Any American reading this will recognize the reference to a popular combination of stout and pale ale, downed in large quantities in Irish bars across the US. Anyone on the other side of the pond, however, will recognize the nickname of the infamous British militia used against the Irish in the early 1920s to try and suppress the republican revolt that led to independence in 1922.
How the guys who machine-gunned the crowds at Croke Park became a staple of Irish-American pub culture I don’t know, but I have had to warn fellow regulars at my local on several occasions under no circumstances to walk into a bar in Ireland and order a Black and Tan. They tend to file my patient explanations under “quaint local colour” rather than “how not to get my head kicked in”, but they’ve all returned in one piece so far, which is all I ask. After all, some of them owe me money.
Sadly, nobody thought to tell Ben & Jerry’s, perhaps because those insufferably right-on lefties badly need a good kicking. Next time they feel like lecturing the Republicans about foreign policy perhaps they’ll remember this one and keep schtum for a change.
Black and Tan as a drink, by the way, is not bad at all…
Some Black and Tans, yesterday. “Creamy and with a whirl of chocolate”. Yummy!
12 comments:
Next thing you know, the Irish will be taking to the streets demanding that the U.S. government apologize. Isn't that the way these things are handled these days. Now, if you'll excuse me, I shall repair to a local sweet shop styled, "Custard's Last Stand."
Cheers.
jeez. al them yers endurign my granfatter pisin an moaanin abuot teh blackantans opressin im an he niver once mentoind they woare funny hats. but i gues i dont blame im. whod wana admit to beign oppresed by a cartoon scotsman?
They're not the first to step on some people's toes--remember Dairy Queen's Moolatte, and the righteous outrage of the bien-pensant nattering classes?
Your sweet shop should hang its head in shame, Randall - and be quick about it before the Sioux turn up.
Excellent point, 3H. Let's just be glad the Brits used WWI surplus kit for them and didn't just buy a job lot cheap off the Greeks. Add pom-pom slippers into that mix and Irish pride might never have recovered.
And Des, I'd never heard of the Moolatte before, but now I definitely want one.
Stupid name. They were neither black or tanned. Those palefaces could have done with a holiday in the tropics.
Interesting how it's viewed that it's the Left in particular that's made the mistake, for the given value of Left a pair of hippy ice-cream makers represent. (Do they now allow people in Birkenstocks to vote Republican?) Would this error have anything to do with the relative proportions of Irish Americans supporting the Democrats instead of the Republicans?
Worth a look at the statistics, I'd think.
A bit more about the moolatte.
And in this second article a dem displayes his sensitivity towards people who might be offended by the name by whipping out every racial epitaph to be forgotten since the civil war. I, for one, am disgusted that the employees of DQ don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of how to insult black people. Clearly they are racists.
Actually, Aunty M, the phrase 'Birkenstock Burkeans' has already made it into the political vocabulary of these here United States. Watch one realizing with amazement that organic vegetables actually taste better that genetically-modified shit.
Life used to be a damn sight easier.EG I stopped myself in mid phrase telling my husband about a time when a fellow nurse and I fell asleep in the sun and ended up looking like R-d I-----s.
I suppose that is beyond the pale.
Sorry that just sliipped out
BTW : I believe Ben and Jerry are no longer the original hippy owners. I think they sold out.
Not that it has anything to do with anything but my niece used to work for them and gets quarts of free ice cream for the duration.
Red Indians? Never darken my blog again, you foul-mouthed hussy. Unless you still have access to ice cream. All is forgiven for ice cream.
As usual the press gets it wrong, the black and tans were a well known pack of foxhounds before they were oppressors.
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