As a beer writer, I try to enjoy a diverse number of beers because I like to be aware of everything going on in our craft beer scene. A friend of mine said a few years back that you have to drink beer to write about it. I enjoy traveling as well, and just in the past months I have been able to try a lot of really good beer from many places. Bottle shares, and beer trades have only made this experience larger. And now that we have a plethora of beer festivals in the coming months, I don’t imagine opportunities to try good beer will be lost on me.
As craft beer drinkers, a lot of us drink our favorites all the time. But some of us are always seeking out the rare, the big, and the exciting in our beer. I’ve written recently about special releases, and they continue to thrill us! But it is the fact that diverse beer is being made all over the world which I don’t have access to that really excites me. I’m never going to try very much of all the great beer that’s made just in this country, so all I can do is enjoy the beer I have!
Most of us are sitting on a nice collection of beer. Unless you just want to collect it forever, there comes a time when it’s probably a good idea to drink some of it, especially with a few good friends. If you are reading this, go to your beer cellar, and make a few selections to drink this weekend. The odds are good you’ll have plenty of opportunities to replenish your collection in the coming weeks anyway. If you’re anything like me, I have a lot of beer that I sit on longer than I should. You can’t cellar IPAs very long, and if you’re into fruited sours, they can’t be sat on forever, and really should be stored in a fridge. Our fridge space is limited, so what I’m saying is don’t try to sit on your craft beer forever. You bought it to drink, so don’t forget to do that!
Just a few of the bottles the author has in his beer cellar.
So as I get farther into our beer culture, I am making friends all over the country. We trade beer, and we meet up when I get a chance to travel. I have a good friend who’s going to be in Grand Rapids in a few weeks and I don’t really need another excuse to go up there and experience what I call beer utopia. And then my friend Dan and I will be hitting northern Michigan for an extended beercation in July. I hope to revisit some of the really awesome places I’ve already been, as well as exploring the breweries of Muskegon, and Traverse City. In the meantime, trips to Florida and the East Coast have left me with a lot of excellent beer to enjoy. And of course Indiana already provides me with excellent beer, so what reason do I have to complain!
People often ask me what my favorite brewery is. This is a hard question, even if they want to know just who is the best in Indiana. I find at least 50 of them to be making stellar beer, and it’s only the ones who are hours away for me that I don’t really get to visit. I’m thankful for A Taproom for bringing distant Breweries to Indianapolis, and it is the other taprooms of Indiana that I frequent when I really want to enjoy what this state has to offer. I’m due to make a trip to southern Indiana for a beer festival in the tiny town of Ferdinand, and the idea of trying beer I haven’t had for a while sounds good to me.
So if you are anything like me, you are ready for the beer festivals, and probably have some trips planned this year that will take you to some distant breweries. We’ve all got kind of stir crazy over the last year and a half, and even though we’ve had craft beer to keep us sane, we’re ready to experience more. I love to travel myself and will spend the summer chasing down good craft beer because that’s what I love to do! We can go all over the place, or we can just hang out nearby. We have a radar for a good beer, and we drink what we like! It’s a good time to connect with your friends because after all craft beer is a very social experience!
So don’t sit on all your beer forever. Accept that invite to a bottle share because I know you’re sitting on good beer, and the odds are good your friends will be as well. I personally haven’t had a bad experience with all the bottle shares I’ve been to recently. And even as good as my collection is, I’ve been impressed with what a lot of my friends bring to the table. I know people who do a lot of traveling, and they get their hands on some excellent stuff!
So wherever your travels take you, I am sure you’ll have a chance to enjoy some great beer. If you can bring any back, you should do so, and I ask you to share. I’ve turned my sister-in-law into a connoisseur of sour beer, and my little brother and I scoured the shelves of a liquor store in Maryland looking for good sours. If you happen to be anywhere near Hagerstown, Maryland, I recommend the Wooden Keg. No matter what style you’re looking for beer-wise, it’s more than likely you’ll find it there.
So with at least three beer festivals or the next month, I’m going be busy. If you get to the Not So Frigid Digits fest at Centerpoint, I will be wearing a yeti costume for Indiana On Tap. If you run into me let’s share a beer. Otherwise I salute you with whatever you do this summer as you chase down good beer! It’s out there, and I hope you get to enjoy it! Be responsible, and stay safe. After all, I want to keep you all alive so you can read my articles!
So Much Beer So Little Time 