bottle of Echigo Koshihikari Rice Lager. The sharp, precise aroma reminded me of the old days out by the pool in the tropical heat. Which is one of the best times/places to enjoy any rice lager.
This particular example, however, sits at the pinnacle of quality for me. Imported from Japan, I first discovered this at Yume Sushi Bar in LA, and it's haunted me ever since. As luck would have it, I found it at a local international market this week for the laughably high price of $8 per 500ml bottle. (It's $5 for the same bottle at finer liquor stores in Los Angeles.) But $8 is a small price to pay for this kind of teleportation. Crisp, clean, slightly sweet, and incredibly drinkable, this is my splurge - even if no one is coming over.
Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!
