Tastemakers: White Castle Slyders - Heineken Premium Light

May 3, 2006

White Castle Slyders

What do you “crave?” Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that while my culinary preferences usually lean towards gourmet offerings I often “crave” White Castle. During my college days, road-tripping from East Lansing to Detroit for White Castle was a regular occurrence. Today, when business calls me downstate I still seek out “The Castle.” In emergency situations I have even ventured to Tilley’s Party Store in Traverse City where they have frozen White Castle burgers. 
White Castle has always been on the cutting edge of culinary creativeness. Since their inception in 1921 as America’s first hamburger fast-food restaurant chain, management has always taken an innovative approach in selling burgers. Wichita, Kansas entrepreneur Edgar Waldo Ingram and chef Walter Anderson partnered to create the now famous burgers known as “Slyders.” The 2004 film “Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle” added to the mini-burgers cult status. The film’s portrayal of the “White Castle culture” would make the founders proud. 
When the government suggested in the 1920s that burgers were not healthy, Ingram paid several young men to dress as doctors and eat White Castle burgers, giving the impression that if doctors were eating them they must be healthy. He also funded a study in which a medical student drank water and ate only White Castle burgers for 10 weeks. These marketing schemes are attributed to popularizing the hamburger. 
White Castle continues its creative marketing approach today.  Every year on Valentine’s Day customers may make reservations for dinner. Tables have white linens and the staff dresses up and even serves the meal by candlelight. There is something magical about a White Castle Slyder during an intoxicated state and the burgers always seemed to be the perfect remedy for a hangover; it may be why the company’s owners keep the stores open 24 hours and market hamburgers for breakfast.  
Creative customers even developed recipes using White Castle burgers, like Castle Breakfast Quiche, Castle Cobbler and even ethnic inspired cuisine such as East Indian Bobotie. Don’t believe it? Then you need to order “By the Sackful: A Scrapbook With Recipes From 85 Years of White Castle Craving.”
All this gourmet White Castle stuff is good I guess, but give me a sack full of Slyders, a six-pack of Stroh’s and Ernie Harwell on the radio and life doesn’t get much better. To obtain a copy of the cookbook, visit White Castle (Lansing or Detroit) or head to their website
www.whitecastle.com

Heineken Premium Light

My first legal beer was a Heineken. On my 21st birthday my father took me out for a celebratory beer. It was a “no brainer” -- after drinking my fair share of rotgut beers on 10-cent draft night at a popular college watering hole I was going first-class now that I was legal. Since that day my dad and I have shared many Heinekens. As an import Heineken (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) has long enjoyed popularity in the states as a full flavor lager. 
But as a light beer? I always thought it was great that Heineken had steered clear of the light beer market. Just like I couldn’t imagine Guinness or Bass making a light beer I never thought Heineken would either. But this is a business and with the light beer market growing in the U.S. to represent nearly 50% of all beer sold, the economics of this makes sense. After successfully test marketing in 2005 Heineken launched their Premium Light last month nationally. 
If light beer is your thing and you like the taste of hoppy, European-style lagers then Heineken Premium Light is for you. With their reputation of quality is should surprise no one that Heineken would compromise one ounce when making a light beer. This beer pairs perfectly with those who choose diet conscious meals.  Enjoy with blackened whitefish or a grilled chicken salad. Come to think of it, now that I am carrying around an extra 20 pounds Heineken Premium Light makes a lot of sense.

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