About four and a half years ago I wrote and posted a not so short essay describing my journey to craft beer geekdom. Soon after that I stopped blogging (despite the fact that one of my craft beer idols, Greg Koch of Stone Brewing, actually took the time to read it and posted a complimentary comment). Plenty of good reasons got in the way of my writing (some less than good ones snuck in there as well) but my “research” and enjoyment of craft beer, the industry and, more importantly, the people involved with it continued.
Now that I’ve started blogging again I thought it would be a good idea (and maybe fun) to go back and re-read the Crafting of a Craft Beer Geek post to see if anything has changed since I wrote it. Do I still agree with it? Are the points or observations still valid? What did I miss? What’s Next?
One thing occurred to me right away. I did miss something. I had to have missed a lot of somethings to have written that whole thing all by myself (which I’m pretty sure I did). I know I attended and participated in the birth of all three of our children so at least I didn’t miss any of that. Lesson learned: only write posts that don’t require 2 bombers or other large format bottles to get through. With that in mind, here are a few look-back observations and updates to that infamous post:
- I must have thought I was going to win a prize for the longest sentence and longest average sentence. James Joyce would have been proud. My high school English teachers would have fainted. My college creative composition professor is still at the front of the class doing an adaptation of Ben Stein’s “Beuller….Beuller…?”
- I’m up to about 1,500 craft beers tasted and about 750 reviewed (still slacking there)
- Anchor Steam still has a place in my craft beer fridge. Fat tire not so much.
- I finally made the pilrgimage to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens.
- That grown up version of the “safe tree” is still in Scottsdale/Sedona though the forest of safe trees now includes Papago Brewing, Four Peaks, Old Town Tavern, The Yard House & Stone Rose at the Princess.
- I finally began home brewing with Honey Badger IPA as chronicled in New Jersey Monthly Magazine.
Most importantly, I’ve found that I was right about my parting observation back then. It’s still not about the beer. It’s about the craft beer people like the group at Just The Booze Dancing and the people that make up the vibrant craft beer culture (fans, writers, brewers, bar owners) in places like Philly, Austin, San Diego, Asheville & the next great craft beer scene, wherever that might be.
Oh, and if you do plan to click over and read the original post, have a Stone Double Bastard in hand.
Cheers!