24 days to 30: arbor mist

In college, most girls I know bought alcohol that generally fell into one of two categories:

• The cheap stuff we bought to get drunk; and
• The cheap stuff we bought to feel fancy.

Arbor Mist fell into that latter category. You didn't know anything about wine, but you wanted wine to go with Sunday dinner. So you'd wander aimlessly around the wine section searching for something that was cheap yet recognizable, and you came across a bottle that was only $4.50...and ooh! Strawberry flavor!

I enjoyed many a Sunday dinner of with spaghetti and Prego washed down with a nice vintage of Arbor Mist poured into C.I. cups . Not exactly the pairing made in foodie heaven, but it didn't really matter when you and your roommates were dining on the only meal of the week that wasn't cooked in the microwave.

Confession: I was borderline embarrassed to make today's purchase. I considered going to an out-of-the-way store that I could make a point not to frequent again. I thought about the old trick you saw on early 90s sitcoms like Blossom where they'd buy a bunch of random stuff at the drugstore with the hopes of the cashier not noticing the tampons and cigarettes.

But in the end, I just manned up, held my head high, and pulled the trigger. YES, 19-year-old-kid ringing me up, I WILL be enjoying some Arbor Mist Blackberry Merlot this evening, what say you?

When I got home, I opened the bottle and rooted around the cupboard, deciding which drinking vessel to use. A wine glass seemed too fancy, but a tumbler seemed insulting.

While I puzzled, the hubby took a huge swig straight out of the bottle. That kinda summed the whole thing up.