A long, long time ago, a group of hungry travelers entered a village with nothing but a large kettle.

They filled their cooking kettle with water from a stream and put a large stone in the pot. While they were building a fire, a curious villager came by and asked what they were doing. They replied, “We are making stone soup. When it is ready, we are more than happy to share some with you. Adding a garnish would improve the flavor if you happen to have anything.”

The village replied, “I might have something.” and soon returned with 3 carrots.

Another villager stopped by and again learned about the stone soup. Again, the travelers offered to share but thought a little seasoning would make their soup more enjoyable. This time a little salt and pepper were added to the pot.

More villagers came and went, each adding another ingredient. Soon the stone soup was ready, resulting in a hearty, aromatic stew full of potatoes, onions, meats, and spices; all odds and ends from the villagers’ pantries.

The villagers and travelers gathered together, sharing in the feast, marveling at how delicious stone soup could be. It was an afternoon of fellowship, new friends, and sustenance; an afternoon to remember.

This European folk story, as I remember it from my early childhood, was always a favorite of mine. Little did I know, I would orchestrate my own version of stone soup.

Columbia Stone Soup

Pierce announced through the Pint Night GroupMe chat his latest homebrew – May The Schwarz Bier With You, a Black Lager whose name is inspired by the Mel Brook’s movie, Space Balls.

On a whim, I posted to the group, suggesting we have an outdoor movie night, where we could watch Space Balls and sample some of Pierce’s beer. I offered to hang a sheet in my backyard but we needed a projector.

Everyone seemed to pitch in. Angela offered a projector, Z had Space Balls on his Plex account, Laura had a soundbar, Pierce brought his Schwarz Bier in a homemade cooler keg, DBear brought some freshly made Backyard Stinker (a delicious west coast IPA homebrew) made with his backyard hops and Howard County malt, and Jim even brought a professional screen.

Everyone brought their own chairs and glasses. We socially distanced, sampled a few beers and at 8:00, it was dark enough to watch the ridiculously funny Space Balls movie. Whenever we heard “may the Schwartz be with you” during the movie, we would all drink a sample of the roasty, sweet and easy drinking May The Schwarz Bier With You.

It was a perfect night, just what we all needed during these isolating times. I felt like the hungry stone soup travelers offering nothing but my backyard and receiving friendship, delicious beer, and a classic movie.

Cheers!

Warren