The Red Eye
When I was a kid there were three things that were synonymous with summer: hide-and-seek with the neighbor kids where the whole neighborhood was in-bounds; spending every sunny afternoon possible on my parents' faded harvest-gold Thunderbird boat after dad got out of work; and my dad manning the Weber grill like an Adonis in his trucker moustache and cutoff jean shorts with Genny Red Eye or Cream Ale in cans on ice.
My own kids now rule hide-and-seek. I’ve got my eye on a boat. And although I’m the one that now mans the Weber grill, I don't have the cojones to wear my dad’s enviable stache. Or cutoff jean shorts. As far as cans on ice, my leaning is toward the Red Eye. It’s still the locally brewed go-to that goes with anything, and goes down easy. And it’s cheap.
- Matt Smythe: Freelance Writer
Ingredients:
- Classic Genesee Beer.
- White Can.
- Red Eye.
- Since 1878.
Directions:
Stop by your local mom-and-pop shop, grocery store, gas station, or beverage center. Tall-boys, 12-ouncers, glass shorties, long-necks, or pony keg—they cost pennies on the dollar…sky’s the limit. Best stored in a cooler or aluminum tub full of ice on a back porch or deck. A refrigerator in the garage will also do.
To Serve:
Unless you’re tapping a keg (in which case you’d use red Solo cups), forget pint glasses or any other beverage receptacle—Genny is meant to be popped and enjoyed directly from its container of origin. Empties should be prominently displayed on the counter near the sink until the morning after whatever soirée you’re hosting.
This is one in a series of posts about our project, called The Table—a cookbook full of favorite recipes, and the images and stories that go with them, from each member of the Brandtatorship team past and present. From breakfasts to entrées, desserts to cocktails, we’ll be unveiling new recipes to this page throughout the year. If you'd like a cookbook, please contact us. In the meantime, pull up a chair. We’re glad to have you.
Photo credit: Rich Brainerd Studios