I Drink Craft Beer, Therefore I Am.

Just Another Manic Monday

When I began my initial push to become a beer blogger I wasn't surprised when many of my peers jokingly accused me of putting a pseudo professional title on what seemed to them as just an excuse to drink good beer.
First of all, no one needs an excuse to drink good beer. I drink craft beer, therefore I am. Many of them hadn't realized that deep within the recesses of the online community existed this large network of geeks and enthusiasts who devoted a good portion of their time to attending craft beer events, talking to brewers, sampling various brews and writing about it later. What they also didn't realize was that there was a huge demographic of people who actually care about this stuff. That people actually wanted to read about other people enjoying good beer sounded pretty odd to them.

Now here's where I drop the bomb, what I like to call the "Travel Channel Complex." The inherent desire to vicariously live through other people's travels and subsequent experiences so that we can feel as though we went along for the ride from our couch or computer chair. The reason these food shows and travel networks have become so successful is due to the fact that humans like a good time and we like to watch or read about other people having a good time. The only difference with my sub-genre is that we write about beer and beer culture; which is always a good time.

For years, I have been labeled a beer snob, a beer geek, a beer connoisseur etc. Many of these labels I wear proudly because I know that unlike many of my peers, I always had the ability to get a six pack of really good beer and have just as good of a time as the guy who bought a 30 rack of Keystone Lights. The snob label always got me though, because I have also been known to go the Miller High Life or PBR route when out to party. It just seems to be my regular drinking habits that get me that title, which is fine by me.

My friend Nick posed a question during our adventure with Kate the Great on Monday that while easy to answer, got me thinking. He asked our table, "How many alcoholics do you think are here?"
I answered his question with an almost immediate question which got me thinking about what I along with the hundreds of other people were doing there, "How many alcoholics do you think would wait in line for hours in the cold just to get a few beers?"

Hundreds and hundreds of people lined up to get a taste of this beer, on a Monday morning, when much of the state was working. So sure, on the surface, this may seem like a convention of booze hounds who all took the day off to drink, hell, we were even called losers by some of the garbage men driving by at one point. But as I said, alcoholics wouldn't wait in line for beer, and most of the people in the craft beer scene swear by moderation and of course enjoyment of their chosen beverage rather than the outcome; though the latter part is always an added bonus.

Craft beer isn't about getting messed up, it isn't about seeing how many you can pound or how blacked out you can get so that when you wake up, your buddies are telling you about how you pulled your pants down on main street and started a fight with a guy twice your size. Craft beer is about savoring the fruits of one's labor and enjoying it with some close friends and having a good time. What I have found so far is that the scene is full of people who realize that life can be stressful and if you don't stop to smell the hops once in a while, it's going to bring you down with it.

The goal of my blog, of my ramblings, of my reviews is to help true beer lovers realize that if they truly love beer, that they should get out there and take in the culture surrounding it. Learn the process and learn what goes into that beer they enjoy so much. If you're not a beer fan and you're just reading my blog due to the complex I mentioned earlier, I want you to realize that there is enough time in your day, in your week and in your life to enjoy the fruits of it all.

Get out with some friends, travel and make a few new ones and seek out good beer wherever you can find it. You never know what surprises lie ahead.

Cheers!