Of Pedals and Pubs

Each June we host a cycling camp in Richland Center, Wisconsin. Located about an hour west of Madison ("100 square miles surrounded by reality"), the hills and hamlets make for delightful cycling.

It's amazing the differences in subcultures across the US. In Wisconsin the European influence is profound. The majority religions are Roman Catholic and Lutheran (especially among the many Scandinavian peoples).

For these people, the consumption of alcohol is a non-issue. In West Texas, it is a very contentious issue. Just try to open a restaurant in Canyon that sells alcohol. Good luck!

One thing I find very interesting (as well as charming, in a strange kind of way) in Wisconsin is that nearly every little town (and I mean little) has at least one tavern...and often not even a convenience store. These taverns are places where you can get a beer or stronger drink, as well as a meal. They are gathering places.

One day last June on one of our rides we stopped in Yuba WI, population 77, and the smallest incorporated city in the state of Wisconsin. It has three taverns and one feed store. Guess which we selected for slaking our thirst? (What a ratio! One tavern for every 25.67 people!)

So, we sat our tired bottoms on the bar stools, ordered a round of Cokes as well as Leinenkugel Beers, and sat there watching the Cubbies demolish the Red Sox on TV.

And it was a very cool experience.

There was a "gang" of old folks across the room at a table, drinking beers and coffees, playing cards, and engaging in conversation.

There was another man sitting by himself at the bar, watching the ballgame. And there was our group of 5.

Last year I sat in the same tavern with my friends and watched Ronald Reagan's funeral on TV with several locals. I consider it a "Wisconsin Moment" worth remembering.

That day we went through other small villages...Steuben (population 177), with two taverns, and Mt. Zion (for the likes of me, I couldn't even find a house, but there was a tavern). We stopped at both places and engaged in chit-chat with the locals, cooling off with Cokes and Leinies.

Having grown up in Chicago, I was around taverns all the time. They were just another place of business. In parts of the deep south (including West Texas), people see a tavern and think sin.

I think community.

No, I would never advocate excessive consumption. But I see nothing wrong with responsible consumption.

And I love the idea of deepening our community roots and connecting with people. We could use a lot more of that. Furthermore, many of our religious figures throughout history were connoisseurs of various alcoholic beverages, and they never bore shame for it (Luther, Calvin, etc.)

I guess you could say that the whole alcohol issue has been one of wonderment and frustration for me ever since we moved to Canyon in 1989. I just cannot figure out what the big deal is. It's a sub-culture value system that I may never understand.

Furthermore, the whole religious issue of drinking only became an "issue" in the last 150 years. Before then, it was never a big deal as long as one avoided drunkenness. It is an invention of American churches in the last 150 years.

It's time we removed the speck from our eyes. After all, Jesus' first miracle was to turn some water into over 100 gallons of wine at a wedding feast in Cana. I don't recall reading about him being concerned. In fact, as the master of the banquet commented, it was the best wine served all night. He told the bridegroom, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

If I didn't know better, I'd say that wedding was held somewhere in Wisconsin.

Dr "I'll Have Another" Gerlich