As our schoolteachers will attest, repetition is an inescapable element of their working lives. Students in second grade this year may be different, but the lessons are the same as those taught to last year’s cohort. Level by level, building from the previous ones, we’re introduced to the basics, intended for us all, reserving more advanced concepts for those who show aptitude and interest.
And so it transpires that just about every year, I find myself repeating certain “Hip Hops” columns, as with the following essay about the annual appearance of Oktoberfest lagers and pumpkin ales, both typically brought to us stupidly out of season.
It turns out that there is no substitute for actual facts, even gazing lovingly at an ephemeral Instagram post while hoping something might be gleaned by sheer osmosis. I have no interest in celebrating Oktoberfest in August via the proliferation of irrelevant costumery, and although my kitchen...
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