A Cautionary Tale 

With the World Cup taking place across North America this summer,  it has been interesting to see and hear  the many stories of the world coming together to watch one specific tournament. Some of my favorites include: the Algerian National Team and their fans being welcomed to Lawrence Kansas,  the fans of the Asian teams partying in Mexico, and the very dignified departure of the Iranian National Team after their untimely knock out. My least favorites were: Cape Verde’s stunning loss to Argentina ( though keeper Vozinha’s world class performance is one for the history books), the US’s own Balogun-gate, and the recently surfaced allegations of racist behavior by some of the Argentinian national team’s fans.

While the tournament did not pan out as I had thought or hoped (does it ever?), I still cherish the highlights. These beers are a toast to those memories, existing as a missed wager* on  the  England vs. France final I wanted to see. (A matchup ended up as the widely entertaining 3rd place game instead.)  However, these beers are good enough to help one forget any lost opportunities. Ridgeway’s Bad King John is a deliciously bitter and confoundingly light porter, while the Mont des Cats Ambree is a delectable heavier beer suited for meals.

Cheers, 

Daniel Ruppert

Beer Buyer

*(According to the New York Times, June 2025 saw around $2 billion being wagered across prediction markets, while June 2026 featured close to $50 billion dollars being traded. I have never bet money on sports, and don't necessarily encourage anyone else  to do so,  but after the group stages  without wagering  a penny,  I totally hopped on the England & France final band wagon.)