It’s Time to Talk Craft Beer

Last week, I went to London as part of a blogger trip. I had a full itinerary with tons of sights to see. I spent one of the days checking off some of the more expensive things to do in the city with the London Pass. That night I met up with the group for dinner, and one of the other bloggers asked me what my favorite part of the day had been.

That day, I had seen Kew Botanical Gardens, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and more, yet, what immediately came to mind was the Black Friar Pub where I had “chips” and beer in the sunshine for lunch.

I’m in historical, architectural LONDON. What kind of answer was THAT? I held my tongue and stuttered with my answer, offering “the Tower of London…” and hoped they believed me.

No offense intended to the beautiful city of London, but it was in that moment I realized how much of a priority exploring craft beer has become for me as I travel the world, and that I really should just start writing about it.

I Wasn’t Always a Beer Lover

If I’m going to write about beer, I first want to tell you about how I came to appreciate it, because…

There was once a time when I hated beer.

2003: I was 18 and living in Costa Rica when I had my first taste of beer. I can still see and taste the memory. It was my first week of studying abroad, and I was in the back middle seat of a taxi cab after classes got out one afternoon.

My friends and I were on our way to play indoor soccer, and they had purchased a couple beers for the drive, because #studyabroad. (For the record, there is nothing illegal about this in Costa Rica).

One of my friends handed his bottle of “Imperial” to me, and that is when I had my first sip of what I immediately decided was a disgusting beverage. I could not understand why anyone liked it, nor would I be partaking any longer.

Rum, on the other hand, was a completely different story…

2006: I got my first serving job in a busy, sell-your-soul-every-shift type restaurant, and I tell you what, after those hustling shifts outside under the summer sun, I finally started craving Bud Light with lime. It was refreshing, and that was a start. (I wasn’t a convert yet: that summer I also coined a drink called a “Jolly Rogers” – a roy rogers with rum, you’re welcome.)

2008: I went to my first Oktoberfest in Munich and was proud of myself for finishing an entire stein. One. Stein. At Oktoberfest (palm to forehead).

2010: I am completely embarrassed to admit this, but I actually worked an entire summer at a brew pub in Tahoe that had award-winning brews on tap. Despite the undoubtedly delicious selection, I was the one who ordered Bud Light after my shifts. (I cover my face in shame. Can I still be friends with myself?).

Perhaps if I do have a regret in this life, it is not appreciating certain fine things sooner. Like craft beer.

The Turning Point

Later in 2010, I went on my first ever brewery tour at Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR.

My life changed that day.

For the first time ever, I tried a dark beer. Black Butte Porter XX Anniversary Reserve, to be exact. I enjoyed it, and this floored me. I never would have guessed that I would like dark beer before other beers. To me, dark had always meant “scary,” since I couldn’t even drink “normal” colored beer.

Despite appearances, they are often less bitter and less hoppy, and sometimes sweeter than many other styles of craft beer. Take that with a grain of salt, as brewers continue to experiment, but in general, dark beers can be a perfect option for a beginner craft beer drinker.

About a month later, I went to Oktoberfest in Munich for a third time, this time enjoying three steins (I wore my big girl pants).

2011: I went on a road trip that included several brewery visits along the way. The more I got used to the taste of dark beer and exploring the smell of hops, the more curious I was to try different styles, and the more agreeable they were to my palate.

I was so intrigued by my new-found interest in beer that I was eager to try more and more. There was a will, and I was well on my way.

Shortly thereafter, I decided I actually liked hoppy IPAs. As in, I went from “Bud Light” to “give me the biggest, hoppiest IPA you have, I want to taste the forest” type beer-drinker. I hit the ground running and never looked back.

Now, my favorite beers are the ones that reach out of the glass and slap me across the face with flavor and hops.

In fact, my favorite style is a Black IPA, also known as a Cascadian Dark ale. For me, this style offers the best of both worlds. Give me dark, give me the citrus and the pine, then put me in the sun with a coozy and I am so simply happy, just like I was in the middle of London the other day.

They Say to Write About What You Know…

Food has always been one of my favorite parts of travel. I’m the girl who’s thinking about the next meal while still eating breakfast, and I’m always hungry. I can now say the same about craft beer. I’m thinking about my next pint before I’ve finished the first (“It comes in pints?!”).

So many beers, so little time (it doesn’t help that I’m a slow drinker).

This beer curiosity has led me to try countless styles and seek out countless breweries worldwide. I’m going to start sharing those experiences and opinions in a dedicated craft beer “column” here on the blog, because it makes me hoppy. 😉

Also, for the record, nowadays I would sooner drink water than Bud Light. Life is too short to drink crappy beer.