Badass: refers to someone or something that is impressive ,bold, admirable and stands out.
From The Oxford Dictionary of American Slang.
Bruz Beers, located in Denver, Colorado U.S.A., is an artisanal brewery dedicated to traditional Belgian style beers. Cofounders Charlie G. and Ryan E. discovered Belgian beer while backpacking through Europe. Their experience transformational. They returned to Belgium many times with a powerful thirst for Belgian beer and a profound love for Belgian culture. In the early 1980’s, Belgian beers were hard to find in the U.S.A. and craft breweries were few. As partners, they established Bruz Beers and have not looked back. Their brewery brings the flavors of centuries-old Belgian brewing techniques to Colorado and the American West. Bruz Beers only uses the finest Belgian malts, hops, spices, fruits, and a diversity of Belgian yeast strains to insure Authentiek Belgiё. Their themed beers include labels like: Brussels Table Beer, Duvel/Devil, Dame Blanche, Tallus, Belgian Country Lager, Transatlanique Kriek, and others. So well received is their business model that patrons are presented with the option of joining what is known as the Badass Belgium Beer Club. Membership includes daily taproom specials, learning workshops and happy hour pricing.
Perhaps no other dog meets the clinical definition of a badass than the Belgian Malinois. Highly intelligent, loyal, brave (sometimes to a fault!), alert, athletic and extremely trainable, the Belgian Malinois behavior sets it apart from most other breeds. However, these attributes are not necessarily the same as what makes for a great house pet. The have been described as a “precision instrument” by handlers. They require a mission and an extreme amount of vigorous activity . They can be independent, strong willed and laser-like focused. For precisely these reasons the Belgian Malinois is the top pick for police work, military K-9 service, private sector protection and security work. They excel in detection and in search and rescue operations and law enforcement missions and have been described as “unstoppable and so intense they seem to vibrate.” The Belgian Malinois has gained the moniker of various kennel clubs worldwide as the quintessential “Badass of the Dog World.”
Brussels born Adrian Carton de Wiart ( 1880-1963) lived for warfare. In fact, he fought in three wars: the Boer War, World War I, and Second World War II. In the Boer War he lied about his age (he was a teenager), gave a false name which allowed him to enlist in the British Army. Young Carton was severely wounded in the stomach and groin. His convalescence was slow but by the time of World War I , Adrian was ready for front- line action. He was shot twice in the face losing his eye and a good portion of his ear. He was undeterred. When given a glass eye, he tossed it aside and slung on what was to become his iconic black eye patch. On the Western Front, he was wounded seven more times; shot through the skull and ankle at the Battle of the Somme, through the hip at the Battle of Passchendaele (Belgium), through the leg at Cambrai, and through the ear (again!) at Arras. In 1915 he lost his left hand but not before pulling off his own fingers before a surgeon could amputate his hand. Later, in the Battle of the Somme, his men recalled seeing the one-handed Adrian pulling pins from grenades with his teeth and throwing them with his one good hand. For his bravery Carton di Wiart was awarded Britian’s Victoria Cross. He famously replied, “ War is in my blood… frankly, I had enjoyed the war.”
In 1940 (at age 60!) Carton di Wiart was back in the fray (voluntarily) of World War II. On the Norwegian Front, he was able to safely ferry his outnumbered forces back to England but only after withstanding artillery strikes and constant bombardment by the German Luftwaffe. The next year, his plane was shot down in the Mediterranean. Initially unconscious , he recovered and somehow swam to shore where he was met by Italian captors. He was imprisoned Vincigliata Castle (near Florence) with other high- ranking officials. In a scenario that rivaled The Great Escape, he and the other officers excavated a 60- foot tunnel through bedrock over a 7 -month period and escaped . Ultimately, he was recaptured and returned to captivity for sixteen months until the end of the War. Carton’s exploits did not go unnoticed by Winston Churchill . Given the assignment as a special representative to China, he served as a diplomat to Bejing for four years.
Carton di Wiart, the battered old soldier retired in1947 to Ireland, spending his remaining years fishing and writing his memoirs called The Happy Odyssey. He died peacefully in June,1963 at the age of 83.
Depending on your perspective, Adrian Carton di Wiart was either the luckiest or unluckiest soldier to ever lived. What is undeniable is that he was an unkillable, invincible, unstoppable BADASS!
Fun Facts
— Adrian Carton de Wiart was born into an aristocratic family in Brussels. For years rumors swirled (later disproved) that he was the illegitimate son of king Leopold II.
— Cairo – a Belgian Malinois – was no ordinary dog. He was an integral part of the successful 2011 raid of Osama bin Laden’s compound. Cairo was the first to search for bombs and escape tunnels after which he kept the gathering crowd at bay while the Navy Seals took care of business. Later, a grateful President Obama insisted on meeting Cairo personally.
