Back in 2011, I’d just moved to Canada and I was experiencing my first winter. Some friends back in Australia were doing this challenge called 365 Days of Beer, where you had to take a selfie with a beer and post it online until you had 365 different beers. I didn’t believe there were even 300 different beers in the world but I figured I’d give it a crack. After 7 months, I’d completed the challenge and haven’t stopped since. It turned into a podcast and YouTube series, and now we travel the world for beer.
It was the excitement of beer science that lead me to craft beer! While enrolled in the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, I took a course on the Chemistry and Microbiology of Beer. The more I learned, the more I appreciated and loved craft beer! Because of that, beer science will always have a special place in my heart!
I was first introduced to craft beer by going to a local pub here in Birmingham. My friends and I would always go during our time in college. One night, I tried a Good People Brown Ale. After that moment, I never looked back. Craft beer has been my life ever since.
My first experience in craft beer was in 2005 in New Orleans. My work had sent me to New Orleans to help with recovery after Hurricane Katrina for two weeks. While there, I spent quite a bit it time meeting people; eating amazing food, and exploring the city. Some of the people I was working with decided to go out to dinner one night and we were all wanting to have some drinks too, sort of needed to unwind from the work. I wanted to drink something local and was asked what sort of beers was I into at the time. I was mostly drinking Killian’s Irish Red, Amber Bock, Stella, etc. They suggested trying an Abita Amber and Abita Purple Haze. I fell in love with both of the beers, which led me to researching the company and craft beer as a whole. I loved that they brewed Restoration Pale Ale to help with hurricane recovery efforts. I loved that the money was going to a local business. And I really loved the way the beers tasted! It was so different than anything I had ever tried! When I flew back home, I found a liquor store that carried them and other craft beers and started buying them. I started seeking out breweries and fell in love with Dunedin Brewery. Life became a whole lot better after that trip, and a whole lot more expensive.
My garage, San Antonio, TX, 2007. Started buying single bottles and six packs of craft beer to steer away from the “basics.” I remember Dogfish 60 Min being my gateway into IPAs at that time. Also BJ’s Restaurant was new in the neighborhood and I frequented there. Them damn avocado egg-rolls will get ‘cha! I enjoyed trying their house brews along with their guest beers. It was nice to have a place with variety. They always had North Coast PranQster on the menu which I chose often at the time. It only went uphill from there with my selections. It was a good time to be alive!
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