Beer Wars



Sharing a beer flight with Sarah at
Titletown Brewery in Green Bay. 
Might I add their steak fries are delicious.



This evening I watched the movie Beer Wars.  It's all about America's beer industry and how a bunch of greedy capitalists have ruined your beer.  That's right, that watery crap you've been drinking, that so called light beer; that's not beer.  I really don't understand how people can drink that crap.  A couple years ago I started to drink beers with more flavor and decided that I needed to expand my beer drinking.

That's right, I became a beer snob.

It's true, I pride myself on being a beer snob.  At my 10 year class reunion I drank soda because I wasn't going to lower my standards for a Bud Light.  I can no longer drink Bud, Miller, or Coors without getting sick, literally, give me headaches.  It all taste like sugar water.  Perhaps all this snobbery started with the Old Chicago Beer Tour, but today I learned that most of those beers are still owned by the major corporations.



Dear Miller Light,
Our Relationship is Over.
Forever!

 My snobbish pride got even worse after moving to Wisconsin and learning to home brew with Erik.  Brewing beer is so easy and so much fun.  I'm surprised how much my taste buds have changed.  The only beer around here that I really drink is Spotted Cow or anything else from the New Glarus Brewing Company, and I love the local brewery, Titletown Brewery.   

The thing is, I associate light beer and these big companies with alcoholism.  Good beer is expensive.  And when you have a good beer, are you going to chug it, or sit back and enjoy it with a nice steak off the grill.  That's what I thought.  You are going to savor that fine brew.  But if you are just looking to get wasted, are your going to spend eight to ten dollars are a local six pack of craft brew bottles, or are you going to buy twelve aluminum cans of the cheap shit and do beer bongs (Beer in a can???  Isn't the point of that to stick it up a chicken's ass?).

I get so frustrated looking at all these pictures of "kids" on facebook drinking that cheap beer, because what are they doing, getting drunk.  The whole purpose of drinking crappy beer is to get drunk.  I know, I was in high school once, too.  I used to think Budweiser had flavor, then I grew up.

So grow up people.  Support your local economy that gives a damn about the environment and appreciates the art and craft of brewing, and stop drinking that commercial shit you think is beer.

29

Back when I was in Junior High there was this band called the Gin Blossoms.  You might remember the song, "Hey Jealous."  On the same album (this was back when people bought and listened to the whole CD) there was a song called "29."  As I approached my 29th birthday I remembered this song.  That's when I remembered this line..."29 you'd think I'd know better..."

My friend Heath tells me that 29 is a turning point of sorts.  Big things happen at 29.  This is because Jupiter returns to the position it was in when you were born (it takes Jupiter 29 years to run around the sun).  At 29 you either grow-up or get left behind.  Perhaps it's the limbo of all ages, your early 20s are long gone, but you haven't really made 30 (which I've decided is some magical age where everything comes together).

I hope this year brings more wisdom and maturity to my life (but not too much).  Maybe I will finally learn how to manage my money.

So far the year has started off well.  I got to see the Packers beat the Viking with my dad at Lambeau Field.  It was a really good game and time.  We parked my car by the stadium early in the day, then that night my mom dropped us off.  The great part (besides the Vikings losing and getting to watch Clay Matthews) was hanging out with my dad.  Dads are great at making you feel like a kid and buying you nachos.  Because secrectly, I still feel like I'm 12.