PBR: beer snob no more

Yes, I realize it is "wine wednesday" and this is NOT a wine...but...

...in the spirit of my Montana mountain adventure, I am going to take the time to plug the beer that has gone from the epitome of college cheap party brew, to the beer that is served at every bar that is any bar.

PBR.

Yes, Pabst Blue Ribbon, the redneck staple, the buy-it-'cause-you're-broke college party necessity, is now chic.

In the past year I started noticing that more and more bars [not dive bars] were serving PBR. My husband all of a sudden was asking for it wherever we went, and lo and behold, every bar had it.

I would stare in wild-eyed awe as he grinned and sipped his ice-cold PBR. I mean, didn't we grow up and get jobs so we didn't have to drink cheap beer anymore? I was a beer snob.

Then recently, while dining at a trendy sushi bar in Big Fork, MT, my husband, brother and I scanned the beer list.

Kirin...Sapporro...trendy local beer...PBR...?!?!?

Yes, for only $1 you could have an ice cold blast back into your past -- served, of course, in a can. After finishing my Sapporo, I couldn't resist. "I'll have one of those," I told our server, pointing to the can in front of my husband, not even able to mutter the initials PBR. He slung the red, white and blue can down in front of me and I popped the top shyly and took a gulp.

Delicious. Crisp. Refreshing. Surprisingly flavorful...and one heck of a deal!

So as we dined on amazing sushi, sake, and edamame, we also sipped our $1 PBR.

Pinkies in the air.