Beer Club
Tommy Tetuski Memorial Beer Drinking Club
Edition 125
It was one of those Saturdays in January when we first encountered Tommy Tetuski. You know the kind zero visibility, wind chill of sixty below, the plows aren't moving today. Well, a few of us got brave, bored probably, stupid, whatever, and four-wheeled over to the "Big T" Ray's an all right guy. We knew he'd open up. Hell, he lives there.
We're all feeling pretty good - schnapps, shots, beer chasers - when the light in the place gets a little dim. We turn around and there, standing outside the door, blocking the light, was what could only be described as a Kodiak bear in a seaman's pea-jacket. Big? Try 6 ft. 7 in., 280 lb. no-fat-allowed big. What's a seaman that big doing in Lawton, Michigan, in a January storm? Well, the door swings open and in he walks, "You Open?" "Sure are.” "Got a beer?" "Sure do.” And this is where the story begins:
As this big Polish-American began putting down 10 oz. drafts like most of us do shoot glasses, friends, we knew we were in the presence of greatness. He told us his name was Tommy Tetuski he’d been in a war, and worked the mills in Gary, but loved the sea. At once we besieged him with questions. "What about the women?" "Tell me about the brawls" "Adventure?" He reached into his coat, pulled out a dirty thumbworn note pad, and began to talk about beer. Beer? Now when a 6 ft. 7 in., 280 lb., all muscles seaman decides the subject of discussion, we weren't about to ask to change it.
A connoisseur, a purist, a man dedicated to a cause: That was and is Tommy Tetuski. A man dedicated to tasting and recording the quality of every beer in the world. We were spellbound.
He was the Marco Polo of Barley and Hops, and for a brief afternoon, all of us, - most of whom had never been out of the Tri-State area, - felt like world travelers through his stories of beer. After spinning his yarns, and drinking close to a pony keg by himself, he said, "Got to go - family waiting in Chi town - ship out of Jersey in 10 days" and out the door he went. What an experience! Beats the hell out of most travel logs. We realized only after he was gone that his notepad was still on the bar. Ray picked it up and then and there he founded THE TOMMYTETUSKI MEMORIAL BEER DRINKING CLUB. We all hope that as you tour the world from your bar stool, that a glimmer, a part of the feeling felt by each and every one of us present on that Saturday in January will be enjoyed by all. It's all true, ask Ray. Ask me. We were there.
Membership Fee $1.00
No time limit involved.
Tommy never split a beer so neither can you.
After completing the Grueling Course, you are entitled to an exclusive TOMMYTETUSKI MEMORIAL BEER DRINKING CLUB uniform, which includes a shirt, mug, and hat. Your name will be engraved forever on the Wall of Foam as a Grand Master of Beer Steinery