Article

2005-07-19 Arabia

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Posted by Steve 2005-07-19 10:04|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 And I thought ALK was another abbreviation for Al Qaida and the Saudis had caught some folks trying to sneak into Iraq. How naive!

Posted by Bobby 2005-07-19 12:15|| 2005-07-19 12:15|| Front Page Top

#2 Are folks here aware that most of the alcohol served in SaoodiLand is actually homebrew "Everclear" stepped down to the appropriate alcohol percentages? There are labs somewhere that produce "flavor" products to (supposedly) make it taste like commercial products. Whiskey / bourbon is just called "brown" in most "clubs" - covert bars within housing compounds - sporting names like "Cheers" and "Manhattan". The flavors include Johnny Walker Red and Black, etc. Flavor stuff that actually does taste good is as rare as hen's teeth. I once tried a brew that was supposed to be Bailey's Irish Cream - and almost gagged, lol. Once was enough.

To get a real bottle of real commercial liquor is pretty heady and unusual. Talk about keeping the "good stuff" in the back room, lol, that's surely what would've happened with this (apparent) commercial hooch. The funny thing to me is that this was, if legit Western booze, probably destined for some Saudi venue, such as the compound that was attacked in Riyadh - not for the Westerners, who make do with the "flavored" homebrew.

Oh, and the beer? Fuhgeddaboutit. Camel piss. Hadta be - mainly cuz I can't believe anyone would make that crap on purpose.

[insert funny stories here - such as Anzac Day - all booze, every drop, in every club in every compound, gone by noon, every year. Drunk Ozzies literally littering the ground in the compounds near the clubs. Have to steer around them in the streets. Looked like the morning after in the movie Night of the Comet, lol]

BTW, alcohol in SA is called "sid" - short for siddiqi - Arabic for friend. I'd like the title to say Sid Runners Seized... Lol!

Posted by .com 2005-07-19 12:40|| 2005-07-19 12:40|| Front Page Top

#3 What does Kennedy have to say about this. I mean, like Rum Running was the family jewels...

Posted by 3dc 2005-07-19 15:09|| 2005-07-19 15:09|| Front Page Top

#4 To get a real bottle of real commercial liquor is pretty heady and unusual.

LOl! You aren't kidding. We got hold of a bottle of Glenlivet from someone in the U.S. government community while we were at RSN base in Jubail. The story of how it got in-country was something out of a Forsyth novel. I also won't mention how we got it on base and aboard ship...

It was fun standing on the forecastle, drinking 'coffee' and waving at the muttawas at the base of the pier.

Posted by Pappy 2005-07-19 16:16|| 2005-07-19 16:16|| Front Page Top

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