On Sundays Bloody Sundays and car bombs

How about a little history with that beer?

A couple of months back I was emailing a cousin about the St. Vrain Chain Gang Radler, an ale made here in Longmont and named for a cycling group that the brewer sponsors. (I’ve seen radler translated as cyclist, pedal pushers and shandy but it usually brings to my mind the English phrase, “No, thanks.”)

Something else on the brewer’s tap menu caught my eye. A concoction called Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Instantly, the U2 song by that name started up in my head. Being of Irish descent, my first thought was of the Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland in 1972. There are other Bloody Sundays, so named for obvious reasons.

On the 300 Suns Facebook page, I asked about the decision to use the name and had a polite exchange with whoever it was that responded. Word was that they had considered the history and ultimately decided to use the name as a nod to the pop-culture nature of the song, not the Bogside Massacre. No offense intended, none taken, and I complimented the chef on the fabulous grilled cheese I’d had recently.

I did say I would be no more likely to order a Sunday Bloody Sunday when I wanted to enjoy a craft beer than I would be to order an Irish Car Bomb under any circumstances.

The post that I began drafting that day sat unfinished until just now. Some things are best left to simmer for a while. When I checked this afternoon, the Sunday Bloody Sunday was still there. Sad.