This is my contribution to The Session #58, hosted by Phil Hardy at Beersay: A Christmas Carol. Visit his site for more posts.
If you were going to buy Scrooge a beer for the holidays, realizing full well he wouldn’t be getting the next round, which one would you choose?
This is easier to think about when you can put a face to Scrooge, or the face of one of the many actors who have played him on film. Plenty of contrasting choices — for instance George C. Scott (Patton) or Bill Murray (Stripes)? Jim Carrey, Kelsey Grammer, Tim Curry (well, his voice), Reginald Owen, the list goes on.
I’m partial to Alistair Sim from the 1951 film Scrooge (and later in the voice in an animated TV version of A Christmas Carol). Who wouldn’t want to buy a beer for a “sad-faced actor, with the voice of a fastidious ghoul?”
And what beer?
Ebeneezer from BridgePort Brewing in Portland, of course. Pour it in a snifter and put another log on the fire.
Which Scrooge would you pick? And which beer?
great take on the theme!
I think Old Peculier would work well for both the before and after aspects of Scrooge’s character — the name for the before part, and the wonderful rich, warming, dark fruit and sherry aspects suggesting winter holidays for the after part.
I’m really glad OP is back in the States, and a bit bummed it’s not in Illinois yet!
Pre-ghosts, he’d drink whatever was on offer, especially anything past its sell-by-date. After the visitations, he’d send a passing boy out to get a crate of Imperial Stout.
Sim is the best Scrooge by a country mile, but I’ve got a soft-spot for Bill Murray’s performance in Scrooged. “VCR; towel; towel; VCR,” etc.
Was going to suggest Bill Murray. And SN Torpedo, ice cold, from the bottle.
Great take on the theme. Well done.
Billy Murray in Scrooged – Sam Adams Utopias
Bill Murray (not to be a copycat). Old Style. At Wrigley Field. I bet they’d let Murray in this time of year, and then we’d go to the nearby Goose Island brewpub.
Sim is the classic, but I also really liked Patrick Stewart. As far as buying old Ebeneezer a beer, I’m sure he’d take anything—as long as I paid for it!
Billy murray, again. And silver city’s old scrooge barely wine (the more aged, the better)
Whoops — my Scrooge would be Albert Finney, in a musical version that nonetheless scared the bejeezus out of me when I was a kid.
My favorite was always Reginald Owen in ’38, though I loved the sets filmed in the George C. Scott version — and Edward Woodward at the Ghost of Christmas Present is classic.
As to a beer that fits the mood, I’d have to “tap” Ron Pattinson’s research to see what was the favorite of the time of the original story — something supped liberally at the Cheshire Cheese, no doubt. Candle light giving off a vintage glow with coal smoke thickening the London fog! Perfect for a robust porter or a winter warmer.
Nice work on the subject, glad it stirred a few ideas. My Scrooge would be Alistair Sim, he had a really ghoulishness about his portrayal although it was already old when I was a child. I reckon I’d buy him something dark and brooding, perhaps a Rochefort 10 served in a wooden chalice..
Cheers for the post Phil
Hi Stan
Here’s a link to last months round up of Decembers which I hosted over in my blog Beersay. Thanks again for posting.
Session #58 A Christmas Carol – Final round up http://wp.me/p1mN8x-O7
It would be great if you could add me to your blogroll and twitter followers
Cheers
Phil
@filrd
beersay.wordpress.com