Beer Adventures

[sawguy21]

Therein lies the problem. There are so so many good beers on the market what's a guy to do?

[Ianab]

Therein lies the problem. There are so so many good beers on the market what's a guy to do?

Buy a different one each week, for research purposes. Just  say you are doing it for science and it's all OK. 
You eventually find the styles you like the best, so when you wander into a random brewpub, you have a fair idea what style of beer you want. If you like regular beer, try the local "Pale ale" . Nothing special, but probably very nice. If you are brave, there might be "Jack's Pirate Rum infused Dark Ale". Are your taste buds feeling  today?" 
Back in the day my friends and I got into home brewing for 2 reasons. Beer was expensive, and it mostly tasted the same. So cheaper AND different had a lot of appeal. That led to all sort of folks realising you could actually brew and sell beer, as long as you followed the rules and paid the tax. 

[Crossroads]

In 1998 I started making home brew. At first it was just fun to create something. I had 4 Pepsi kegs in a fridge. 1 always had a chocolatey porter in it and the other 3 were my experimental containers. The problem began when I needed to empty a container so that I could make another experimental brew. I started being less productive and spent more time at home trying to empty another keg. Then in 04 I had an incident with another young man at a local watering hole and spent the night in jail. I vowed to quit drinking that night and still going after 19 years. Now, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done was to transfer a batch of “holiday cheer” into a keg without taking a sample. The aroma made my mouth water and I wanted to taste it, but held fast. I ended up giving away 4 kegs of beer and all of my home brew supplies. 

[rusticretreater]

Any brewpub that makes a variety of beers will likely have a sampler.  If not, just ask if they have one.  At one of my local supermarkets they have a rack of beers that you can select and put into a 6-pack for a standard price.

IMO most brewpub offerings are not all that great. Usually each place has one or two they hang their hat on.  The rest are experiments looking for another decent marketable brew.  

[newoodguy78]

Props to you @Crossroads for recognizing a problem and having the restraint to stick with it. I enjoy a beer at the end of the day probably as much as anyone. Yet I’ve seen all too many good people get messed up because they don’t have the switch to turn it off.

[Crossroads]

Thank you, I’m definitely happier now, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about a nice thick porter now and then.  

[Stephen1]

Good for you Crossroads!
I like a Guinness after running the sawmill. That's my reward. The only micro Brewery that comes close is in Jasper Alberta, I spent 2 winters there teaching skiing and the brewery made a great porter that compared to Guiness as the water they used was the same as what is used in Ireland. The best part was $2 off for local residents and the Eastern hockey game came on at 5pm

[Crossroads]

Sounds tasty! The Black Butte porter is the one I tried to copy when I was brewing. 

[Ianab]

Sounds tasty! The Black Butte porter is the one I tried to copy when I was brewing.

I know some folks have problems with alcohol, and are best to just avoid it. 
The "craft beer" thread was mostly about "different" beers, rather than "getting drunk". That's the theme of a lot of the 'ale house" and craft breweries now. Wander in, sample a coupe of  brews, order a pizza or burger, and walk or Uber home. 
A much more "civilised" attitude to drinking, and I have no worries taking the kids to the local for dinner, they get lemonade or cola, and it's 3 blocks walk home. 

[Crossroads]

Well then, I suppose I’ll excuse myself then. Sorry my “beer adventure “ didn’t match the intent. 

[doc henderson]

@Crossroads congratulations on your success.  I am jumping in cause I worry that what Ian was saying may have not be what you thought.  My apologies if I am wrong.  I think he just meant it is like a family restaurant with a variety of craft beers, not that your input was not part of the conversation.  Just like tools, we talk about safety.  In the old days drinking may have been synonymous with drinking too much.  I think he is pinting (ha ha pointing out) he can take his family to the establishment and he walks home so there is no doubt about his ability to drive a car.  It just so happens I went to one of our local micro brews in our area and took my daughter,  she looks 16 but is 24.  I assured the barkeep of her age and was told kids are allowed as they are licensed as a restaurant.  We are planning benches, charcuterie boards and coasters to make for the Sand Hill Brewery.



 

 
Monique does not drink (root beer), and I had a Nova Scotia IPA.
Our collaborative respect for you and your accomplishments regarding this issue.  

[Ianab]

Like Doc says, craft beer and breweries aren't about getting excessively drunk. If you want to do that, just buy cheap booze and go for it.  Forgotten 43 is a brewpub just up the road from us, we can walk up there on a nice evening, with the kids. and order pizza and burgers. with a couple of beers. No questions about being 0.1 over the driving limit. Hopefully they make it long term, as it's a good thing community wise. 

Tonight I've got "Evolution" from Tuatara 

 

Tasty hazy IPA. but it got the Lil seal of approval, as she kept the sample glass, 6.6 % and heavy on the tropical hops. 

[Ianab]

At Forgotten 43 a couple of weeks back for my Birthday. Like mentioned, licenced as a restaurant, so kids are OK. We got pizzas, a seafood platter, and a couple of beers. All very family friendly. 



 

Tonight...

"This is the Way..."




Mandarin infused Hazy IPA. Mandar-Lorian (to avoid possible copyright crap  ) Actually quite nice.