A New Champion is Born on the Fourth of July!

Is there anything more quintessentially American than the Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest held on Coney Island every 4th of July? We submit that there is not. Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi staged an historic battle, shattering first the Nathan's record and then blowing by Chestnut's former world mark of 59 1/2 dogs. In the end, Joey Chestnut provided, as the ESPN announcers so truthily stated, "the greatest moment in American sports history" by besting the legendary Kobayishi, 66 dogs to 63, in twelve incredibly intense and entertaining minutes. There is nothing quite like the spectacle of myriad hot dogs being consumed at a seemingly inhuman pace in high definition to make one appreciate the greatness country they live in. Kobayashi's near disqualifying "reversal of fortune" at contest's end only added to the drama and made for some must see TV. We enjoyed a Victory Prima Pils, a crisp and very drinkable pilsner with more of a hop bite than most, while taking in the competition. Did you know July 4th is the biggest beer drinking day in the United States? It's tough when the holiday falls in the middle of the week, but we may manage to sample a couple more Victory's before the day is through. Later, despite the rain, we plan on firing up the grill and having a few Nathan's dogs of our own. For a good read on some fine American beers you should try, check out Peter Gianotti's story Red, White and Brewed here. Yeah, the Prima Pils gets a mention - see how neatly we tie things together? Happy Independence Day, America!