A Beer With Taste That Refreshes While Cleaning The Pond

How Two Henry’s Brewing Co Gilded Age Golden Lager Helped Us Clear Duckweed From Our Pond

These are the three cans that helped Patricia, Aunt Maria and I continue our work in the pond cleaning out the Duckweed. 

Two Henry's Gilded Age Golden Lager
on log overlooking a cleaner pond

Let me tell you a little about the pond before talking about the beer.  Our Pond is almost half an acre in size and is shared with our neighbors.  We have about two thirds of the pond on our property, they have one third.

When we bought our house last August we weren’t exactly sure how big the pond was or whether there were any fish or turtles living there.  It was completely covered by grasses growing 2 feet tall with an occasional young tree or shrub amongst the grass. 

To cut a long story short, our extended family came to visit for the Christmas holidays and they went to work clearing our side of the pond.  Our neighbors worked on their side during March and April this year so now we have a clear body of water that attracts the occasional duck family for a visit, has a few fish swimming around and looks great, especially when the wind blows gently and ripples the surface.

Unfortunately, we have not yet introduced grass carp into the pond so we have a continual battle with duckweed, the green floating weed with leaves less than a quarter inch across that seems to multiply exponentially every time we turn our back.  Since we are against using chemicals to control the weed, it seems the only way we can keep it at bay is to wade in the pond wearing fisherman’s waders while wielding a pond cleaning net to scoop the weed from the pond surface.  We then drop the scooped out weed into a large plastic box before moving it to the compost heap.

If we procrastinate and let the weed procreate for more than a week, then the operation turns into a major time consuming affair.  This is what happened this time.  The mats of weed floating on the surface were very large.  Undaunted, we waded in and each of us developed our own rhythm scooping full nets of weed into the bins.  Two hours later aching backs and elbows and shoulders dictated a break so we climbed out of the pond and sat ourselves down for a few minutes rest out of the sun.

This is where the beer came in.  It revived our flagging spirits and gave us sustenance and the will to continue our endeavor.  We sat on upturned logs similar to the one the empty cans are stacked on and drank the cold beer straight from the can.  It was delicious. Cool, refreshing and tasty.  Enough body to make the taste interesting, yet smooth and crisp through the mouth.  Exactly what the doctor ordered. (An English expression which means it was perfect for the occasion)

The can has the following description: “Named for the era where tycoons like the Two Henrys came into tremendous wealth … and most others suffered in dreadful poverty. This Helles Lager boasts a clear golden color.  Smooth and crisp with a slightly present spicy hop aroma and flavor.  We think this is the beer most like what the Henrys would’ve enjoyed at the turn of the century in Florida … you know, before air conditioning.”

And who am I to disagree with that description.  I enjoyed the beer very much and will be drinking it again.

Cheers.